Belgium was our surprise "LOVE" on our recent trip to Europe. We stayed in Ghent for a few days, with a day trip to Brugges. We absolutely loved both cities, and really want to go back again. We some family roots in the country, so it was fantastic to visit. Like you, we tried all the food "groups"....LOL. They hands down, have the best fries anywhere! Really loving your European videos! - Coreen
How fun that y'all are in Belgium! Kara and Nate are releasing their Christmas market videos right now and they made it to the Belgium market! So fun to hear you reference how they were setting up for it when you were there
My wife and took the train to Bruges while on a trip to Brussels 4-5 years ago. We had a wonderful time and have very fond memories from our time there. Highly recommend!
My husband and I were in Belgium a few years ago, and we did the walking tour of Bruge. When we stopped and closed our eyes, we tried to imagine what it was like centuries ago…best trip ever. We had fries with mayo, Belgium beer, chocolates and even went to their lace factory. We would go back in a heartbeat.
@@tyson00001 I'm born and raised in Bruges. Worked in restaurants during my student years (and flexi jobs). Never have I seen them make it with dark chocolate. 😅
So fun to see one’s own country being a tourist destination, like I know, but we take it for granted. Brugges is my favorite city of my country for sure.
@3:46 there’s a very brief glimpse of a restaurant (Gruuthuse Hoff) that we ate at when we were last in Bruges. It was wonderful. Real Belgian food and too touristy.
Make sure you try a ‘Luikse’ waffle. They are the more dense ones with sugar in it. Just get a plain one, still warm. Brussels waffles are lighter and can be enjoyed with a topping of fruit, cream and chocolate sauce. Both are delicious, but so different.
0:22 opting for a whole day in 1 city was the smart decision. It's so American wanting to visit as many places as possible in as little time as possible. But you need at least a whole day to get a basic view of either city. 1:34 I guess the trees are leaning in one direction because of the prevailing strong winds from the seaside. Bruges is only 20 km away from the coast.
Hi, Brugge is amazing. And I love to see you try all the special food. I had a big smile seeing you try the mussels. Made me go back to my first try. We got it on high school with a biology class. I had one in my hand, but hesitate to try, but when I did I loved it and had to made it to the bowl quickly before they were finished. And yes we have mayonnaise with our fries, I like that more then ketchup. And then the Belgian chocolate. That’s so good. You did right to get a variety. It’s hard to choose. And now waiting for the video of Brussel.
OMG!!! I am so excited to see this! Bruges has been on bucket list ever since Hallmark filmed a movie there! Thank you so much for this video. It makes me want to add it my Scotland, Ireland tour when I finally make it there! Need to get Japan out of the way again first. Maybe 2026!
These videos are Amazing! A riverboat cruise has been on my bucket list for a while, and I’m even more excited about it now. Thank you so much for taking us along on your adventures!❤
We went to Belgium in 2022. We had been to Africa and spent a week in Belgium just to break up the flight home. I loved everything you did too. Especially seeing the Madonna because of Monument Men too. Brought back lots of chocolates and also COVID!! God bless.
I love your travels and your description and love you include history also your food and brewery reviews are great,we are big foodies and love all of your food tours and beer !!
Recounting the backstories of your sites is invaluable. You’ve done this style of vlog even with the small campgrounds and backstreet rooming you’ve done in the Caribbean. Sets your videos apart from others.
So happy anytime you visit a place I'll be visiting soon! Loved seeing it through your eyes, and LOVE learning history of places from Alisa! That's such a strength of yours, and it's so obvious how much you enjoy learning as well.
Alisa, I’m with you. Not a fan of mussels! Never have been, never will be. Bruges looks like an amazing place!! It’s been really high on my bucket list for a couple of years now.
I’m a big fan of the Colin Farrell/Ralph Fiennes comedic crime movie IN BRUGES which was extensively filmed here…while the characters are driven nuts being forced to be hiding out from their angry boss in the city, it’s a lovely town and I’ve always thought that it didn’t seem like a bad place to wander around for a few days!
