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Photo Diary: Christmas in Belgium

December 23, 2019 by jessica Leave a Comment

Christmas in Bruges
Bruges

As someone who loves Christmas, it’s no surprise that kicking off the holiday season in Europe has been something I dreamed of for years. While Germany would have been the obvious choice, a relatively inexpensive flight and hotel package out of Madison made Belgium an attractive option for our getaway. Plus, it gave us a chance to restock our dwindling supply of Cantillon. Priorities.

This was our third trip to Brussels, which made the nine-day trip as low-stress as possible during the busiest time of year because we didn’t need to spend the first couple of days orienting ourselves in the country. We knew how to use public transportation, we knew where to go without getting lost, we knew what favorites we wanted to revisit, and which day trips to go on (Amsterdam, Bruges, and Antwerp). We stopped at our favorite bars and restaurants, ate our weight in frites, drank world-class beer, and reveled in the holiday spirit by way of twinkling lights and Christmas markets. Not surprisingly, a day in Bruges was the most magical. Bruges is one of Europe’s most well-preserved medieval cities, escaping destruction during World War I and II. We’ve been to the city twice before and each time I’m struck by how fairy tale-like it is. Adding in strings of lights and a Christmas market in the city center took it to another level.

Here are a few photos of the most Christmassy moments of our trip. I’m working on a full Brussels travel guide to post in the new year, along with a Google map for your own trip planning. I’m also going to post day trip recommendations for Amsterdam and Bruges now that we’ve been a few times. I hope your holiday week is the merriest!

https://www.clotstudio.com
Royal Gallery of Saint Hubert
Christmas in Antwerp
Christmas market in Antwerp
Christmas in Brussels
Brussels
Grand Place Brussels
Christmas in Brussels
Brussels
Christmas in Antwerp
Philip’s Biscuits in Antwerp (try the Antwerpse Handjes cookies)
Christmas in Brussels
Manneken Pis in Brussels
Christmas in Bruges
Christmas market in Bruges
Bruges
Christmas in Brussels
Carousel at the Brussel’s Christmas market at Sainte Catherine
Christmas in Antwerp
Frites at the Antwerp Christmas market
Christmas in Antwerp
Antwerp’s Central Station
Christmas in Brussels
Grand Place Brussels
Christmas in Brussels
Grand Place Brussels
Christmas in Bruges
Christmas market in Bruges
Christmas in Brussels
Grand Place Brussels
Taken at the Duvelorium in Bruges
Christmas in Brussels
Grand Place Brussels


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Filed Under: Travel Tagged With: belgium, bruges, brussels, christmas, travel, Travel Guide

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Jessica Hamm
Hello there! I'm a first-time homeowner updating a 1920s house in Madison, Wisconsin. I have a penchant for travel and a love of costume jewelry. Follow along for personal style, travel, and lifestyle content.

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For You…


I’ve had my eye on these graphic earrings for awhile and now they’re even more tempting at $50.

For Home…


This drink table is perfect for small spaces when you need a place to perch a cocktail. Plus, it doubles as a plant stand!

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Phone nooks don’t get the attention they deserve Phone nooks don’t get the attention they deserve. They’re practically begging to be used as built-in displays for ceramics! 

(I removed the phone jack, pulled the wires back through the hole, and patched it up, so it’s no longer functional for a landline. I assume a future owner won’t miss it either!)

#phonenook #vintagehouse #thisoldhouse #pottery #ceramics #targetstyle #hearthandhandwithmagnolia
I can’t believe we’re celebrating our fourth C I can’t believe we’re celebrating our fourth Christmas in the house! I’ve taken a version of this photo each Christmas to serve as a timeline of the small changes over the years. One thing never changes, though: I think our Christmas tree is the prettiest. 😊 I hope you have a wonderful holiday in however you’re able to celebrate this year. 2020 has been difficult, but we’re in the home stretch now! Sending lots of love your way!
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas. #c It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas.

#christmas #christmasathome #christmastree #ckstyleaccordingly #showemyourstyled #showemyourholiday #1920shome
As my holiday gift to you, enjoy my favorite famil As my holiday gift to you, enjoy my favorite family cookie recipe now on the blog! (Find it via the link-in-profile or search for "sugar cookie.”) It never feels like Christmas until I’ve had my mom’s sugar cookies. In a typical year (or even an atypical one like 2020!), I’ll spend a couple of days working on these — baking them the first and decorating them the second — and it immediately puts me in the holiday spirit. Not only are these nostalgic for me as she’s been making them my entire life (there’s even a photo of me, no older than 2 years old, sitting at the kitchen table “helping” with them), they’re hands-down the best sugar cookies I have ever had. And plenty of people agree with not-so-subtle hints to make them each year.

#sugarcookies #christmascookies #baking #frostedsugarcookies #holidaybaking #holidaycookies
It never really feels like the holiday season unti It never really feels like the holiday season until I’ve made sugar cookies with my mom’s decades old recipe — and until I’ve risked a food-borne illness by snacking on raw dough. I shirked the holiday tradition last year after having been too busy with holiday travel (ten days in Belgium and a long weekend in Chicago left me too busy with other holiday to-dos), but there’s zero excuse to put off baking this year. #AlwaysHome #QuarantineForever
Buffalo plaid packages tied up with string ... the Buffalo plaid packages tied up with string ... these are a few of my favorite things. 🎶 (I don't think Julie Andrews would mind tweaking the lyrics a little bit, right? 😉)

Pro tip: Instead of looking at the gift-wrap section for things to decorate your presents, hit up your local craft store. I bought a package of 75 jingle bells, a dozen mini bottlebrush trees, and twine in seasonal colors for just a couple of dollars each. (The wrapping paper is from Target.)

#holidayseason #buffaloplaid #giftwrap #plaid #presents #christmasgifts #christmasgiftwrapping #giftwrappingideas
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