Monday, Nov. 09, 2009

Travel Q&A: Thanksgiving in Belgium

Q: Any recommendations or unique experiences for Brussels or Bruges over Thanksgiving?

-M., Naples, Italy

A: I'm going to recommend Bruges because I think it's the perfect spot for a cozy winter holiday focused on food and giving thanks.

Eating and drinking played a big part in Bruges' history, so much so that the tourist office has designed a self-guided walking tour around the theme. Start out with a beer and a platter of cheese at a cafe such as the De Garre down an alley off Market Square. With its heavy wooden tables and 300 kinds of beers, it feels more like a wine bar than a tavern. Belgians take their beer seriously, and the cafes are where friends gather to talk or play cards.

Next, walk along Langestraat, and veer off on a side street called Ganzestraat, or "Goose Street." Halfway down is the Restaurant Ganzespel. Settle on one of the wooden benches in front of the fireplace, and make your Thanksgiving holiday dinner waterzooi, a traditional home-cooked stew of chicken, potatoes and vegetables made with water, or sometimes beer.

Walk off the calories with a brisk stroll around town. One of the prettiest and most peaceful spots is the Minnewater. The swan-filled lake, flanked by willow trees, is popular with canalboat tours in the spring and summer.

Across a bridge and into a tree-shaded garden is the Beguinage, founded in 1245 as a refuge for single women. The "beguines" were religious and did charity work, but they were not nuns and could leave the community and marry.

Today the low, white-painted gabled houses and a church are occupied by Benedictine sisters. Come here just before noon as I did a few years ago, and you will find one of them standing in the middle of the church, tugging on a rope to ring a bell signaling to the others that it's time for prayers.