Belgium -Bruges

2019 December 20 —

Viviane and I had met on the Camino de Santiago, over 4 years ago. We had kept in touch. Since I was going to the UK for Christmas, and since Belgium was a meet-in-the-middle place, we decided to meet in Bruges for the weekend. I took the Eurostar from St. Pancreas and was in Bruges 3 1/2 hours later. I arrived an hour before Viviane, so I decided to scope out the town. The receptionist at Hostel Lybeer said everything was within a 10 minute walk. How could that be? I had a list of 20 must-see things and it seemed impossible that everything was so tightly packed together. I soon discovered she was correct.

I first ventured to the canals. I had seen pictures of them and their bridges and was enthralled. The weather forecast had predicted rain, but it was only slightly overcast. I wanted to take some pictures before it got dark and in case it did rain the next day. It didn’t take me long to find Meestraat and Peerdenstraat Bridges. The view was breathtaking! When Viviane did arrive we enjoyed a cup of gluhwein (hot mulled wine) from an outdoor market vendor. Then we took off to see the bridges, once again.

Viviane and I quickly found Market Square. It has been used as a market place since 958. Today it is surrounded by banks, shops, and restaurants. The Provincial Court House and Historium stand where the Waterhalle once did. The most prominent building in Market Square is the Belfry and Cloth Hall – the iconic symbol of Bruges. We decided to check out the Belfry before continuing to the canals.

A bit of History:

Bruges is a very old settlement, beginning in the 9^th century. It became a charter city in 1128, and is the capital city of the province of West Flanders in the country of Belgium. It is a small city with a population of about 118,000. The egg shaped old-city is quite small (430 hectares), with a population of about 20,000. It is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Sometimes called Venice of the North due to its numerous canals and beauty, the name Bruges is derived from an Old Dutch word for “bridge”. There are more than 50 bridges in the city! It was once a significant port at the crossroads between the northern and southern trade routes. The tidal inlet that linked Bruges to the sea was called the “Golden Inlet”. Riches poured into the city from far away trade partners. Around 1050, gradual silting of the inlet caused the city to loose its direct access to the sea. All must not have been lost, because after receiving its city charter on 27 July 1128, new walls and canals were built. If you build it they will come – A huge storm in 1134 caused the inlet to backwash, reopening it to international trade once again. Levant spices, Normandy grain, Gascon wine, and Castilian wool were traded for Flemish cloth. The entrepreneurs of Bruges developed (or borrowed from the Italians) the idea of bills of exchange and letters of credit. By pooling profits, risks and knowledge of markets, the world’s first stock exchange opened in 1309.

Life was good, except for social uprisings from time to time. Statues of Jan Breydel and Pieter de Coninck, two heroes of a major uprising, can be found in the Market Square. Art began to blossom in the 15^th century, giving birth to the famous Flemish Primitives – Jan van Eyck, Memling, Christus.

Alas, the Inlet began silting up again in the early 16^th century. Soon Antwerp was the economic centre. Not even boom of the 17^th century lace industry could save Bruges. It faded from powerhouse to near extinction. The population went from 200,000 to 50,000 by 1900.

However, fate would smile again on Bruges. By the end of the 19^th century, Bruges became popular with wealthy British and French tourists. During World War I German forces occupied Bruges, but the city suffered minimal damage. Legend says that when the German commander came into Bruges he was so impressed by its beauty that he ordered that no damage befall it. 1965 saw restorations of residential and commercial buildings, historic monuments, and churches which ultimately resulted in a surge of tourism. Today, it attracts about 8 million tourists annually – drawn to its beauty, lace, beer (54 breweries within the city walls), chocolate (at least 100 shops within a 5 minute walk of each other), and art. According to the movie “In Bruges” – it’s a fairytale town.

