Bruges

Bruges is a gorgeous place. An unspoiled medieval town, it's amazingly well preserved with winding streets and picturesque canals lined with beautiful buildings - a completely different style than the medieval buildings in Alsace. It was never heavily industrialised and has retained most of its medieval buildings. It also escaped major damage in both world wars. There are no billboards or high rises in the city but lots of glorious, huge, beautiful mature trees. There's a very exclusive archery club quite close to where we're staying - members of the Belgian royal family belong. Apparently the club's been in existence since the 12th century.

We're staying in an amazing bed and breakfast. An unexpectedly modern building, 10 minutes' walk from centre ville, set among medieval houses. The owners bought two adjoining sections and pulled the houses down, wanting to build a one-storey house for their retirement. But that wasn't acceptable to the Council - it had to be three storeys like the surrounding houses. But it couldn't be apartments ether. What to do? Why not build a big house and run a b+b! We're the only room on the top floor - got a really comfortable lounge and sun terrace that looks over adjoining roofs.

And forget Belgian food specialties of beer, chocolate and waffles - we've found one that beats them all! It's called Speculoos, the result of an annual competition to come up with a new commercial product. The first winner was something to do with an aid for the elderly to put on their support hose (!) but in the second year, the prize was taken by a housewife, who'd come up with the idea of using stale cinnamon biscuits (those windmill ones you can get at home) as the basis for a spread. It's delicious and has been a wild commercial success, now used everywhere - ice-cream flavoring, crepe filling etc. etc.