In Brugge

As Colin Farrell once so colourfully said in the popular comedy In Bruges, "Bruges is a f@#$%&* shi@#hole!!!!!"

He couldn't be more wrong – wandering the cobblestone streets, looking at the medieval architecture, eating copious quantities of Belgium chocolate and icecream, this is a town closer to heaven than a sh$@hole.

We climbed the Belltower looking for hitmen, but instead found the view wonderful and the streets full of horse carriages hosting an endless supply of tourists.

The canal boat listed to starboard as all the heavier passengers seemed to choose the same side. Once underway the cruise weaved its way through the maze of canals, past church after church, past centuries old home after centuries old home, with the narrow buildings almost reaching across the water exploiting every available square centimetre.

Each evening we retire to a canal-side restaurant to test a few of the 400+ beers, watch the swans glide past, and consume some more Flemish stew or a steak the size of a small European country.

Brugge is a fairytale town and the perfect short break.