{"id":6097,"date":"2012-02-17T12:26:44","date_gmt":"2012-02-17T02:26:44","guid":{"rendered":"\/\/www.lastminute.com.au\/vc\/blog\/?p=6097"},"modified":"2018-05-15T07:20:12","modified_gmt":"2018-05-14T21:20:12","slug":"belgium-for-the-weekend-baby","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lastminute.com.au\/vc\/blog\/belgium-for-the-weekend-baby\/","title":{"rendered":"Belgium for the weekend, baby!"},"content":{"rendered":"
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lastminute.com.au<\/span><\/a> has staff all over the world and today the lovely Saskia Moon gives us a little insight into her world in Europe and a weekend away in Bruges, Belgium. <\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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\nWhat is your role and where are you based?<\/strong>
\n\"Saskia<\/p>\n

I\u2019m Group Product Director for Europe and the Americas for lastminute.com.au<\/span><\/a> I\u2019m a Dutch Aussie (or an Australian Dutchie) and after nearly seven years in Brisbane I moved back to Holland for a while to enjoy the best Europe has to offer (until I get too cold and move back again).
\nI am based in Haarlem, the Netherlands, a beautiful old city near the beach, about 15 minutes from Amsterdam. My job is to find great hotels and apartments for our fabulous customers to book on our site, in the places you want to go to, at prices you want to pay. I love to travel myself and make sure I fit in at least one mini-break every month!
\nThe thing I love about being in Europe is that you can fly for an hour in any direction and speak a different language, eat different foods and spend your day in a completely different way.
\nWhere did this trip take you and why? <\/strong>
\nAfter celebrating Australia Day in a crazy Australian bar on the Rembrandtplein in Amsterdam, I took the Friday off so my husband and I could enjoy a long weekend in Bruges. We left by car on Friday morning and were in the heart of Bruges 2.5 hours later. The purpose of our trip was to eat chocolate and drink beer, and I cannot think of a better city to do this in!
\nWhat are the best things about Bruges? Why should travellers go there? <\/strong>
\nBruges is very popular with tourists from all over the world, year round. It is often referred to as the \u2018Venice of the North\u2019 because of its many gorgeous canals, and the fact that it\u2019s mostly car-free within the old city walls – so very pleasant to walk around.
\n\"Bruges<\/p>\n

Bruges by night<\/div>\n

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Where did you stay in Bruges?<\/strong>
\nWe stayed at the Grand Hotel Casselbergh<\/span><\/a>, a lovely \u2019old world\u2019 style hotel in the centre. We were initially looking at budget options, but decided it was worth spending a little bit extra to be in the centre of town, and comfortable. The hotel is super easy to find and there is a cheap public car park nearby (the hotel offers parking, but this needs to be booked in advance).
\n\"hotel\"<\/p>\n

Grand Hotel Casselbergh<\/div>\n

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The breakfast buffet was fabulous, as good as any five star hotel I\u2019ve stayed in. Freshly boiled eggs, smoked salmon, four different types of cheese, fresh fruit and beautiful croissants. The room was very comfortable and I loved the l\u2019Occitane products in the bathroom (Is it wrong that I get so excited by nice amenities?) The bed was wonderfully cosy and I slept like a baby.
\nAny insider tips on this destination? <\/strong>
\n\"beer
\nFor me, Bruges is all about eating and drinking, surrounded by beautiful buildings in quaint little streets full of friendly Belgians. Mind you, the first people we bumped into were a group of Aussies!
\nThis was at 2Be Beer Caf\u00e9, the only place we found that has a year-round outdoor terrace. So even though it was about 3 degrees Celsius, we sat under the heater poles and drank the famous \u2018Brugse Zot\u2019 beer, and Belgian sparkling wine (verdict: not bad, not bad at all).
\nThe beer tasted so good that we were inspired to visit the brewery where Brugse Zot is made, the \u2018Halve Maan\u2019 brewery in the heart of the city. This is the only place where the beer is served unfiltered which does make it taste a little different.<\/p>\n

Sampling Bruges Zot<\/div>\n

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\nMy other tips: <\/strong><\/p>\n