Brugge

Belgium was just a country to drive through in order to get where you want to go. However... Brugge is a gem amongst the otherwise uninteresting scenery. Apologies to Belgians - we actually did have some fantastic views near Oostende where we could see right across to England's "white cliffs of Dover". Brugge is picturesque and ancient- lots of tiny canals and large ponds, three dominating churches with towers fit for action/suspense movies. Cobblestoned streets and lanes lead to an endless supply of Belgian chocolate shops. Leonidas is the most famous but there are countless others offering a huge selection of chocolate bonbons in many flavours. The Christmas and Sinterkaas season is also happening so lots of Christmas figures, gnomes, Saint Nicks, Zwarte Piets, squirrels, entire forest scenes, elves, rabbits and more - all made out of chocolate. Can't bring any home, but it was very impressive and delicious!
There were also quite a few lace shops selling traditional pieces, which Brugge is also famous for. Delicate scenes tatted meticulously (that's the correct term for hand-made lace) and presented beautifully in cute little tatted shops.
For us of course the best part was consuming giant hot waffles with chocolate sauce. Crisp and sweet on the outside, soft and light inside, extremely scrumptious and satisfying - just watch the waistline grow as you eat.
The cloistered parks, old leaning trees, courtyards, tiny bridges, ducks, geese and swans all contributed to a lovely morning wandering around. The skies were also a pleasant clear blue and the sun was shining warmly for the first time in at least a week. We gave the horse and cart rides a miss but they made a pleasant sound on the cobblestones and warned the tourists to jump out of the way lest ye be flattened (old Belgian saying). There were still some tour groups cluttering up the place but they were mostly harmless - the main season is definitely almost finished, so it's probably a good time to head home.
Drove back into the Netherlands in a couple of hours and hit rain, sun, clouds and drizzle on high rotation. Last few days in Amsterdam after returning the camper to the owners. Guess what? It's raining as we sit in our houseboat and watch swans and ducks bob around the windows waiting for handouts. See you in sunny Oz.