Ever since we started talking about going to Europe, we had always wanted to go to Bruges. If you’ve ever seen the independent movie “In Bruges” you would understand what we mean. “It’s like a fairy tale land…” as said in the movie. And it really does not dissapoint. We walked down to the train station, boarded the train and headed off. Bruges is only about 15 minutes by train from where we are, so it was a no brainer. The first thing we had to do was find a bar so Keith could get some beer. As we walked into town, we were inundated with so many gorgeous old buildings, churches, etc. that we didn’t know which way to look first. We did our best to take it all in. Down one street and through another brought us here:
The Market Square. The entire thing is lined with buildings just like this. And it’s been pretty much this way since the 12th or 13th Century! It was pretty crowded today…I can’t even imagine what it’s like here in the summer! There are horse drawn carriages taking tourists around the town on a tour and buses taking others. We found a bar/eatery to get a snack. Keith looked at the menu and they had local beer on tap…he was happy. Today was going to be my day of indulging what you should indulge in while in Belgium. First up…this:
Oh yes people…that is a true Belgian Waffle! It’s covered in Strawberries and has a side of chocolate sauce. Now what’s interesting here is the fact that the waffle itself wasn’t really sweet at all. What makes it sweet is what you put on it. It was good though…I enjoyed it. Keith also had a waffle…and 2 beers. We had some energy now and were ready to take on more of the town.
It was a gorgeous day…cool, but clear and sunny. Definitely can’t complain about that! Shortly after this, we went into one of the old buildings that were holding a photography exhibit. I know I should have been looking at the photographs, but all I could concentrate on was the architecture:
Beautiful! But I could say that about a lot of things here. Just look at this window for example:
Or these doors:
Honestly!! It’s just amazing to me to see that kind of craftsmanship. I appreciate that kind of stuff.
Next up, we went into the Basilica of the Holy Blood. Notice the ornate details of the building. On the lower left is the entrance to the original 12th Century chapel. Simple in style inside but very well done. The upper part was destroyed by the French in the 1790’s, then rebuilt in the 19th Century. Just take a look at these:
This is the inside of the upper chapel. This picture doesn’t even do this place justice. The ceiling is all wood and then hand painted. The walls are hand painted and stenciled and the wood is all carved and ornate. We sat in here for a while just to take it all in.
This is the room off of the main chapel (pictured prior to this). Under the cross is the priest who is in charge of the Blood of Jesus. Keith and I each went up there to pay respect and say a little prayer. Both of us also got to touch the glass vial. It was very moving.
Here I am next to one of the many statues. 🙂 From here we decided to go on a canal ride:
We went all over Bruges and got to see a good part of town. Here is an example of what you’d find along the canal:
It’s interesting to see how the old mixes with the new. While on the canal ride, we saw one of the original brewery buildings. Keith said we had to find it.
So we did. And he had a couple of beers here too.
They only had 2 beers on tap…a light and a dark…of course, he had to try both. 🙂
Here’s a beautiful view of the canal and part of the town. As you may or may not know, Belgium is known for several things…beer (of course), handmade lace (which is gorgeous by the way…but did I get a picture of any? No, not yet)…and my favorite thing:
CHOCOLATE!!!!!! I can’t even begin to tell you how many of these little chocolatier shops we came across. Each one is different and everything is definitely handmade. No fake stuff here!
So you know what that makes me:
Hahahahaa! I crack myself up! Anyway…as our day wound down, and our feet started hurting, we headed back towards the train station. On our walk, we came across this lovely gate:
No idea what it says, of course (it’s in Flemish!) but it is very interesting. Now, for my most favorite picture of the day:
The Roman Church along the canal. Just breathtaking…isn’t it?
Not sure what we’re going to do tomorrow. Maybe go to Brussels. All I know is, it will involve my flat shoes. 🙂 Let me know how you’re enjoying the blog…I love reading your comments. Hugs to all of you!!!