Bruges Visit

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Friday 31 July 2015

Bruges is a short drive from the little town where we are staying and we have heard it is an attractive place to visit, so with the sun shining again we head off to find out for ourselves.

The car is safely underground, but the downside is that the wet socks drying in the car won't make much progress while we are parked there. It's hard to find the perfect park. Above ground we were immediately captivated by the sight of a tall spire looming at the end of the street. We followed our noses and quickly found the streets which seemed to be attracting people.

Bruges seems to be a city built around water, and canals carry boatloads of tourists under bridges and past delightful old buildings, some used as cafés with terraces and balconies for enjoying appropriate refreshments. Cobbled streets, so attractive to the eye, make us wonder how anyone could hurry, let alone run if necessary. Taking one of these lanes from one beautiful Square invariably leads on to another wonderful Square lined with buildings whose facades mean more photos must be taken. The distinctive stepped up tall gable shapes are most attractive in all their variations.

We stopped in at the church of St Salvatore where major restoration work meant a large part of the interior was under wraps. Towards the end of our day we walked over a stone Bridge and through an archway into the Beguinage, originally occupied by a community of Beguines, women who lived a philanthropic and semi-monastic life. These communities originated in the Low Countries around the 13th century. No Beguines have lived here since the 1920s, and the church and accommodation is now used by a community of Benedictine nuns.

Our day in Bruges had many highlights, but we must single out the large icecream sundaes with a jug of Belgian chocolate sauce and a dish of whipped cream on the side. We finished every last bit and were so replete we missed dinner. Bruges and chocolate are now firmly linked in our minds.

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Photos

Bruges
Who said they could call this shop Kiwi?

Bruges
Looking towards the Markt

Bruges
An outdoor sculpture made of many windows next to St Salvatore.

Bruges
A famous photo shoot of the canals.

Bruges
The canal.

Bruges
A quiet spot along the canals.

Bruges
How indulgent is this?

Bruges
The Beguinage community.

Bruges
City scape.

Comments

[G&G]

Chocolate
Good to see you got your fair share of Belgian chocolate.Guess your suitcase has put on a kilo or two as well.

[Miltonrabbit]

Time to eject a kilo or two.
Oh the Belgian chocolate. The ice cream was delicious. And the big slab of chocolate oh boy. Today the suitcases lose a kilo or two. Amazing how much junk you collect in the way of brochures etc.