As you are waking up for Christmas morning, the sun has already peaked here in the wintry Belgian sky.

We arrived in Belgium a week ago and became a crew of eight when we met up with my parents at the airport. Coastal Blankenberge is home base for a few more days, in close proximity to magical Bruges. When Nic and I sat down to make some trip plans a few months before departure we didn’t have many places we really had to visit; Nic’s one request was Christmas in Bruges. So here we are, a quick train ride from Bruges.

Blankenberge and the surrounding coastal towns have plenty to offer, and they don’t require fighting your way through the large international tourist crowds of Bruges. Before the weather turned chilly we enjoyed walks on the beach, piers, dunes, and around the shopping areas. We took a tram to nearby Oostende one evening to soak up their festive Christmas atmosphere and find dinner at the Christmas market.

Side note: we pictured Christmas markets being more about shopping booths and trinkets. In this part of Belgium at least, there are more food and drink vendors than anything else. It seems the goal is to gather with friends for a drink and a bite more than to shop. Why don’t we do this is the USA? This would be so much fun in a small-town atmosphere surrounded by friends and family.

And then of course there is beautiful, medieval Bruges. All eight of us spent a day exploring churches, shops, canals, and Christmas markets. In this well-preserved town it feels like you’re walking through a historical version of Disney, each stone and building facade carefully placed to be charming and pleasant on the eyes.

And of course we have sampled Belgian culinary delights. I’m not much of a waffle person, but the warm, sweet, and dense Belgian waffles are equally delicious in a train station or out in the chilly open air of a Christmas market. We have tried hot chocolate, cheap chocolate, and expensive chocolate, and it has all been a definite cut above standard US chocolate. Our Christmas breakfast included croissants from a nearby bakery. Groceries are more affordable and abundant here than anywhere else we’ve shopped during our travels, especially with a nearby Aldi store. So it appears that in Belgium you eat well and eat some more and just hope your blood sugar can cope!