A slice of real life, for when you're tired of Brugge's fairy-tale tourist sites…read more The Dutch chain HEMA is ubiquitous--good for your basic needs in cosmetics, housewares, and cheap clothes. However, the secret of this Belgian HEMA is that it offers the famous 1 euro breakfast on the upper floor. People of all stripes start lining up before the store even opens: chic young things, middle-aged matrons, families with many kids, and a couple of impoverished-looking old men. Everyone patiently waited for the cafeteria-style breakfast: an egg/bacon sandwich on a baguette, croissant, jam, juice, and coffee. Even in this reduced-expectations setting, the niceties are not forgotten. You still get a speculoos cookie on your saucer, gratis. And the interior is clean and modern, IKEA-style, where that you can overlook the busy street below while you eat. Everything was, surprisingly, fresh and delicious. For a euro! The idea that you might want anything other than this amazing bargain is foreign to the staff. So an impatient cashier simply removed the chocolate croissant from my husband's plate and replaced it with a plain one. Stupid tourists! HEMA: for insight into the local mindset, a filling breakfast, and an all-too-rare bargain in Brugge.

We discovered Hema yesterday after spending 15 Euros each for breakfast at our hotel. This morning…read moreI got the (now) 2 Euro breakfast: An egg sandwich, croissant, and cup of latte. My wife bought a couple of rashers of bacon, yogurt with fruit, and a latte. I also bought a cup of yogurt with fruit and muesli. The entire bill came to 6.75 Euros! We might have paid more. But the person behind the counter advised us to switch a couple of things and buy the 2 Euro breakfast. This place is known far and wide among Europeans for good, inexpensive food. It's cafeteria style. Clean, good service, and a table near the window gives an excellent view of Steenstraat below with beautiful 15th - 18th century buildings across the street. If we had planned to return to Bruges, we might have kept it a secret!

I am not too into the layout of this department store...looks a bit jumbled…read more The cosmetics section looks crazy and too close to each other. However, this is the ONLY department store in North of France that carries MAC Cosmetics! NO JOKE! It's crazy to think there's not enough MAC Cosmetics running around this side of France.

It is another classic Printemps - what can one say? As with all other Printemps, this is a fairly…read morelarge store; it is housed in a building slightly off the main shopping streets of Lille. However, this does provide the benefit of the entrance not being difficult to get through! Another all in one store selling all sorts of items, from your simple snacks and sweets to some clothing items and decorative pieces. Whilst I was here, they were having a slight sale (not the fake type with only big signs, but some proper price reductions), so I did manage to pick up one or two things which seemed like bargains. Can be a bit hit or miss on the bargain front, but a walk through Printemps can always be relaxing.

From the owner: L'Epicerie Equitable est spécialisée dans la distribution et l'importation de produits alimentaires…read moreissus du commerce équitable, de l'agriculture biologique et de filières courtes. La logique est de systématiquement privilégier le produit lorsqu'il existe en local. La boutique de Lille est spécialisée dans les thés, tisanes, cafés au détail ou vrac. On peut aussi y boire toutes boissons (bio) chaudes au comptoir.

Huge huge mall. If…read moreyou like shopping, this is the place if you are in the area (or even within 2 hours away if you live here). Plenty of stores and plenty of food options. Huge parking garage right underneath it, making it super convenient. The Grande Place of Lille is about a 10 minute walk from here, making it a must to see.

Huge shopping mall next to the train station. Food court with american fast food restaurant like…read moreBurger King. On a chilly day it's a good place to shop and escape from the weather. I prefer small one of a kind shops nearby.

Nice reasonably priced department store chain. Got some odds and ends here while traveling. They…read moresell a lot of different things and have a food court upstairs. You can self checkout and tap to pay or use your smartphone.

*** CAFETERIA REVIEW ***…read more Hema is an everyday supply store popular in the Netherlands and Belgium. They sell things like basic clothes, umbrellas, food items, home supplies and stationery. But did you know that some Hema branches have cafeterias?? These cafeterias are a life saver in Belgium where traveling and eating out is quite expensive, an average sit down meal (even lunch) runs over 20 euros per person. Some days, especially as a traveler, you just want to sit down, have a square meal for not too much money, and catch up on the internet! If you agree with this sentiment and you are visiting Ghent, Hema is the lunch place for you! As an American the best comparison I can give is the Ikea cafeteria. I do think it was inspired from the Ikea model as an attempt to try and get more people through the door (you have to walk thru the whole store to get to the cafeteria.) You can get basic dishes like sandwiches, soups, pasta, and oddly enough, indonesian fried rice with satay, keropok and pickles (??????) Of course, the latter thing was so beguiling and so unexpected in Belgium that I had to get it. It ran me about 8 euros. Portion wise it was small, but then again, it is refreshing to get a square meal that is not America super sized. I definitely needed the small Coke I got to round out the meal. At the end of the day, definitely worth it and a refreshing savings over getting ripped off at even non touristy restaurants for a lot of money. You have the choice of eating indoors or on the balcony. I didn't try it, but the balcony seems nice as it looks out over Korenmarkt. I would recommend this for your coffee break in Ghent so you can have a great view while relaxing on a terrace. BTW, just like Ikea, when you are done you bus your table and store your tray in a rack. Wish we had this sort of place in the USA! ... and omitting Ikea, too far away from me :(