I always have mayo with my fries. They do it in the Netherlands as well. Their mayo is yellow and tastes different than here in Canada and US it’s delicious. This city is incredible. The movie “In Bruges” was filmed there. It’s a gorgeous looking movie.
Bruges was a favorite place for me and my husband! Have you seen the movie In Bruges with Colin Farrell? That was why we wanted to actually see Bruges but it stood alone for us! Loved it!!!
I said I'd never eat mussels and then my sister had me try some that were in a white wine and butter sauce. Yummo! They don't taste as snotty as oysters.😊
We will be there next May on our transatlantic cruise! Looking forward to finally being able to place a poppy and Canadian flag on the grave of my uncle who was killed in WWII.
Lol so I had been thinking of a side trip to go shopping with my main London trip and thought of Bruges. But then I saw there are places I'd like to go in Brussels and oh! Antwerp diamonds, gotta check that out. Sooooo now Belgium has to be its own separate trip. I'm going to Edinburgh as my side trip to London😂
Bruges is one of my favorite places in Europe. We lived in Germany for three years and we went often, especially during the Christmas market season. I think the chocolate is better in Bruges than in France or Switzerland.
This was awesome. I'm the no mussels person. I also don't really care for chocolate. It's ok but I won't go crazy to get some, Lol... Thank you for taking us along with you as always. ❤❤
The bridge also had the dark Knight protecting the bridge that would force travelers to answer a riddle or they would be sucked up into the air and die lol
That's a rough time of year to explore Belgium. I have experience of living in Paris only in winter months, and it's colder than London (even though its further south). Belgium will be hot in summer, just like everywhere else.
ALL of Europe is absolutely stunning. Doesn't matter where you go as a tourist, you'll just be blown away. Edit: Germany is on NOONE's list of European places to visit, but it should be right up there near the top. (From a Brit - so it's the highest praise possible).
Oh, every country has it great places (even though you weren't expecting much from Belgium). I've been in nearly every European country, and each one has its fair share of fantastic locations. There's not one I wouldn't go back to for a deeper exploration.
In the places where tourists come, people speak Flemish, French, English, German and basically everything necessary to do business. On the walk along the tourist traps people speak English (if they feel like it).
They eat a lot of things in Europe that you guys may have never come across, so you need to be prepared, and with a menu translator. We have a little of such "non-orthodox" food in Britain, the one that comes most readily to mind is haggis with whiskey sauce.
I really love your country very much. Your country is really very beautiful magically marvellous. I really want to become a citizen of your country very well.
I'm sorry: I can't share your enthusiasm for Bruges. Although the city is beautiful. We were there for 4 days in May 2024. Incredible crowds of tourists flood the city. It's unbelievable and also somehow frightening. There is hardly a quiet or idyllic place there during the day. People everywhere, loud, reckless, unrestrained. Even in the magnificent churches and cathedrals, visitors show little respect. They make a lot of noise, film, take selfies. We didn't really find the famous, delicious Belgian fries mentioned here several times, but rather completely overpriced average fries. "Expensive" is one of the things we will always remember about Bruges. We will probably never visit Bruges again. If you really want to go, you should stay in a smaller nice town nearby so that you can decide how long you want to stay on a day visit. I have the sad feeling that these masses of tourists and the big business of tourism are slowly destroying Bruges. Unfortunately.
my new hobby is watching RUclips videos of tourists visiting Bruges. Hilarious! You walk from one tourist trap to another! Didn't you notice that where you went there were never any locals in sight? The highlight of your video is the part in the Mozart house (where no Bruges resident will ever eat) using the serving spoon to eat is hilarious and the dishes you choose... the most typical tourist food, horrible! Too bad you visited Bruges but didn't experience Bruges.
