In Bruges

Nothing puts you in the festive spirit quite like a Christmas market, and where better to visit than Bruges, a fairy tale city in the flemish region of Belgium.  A UNESCO world heritage site, it's as if this city was designed for Christmas, with picturesque cobbled lanes and canals which link market squares lined with beautiful historic buildings. Like Stockholm and other canal based cities Bruges is also sometimes referred to as the venice of the north, a charming town filled with incredible history, beautiful scenery and friendly locals.  Horses and carts are more common than cars in the city centre, where the main market square sits in the shadow of the spectacular 13th century bell tower.  This is the hub of the city, particularly during the festive season when the Christmas market sits against a backdrop of medieval buildings.  It's beautifully atmospheric and like a picture postcard.

On arrival in Bruges, I'm met with a smiley face at the reception of the hostel, then we head over to the market square.  The city is relatively small with about 20,000 people living there, but it's incredibly busy at this time of year when tourists often outnumber locals.  We take a look around the market and climb the 365 steps to the top of the tower and take in the view.  We then wander around the canals taking in the sights, a few of which we recognise after watching the film 'In Bruges' in which two hitmen are holed up in the city.  Colin Farell's character in the movie found the city boring but there is plenty too keep us occupied in the short time we are there and we throw ourselves into the tourist experience, visiting a chocolate museum and visiting a few of the many chocolate shops, a beer brewery tour and a snow and ice sculpture festival before getting the train for the 50 minute journey back to Brussels.

When we arrive, we head straight for the Grand Place - the stunning central market square, beautifully lit up by the nightly sound and light show which highlights the beautiful architecure of the surrounding buildings.  The centrepiece is an impressively large Christmas tree which adds to the festive atmosphere.  The city celebrates the end of the year with a large Euorpean Christmas market called 'Winterwonders' which spreads through the cobbled streets and squares. The size of the market is impressive with some amazing food and we try out the traditional frites with mayonaise then take a wander around where we come accross another smiley face - the smileoke bar!

The next day we take a bus tour to take in the sites and stop at the Royal Palace then head back to the city centre to check out the rest of the market selling everything you can imagine and I find another smiley face at one of the stalls.  No visit to Belgium would be complete without some waffles so we stop for some on our way back.

Both Bruges and Belgium are beautiful cities - particularly during the festive season.  Plus I found the perfect Christmas gift - some smiley faces.

The Present Moment

Life happens in the present, but so often we let it pass by unobserved by worrying about the future or dwelling on the past. It's easy to miss what's happening in the here and now, like when we are at work - we're looking forward to being on holiday, then when on holiday, we worry about work.

Mindfulness is living in the moment with your attention on the present, it allows you to realise are not your thoughts and you can observe them without judging them.  It takes practice, but there is a paradox because the expectation of reward leads to a future oriented mindset which subverts the process.  Ironically, letting go of what you want is the only way to get it.  It forces you to stop overthinking and into the present so that you can't worry about things that aren't there.

Another paradox is focusing on a problem to combat and overcome it often makes it worse.  The mind's natural tendency when faced with pain is to attempt to avoid and resist it which only magnifies it. The solution is acceptance, letting the emotion be there without judging it, holding on to it or pushing it away.  This helps you to understand it, then you can choose what to do next.

Thoughts are just thoughts, you don't need to believe them or do what they say. Being in the present moment takes us out of autopilot to start paying attention to the world around us. Being aware of thoughts means they don't control you, to be more in control of your mind you need to press pause, stop doing and focus on just being.

In A Guide to The Present Moment, Noah Elkrief states that our thoughts broadly fall into two main categories: psychological and functional.  Functional thoughts determine how to do things or solve problems, while psychological thoughts are the ones that decide whether something is good or bad, and it is these thoughts which can can cause suffering.  He argues that one way to experience the present moment is when we don't have or believe the thoughts that create unwanted emotions.

This is not about trying to get anywhere, just realising where you already are. It isn't a goal, because goals are about the future.  You just need the intention of paying attention to what is happening in the present moment.  It's not a destination and there is no finish line, you're already there.