Anyone for Bruges? Belgium, That Is.

If you love beer, the best place in the world to try some new brews is Belgium. There are more than 125 breweries in a country smaller than the state of South Carolina with roughly 800 standard beers. If you include seasonal and one-offs, that number jumps to 8,700.

Brussels, the capital of Belgium, is similar to any other large European metropolitan city. While it definitely possesses some charm, a smaller town like Bruges is more our speed. Bruges is a perfect place to rent bikes and see a lot in a short amount of time. Bikes range from $10-20 per day and can be picked up all over town.




There is a bike and walking loop around the old part of town that takes you through parks, old moats and drawbridges that protected the city, windmills and plenty of pubs. The coast is also only about ten miles away along a canal which connects Bruges to Zeebrugge, a village on Belgium’s coast.

Our favorite pub in town is Brugs Beertje (www.brugsbeertje.be) which has more than 300 Belgian beers to choose from in a menu that resembles a karaoke book. One of Scott’s favorites is Delirium Nocturnum, which is characterized by a pink elephant on the label. (We assume this mascot was chosen due to the fact that this extremely strong drink nearly made Scott see elephants on our walk back to the hostel after a few of these.)

Happy Birthday, Red Wine!

Red Wine Helps You Sleep on Trains has celebrated its first birthday. Our first videos were uploaded in February 2009 and since that time we have received more than 20,000 views. Thank you to everyone who has been a part of Red Wine and we hope we have helped you with your future travels.

Please keep asking questions, sending comments and posting photos to Flickr. We hope that this year will be even more successful than the last.

Cheers!

Scott and Krystin Dean

Take in the Alps (and Much More) in Interlaken, Switzerland

When it comes to picturesque European villages, Interlaken, Switzerland, is one of our all-time favorites, which may be due to the fact that it provides breathtaking 360-degree views of the Alps.

There are many free hikes to take in order to view this stunning panorama of the Jungfrau region of mountains. We took a hike suggested by our hostel that took us to the top of Harder Kulm, which looks down upon Interlaken and out toward the mountains. (You can also ride a funicular to the top if you’re short on time or short of breathe for $14 to the top or $22 round trip.) The walk, which takes around three hours, is fairly steep the entire way so make sure to bring along a snack or meal and plenty of water for each person. Also, take plenty of breaks and enjoy the views on the way up; it is very easy to get caught up in the goal of getting to the top but it’s important to look around you on the way. Nestled at the top of Harder Kulm is a restaurant and gift shop to enjoy a coffee or beer before the hike back down. We took our lunch along to avoid paying for food and enjoyed a lovely picnic before taking loads of photos and making our way back down. (We think it worth mentioning that walking down a steep mountain can be hell on your shins and calves, so it is best to take your time.)