@@rebeccalyons1327 Hey Rebecca, May is a very nice time to visit Bruges. Are you coming by cruise ship? Zeebrugge or Ghent? It is best to visit the city with a local resident, but the locals are a bit tired of all the tourists visiting Bruges. One option is to join a free tour on the Grote Markt. These are young guides who (for a tip) lead tourists in small groups away from the well-trodden tourist route. What's also fun is rent a bike and explore the city. As long as you stay within the city walls, it is almost impossible to get lost. And don't forget, Bruges people don't eat waffles, they don't buy their chocolate at the expensive tourist shops but at the (better and cheaper) shops such as Leonidas (there is a shop in every village, but only 1 shop in Bruges). We like to drink a beer, but all those special beers are for tourists, the better ones are "West Vleteren, Orval,strafe Hendrik, duvel and Omer". Most restaurants serve expensive substandard food. The further you go from the market and the hustle and bustle, the better the food and service. Mussels, stew, meatballs and croquettes are not recommended in Bruges. Find the places where there are no foreign tourists. Anyway, enjoy your visit. Kind regards, Wheelpov.
Did you see the quantity of food he ate at that restaurant ? First some of the mussels, then the meatball tomato soup and finally some of the beer stew too.The mixture alone would send me to the nearest bathroom.
@@flitsertheo Unbelievable, it's no wonder that the restaurants on the tourist route serve rubbish, the tourists eat everything! And they like it too! There are many really good restaurants in Bruges, but you have to make the effort to find them. We Belgians are Burgundians and love good food. The freshness and quality together with the experience of the staff are very important to us. Tourist food is mainly prepared cheaply, served quickly and pricey.
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I started watching you when you were just traveling with your kids on Caribbean cruises. Now the empty nesters have become world travelers. I love it!
Belgium was our surprise "LOVE" on our recent trip to Europe. We stayed in Ghent for a few days, with a day trip to Brugges. We absolutely loved both cities, and really want to go back again. We some family roots in the country, so it was fantastic to visit. Like you, we tried all the food "groups"....LOL. They hands down, have the best fries anywhere! Really loving your European videos! - Coreen
How fun that y'all are in Belgium! Kara and Nate are releasing their Christmas market videos right now and they made it to the Belgium market! So fun to hear you reference how they were setting up for it when you were there
Glad you discovered Belgium as well - Belgium is the one country we want to revisit without a doubt - it must be in the air 😀
Love the video. Always makes me think of the film 'In Bruges', definitely worth checking it out.
My wife and took the train to Bruges while on a trip to Brussels 4-5 years ago. We had a wonderful time and have very fond memories from our time there. Highly recommend!
My husband and I were in Belgium a few years ago, and we did the walking tour of Bruge. When we stopped and closed our eyes, we tried to imagine what it was like centuries ago…best trip ever. We had fries with mayo, Belgium beer, chocolates and even went to their lace factory. We would go back in a heartbeat.
10:57 flemish stew!!!! The best there is.. we make it with dark chocolate and mustard
Most flemish stew are made with mustard and beer. Chocolate is less common
@MaysLee I'm from Bruges. I learned to make it with dark chocolate, mustard, and beer
@@tyson00001 I'm born and raised in Bruges. Worked in restaurants during my student years (and flexi jobs). Never have I seen them make it with dark chocolate. 😅
@MaysLee dan weet je nie wa je mist 😉 keertj proberen
So fun to see one’s own country being a tourist destination, like I know, but we take it for granted. Brugges is my favorite city of my country for sure.
I feel like I am getting a free tour! I am enjoying the history lessons!
@3:46 there’s a very brief glimpse of a restaurant (Gruuthuse Hoff) that we ate at when we were last in Bruges. It was wonderful. Real Belgian food and too touristy.
Looks like a good time was had... Those mussels tho!!!!
One of the top 3 most beautiful places I’ve ever visited!
You are seeing the world like seeing Belgium it looks like you doing a river cruise fun fun
Make sure you try a ‘Luikse’ waffle. They are the more dense ones with sugar in it. Just get a plain one, still warm. Brussels waffles are lighter and can be enjoyed with a topping of fruit, cream and chocolate sauce. Both are delicious, but so different.
