Belgium | FindPenguins

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Trip start
December 27, 2025
Belgium
In Bruges
December 27, 2025 in Belgium ⋅ ☁️ 39 °F
Up early for a short walk around the corner to our local bus stop for a short trip to the train in new town. After arriving in London, we went to St. Pancras for our Eurostar to Brussels. A smooth (and exactly on time) trip, we transferred from the international to the intercity terminal for our fully loaded 1 hour train to Bruges. A long day of travel but trains always make it seem so much easier. After dropping our bags early at our Airbnb, we walked to old town Bruges for a very late lunch at a local street food place before our reserved walk up the famous Belfort (main town belfry, featured in the movie ‘In Bruges’). We made a quick circle through the town square Christmas market before taking the 366 winding stairs to the top of the belfry. It was a cold day (and night) but beautiful views over Bruges. From there we went back to the Christmas market for some hot chocolate and mulled wine. We then found the palace Christmas tree that we could see from the belfry before wandering around for dinner. We finally found a table at our third stop and had a yummy dinner including chili, lasagna and croque madame. From dinner, we rushed home in the cold to our very pink flat. Tomorrow we will get some time to enjoy Brugge in the daylight. For now, time to rest!Read more
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Belgium
Bruges to Brussels
December 28, 2025 in Belgium ⋅ ☁️ 41 °F
We were up early and out of our very pink Bruges apartment and stashed our bags at the train station while E and I got a table at That’s Toast, which was an incredible breakfast spot. Tige’s steak and chimichurri on toast took the top spot over French toast and my second contender veg breakfast. Rounded out with incredible coffee and a green juice and we had a great start to the day! We met up with our walking tour outside of the Belfort. We walked around Bruges from 11-130 and sampled cookies from the market and learned about the rich history of Bruges from rich and powerful trading city to not, to coming back to life via tourism. The tour ended at De Halve Maan brewery and restaurant, so we stayed for lunch and beer. We made our train at 4 back to Brussels after a brief scare when our luggage locker wouldn’t open, on a very crowded train. We realized when we arrived that the grocery stores close at 6 and dropped the kids at the apartment and walked down to a corner market to shop. Pizza in and settled in for the night:)Read more
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Belgium
Ghent
December 29, 2025 in Belgium ⋅ ☁️ 39 °F
Our Brussels apartment is a 4 story apartment, which means that we definitely get our steps in, but nicely renovated and nice and warm. We were up for a quick breakfast before jumping on a train to Ghent, which is about 35 min from Brussels. We started our day with a trip to Gravensteen castle. Built in 1180 in the center of the city by a famous count, it is a beautiful castle that is so well preserved, it was just incredible. I think that this has been one of our favorites other than Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany. This time slightly better as no one was lost in the castle toilets:)

Ghent was never really damaged during either WWs, unlike most of the rest of Europe, and the architecture was incredible.
Ghent is bigger than Bruges, so it feels a lot less crowded, which was a welcome change. We had a delicious lunch at Soup’r- a little local hole in the wall soup and sandwich shop that was exactly what we needed after walking around in the cold weather! -1C is very cold for us!
One we were warm, we of course decided to take a riverboat ride, after skipping the canal boat in Bruges. We had a terrific skipper who polled the crowd whether they wanted the tour in French, English or Flemish, and the effortlessly gave the tour in French and English. I wish my brain could do that so fluently!
