22nd of February, 2022.
I am so nervous in the tram. And the lift it last for over 30 minute, which makes me living in this little nightmare for all that time, looking from one door to another, worrying that the guard will show up from the sewers and give me a 100 Euros fee for not having a ticket. Nobody comes. I arrive in my station safe.
At the gas station I know it is sometime after 11 o’clock. Oh! it is so late. Why have I done that? Better saying: why do I keep doing that? In order to be nice and polite and kind to others, I jeopardize my own plans. I knew I should have left Hannah and Vadim’s apartment earlier in the morning, but I didn’t because I didn’t want to make them wake up earlier or something. Plus they were also having another guest, Vadim’s friend Angelo. But what if I had a bus, a train or a plane to catch? Shouldn’t people be aware of that kind of thing when they host someone? I am sure that they would understand, been so lovely as they are. It is only me who is the problem. Me and my big stupid heart. And I still dare to say sometimes that it is made of wood… I wish!
A nice elderly man, a Turkish man, Feti, tells me he can drive me to Geten. It is half way to Bruges. But because of the whole “better to hitchhike in the countryside than outside of the capital” thing, I decide to go with him.
After telling my whole story to Feti, he tells me he will drive to Bruges! Owmm! He actually offer me a place to stay in Geten, if I want to switch with Bruges. But I have seem so many nice photographs of Bruges, that I have to refuse this wonderful offer.
In Bruges, Feti even suggests he can drive me where I want, because he has time. But I tell him my plan of getting a free map and everything. So he drops me off in the middle of the main square. He tries to give me some bottles of water but I kindly refuse.
Wow! The main square is astonishing! If wasn’t for all the restaurants and their tents, it would be even better. Ah! and all the constructions going on too…. shame.
The Info Centre is at a kind of “Dungeon” building thing, where lots of kids and youths like to go. Luckily for me, because of a big group of kids, the toilets which are paid, are temporarily open for them. See, sometimes kids can be useful!
At the Info Centre, the lady is a bit reluctant at the beginning, saying that they don’t really have much space (which is true), but luckily, she finally decide to keep my backpack for a few hours.
Bruges is truly beautiful! If today, with a bad and grey weather, cold and windy, the town already looked gorgeous, I cannot imagined how it looks on summer. Walking through the small streets, the alleys, admiring the old buildings, is like being in a movie. Everything, everywhere is so pretty! The old architecture, followed by the red bricks of the buildings, it is so romantic and Gothic. I simply love it!
Then you have the churches… they are just incredible! Not all of them are for free but the Church of our Lady Gruges is, and wow! Even if it was the only one for free it would already worth it. It is a piece of art! You must take a seat and appreciate the beauty of it for some good minutes. Just in the back of the church there is a museum, Gruuthusemuseum, but you don’t need to go inside to have your chin dropped. The outside of the building is marvellous! Then when you go around, through this little passage, on the back left side from the place where you buy the tickets for the museum (and this is the only part of this little paradise which is not nice, the tickets office), like as you are going around the church, and you end up in a lovely backyard, with a tiny bridge, Bonifacius Bridge, and lovely houses aside the river… Oh! It is like a poem! There is no way you can put all the beauty in a photograph. I am sorry, I tried.
I have been around town for about 2 hours. I am sure that if you have more time, if you can sit and have some food somewhere, like a picnic, if you are like me, or in one of the many wonderful small restaurants, and then walk a bit more, you will have a lovely time!
I have noticed earlier that, for some very mysterious reason, I managed to leave my travel plans and directions at Hannah and Vadim’s apartment. So after grabbing my backpack back (and going under the turnstile to use the toilet this time (because the kids are gone by now, so they activated them back), I decide to go to a McDonald’s and to do two things: send an email to Hannah, asking if she can find my travel plan, take a photograph and send me via email; and get directions (again) of how to get out of town. Luckily, because I had looked a lot into my plan before, I kind of remember the directions quite well. Luckily, because the manager of McDonald’s gives me a hard time about my Covid Certificate not being the Belgium one. Oh, kiss my ass! He even mention something about “if the police come…” Dear Loki! Do you really think that the police will waste their time coming here, into a McDonald’s in Bruges, to check if everybody inside has actually a Covid pass? At least he is nice and let me stay for ten minutes to get my directions.
At the church, a bit of struggle to find the place where the priests live, but with the help of a kind and charming guy, I finally find it.
I talk with the main priest. He is a very elderly man, who seems very kind, but after listening to me, he directs me to another place, a place that, according to his words, is where “some youth usually go to spend the night”. I try to get more information out of him about this place, if he is sure that I don’t need to pay to stay there. He says that most likely not. But can I stay here instead? I ask. Not possible, he says.
I am a bit shocked but at least he was nice so I am also fine. But I cannot find the place he is talking about it. So I ask to this lady, in a very nice plants shop, if she know something about it. She looks great and tells me have just moved in so I must ask the owner of the shop. He is such a gentleman, and we chat for a while. He is very surprised that the priest didn’t let me stay. “I know him, it is a very short man, right?” Laugh. He tells me the place the priest is talking is actually a hostel. What? Yeah. So the nice man advises me 4 things: to try the hostel, because you never know; if it does not work, right across the street, there is a home for elderly people, maybe if I am lucky…; if it does not work, right next to the second place, there is a B&B place, which is owned by a lovely lady, maybe if I talk to her she could let me stay; and in case nothing works, I can just come back to him. Owm! Can you just take me now instead and save me all the walk and trouble? Just joking… But seriously…?
When I get to the hostel it starts to rain. There is a group of young people hanging around. Strange. I talk with the nice receptionist and explain everything to her. Maria listen to me very patiently. At the end she says: “I will talk to my manager, but if she says it is not possible, don’t worry, you can crash on my house then, I don’t leave far from here.” Owm! It seems to me that, apart of the priest, everybody living in Bruges is so kind! Joking again. The priest was nice. And both people who were very nice, the man from the plants shop and Maria are not from here or Belgim.
Maria will work until 11 p.m. I feel sorry for her. Until then, I will just hang around the hostel.