0:22 opting for a whole day in 1 city was the smart decision. It's so American wanting to visit as many places as possible in as little time as possible. But you need at least a whole day to get a basic view of either city.
1:34 I guess the trees are leaning in one direction because of the prevailing strong winds from the seaside. Bruges is only 20 km away from the coast.
I guess I’ll have to go back to Brugge. It has only been 50 years !
2:41 not only the canals.. but we were rich AND have canals like Venetië
Enjoyed your video! We just spent a very enjoyable day in Bruges. What a wonderful place
Hi, Brugge is amazing. And I love to see you try all the special food. I had a big smile seeing you try the mussels. Made me go back to my first try. We got it on high school with a biology class. I had one in my hand, but hesitate to try, but when I did I loved it and had to made it to the bowl quickly before they were finished. And yes we have mayonnaise with our fries, I like that more then ketchup.
And then the Belgian chocolate. That’s so good. You did right to get a variety. It’s hard to choose. And now waiting for the video of Brussel.
OMG!!! I am so excited to see this! Bruges has been on bucket list ever since Hallmark filmed a movie there! Thank you so much for this video. It makes me want to add it my Scotland, Ireland tour when I finally make it there! Need to get Japan out of the way again first. Maybe 2026!
Thank you for sharing this with me. That give’s me a great idea for a cruise. I just love what y’all are doing.
Thank you for this. We will be in Bruges this coming May. Can’t wait.
Brugges looks so fabulous! Excellent video!
Looking like an amazing day! History, architecture , and delicious food.
These videos are Amazing! A riverboat cruise has been on my bucket list for a while, and I’m even more excited about it now. Thank you so much for taking us along on your adventures!❤
i can absolutely reccomend it, both in Ghent and Bruges
We visited for a day on our honeymoon. It really is the cutest little town. Would love to go back for the Christmas market!
The independence Day drone show is amazing as well
We went to Belgium in 2022. We had been to Africa and spent a week in Belgium just to break up the flight home. I loved everything you did too. Especially seeing the Madonna because of Monument Men too. Brought back lots of chocolates and also COVID!! God bless.
I love your travels and your description and love you include history also your food and brewery reviews are great,we are big foodies and love all of your food tours and beer !!
Wonderful video ! A step above the other vloggers for cruising.
Recounting the backstories of your sites is invaluable. You’ve done this style of vlog even with the small campgrounds and backstreet rooming you’ve done in the Caribbean. Sets your videos apart from others.
So happy anytime you visit a place I'll be visiting soon! Loved seeing it through your eyes, and LOVE learning history of places from Alisa! That's such a strength of yours, and it's so obvious how much you enjoy learning as well.
Thank you so much for this awesome video… Learning so much every day… Thank you❤️
Alisa, I’m with you. Not a fan of mussels! Never have been, never will be. Bruges looks like an amazing place!! It’s been really high on my bucket list for a couple of years now.
8:13 best are month end with -tre , septembre, octobre,....
Thanks for taking me along! Absolutely amazing ❤
Other than Samantha Brown, you are the travel channel that makes me want to visit the destinations!! Much love❤
What a great video! So exciting visiting new places!
12:17 that to poor it on your board 😂😂😂
Excited to visit Bruges in 2024!!
Fries with Mayo is the best!
Thank you for the tour. We will be there in May 2024.
Absolutely love fritten with mayo as it is meant to be!
Thanks for visiting my city! Happy you had a fun time
What is the weather like there in October?
@@MichaelWill6138 It can be sunny or grey / rainy you have to be lucky ;)
I’m a big fan of the Colin Farrell/Ralph Fiennes comedic crime movie IN BRUGES which was extensively filmed here…while the characters are driven nuts being forced to be hiding out from their angry boss in the city, it’s a lovely town and I’ve always thought that it didn’t seem like a bad place to wander around for a few days!