The river Reie used to run right through the city of Bruges. Initially, goods were loaded and unloaded from the trade boats with a crane operated by a treadwheel. Men (or children) walked inside a huge hamster wheel attached to a rope and pulley that allowed them to raise and lower goods. Bruges’s crane was documented in use in 1288. In 1294, at the height of ancient trade, the Waterhalle (Water Hall) was built near the Belfry. The huge building was erected over the river so that ships could be unloaded in the dry. The building was 95 meters long, 24 meters wide and 30 meters high, with 15 bays. A winch lifted goods to the upper level where they could be dry-stored. An extension ran the length of the Waterhalle, but was only 4 meters wide. This space was used for trade houses and shops. The diminishing water supply meant fewer trade ships then, eventually, none. In the 18^th century, the trade houses nearby were taken over by other businesses. However, the Waterhalle itself had suffered physical decline, due to the constant moisture of a river running through its centre for its nearly 500 year use. It was demolished in 1787 amid much protest.

Although neither the Waterhalle nor the treadwheel crane are around today, it is interesting to note. Their historical existence speaks to the prominence of Bruges as an international powerhouse. Which, in turn, speaks to the beauty of the city. They had MONEY!!

The Belfry and Cloth Hall were added to Market Square in 1240, near the busy canal, bustling with ships, sailors, tradesmen, and merchants. As part of a complex of warehouse and market halls, with a courtyard in the middle, this medieval observation/bell tower was built for spotting fires and other danger. It also housed a treasury and the municipal archives. Town councilors held their meetings there until the fire of 1280, at which time they moved to a new venue. However, after being rebuilt, the balcony of the hall tower was still the preferred location for public announcements and ordinances. The upper, octagonal stage, was added in the 1480s. It is 83 metre (272 ft) high and has 366 steps leading to the top, where we enjoyed a beautiful panoramic view of the city. We took lots of pictures of the city from the high vantage point.

The original Belfry clock was installed around the 15^th century, but had only one arm – the hour hand. An alarm would sound just before the hour. Over time and with mechanical and timekeeping innovations, the clock announced the half hour, as well.

In the 16^th century, the bells were connected to a keyboard and the number of bells increased to 35, which turned the alarm into a musical chime. Disaster struck, in the form of lightening, in April 1741. The tower collapsed as a result of the fire. The drum, carillon bells and great bell were destroyed. A clock founder in Antwerp was commissioned to cast a new clock, drum and bell. The new clock, with two hands, has a 3 metre long pendulum which weighs 78 kg. The new 47-bell carillon we enjoyed that day was completed in 1748. We happened to be in the bells area when the half hour tune began to play. It was very loud, but we were thrilled to experience it.

Similar to a music box – a round brass drum with pins – the carillon is connected to the Belfry clock. The drum is 2.5 metres long, has a diameter of 2 metres and weighs 9 tons. It has 250 rows of 122 square openings (a total of 30,500 openings) for the pins. Each pin lifts one hammer of the 122 clappers on the outside of the 37 heaviest bells. The bells range in weight from 2 pounds to 11,000 pounds, and have a combined weight of 30.3 tons The automatic chimes play a different, recognizable tune every quarter hour. The music is changed every 2 years.

The carillon can still be played with its keyboard, consisting of pedals and wooden batons, which are used to move the clappers against the bells. We saw a smaller version of the keyboard with the wooden batons in a small parade a few days later. The batons were the thickness of an old broom handle and the gent playing it had to use his entire hand to press down on them. Liberace would have been screwed!

The city has employed a full-time carilionneur since 1604. Each bell has a distinct sound and, in former times, its own function. There were bells for danger, bells for important announcements and bells to indicate the time. The current carilionneur gives frequent free concerts, as well as performances for special occasions.

The Great Bell was cast in 1680 and originally in the Church of Our Lady. It is 2.13 meters tall, 2.06 meters across and weighs 6 tons. It was acquired in 1800. The Great Bell was replaced 10 different times between 1280 and 1745. Today it is rung mechanically, marking important events. In the past it was done manually. I am sure the poor men ringing it went deaf early on.

