Paradise in Brugge, Belgium
Review Submitted: June 3, 2008
Date of Stay: May 2008
From the moment my adult daughter and myself arrived at the Brugge trainstation, our stay at the Brugge Penthouse was absolutely wonderful! Mark, the owner, immediately picked us up and delivered us to our apartment where he had a large bowl of fresh fruit awaiting us. Originally, I had been hesitant about staying in Brugge for a whole week because of the hoards of tourists every day since we do not like large crowds. However, my daughter summed it up best when she said that it was like if we went one block into the main square it was like we were in the city and when we came back to the apartment it was like we were in the country! We could sit on the extremely private terrace, sip a Belgian beer and only hear the church bells ringing and the birds singing. There was a convenient supermarket just down the street and around the corner where we could buy supplies such as beer, wine, bread, cheese and anything else we needed. Also, the Wednesday Market at the main square was the best I've ever seen! The freshest produce, beautiful cooked chickens and sausages as well as raw meats, extensive selections of cheeses, breads, pastries, and flowers. It was also good having broadband Internet so my daughter could keep in touch with her husband and I could check on the progress of my hockey team in the Playoffs at home! We rented bicycles for the week and a highlight for me was biking along the canal to Sluis in the Netherlands for lunch. My daughter took many other bikes trips into the countryside. One day, I took the train to Ostend, only 12 minutes, and then the Coast Tram that goes up and down the short Belgian coast, only five euros for a day pass. My daughter rode her bike instead and we met on the coast for lunch by the water. Our stay in Paradise ended with Mark driving us to the trainstation at 5 o'clock on Sunday morning for our train to the Brussels airport. The only people who I would not recommend this property to are those who have difficulty with stairs. It is two flights of stairs up to the main floor of the apartment and then another flight up to the bathroom. I felt culture shock upon arriving home in the US and I already miss the beauty of Belgium. : ) I brought home all the chocolates I could carry.
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Helpful votes: 11/11