In Bruges was a minor masterpiece that lead me to visit this wonderful place.
Thank you for this video! I'm going there next year. Now I know what to do for this port.
I always have mayo with my fries. They do it in the Netherlands as well. Their mayo is yellow and tastes different than here in Canada and US it’s delicious. This city is incredible. The movie “In Bruges” was filmed there. It’s a gorgeous looking movie.
Oh yeah, we need to watch that movie!
Bruges was a favorite place for me and my husband! Have you seen the movie In Bruges with Colin Farrell? That was why we wanted to actually see Bruges but it stood alone for us! Loved it!!!
I said I'd never eat mussels and then my sister had me try some that were in a white wine and butter sauce. Yummo! They don't taste as snotty as oysters.😊
❤mussels, ❤beer! This was fun!
We will be there next May on our transatlantic cruise! Looking forward to finally being able to place a poppy and Canadian flag on the grave of my uncle who was killed in WWII.
You need to come back and do the Christmas market cruise!!
Get out of here with that white chocolate! LOL.
Actually I really want to go to Bruges for their Christmas market sometime.
Lol so I had been thinking of a side trip to go shopping with my main London trip and thought of Bruges. But then I saw there are places I'd like to go in Brussels and oh! Antwerp diamonds, gotta check that out. Sooooo now Belgium has to be its own separate trip. I'm going to Edinburgh as my side trip to London😂
Bruges is one of my favorite places in Europe. We lived in Germany for three years and we went often, especially during the Christmas market season. I think the chocolate is better in Bruges than in France or Switzerland.
Great tour and info. Thanks❤❤
This was awesome. I'm the no mussels person. I also don't really care for chocolate. It's ok but I won't go crazy to get some, Lol... Thank you for taking us along with you as always. ❤❤
If you want good French fries, mix mayo and teriyaki sauce for a dip! Soooo good!!
In Flanders we use the shell or both valves as a tweezer to grap the mussels and eat. And with friet for God sakes..
The bridge also had the dark Knight protecting the bridge that would force travelers to answer a riddle or they would be sucked up into the air and die lol
Lovely video. Ghent is beautiful too, including the McDonalds.
That's a rough time of year to explore Belgium.
I have experience of living in Paris only in winter months, and it's colder than London (even though its further south).
Belgium will be hot in summer, just like everywhere else.
Chocolate in Belgium is awesome
Beautiful ❤️
I’ve always dipped my fries in mayo and frosty’s from Wendy’s haha!
Great videos thanks 😊
I dip my fries in ketchup and mayo mixed together. YUM
What company did they use for the guided tour?
Looks so amazing ❤
So interesting ❤
I prefer to dip fries in a mixture of ketchup and mayo. The person I picked this up from said she learned this combo in Belgium
Great video ❤❤❤❤
I love mussels you are so funny !! But you did try it
Where qe can catch the train or bus from zeebruzze port to bruze ithank vety much
ALL of Europe is absolutely stunning. Doesn't matter where you go as a tourist, you'll just be blown away. Edit: Germany is on NOONE's list of European places to visit, but it should be right up there near the top. (From a Brit - so it's the highest praise possible).
Mayo and fries are the best!
Oh, every country has it great places (even though you weren't expecting much from Belgium).
I've been in nearly every European country, and each one has its fair share of fantastic locations.
There's not one I wouldn't go back to for a deeper exploration.
Hey alisa, how did they build the buildings around the water
Best episode ever! Your presentation and visuals are amazing! ❤
Fries with mayo is what is regular to us. Fries with ketchup is just too sweet for me.
Where did you get this walking excursion ? Or you did it by your self
We will be in Bruges in October. How are they with speaking English?
In the places where tourists come, people speak Flemish, French, English, German and basically everything necessary to do business. On the walk along the tourist traps people speak English (if they feel like it).
They speak fluent English
Nice
They eat a lot of things in Europe that you guys may have never come across, so you need to be prepared, and with a menu translator.