After descending the Belfry tower, we headed directly into the Christmas Market in the middle of the Square. There was a large ring of market stalls forming a perimeter. A smaller ring of market stalls surrounded the statues of Jan Breydel and Pieter de Coninck. A huge, well lit, Christmas tree stood in the centre. A tall pole beside the tree had strings of lights extending outward, so that it looked like a lit up carnival tent. We had another gluhwein. I had bratwurst, too. We looked through the stalls and I came away with some lace Christmas tree ornaments for my ASL friends.

Our bellies full and some shopping done, we finally made our way to the canals. I had been to the same spot earlier, but now it looked totally different. During the day, I could see the Church of Our Lady off in the distance along the canal, with the bridge being one more item in the postcard-like setting. At night lights shone on the bridge, accentuating the stonework. The street-side of the bridge was hidden in darkness, the lit-up pedestrian side lead into a dark alley between two large buildings. Philosophical observation: We come into the world th rough a shroud of diminishing darkness (the dark street), leading into the bright light of our human life (the bridge), then very suddenly, amid other’s light, we are absorbed into complete darkness again (the dark alley disappearing between illuminated buildings).

We spotted what looked like a weeping willow tree further along the canal. It had large, funky lights hanging from it and it seemed to be protecting an outdoor cafe. The 2be Bar was on a decorated terrace overlooking the canal. Its Christmas lights reflecting on the water. The evening sky was jet black but warm lights put a soft glow on the buildings. In the background, past the shadows, the Belfry shone brightly. We took a bunch of pictures, not realizing at the time, that this spot (Muelle del Rosario – Dock of the Rosary) is one of the most photographed in all of Bruges. It is where 2 major canals meet, and was once a loading dock in medieval times.

Making our way back toward our hostel, we walked through Burg Square. It was one of the earliest inhabited places in the city, going back to the 2^nd and 3^rd century. All the buildings were softly aglow. A massive Christmas tree in the centre of the square had lights glistening. The Belfry dazzled in the background. It definitely made us pause.

There was a huge building along one side, that I still have no idea of its function. To the right of it, stood the small, but drag-queen elegant, Old Civil Registry (1537). It also had a 200 year stint as Old Court House. A blindfolded Lady Liberty still stands on the peak of this Renaissance building, holding a set of balance scales. Blind Donkey Alley separates the Old Court House and the beautifully Gothic Town Hall (Stadhuis). It was built in 1376 and is still being used as a seat of government over 600 years later.

To the right of that, stands the Basilica of the Holy Blood. Allegedly, a drop of Jesus’ blood on a cloth used by Joseph of Arimathea is sealed in a vial in this Basilica. It is on very strict display and only on Friday’s (but we saw it on a Saturday; maybe it was a Christmas Special) since 1291, it continues to be paraded around the city once a year, by the Bishop. I say “allegedly” because there is no mention of this significant Crucifixion relic in Bruges archives prior to 1250. It is now assumed that a Count from the 4^th Crusade (1198-1207) snatched this vial during the sacking of Constantinople. Modern testing shows the rock crystal to date from the 11^th or 12 century and was a Byzantine perfume bottle. The neck is wound with gold thread and stopped with red wax. It has never been opened. Next to the Basilica are a row of shops and restaurants. Opposite the Stradhuis was the baroque Deanery of St. Donatian.

It was a quick 2 minute walk back to Market Square. It looked totally different from day to night. During the day, the Christmas Market was buzzing with families and Christmas shoppers. In the evening, the shops lit up in invitation to the more festive, romantic, and party crowds.

