Blogs from Bruges, West Flanders, Belgium, Europe - page 2

Set off from Zeebrugge-Strand station at 9am and arrived in Brugge 20 minutes later. The weather forecast was not brilliant but we were blessed with more sun than rain. What a beautiful city with new vistas round every corner. We enjoyed a late breakfast in a beautiful old cafe before embarking on a lengthy tour by foot. ... read more

We are both excited to be leaving Calais - M navigates us into Belgium and on up to Bruges - 116 km Bruges is a canal based city - the Venice of the North - a medieval town virtually untouched - surrounded by gingerbread houses, cobbled alleys (creating a maze of one way streets) giant white swans and many varieties of ducks. Bruges was occupied in both WW I and WW II but neither the Allied nor German armies had the heart to raze it. In WW II German commander Imma Hopman even refused to carry out direct orders from his superiors to do just that. Bruges was liberated in WW II by Canadian troops on September 12, 1944. Bruges’ population is just over 117,000 - only 19,500 live in the small canal city centre. Over ... read more

Sadly, today marks our last day in Bruges. Despite the frequent showers and chilly temperatures during our 10-day-stay, both of us enjoyed the ambience, people, sights, sounds and the food in this charming city of gabled houses, canals and cobblestone streets. It's easy to understand why this city has become such a popular destination for tourists, and we would love to return in warmer weather, when the gardens and foliage are in full bloom. Of course, our fabulous rental apartment contributed to the pleasant stay. It was immaculate, well-equipped, and centrally located. A grocery store across the street was a big plus, and the owner's waffle and gelato shop downstairs had to be the icing on the cake! Our original plan was to spend the day packing for our move to Tours, in the Loire Valley ... read more

Our days in Bruges are now dwindling, since we move on to the Loire Valley region of France in just a few days' time. The overcast skies, chilly temperatures, and frequent showers have so far dissuaded us from taking a canal cruise, an activity that is almost mandatory when visiting the city that has been dubbed the "Venice of the North". The forecast for this Easter Sunday did not look very promising, but we held out hope for a break in the gloomy weather, and by mid-afternoon a few glorious rays of sunshine greeted us while waiting in line for the cruise boat. Although the sun's appearance turned out to be short-lived, at least the skies were dry during our 1/2-hour cruise. After spending the morning puttering around the apartment, we decided to have lunch at ... read more

It was not long after our arrival in Bruges that we became aware of the horse-drawn carriages transporting gawking tourists through the historic sections of the city. The rhythmic "clip-clop" of the horses hooves striking the cobblestone streets is a constant, and unmistakeable, background noise to which we soon became accustomed. So this morning, despite our initial reluctance to spend 50 euros ($65) for a "buggy" ride, we decided to give it a try. The carriage rides start and end at the Markt Square, after a 30-minute circuit that winds its way south from the square, past many of the historic landmarks, before reaching the Begijnhof. Here passengers (and the poor horse) get a short break before making the return journey to the Markt. The weather this morning was mostly sunny, although a bit chilly (mid-40s)--hardly ... read more