Traveling in the Time of COVID – Europe

Belgium

The getting there aspect from Koblenz, Germany:  Two train changes carrying luggage, and since the reserved seat markers had a glitch, sometimes we’d find a seat and then soon discover it was reserved, so then we need to get up and find new seats. Luckily, John and I got seats together 80% of the time. It took about 6 hours, then a $15 cab ride through the lovely hotel literally in the middle of the old quarter. Beautiful, quiet, with a big soaker tub and a view of the garden.

According to the Re-Open EU App, Belgium requires US citizens to fill out passenger locator forms and get a COVID rapid test within 48 hours of entering the country. No surprise to any prior readers – I met with some technical issues. The PLF site kept booting back our phone numbers – even with the international +1 or 001, we tried Liam and Alan’s numbers (with their permission), also without success. I closed, reopened the site, no luck. I found a site that asked the identical questions – but charged $29 per person to do something we can do for free. Finally, I tried opening the form using Google instead of Safari – and no problems. I received our confirmation. In Germany, we saw testing sites all over, it turns out Belgium – at least Bruges – not so much. Not in the train station, none in the wandering around the first evening. I checked online, and the closest was over 8km (about 5 miles) away, and you needed an appointment. We received an email from the Belgium health authority overnight – in Flemish, one of the few words we could make out was “quarantine”. Thank goodness for Google translate. Since I’d loaded our vaccine cards and the PCR tests we did prior to entering Germany, the email said we did not need to do a COVID test! In Germany, you had to show your vaccine card and fill out a contact tracing form everywhere you went, here, once in country, they figure you must be vaccinated so no one checks.

Bruges is a city that embodies preserving old-world charm, yet embracing modern conveniences. We grabbed a quick lunch at a café near the hotel called Tatties (we both had a crab sandwich with pineapple – it was a “good different”, and the bread was wonderful) then we wandered around the canals, and oriented ourselves by the many high spires and towers that are scattered throughout the old city. 

We could see the small boat tours with about 25 passengers and eventually followed one back to its source. For 10E each, we got a 35- minute tour of the city by waterway. Our guide and boat driver, Mark, was entertaining, and did a much better job going juggling three languages (English, Flemish and German) than our boat tour in Koblenz– and would alternate which language he did first. Some of the bridges were pretty low – tall people needed to duck. Our dinner after the boat ride was a pleasant, but overpriced prix fixe meal in a convenient tourist location. We made it an early night since we hadn’t slept much the night before. 

Our first full day was cool and drizzly, so a perfect day to explore the many museums. There is a “Musea Brugge” pass that for 32E you get entrance to 13 museums (unfortunately, not the chocolate or beer museum). We wandered through Saint John’s Hospital, which had been a working hospital from the mid 12^thcentury until 1977, and after a few stops and starts, found the associated apothecary museum, which still had an herb garden, though most of the hospital grounds had built up over the years. The ticket did include entrance to the Belfry tower – but with 366 steps, neither John nor I felt the need to go up, or down, the tower (we’ve been getting 15000-20000 steps/day). Several of the museums were in 15^th and 16th century buildings with several stories, we got in enough stairmaster in the others. The museums covered art from the early middle ages through the very modern, and a number of art exhibits and installations throughout the city for public view, the theme was “TraumA”.

Lunch was at a funky burger place called “Bohemian burgers” which made some of their veggie burgers from hazelnuts – which was pretty good. They also had lamb burgers along with traditional beef. While we were eating, the table next to us was a group of young men with varying accents, and one mentioned “Whataburger”. For those who don’t live in the Texas/ Oklahoma area, Whataburger is a popular regional chain that started in Corpus Christie in 1950. We had to comment on that, which led to a fun conversation and “small world” commentary – of the group, 3 were Americans living in Europe, one from Romania, one from Slovenia and the last I don’t remember. They were in the biotech industry and training in a town just outside of Brussels and in Bruges for the day. 

In the evening, we wandered to the outer walls and found the windmills – there are four, one of which still functions and grinds grain. 

There is still a remaining gate to the city that cars drive through daily. We walked through for the effect. 

We wandered back, and started bar hopping, initially to one called Charlie Rockets, housed in what once was the largest movie theater in Bruges. I had a “red beer” – expecting something like an Irish red – not it at all. Instead, it was a beer that tasted like sangria – a “fruitbeer” (as a side note – most US fruit beers do not contain alcohol – this one did – 7.5%). John liked it better than the hoppy home brew of the house, so we switched. (Charlie Rockets is also a centrally located youth hostel with a happy hour for guests from 4-5PM. It seemed pretty loud to me, but for someone in their 20’s and likely to be out late, it looked fun). We continued on to a tapas restaurant/ bar sitting next to a blond woman and large, Viking looking man with a long red/brown beard. John made a comment about the beard, and we started chatting, leading to a wonderful evening that went on for the next three hours, sipping beer and swapping travel tales. Sometimes you just click with people. We swapped information, so I hope to see them again someday. 