We have a little of such "non-orthodox" food in Britain, the one that comes most readily to mind is haggis with whiskey sauce.
I'm new to your channel, your great tour guides love to go to Belgium
Muscles yum, clams no, and raw oysters know. Dee just had a raw oyster.
How long was the bus ride from the ship to Bruges?
Takes about an hour on a straight stretch of motorway.
I trust Jason food reviews you must of been a cook or chef
He’s a keen and very good cook😊
Wasn't mayonnaise invented for the purpose of dipping fries?
I really love your country very much. Your country is really very beautiful magically marvellous. I really want to become a citizen of your country very well.
In FLANDERS!!!
Maybe the trees are all leaning cuz they drank too much tequila.
I'm sorry: I can't share your enthusiasm for Bruges. Although the city is beautiful. We were there for 4 days in May 2024. Incredible crowds of tourists flood the city. It's unbelievable and also somehow frightening. There is hardly a quiet or idyllic place there during the day. People everywhere, loud, reckless, unrestrained. Even in the magnificent churches and cathedrals, visitors show little respect. They make a lot of noise, film, take selfies.
We didn't really find the famous, delicious Belgian fries mentioned here several times, but rather completely overpriced average fries. "Expensive" is one of the things we will always remember about Bruges. We will probably never visit Bruges again.
If you really want to go, you should stay in a smaller nice town nearby so that you can decide how long you want to stay on a day visit. I have the sad feeling that these masses of tourists and the big business of tourism are slowly destroying Bruges. Unfortunately.
my new hobby is watching RUclips videos of tourists visiting Bruges. Hilarious! You walk from one tourist trap to another! Didn't you notice that where you went there were never any locals in sight? The highlight of your video is the part in the Mozart house (where no Bruges resident will ever eat) using the serving spoon to eat is hilarious and the dishes you choose... the most typical tourist food, horrible! Too bad you visited Bruges but didn't experience Bruges.
So where should we go? I’ll be there in May for a day.
@@rebeccalyons1327 Hey Rebecca, May is a very nice time to visit Bruges. Are you coming by cruise ship? Zeebrugge or Ghent? It is best to visit the city with a local resident, but the locals are a bit tired of all the tourists visiting Bruges. One option is to join a free tour on the Grote Markt. These are young guides who (for a tip) lead tourists in small groups away from the well-trodden tourist route. What's also fun is rent a bike and explore the city. As long as you stay within the city walls, it is almost impossible to get lost. And don't forget, Bruges people don't eat waffles, they don't buy their chocolate at the expensive tourist shops but at the (better and cheaper) shops such as Leonidas (there is a shop in every village, but only 1 shop in Bruges). We like to drink a beer, but all those special beers are for tourists, the better ones are "West Vleteren, Orval,strafe Hendrik, duvel and Omer". Most restaurants serve expensive substandard food. The further you go from the market and the hustle and bustle, the better the food and service. Mussels, stew, meatballs and croquettes are not recommended in Bruges. Find the places where there are no foreign tourists. Anyway, enjoy your visit. Kind regards, Wheelpov.
Did you see the quantity of food he ate at that restaurant ? First some of the mussels, then the meatball tomato soup and finally some of the beer stew too.The mixture alone would send me to the nearest bathroom.
@@flitsertheo Unbelievable, it's no wonder that the restaurants on the tourist route serve rubbish, the tourists eat everything! And they like it too! There are many really good restaurants in Bruges, but you have to make the effort to find them. We Belgians are Burgundians and love good food. The freshness and quality together with the experience of the staff are very important to us. Tourist food is mainly prepared cheaply, served quickly and pricey.
ahh come on belgium is for old people,the old old,and the smell of 500 years urinating walls bluhhhhhh
Oh my goodness I would hate sitting in the restaurant with such rude noisy people sitting behind. Terrible. Food looks great
12:02 how do you guys eat??????😂😂
7:51 you didnt flemish stew???
In Belgium we make fresh mayonaise and don't like ketchup