What a great little city Bruges is, and only a short drive from Calais. I was really surprised at how quick it was to get there. We spent a Friday night sampling the famous belgium beers in the numerous bars in and around the centre, and then Saturday nursing hangovers whilst trying to be tourists.

We tried a couple of the restaurants but I was not overly impressed with the service. After ordering a bottle of Australian Cabernet Sauvignon, the waiter brought me a bottle of Australian Merlot. When I pointed out what must have been his unintentional error he simply looked at me and said ‘It’s Australian’ and walked off. Either this was an expression of his contempt for Australian wine or perhaps just his best advice. I just think he could have handled it better.

I found the locals to be really friendly and helpful, especially our AirBnB host Chloe. As well as providing us with great accommodation she gave us some really helpful tips on where to go and what to do. We also met one of the locals in a bar who also gave us lots of advice on where to go and what to do. This was not so helpful.

All in all a great trip and I will definitely be going back soon. Perhaps in the summer when I can relax by the river and watch the world go by on bicycles and boats.