A lot of people look for day trips from Paris and towns in Belgium are always on the list of possibilities. Brussels and Bruges have been asked about a lot so I decided to check out the feasibility of jetting over there for a few days with my daughter, Camille, who is currently living in France.
Although Brussels is the capital of the European Union, it is a very walkable city and is full of gorgeous architecture. There are three official languages in Belgium – Dutch (aka Flemish), French and German (first language to only 1%) with French being the most spoken language in the capital. If you don’t speak any of these languages, no worries as most everyone does speak some English.
With an easy just-shy-of 1 ½ hour train ride from Paris, two nights in Brussels with a day trip to Bruges was the perfect amount of time to see the sights and explore. Belgium is known for being one of the top chocolate producers in the world and there were ample shops on every corner to discover some of the best. Most shops will give you samples upon request and we ended up with Pierre Marcolini, known for his minimalist style and bean to bar products, as one of our favorites. Belgian waffles, beer and French fry stands are everywhere!
Arguably the most spectacular area of Brussels is the Grand-Place, which is the city center square lined with beautiful, historic buildings and many with gilded adornments. Appointed as a UNESCO world heritage site in 1998, the square is home to City Hall and hosts many festivals as well as cultural events. The views of the square at night are breathtaking and shouldn’t be missed.
I was on a quest for Belgian food the first night and we ended up finding Zotte Mouche – which translates as the Crazy Fly (and reminds me of Le Fou Frog – the Crazy “Frenchman” – in Kansas City). This Belgian-fare bistrot has a funky 60s decor and gets hopping with a late night DJ on the weekends. I opted for the typical Belgian dish Chicons Gratin, Belgian endive wrapped in ham and topped with a Mornay sauce and grated cheese. Highly recommended! I was also able to share the evening with a Belgian friend that I hadn’t seen for 30 years, which was a bonus for sure. She had stayed with my family in high school for weeks but I hadn’t actually seen her since my 20s and it was great to reconnect in person.
As Brussels is an extremely international city, there are many options for dining so on the second night I set out to try Le Conteur, an exceptional Middle Eastern restaurant with an electric atmosphere that amplified as the night progressed. I was solo that night and without a reservation the only seat available was at the bar of an open kitchen prep area and it was a treat to watch the chefs preparing in front of me. Each small plate was simply delicious and all the tables were full in no time. At one point the servers delivered small shots to all diners, a staff member gave a toast, music was turned up and diners got up to dance for a few songs. All was on point during my visit – an attentive and friendly staff, the food, and the vibe made for a fantastic experience. What I thought was going to be a quiet night out alone turned out to be an amazingly memorable time.
Bruges is just a short hour train ride from Brussels and there are many trains every hour to choose from. I bought the tickets with the return trip the night before and just hopped on the train when we were ready in the morning. Made up of canals, winding cobblestone streets and mostly gothic architecture, Bruges was once known as the commercial metropolis in Europe. Expect to spend most of an entire day wandering around the streets, tasting chocolate and going on a not-to-miss canal boat tour. We were excited to taste the “Best Hot Chocolate” in Bruges at the Old Chocolate House but the tearoom is closed on Wednesday so that will have to be for next time.
If you are wanting to visit a few other towns while in Paris, Bruges or Brussels are doable in one day but it was nice to break it up and stay in Brussels for two nights.
We then transited through Paris and went down to Bordeaux for several nights, where I was able to connect with some of my partners about upcoming/potential tours. On the list of places to check out was Les Sources de Caudalie, the 5 star hotel and spa owned by Château Smith Haut Lafitte, located just south of Bordeaux. This sumptuous property is nestled in the vineyards and has the charm and amenities that provide for an exceptional guest experience. The on-site amenities include both indoor and outdoor pools, a jacuzzi, bikes available for guests and a full service spa including unique services using hot spring water combined with vine and grape extracts. Several different tours and tastings are offered at the great growth classified winery, which is in the Pessac-Léognan wine appellation.
The hotel offers three amazing dining choices – ROUGE wine bar, La Table du Lavoir with a country inn atmosphere and La Grand’ Vigne, a 2 star Michelin restaurant. I was on a limited time schedule and opted for ROUGE, which was fantastic.
The town of Bordeaux never disappoints and I enjoyed checking out the markets and other places for my tours. Luckily I was able to catch one of Camille’s soccer games and have dinner with family as well.
Also while in Bordeaux, we went to see my friends at Caffé Cuisine, just outside of town and close to the medieval town of St. Emilion. On my tours we meet with the chef and owner at a local market to pick out the seasonal ingredients for our meal and return to the restaurant to enjoy the meal together. It was the first time I had been able to see them post pandemic and I was thrilled to see that their restaurant is thriving despite pandemic setbacks.
After Bordeaux we set off to explore some towns in the French Basque Country, the western frontier of the Pyrénées mountains between France and Spain. First on the list was Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, a tiny village that is the last stop in France on the Way of St. James pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostella before crossing the mountains to Spain via the Roncevaux Pass. The small village has many lodging options for those walking the pilgrimage with wonderful views of the mountains that can be seen from the hilltop citadel ruins.
The Basque Country is known for its sheep’s milk cheeses, notably the Ossau-Iraty appellation with sheep farms dotting the roads as you drive from town to town. This region is also known for dried espelette chili pepper, which is used whole or ground into a hot powder. The town of Espelette comes alive when peppers are hung to dry and many shops offer whole peppers, ground pepper, salt and other products made with espelette pepper. The town is particularly unique with the white houses with red shutters, especially when the red peppers are hanging to dry.
Biarritz was our home base for two nights and we made it to the seaside town late afternoon, just in time to see some gorgeous views of the sun setting on the bay of Biscay on the Atlantic coast. This resort town became popular in the XIXth century after Napoleon III built a summer villa for his Spanish wife, Eugenie, so she could be close to her home country. It then became a fashionable vacation spot and is now legendary for its surfing beaches. We also made the short drive to the quaint fishing town of St. Jean de Luz, just down the coast from Biarritz.
If you are looking for some great side trips from Bordeaux, the inland Basque Country and coastal Biarritz are wonderful options that make for a striking change in scenery from pine forest to mountains and ocean views, all within a few short hours of each other.
A bientôt, La France!
