Highlights of the Day
Day four blended scenic calm with unexpected festivity. We returned to Bruges to experience its canals from the water, boarding a boat just in time. Gliding beneath low medieval bridges and past stepped-gable houses revealed new perspectives on the town’s history and architecture. Lunch at a locally praised restaurant offered refined dishes, though a quickly diluted cocktail provided mild amusement. In the afternoon, we traveled to Ghent and visited Saint Bavo’s Cathedral to see the monumental Adoration of the Mystic Lamb by the Van Eyck brothers — a masterpiece that marked the transition to Renaissance oil painting. Along the river, preparations for The Gentse Feesten were underway, and we found ourselves amid the opening day of one of Europe’s largest cultural festivals. The day concluded with simple beers by the water and an unexpectedly satisfying Chinese dinner in a medieval stone setting.
Accommodation: MOXY Brussels City Center
Transportation: Public transportation or rideshare
We had one small regret from our visit to Bruges the day before yesterday—so today we went back to make up for it. The first thing we did upon arrival was look for a boat dock. We found one, but the boat had just left, and the next one wouldn’t be for over an hour. So we kept walking. At the next dock, a boat had just come in—perfect timing. Well, timing for the boat, at least. A full load of passengers had just disembarked, and a long line was already forming. We were the last two people to squeeze onto the boat, with a long queue still behind us.
The boat moved slowly along the peaceful canals. From time to time, white swans appeared alongside us, almost like companions. Even though several companies operate canal tours, the water never felt crowded.
Along the way, we passed under many low bridges. I doubt the people who built them ever imagined tourists would one day cruise beneath them. And even if they did, people back then were probably shorter—some of the bridges are very low. Several times, the captain (who also acted as our guide) reminded taller passengers to duck their heads, or they would definitely bump into the bridge.
The other day, we viewed the canals from the shore; today, we saw the town from the water—an entirely different perspective. Bruges is full of charming stepped-gable houses—white, pink, brown, red—beautiful to look at. Those staircase-like tops once symbolized social status: only people of a certain standing were allowed to build them, and the higher the status, the more steps you could have. Learned something new!
For lunch, we went to Locale. I heard the owner used to be a chef at a Michelin restaurant. The food was indeed good, and beautifully plated. The only complaint? My drink came with two large ice cubes—after three sips, it was gone. Looks like their bartending training could use some improvement.
Ghent lies between Bruges and Brussels, just over half an hour by train, so it’s very convenient. However, from the train station to the cathedral we wanted to visit, we had to take a bus. After getting off, we were a bit confused, so we asked a middle-aged woman nearby. She turned to a young girl ahead of her and spoke to her in their language. The girl then kindly gave us directions in English. It seemed the woman didn’t understand English, but she was still very helpful.
We visited Saint Bavo’s Cathedral to see the world-famous altarpiece Adoration of the Mystic Lamb. Created in the 15th century by the brothers Hubert and Jan van Eyck, it is considered one of the most important paintings in the world and one of the earliest major oil paintings, marking the transition from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance. The artwork is enormous—5.2 meters wide and 3.75 meters tall—and standing in front of it is truly awe-inspiring.
While wandering around the city, we noticed a lively scene by the river. Many vendors were setting up stages. After asking around, we learned that the Gentse Feesten had just begun—today was the first day. It’s said to be one of the largest cultural festivals in Europe, attracting about 1.5 million visitors last year. We had stumbled right into the excitement. We found a riverside restaurant with outdoor seating—almost every table was taken, but we managed to grab one and ordered a couple of beers to join the atmosphere.
Since we weren’t staying overnight, we decided not to join the evening festivities. Instead, we spotted a Chinese restaurant called Jinjiang and noticed yóudūnzi on the menu, which immediately caught our interest. Inside, the space was filled with stone—stone walls, arched ceilings, and thick stone pillars—giving the feeling of stepping into a medieval castle. Unfortunately, they didn’t have yóudūnzi that day because they couldn’t get radishes, so we ordered something else. The food was decent. We didn’t have high expectations for Chinese food in this city, so finding xiaolongbao with actual broth inside was a pleasant surprise.
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