Bruges is a fine city to enjoy any time of year, of course, but there are some special reasons to go outside the summer tourist season. These reasons involve some of what Belgium is famous for--namely beer and chocolate. So, we've banged on our sorry keyboard to add Bruges famous beer and chocolate festivals to our Bruges Travel Guide. Imagine going to Belgium in February...or November. Then again, imagine Bruges decked out in Fall Colors.

In our last post, we mentioned that the Elfstedentocht (Eleven Cities Tour)--the world's biggest skating competition--could be held this year in the Netherlands. The ice still isn't thick enough, but everyone in Friesland is rooting for the cold air to stay a bit longer and freeze the track.

But if you're planning a vacation, a few days--or a week--in Friesland's canal-laced region could be quite the vacation. You can do your own Eleven cities tour; there are seven ways to tour, as our latest offering points out: Friesland Map and Travel Guide. From Friesland it's an easy trip to Texel Island and on to Noord Holland.

Mudflat walking anyone? Yes, it's a desirable thing to do here for nature lovers. Check it out.

If you ever wonder why there are so many speed Dutch speed skaters in the Olympics, this week's Dutch fervor over the European cold snap that could mean the start of a long canal-skating season should make it all clear to you. What other country trots out players from its most famous orchestras to serenade skaters on Amsterdam canals? Yes, tomorrow, the 10th of February, from 12:00 to 13:00 The Paradiso Orchestra, with musicians from the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra and other renowned orchestras will participate in an on-ice concert, according to Iamsterdam, which notes many other upcoming skates (if the cold weather holds).

But the week's big news is that the Elfstedentocht (Eleven Cities Tour)--the world's biggest skating competition--could be held this year. It's only run when it's cold enough for skaters to ply the lakes and canals in Friesland (see map for location), which hosts Europe's largest expanse of interconnected inland lakes. The first Eleven Cities Tour was in 1909, and it was last cold enough to hold it on in 1997.

According to the tourist bureau:

The ice must be at least 15 centimeters (appx. 5.9 inches) thick to be strong enough to support 16,000 skaters. This thickness has not yet been achieved everywhere that the race takes place. All the same, says the association, there is a 'cautious likelihood' that the tour will finally be held again this year. Speed skating champion Sven Kramer has already declared his wish to participate in the Elfstedentocht.

Let's all raise a glass of Jenever or something, hoping the 200 km race will be run and the two million people who are expected to come out and see it go home happy.

Few cities give a native son the respect and adoration that Lucca gives to Giacomo Puccini. A bronze statue of the composer dominates the piazza near his childhood house, now a museum. His music dominates the opera season. Now February marks a new festival called "Puccini e la sua Lucca" or Puccini and his Lucca.

In summer, the traveling music show heads west to Torre del Lago Puccini to a theater built over the lake for the 56th Puccini Festival. You never need be without your Puccini arias when traveling in Tuscany.