After a chilly boat ride the kids wanted to sample on of the legendary Belgian waffles! After a false start when we rocked up at Beer and Waffles (great reviews, but sadly, a workshop, not the beer and waffle experience we could achieve that day), we landed at House of waffles instead. We tried both the Brussels and the Liège waffles (former is lighter and crispy, the latter sweeter and more dense) with various ice creams, syrups and fresh whipped cream. All delicious! We walked through the Christmas market and saw St. Bavo’s Cathedral, which was simple but beautiful. We crowded onto the train back to Brussels and had a very late and sort of weird dinner in the apartment. Bedtime now, and we are looking forward to time in Brussels tomorrow!Read more
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Belgium
Brussels
December 30, 2025 in Belgium ⋅ ☀️ 37 °F
Got to sleep in a little today. Still a rushed breakfast before walking to the Natural Science Museum. Popular for its dinosaur fossil exhibits, it was a very beautiful and huge museum. We made it through the dinosaurs and natural history and evolution before breaking for lunch. Took an Uber to Grand Place - the central market in Brussels and home to the Kings House and town hall, it was surrounded by Christmas markets. After a sandwich lunch we decided to go to the Brussels Beer Experience at Bourse (the old stock change building) with the kids. A very interactive exhibit it was entertaining and pretty. We ended the tour at the rooftop with Elliot getting to try raspberry beer while we had our own. A beautiful view over the city as the sun set before we made our way to the famous nearby Manneken Pis (Little Peeing Man). Souvenirs can be found all over the country and we finally got to see the tiny little statue ourselves. We then walked back toward home with a few groceries before our Mexican dinner. We miss good Mexican. It was a tasty meal before heading home for our new favourite British show - travelling with James May as the Japan episodes caught our attention.Read more
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Belgium
Curling, skating and NYE
December 31, 2025 in Belgium ⋅ ☁️ 39 °F
We finally enjoyed no alarms this morning and all slept in after a lot of walking the last few days. After a brunch in, we bundled up for an Uber ride to the central squares and ice skating. It ended up being a warmer day and on the way to get skates, we noticed a curling area and so immediately signed up for that first. No brooms, unfortunately, but we all had fun trying our hand at ice bowling. Elliot was definitely the best, followed by Hudson. After our curling exploits were over, we checked in and got skated up. Gideon is a natural and Joce knows how to skate but E, H and I took our time. By the end, G and J fell the most while we puttered around the rink. From ice skating, we walked back to Grand Place and enjoyed the light show on the buildings. Our restaurant was very close by and we got there early. Unfortunately, things went downhill from there - the service was non-existent and the food was so bland after a very long wait. Trying not to let it ruin our night, we enjoyed a walk home before watching the final Japan episode of James May. Then it was time for bubbles and a countdown dance before heading to bed. Happy new year!Read more
TravelerYour Happy New Year is idc to a great start!!
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Belgium
Happy 1/1/26
January 1 in Belgium ⋅ ☁️ 39 °F
Most of the restaurants and shops are closed today and we promised the kids a total chill day. We cooked breakfast together, then played Liverpool (E won it all). We snacked and watched our 1second year in review, which was awesome and lasted over 20 minutes. So fun to remember all of the fun bits of regular days, visitors and trips and watch the kids (and Stevie and Potato) grow. We played the new Mariokart World game, and the girls as newbies were not too shabby. We finished the night with black-eyed pea and ham soup for dinner and the second half of F1. So nice to spend a day snuggling and hanging out. I think we all need more of it in 2026.Read more
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Belgium
Escape room and home
January 2 in Belgium ⋅ ☁️ 37 °F
With a late train scheduled, we had plenty of time to sleep and eat and pack before our noon check-out. We made the short walk to Brussels Central station and dropped our luggage in a locker before a short walk to our escape room at Let Me Out. We picked the Alice in Wonderland room and got split up to start - a first for escape rooms for us. Working from two different rooms, we figured out the puzzles to connect our rooms and had multiple new firsts (including throwing juggling balls, playing a skeeball like game with a golf ball and opening a lock by feeling different items stuffed in the wall). It was the most fun escape room we have done in a while and a good way to wrap up our Belgium trip. After the game, we picked up some sandwiches before heading back to the train station. Plenty of time to get through customs before our Eurostar train back to London (and we didn’t get stuck like they did 3 days ago). From there a short train and bus ride to our house. A relaxing trip and a wonderful time together. Just what we needed.Read more
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Trip end
January 2, 2026