Let me first start by admitting that I have never in fact read A Tale of Two Cities. It just seemed like a good name for the title of this post.
I am leaving tomorrow for Paris and thought to give you all a short recap of my time in Belgium. I have been staying in Bruges and earlier today did a day trip to Brussels. Bruges is what I would call an "Old World Disneyland" in that it is full of medieval and renaissance things and is kept alive entirely on tourism. It's also a town where you strangely feel ok being part of the tourist mob. I've done most of the touristy stuff like climb the Belfry Tower, see the blood of Christ and the Groening Museum. But also enjoyable has been just walking around town, especially when you get away from the tourist hordes. Because Bruges is so small, you could see everything in day, but I would suggest two just for a more relaxed pace. Brussels on the other hand is more the modern city, thanks largely to the EU and others organizations making it their HQ. It has the bustle of a big city, though still has plenty of old world sights. I spent a few hours walking around, and went into a few buildings, but I don't feel like I did very much. Perhaps if I have time at the end of the trip I'll come back and give Brussels a second shot.
Lastly, if anyone ever goes to Bruges I strongly recommend Da Vinci's ice cream parlor for some very tasty ice cream. Next post from Paris, probably in a few days.
I've read that novel. It can be skipped. But I'm the sort of person who thinks Dickens is best as a film adaptation.
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