We found a small bar on a side street and each ordered a local beer. I opted for Zot, the pipeline beer. The name Zot derives from the word “zotten” (fools – as in madmen or jesters). The beer is brewed at Brewery De Halve Maan (Half Moon), which as been in operation for about 500 years. The beer is then sent via a 2 mile underground pipeline to a bottling facility, just outside the old city walls, where they can fill 12,000 bottles an hour. The pipeline idea’s brainchild felt that having a pipeline would greatly reduce the number of beer tankers driving through the old, narrow, and winding city streets, thereby preserving the cobblestone. Automobile traffic is not respected by pedestrians, at the best of times. People only move out of the way when they hear the clop-clop of horses’ hooves. Local businesses have been supportive. Some of the 4 million Euro cost of the pipeline came from crowdfunding. Gold membership (7500 Euro) allows the buyer to a free bottle of Bruges Zot beer (Bruges Fool) everyday for life, plus 18 personalized glasses. I can almost hear the infomercial – “But wait! If you act NOW, we will throw in 18 personalized glasses!”

Saturday, 21 December 2019

The next morning we were up early and took advantage of a breakfast deal offered through a nearby restaurant at the Hotel Leopold. It was such a good hearty meal that we ate there the next day as well.

The weather was colder than the day before; but it was still not raining, as the forecast had predicted. We decided to venture further afield, along the city walls, to have a look at Minnewater Lake, Ghent Gate and the windmills. We walked down many quiet residential streets that had interesting window and door decorations. The architecture had us constantly craning our necks to take in the variety.

As we made our way to Minnewater Lake, we walked along a very long neo-gothic building. It ran the entire length of the street. We were impressed with the architecture and size of it. A bit of research found that it was an all-in-one Social Assistance building – a senior’s home, recreation and learning facility for young and old, employment assistance, as well as, healthcare, financial, and social assistance. At the end of the street was the lake and park.

The lake is really a man-made. It was built in the 13^th century as a sluice to regulate the flow of water into the town. Today, it is known as a romantic get away spot – complete with resident swans. There was a church on the opposite side of the lake, where the trees of the park seemed its personal garden. The sun was just beginning to peak over the horizon, behind the church. The church silhouette against the brightening sky were reflected on the water.

We lingered a bit, but moving kept the cold away, so we carried on, walking the promenade along the embankment of the old city rampart to Gentpoort (Gate of Ghent). Park benches sat on the backs of dragons.

Remember when I said that Bruges was an economic powerhouse? They needed a defense system to protect themselves from imperialistic countries and rivaling cities wanting to tax or steal Bruges’s riches. Gentpoort is one of four remaining gates. It was built in the 15^th century on the same location as the first gate that was built in the 13^th century, on the road to Ghent – hence the name. The front-gate had to be torn down to accommodate the expansion of the canal and drawbridge for modern, larger boats. We watched the drawbridge go up and down from the top of the tower.

Inside the Gate we were shown the history, along with some relics, of Gentpoort. We learned that each Gate had its own small army, made up of local residents. Every man was expected to take up arms and defend the city. Many were members of various guilds – archer, crossbow and swordsman. Nobility were taught to ride and fight from a very young age, and were expected to cover their own costs for horses and artillery. In other words, they were expected to lead!

Bandits and traitors were beheaded. Their heads displayed on spikes for all to see, as a warning. But natural bone deteriorates, so a metal skull was cast and hung out. A newer bronze skull still hangs on a different gate. There was a big room with a massive fireplace where guards could warm themselves in the winter.

We continued walking along the ramparts until we got to two windmills. Both stood on its own high mound beside the canal. When the town was rebuilding the city walls in the 13^th century, they actually planned for 23 windmills and mounds. The one we went to see was Sint Janshuysmill. It got its name because it supplied flour to St. John’s Hospital. The original mill was built, on that exact location, in 1297. It was replaced in 1744, when the original blew down in a storm. It has been in constant operation, except for a 50 year lull between 1914-1964, after the city purchased it from a family of millers. Apparently, one can go in and see how the flour is ground, but the day we were there, the sails were still and the doors were locked.

