Back during that period of infamy (last week’s French transport strike), I was convinced spur of the moment to go to Amsterdam. There was a pretty strong argument to be had – one Australian friend was there for the weekend before returning to Sydney, and also a Dutch friend was leaving for Papua New Guinea the following Tuesday. It was time to say goodbye, and Amsterdam seemed to be the best place to do it.

I thought I would avoid all that hoo-hah with the trains and arrange a rideshare. For 25€ and five hours of journey, I could be in Amsterdam, no worries. Or at least that’s what I thought.

When we met, the driver announced that we were going via Calais to pick up some other travellers stranded by the strike… No problem, I’d just have to push back my 4pm meeting to become a dinner date with my friends in Amsterdam.

After a scenic coastal detour and late arrival to Belgium, the driver turned to ask me at 8pm if I was in a hurry to get to the Netherlands. “I was…” I conceded through clenched teeth.

“Great!” He beamed obliviously, “that means that we have time to have a look at Bruges! It would be such a shame for us to pass by!”

Now – in retrospect – I agree with him wholeheartedly. Our rag-tag group (as unlikely a formation of travel companions ever assembled) ambled through the streets in awe like a family of dad and three surly (rolling eyes, but secretly impressed) teenagers.

Bruges (also known by the Dutch name of Brugge) is an amazingly magical place, especially on an evening of penetrating cold when it’s virtually empty to stroll around the canals, with the fairytale village lights (and harsh advertising neons and Tintin) beckoning you to partake in a little beer, praline and waffle indulgence. In the main square of quaintly peaked brick facades, the wooden huts for the Christmas markets were boarded up for the evening. In the surrounding alleys, however, the lace pieces were still impressively displayed in the warm and homely glow from the shop windows.

So what if this charming medieval trade centre was extensively re-created in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries? Lijiang in China was re-built “new as old” after the 1996 earthquake to reflect 800 years of history, and it’s still fantastic to see! I’m just a sucker for Disneyland recreations, I’ll admit it!