What does one say about Bruges that doesn't sound like a lame tourist pamphlet?

"'Once one of the leading port cities in the Western World, its port silted in by the 14th Century and Bruges lost its commercial and cultural preeminence. This slide into sleepy irrelevance allowed it to survive countless wars and various other human disasters untouched, retaining its medieval architecture and lush surroundings. It is truly a beautiful sight - a trip back in time, but with a modern sensibility, wonderful food and impossibly good beer."  Hmmm...not bad.

We spent two nights in Bruges, climbing the clocktower, drinking the beer of the gods, eating chocolate to die for, and navigating the somewhat tricky dining options.

Bruges can be a very expensive city to eat in, and some of the expensive places have caught on to the tourist-as-sucker mindset and the food is just so-so. However, ONE OF THE BEST RESTAURANTS I HAVE EVER ENJOYED is in Bruges. It is called Rockfort.

Marissa and I had eaten at Rockfort when we were in Bruges the first time. We had to go back. So we left Anthony and Steve to fend for themselves and stepped in, the first patrons for the evening.

The restaurant is owned by two gentlemen, and Marissa had developed a crush on the one who had taken care of us the last time. She was hoping he would be there again and Voila! there he was. So for a while it was just the three of us, talking excitedly about the specials of the day. Later Marissa would confess to our host that she had held a crush on him for a good three years now. He didn't seem disappointed.

I can't do the food justice, so let's just say it nearly made me weep with joy. I had the multi-course special of the day, which included an incredible salad with smoked fish, a risotto and shrimp dish so good I wanted to hurt myself and a main dish of duck that - seriously - made me feel guilty for having been chosen to eat it. I made myself promise I would try to do good in the world, if only to earn the meal I had just eaten.

The other huge highlight of the trip to Bruges was the bike ride. We rented bikes in the center of town and the took off for Damme - another picturesque (though smaller and less well-kept) town just a few kilometers away.

We stopped for lunch in Damme, and drank local Damme beer (it was Damme good) and then took the long way home, getting a little lost while heading for a windmill that proved much further away than we had first thought. I had forgotten how fun riding a bike can be - the sun shining, the wind in your face, windmills in the distance and a canal to your left - fantastic.

The next day we were back in Amsterdam, where we had our farewell Indonesian takeout, glass of Pils at De Prins, coffee shop visit and licorice excursion before heading home the next day. 

The Monday after our return to the US, the Dow dropped 700 points, the company I work for dumped its CEO, my job was put in jeopardy and the ensuing months have been chaotic to say the least. But that "Amsterdam/Bruges feeling" has lingered and helped keep me calm through the chaos.