We decided to head back toward the city centre. On the way we came across an antique lace shop. It was full of delicate old lace doilies, table runners, head scarves, gloves, and even a jacket. Some of the threads were as fine as spider web. We learned that it takes between 7-15 hours to make a piece of lace the size of a postage stamp. It takes 7 to 10 years of experience to make the delicate patterns that we saw. The process is done on a huge pincushion the size of a Bosu ball. The threads are on long, thin wooden bobbins. The whole thing is like a crazy weaving process, but without the benefit of the threads being secured to the loom. If one bobbin ran away from you, I think you would be screwed!! We were thoroughly impressed! I bought a small piece of old lace, just so I could show people how delicate the real stuff is – not at all like the stuff I bought in the Market.

Carrying on, we came upon the Jerusalem Chapel and Adornes Domain. We hesitated about going in, but the entrance fee was minimal and we both needed to go to the bathroom. The only way to the bathroom was through the property.

The Adornes family moved to Bruges, from Genoa Italy in 1269. Fifth generation Anselm Adornes (1424-1483) was not only a wealthy merchant, diplomat and politician, but also a philanthropist. He left money in his will for the continuation of the almshouses that he had built for the poor. Some are still in use today. One of the almshouses has been converted into a museum, telling the history of the Adornes Family and the influence Bruges had on the world economy of that time period. Anselm Adornes made his money through the trade of alum – a necessary chemical that helps dye adhere to fabric. Considering Bruges was world-famous for its textiles, this was a most profitable commodity. The family still owns the property and church.

A Google search tells a different side of Anselm that was not mentioned on the property. A huge scandal befell Anselm in 1477. He and fifteen other city officials were suspected of using their government offices for unlawful personal gain. (Times haven’t changed.) They managed to wiggle out of the charges. (Times really have not changed!) However, two months later he was arrested again by an angry crowd. He and two others were interrogated and tortured into confessing to stealing from the city treasury. He escaped death but had to pay 4 times the amount he confessed to stealing. He was bankrupted. He was also banned from public office. It was at this time that he returned to Scotland and reestablished himself as one of King James III buddies. That may not have been a wise move. James was not a popular monarch. Although he survived the rebellion against the king, he was murdered the following year under mysterious circumstances.

The Jerusalem Chapel was built in 1429. It is a private chapel inspired by the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. Every once in a while it is used for classical concerts or cultural lectures. It was also wrongly portrayed as the Basilica of the Holy Blood in the movie In Bruges. The Chapel is tiny. The huge stained-glass windows offer little light. The mausoleum of Anselm and his wife Margriet dominate the area in front of the creepy looking alter. On either side of the alter are two staircases that lead up to an upper choir, where a black marble tomb holds Anselm’s heart – the only thing to return to Bruges after he was murdered in Scotland. It was from this upper choir mezzanine that we could see straight up into the tall octagonal tower.

Behind the alter and beneath the mezzanine was a small space that looked like a quaint chapel. In the back of this chapel was a crawl-though opening with a crypt that has an imitation grave of Christ – complete with body.

There was a small modern art exhibit in a hall near the Scottish Lounge. It did not take us long to decide that the exhibit was not to either of our taste so we made our way into the Lounge and had a coffee and cookie. The room was a big, yet cozy parlor, overlooking the garden, with big couches, arm chairs and tables. The refreshments were self-serve. There was a sign indicating what the prices were and a piggy bank to deposit our money.

We meandered our way back to the city centre, along the canals, taking in their beauty once again. The canal ended, abruptly, at the Jan van Eyck Park, where a statue of the great Flemish painter stands. (c 1390-1441) His back is to the canal and he faces Poortersloge (Burghers’ Lodge).

The Poortersloge was built at the end of the 14^th century in, what was then, the commercial heart of Bruges. This is where the international ships were loaded and unloaded. This was the area of trading houses or the most powerful and important trading partners. And of course, the tax house was there, too. The Poortersloge was where the high-rollers met, made deals, and back-slapped each other. It was also the seat of the Society of the White Bear, a society of wealthy bourgeoisie. Their mascot can still be seen in the facade of the building.

The legend of the White Bear has never been made clear to me. Was it like the Wall Street version of the Bull? Or was it the romantic tale of Count Baldwin and his wife, Judith, being attacked by a white bear near Bruges. The brave Count killed it with his lance, in order to protect his damsel. Ever since the bear has been a symbol of the city. Or is it that “Beer” in Belgium means “Bear”? It is a symbol of bravery, enterprise, or drinking?

