A Day in Bruges

While Mike headed into Antwerp for a day of meetings, I pushed on for a day in Bruges. I can see why this is hailed as a 'must-see' city when visiting Belgium. It is absolutely charming and the medieval buildings are well preserved. At one time most buildings in Bruges were made of wood like these but, after a devastating fire, all are now required to be made of brick or stone.

With no particular agenda, I grabbed a map from the train station and started walking. Here again, was another city of charming canals and bridges paved with cobblestone streets. Horse-drawn carriages were trotting the streets giving tourists their money's worth and small tour boats continually cruised the canals providing a narrative along the way. At one point I passed an old woman in a doorway making the lace that Bruges is so famous for.

I stopped to walk through an old monastery that is now mainly inhabited by single women and then grabbed breakfast in an outdoor cafe while I got my bearings. From there I wandered along a charming street lined with shops that sold the trademark lace, tapestries, Belgium chocolates, and beer. Not yet ready to start shopping, I opted for a 7 euro boat tour. It was a quick way to see the different areas of the city that I should inspect further but Amsterdam canal cruises definitely have this one beat. We were packed in tight and I felt a bit like I was on a ride at DisneyLand - It's a Small World comes to mind.

After the boat ride, I was ready to beat the pavement and headed into the center of town to The Markt. It is a wide-open cobblestone area lined with eateries and medieval gabled houses. There is a fountain in the middle and today it was lined with people eating ice cream or Belgium waffles while soaking up the sun that was trying to come out. Every few minutes a horse-drawn carriage rode through the middle adding to the charm. Picture, picture, picture...

I walked past all of the 'must-see' architecture including The Church of Our Lady containing a Madonna and Child sculpture by Michelangelo, one of the few pieces by Michelangelo outside of Italy. I also particularly enjoyed stopping to take in the wall of Belgium Beer on display in one of the courtyards near the town center. Each kind of beer was displayed in a stone wall with a bit about its style and history. Another highlight was my afternoon snack - a Belgium waffle topped with bananas and dark, melted Belgium chocolate!!

After indulging I was ready to shop a bit. I picked up a couple of gifts and a new purse that hopefully will be lighter weight for our future travels. It is amazing how time flies when you are poking around by yourself. At 5:30 my feet were screaming for me to get on the train and head back to Antwerp for some rest so I called it a day. Tomorrow...Brussels. Stay tuned!