We left off being stranded in Bruges. We woke the next morning in the most luxurious bed and decided to hit up the same coffee shop we had eaten in the morning before. Espressos and pastry needs taken care of, we made our way back to the train station. Since the original plan had been a day trip to Ghent and the train back conveniently stopped in Ghent, things worked out. We just had to wear the same sweaty clothes from the day before.
Ghent is a neat little town - there is a university there, so overall it is kind of funky and a younger crowd, made all the more interesting by the centuries old bell tower and cathedrals. Also, Ghent was major port city with many canals and old houses where the rich traders and tax collectors used to live.
We arrived and walked a fair bit to a beautiful park near the south of the city, where the art museums are clustered. We were particularly excited to go to SMAK - a relatively new contemporary art museum (officially the Stedelijk Museum voor Actuele Kunst). The main exhibit was entitled "Beyond the Picturesque" and focused on landscapes. Multiple artists contributed, some whimsical, some thought provoking, some just weird and annoying. All fascinating and very enjoyable. We were really hoping the museum would have gift shop shirts, but apparently they are too cool for that. A picture had to suffice.We walked about a mile north to the center of town, working up a pretty good appetite. I know what you are thinking - time for some pork products of some kind? Of course! We went to a restaurant loosely interpreted as "The Butcher Hall", complete with aged pig legs hanging from the ceiling rafters. Beers to start, and Ben had his favorite of the whole trip, a Ghent microbrew. After much deliberation about what to order (it all looked good!) we settled on "A discovery of east Flemish meats and cheeses" and discover we did! A huge plate of charcuterie (for you non-foodies, basically glorifed bologna and salami) with a couple types of cheeses and this ridiculously spicy mustard. Paired with this rustic multigrain bread, more beers, and a leisurely afternoon, this made for a pretty perfect lunch. Don't worry, we got some carrot soup for a vegetable.
Stuffed with "cultural discovery", we headed over to tour the bell tower and cathedral. We learned many interesting things from a lovely woman who conducted our tour extremely fluently, alternating effortlessly between Dutch, French, and English. Luckily, these bells were much more in tune! Across the way was a cathedral with a beautiful pulpit and impressive collection of art.
By this point, we were pretty tired of wearing the same clothes and hopped back on the train to Brussels. After a nap, we decided to try the restaurant literally across the street from our apartment. It is maybe a good thing that we didn't make it there earlier in the week, because we may not have gone anywhere else! It was delightfully decorated in French farmhouse-ish style, menus on a chalkboard, dried herbs and lavender hanging from the ceiling. Everyone else in the place was speaking French (and as Ben pointed out, "food just tastes better when everyone around you is speaking French"). We started with an appetizer with shrimp in a sauce with citronelle and fresh coriander, topped with edible flowers.
For our main, I had a risotto made from spelt (interesting! nutty!) topped with perfectly cooked scallops. Ben had veal topped with the "best potato chips ever". For dessert we shared a lavender creme brulee and a pair of chocolate pots de creme - one straight up, one with a zesty marmalade type surprise. The meal was SO good that we asked if they would be open the next day, but unfortunately they would be closed for the long weekend. So goes it, we are happy that we got to go once!After the trip home (about 15 steps), we turned in for the night.
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