We had a much more low-key Sunday, sleeping in later than normal after our late night (we didn’t get to bed until 1AM), and managed to get in four more of the Musea Brugge pass places (I’m not sure if we did 9 or 10 of the 13). There was also a city-wide rummage sale. Many streets, especially the Langstradt (Longstreet) were lined with vendors with old pottery and figurines, clothes, and every nick-nack and portable item you could imagine.

Some of the museums took us back out toward the outer walls, so we took a different path back to the city center. We made it a much earlier night as we planned our trip to Brussels for the next day, making sure they had rentable lockers for luggage so we could walk around, checking on train times for the morning and routes to the train station. 

In getting to from the hotel to the train station there were a few options, the front desk said the easiest was to take a city bus that said “via station” – which was a lot of the buses we had observed going past the night before-  and pay the driver the 3E each. We got on board and the driver said “no cash” but didn’t kick us off, so we got a free ride to the train station. 

Brussels: The fare for the 2 of us to Brussels (a one-hour journey) was 21E, and no problems on the train, but when we got to Brussels – the lockers were being renovated, so we had to use the expensive 8E/piece luggage check. Dropping off was quick – we’ll get to the picking up later. From the train station you can see the Palace of Justice with its gold dome, so we headed off in that direction. On the way up the hill, we came across the castle – called the Hallepoort- which is another museum. I dragged John into (and up more stairs – it is a castle). Like several of the museums in Bruges, they provided a complimentary recording, in English, of the items on display and the historical context – just tap in the number in front of the object. The parapets offered amazing views of the city. 

 We continued along up the hill and eventually made it to the Palace. Most of the structure is under renovation (since 2003 – to the point where locals say the scaffolding needs to be renovated)

and “due to COVID” there are no tours, but you can walk a little area beyond the scaffolding for photos of the grand staircase in the main entrance. The other interesting item to see in Brussels – the Atomium – was too far away to get to easily, so we simply saw it from the parapet of the castle and the overlook in front of the Palace. They have a large Ferris wheel in front of the Palace, decorated with images of the different famous buildings and sites of the city. It’s size is reminiscent of the London Eye – but this one is only 8E/person. 

We meandered back to the train station and went to get our tickets on to Cologne. Although the counter agents English sounded good, he misunderstood us and gave us tickets that required for us to collect our luggage and take a train to a different train station in less than 20 minutes. We had not yet collected our bags. John went to get in line – and waited, and waited, 23 minutes later we got our bags. Luckily, the tickets were “flexible” and we could use them on a later train (almost exactly 2 hours later), from the station we were already in – and was the one we wanted in the first place. And the 2-hour train to Cologne for 2 people? 143E. 

Some practical tips for Bruges:

There is a free shuttle bus (The Gratis shuttle) between the center city and the train station, which runs 7A-7P, but we were warned it is a bit of a tour bus that tries to sell you on tours, et al, along your circuitous route. The city buses run frequently, cost 3E per person, there are 10 ride cards you can purchase at the train station if you don’t like to walk as much as we do (and there is a discount per ride- if I read the machine correctly, the 10 ride ticket was 18E). I also read that the multi-ride passes are also good in Antwerp and Ghent, since the buses are run by the same company, but you may want to verify prior to purchase. 

Don’t eat in the main Market square – it’s expensive and not very good. 

Overall, beer runs 4-5E per 330ml (about 12 oz), many bars and pubs make their own, and are worth a try, and are often cheaper, or you can stick with known brands such as Jeffe and Westmalle. 

Wear comfortable walking shoes and bring a rain jacket. You will be walking on cobbles, avoiding bikes and some cars navigating the narrow streets. 

Hotel cost will vary according to location and time of year, Martin’s Relais – which I recommend – is centrally located with lovely rooms and cost us $350/ 3 nights. They provide a small refrigerator and coffee service in the room (and no issues with toilet paper). 

The chocolate is great – and everywhere. Just pick a place and enjoy (a 200g bar costs about 3.75E)

Food: you can get everything from a Pizza Hut buffet to very fancy meals on the square. Costs for 2 people: breakfasts of yoghurt, chocolate croissants and coffee ran about 25E; lunches/linner ran everywhere from 14E to 65 (the high end included wine/beer, the lower one did not).

Brussels:

The train station is very inefficient. Try to get your tickets elsewhere and save the hassle. If you need to use the luggage check, allow yourself at least 30 minutes for pick up. There are 2 sections to the train station – they do connect, but it can be confusing when getting around). 

There are a number of homeless in Brussels, and the train station warns repeatedly about pick pockets. 

In all honesty, I was disappointed, I thought the seat of European Parliament would be cleaner, but there was a lot of garbage on the street, and the impression of the city was “tired”. Where Bruges was a Grand Damme of elegance and style, Brussels was the old lady, sitting on the stoop blowing smoke and glaring at the world.

Next up – back to Germany!