France Cruise: Oostende and Bruges
In this final post of a multi-part series, Bethany explores Oostende and Bruges, Belgium on her France Intensive Cruise on Azamara.
Welcome to the last full day of my amazing France Intensive Cruise on Azamara! Today the Azamara Quest is docked in the port of Oostende, Belgium. But I spent the full day on a wonderful excursion to the beautiful city of Bruges, Belgium. Follow along as I explore the charming city and dive into a rich history of delicious Belgian beer.
France Intensive Cruise Full Itinerary
Below is the full itinerary for the trip. This post includes details about Oostende and Bruges, Belgium. Looking for info on other stops? Check out the ‘Links’ section at the end of this post!
- June 9 through June 11: Bordeaux, France
- June 12: La Rochelle and Île de Ré, France
- June 13: Belle-Île-en-Mer, France
- June 14: Nantes, France
- June 15: Brest and Quimper, France
- June 16: St. Peter Port, Guernsey
- June 17: Saint-Malo and Mont-Saint-Michel, France
- June 18: Cherbourg, Omaha Beach, and Sainte-Mère-Église, France
- June 19 & 20: Honfleur, Rouen, and Fécamp, France
- June 21: Oostende and Bruges, Belgium
Goedemorgen from Oostende
This morning started with us arriving into the port of Oostende, Belgium. I watched the arrival from my veranda, before heading up to the Windows Cafe for breakfast. The ship had a pretty docking location directly across from the Sint-Petrus-en-Paulus Kerk van Oostende (“Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul”). But I didn’t get to spend any time in Oostende itself, as my full-day excursion kept me busy in Bruges.
Beautiful Bruges
A pleasant 30-minute bus ride took us east from Oostende to Bruges. Upon arriving in Bruges, the bus dropped our small group (there were only 8 of us on this excursion!) and our guide off at the main parking spot. We then set out on foot, headed into the city center. I first visited this charming city back in 2019 on my “Tulip Time for Beer Enthusiasts” river cruise with Avalon. I first fell in love with it then, and it captured my heart again today.
Our walking tour into the city center gave us wonderful views of the historic architecture of the city, which is a World Heritage Site of UNESCO. The city itself has a population of about 120,000 people, which soars to over 250,000 for the entire metropolitan area. It is often referred to as “Venice of the North” because of its gorgeous canals that crisscross the city.
Scroll through the slideshow below to see several examples of the gorgeous architecture in Bruges:
Bruges Beer Pipeline
Due to its location and compact layout, it is quite a logistical nightmare to send trucks through the narrow, cobblestone streets of Bruges. A local brewery, De Halve Maan (“The Half Moon”), ingeniously solved this problem back in 2016 by building a 2-mile long (3,276-meter long) underground pipeline from its brewery in the heart of Bruges to its bottling plant in the outskirts of town. It runs up to 112 feet (34 meters) below ground. The project itself was partially funded using crowdsourcing. Those who contributed to the project received free beer. There are actually a few residents who own homes along the pipeline who had their own private line installed! We got to see part of the pipeline, near the entrance to the brewery, along our tour.
More of the Walking Tour
The walking tour through Bruges was a fantastic way to see all of the city. We got to see some beautiful views of the canals that run through the city. Some of the landmarks we spotted along the way were the towering spire of the Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekerk (“Church of Our Lady”), which is the world’s second-highest brick tower and building, and the Belfry of Bruges, a 13th-century belfry which holds a carillon of 47 bells. We also saw the Godshuis de Vos (“Almshouse de Vos”), a small almshouse with four houses founded in 1713 to house six poor widows.
Click through the below slideshow to see more of the beautiful sights of Bruges:
A Traditional Lunch
After the walking tour wrapped up, we had some free time. I joined a couple on my tour, who also coincidentally live in the Tampa Bay area, for a traditional Belgian lunch of moules et frites (“mussels and fries”). As our guide pointed out to us, these are just called “fries” here and NOT “French fries,” as there is a strongly heated debate between the French and the Belgians as to who created them! I got the traditional moules marinière, with white wine, shallots, parsley, and butter. I paired my lunch with a delicious beer from the local brewery with the underground pipeline, Brugse Zot (“Bruges Fool”).
Bruges Beer Experience
After free time and lunch, we rejoined the full tour group at the Biermuseum (“Beer Museum”) for the Bruges Beer Experience tour. We first had a self-guided tour of the museum, taking us through the history of beer and how it is brewed. Scroll through the slideshow below for some images of the Beer Museum:
After the museum tour, we ended at the bar for a delicious beer tasting. There are 16 different Belgian draft beers available for the tasting, and our entrance ticket allowed each of us to sample three of them. I tried the Rodenback, the Steenbrugge Bruin, and the Kriek Boon. All were fantastic!
My first tasting was Rodenbach Original (5.2% ABV), a red-brown ale blended from aged and young ale. Next up was Steenbrugge Bruin (6.5% ABV), a brown beer with a traditional Belgian ‘gruut’ blend of herbs and spices. My third and final tasting was Kriek Boon (4% ABV), a sweet and fruity Lambic beer made with 250 grams of fresh cherries per liter.
French Chef’s Table
After an absolutely fabulous day in Beautiful Bruges, I headed back onboard the Azamara Quest. My final night onboard was equally fabulous, as I got to enjoy the French Chef’s Table for my last dinner on the ship. This is the third time I have had this menu at a Chef’s Table. I was first booked for an earlier night with an Italian Chef’s Table, but I had a late excursion that would not have gotten me back on time. I then booked an Arabic Chef’s Table, but that one got cancelled. So, I ended up at the French Chef’s Table again. Even though I have done this before, it was still absolutely fantastic.
There were only five of us at the French Chef’s Table tonight, so it was a relaxed and intimate evening. My meal included the following delicious courses, each paired with a wonderful wine:
- Lobster Salad with Green Asparagus Parfait and Bacarii Caviar
- Beef Consommé with Caramelized Onions
- Quenelle de Volaille
- Pomegranate Rosé Wine Granité
- Filet of Beef aux Herbes de Provence
- Selection of Cheeses
- Fondant au Citron
Heading Home
We sailed overnight from Oostende, Belgium to Amsterdam, Netherlands. This cruise sailed a total of 1318 nautical miles, from Bordeaux to Amsterdam. I enjoyed one final breakfast on the ship this morning before bidding a fond farewell to Azamara Quest and catching my shuttle bus to the airport. I had nice, uneventful flights from Amsterdam to Houston, then from Houston back home to Tampa, Florida.
Once back home in Tampa, I had the chance to unpack both my clothing as well as my new-found treasures. I always try to get three things at each stop on any journey I take: something to frame and hang on the wall, an ornament for my travel-themed Christmas tree, and a small souvenir to display in my travel curio cabinets. I got a rather nice collection of each along the way on this cruise!
Conclusion
Spending the day in Bruges was the best possible way to wrap up this phenomenal cruise. While the focus of the cruise was on France, I also got to spend time in both Guernsey and Belgium along the way. I absolutely adore Bruges, having fallen in love with it back in 2019. Getting to spend another day there on this cruise was simply perfect. Bruges is such a gorgeous city, with breathtaking views everywhere you turn. A delicious lunch of moules et frites and plenty of local Belgian beer always hits the spot as well. Wrapping up with an evening at the French Chef’s Table on the ship was simply icing on the cake.
Links
Click the button below to read about my first visit to Bruges in 2019:
Check the main page for this cruise to read more about my adventures:
Click the button below for more information about Azamara:
