We are back from our weekend away in Bruges, Belgium where Ruth and I spent time with my three children, my eldest taking part in the Great Bruges Marathon.

It has been a lovely welcomed break on many levels. We’ve not been away for such a long time given the time-constraints in setting up my new life in the North and starting the brewery, so it was great to spend quality time with the ones I love. Of course, there was the small matter of getting there – with delays effecting all of us, whether we were travelling from Manchester or Norwich.

I’ve visited Bruges on several occasions, so it was great to share those experiences again with others. Whilst we didn’t do the traditional touristy things, we did enjoy the sights, architecture, food and, of course, beer. We managed to try some ‘new to us’ beers which were wonderful, as well as some old favourites.

Neither Ruth, nor any of my children had been to Bruges before, so I was glad to be able to introduce them some favourite Bruges drinking spots. The house beer at De Garre was as good as ever. The food, beer, and especially the service, were excellent at De Halve Maan. Our first attempt to visit t’Poatersagaat was foiled by unexpected, and unexplained, late opening – but the whole family enjoyed the atmosphere on our successful second attempt.

I’m sure we all learned something from our travels. Noah discovered a fondness for kriek beers. Ruth found that she really likes dubbels. Unsurprisingly, Fionn realised that running a marathon with a bad cold isn’t a whole lot of fun.