We had lunch in a small pizzaria across the street from a french fry museum. Yes, you read that right, a french fry museum. There is a debate as to whether the French or the Belgians first invented the fry; but either way, there is documentation of french fries dating back to 1775. We popped our heads into the museum, saw that they were charging a ridiculous amount of money for a plate of fries and we left. That evening we did order fries with our meal of traditional sausage. All I can say about the fries is, I have tasted much better. And the sausage was nothing to sing about either.

We spent the rest of the day window shopping. We stopped in lots of chocolate shops, and seemed to buy something from them all. Not all chocolates arrived home. OMG they were yummy!!

We were in a chocolate shop when we heard the tell-tale sound of a parade marching band. I hurried out to the street to watch. Viviane could not understand my fascination with the small, quaint parade. We simply do not have this kind of thing in Canada. It was a religious parade, with characters dressed as Joseph, Mary, and the wise men. There were live sheep being herded by real sheep dogs. There were other characters dressed in Victorian garb that were going through the crowd collecting money for the poor. One thing that stuck with me was the horses the wise men were riding. I grew up on a farm and have seen lots of horses in my day, but the legs on these horses were so hairy it looked like they were fake. Everyone on the street was crowding in on the parade. Suddenly, one horse started to pee. Everyone backed up real fast and as far back as they could. Remember, the streets are cobblestone – lots of back-splash! At the end of the parade was a small version of the keyboard that I mentioned earlier.

We went back to Muelle del rosario (Dock of the Rosary) to see it in the day. Everything looked so different from day to night. I have to admit, the night version had a much better ambiance.

In the late afternoon, we went to the gothic Church of Our Lady. The church has an impressive 122 metre brick steeple. It is visible from almost everywhere in Bruges. It took 2 centuries (13^th -15^th centuries) to build this magnificent church. The church interior was crisp white, with dark mahogany looking confessionals. The choir had the tombs of Mary of Burgundy and her father, Charles the Bold. The item we paid to see was Michelangelo’s one ton white marble sculpture of Madonna and Child. It is his only sculpture to leave Italy during his lifetime. It was beautiful and Viviane lingered a very long time. Alas, the church was closing to visitors and preparing for evening service. We did not have as much time as we would have liked to look around more.

We made our way back toward our hostel. We stopped at Chez Vincent for dinner, where we had the local sausage and fries. The restaurant was just across from St. Salvator Cathedral. As we were walking past, a group of parishioners stopped us and invited us to join them in a festival of lights within the church. They handed us each a candle. They explained that at this time of year, it is dark outside, the days are short, and that society is also in a dark place. They wanted to light as many candles as they could, within the church, to symbolize the lighting of physical space as well as of mankind. What a lovely sentiment! We entered the church, lit our candles, then proceeded to place them in front of the alter, along with the hundreds of other candles. Some nuns were singing nearby. It was so beautiful! We had a quick look at the tombs at the back of the church before heading back into the night.

St. Salvator Cathedral was almost next door to our hostel, but we decided to take a completely different route back to our hostel. We came across what appeared to be a car parking lot with the buildings on the opposite side lit up in blue flood lights, giving it the appearance of a winter wonderland. We walked past several elaborately decorated restaurants and bars. We finally stopped for a beer in a small bar on a side street. We were having a nice time chatting and going over our day’s exploration when we saw the “OPEN” sign suddenly flipped over to “CLOSED”. Excuse us, its only 8:00pm! Oh well, we were finished our beer, anyway.

We went back to our hostel where we had our chocolate liqueur shots. We each had purchased a round chocolate that had an dropper filled with booze inserted into it. The idea was to pop the chocolate into our mouth, bite into it, then immediately squeeze the dropper of booze into the mouth, as well. It was a funky version of a liqueur filled chocolate, but this gave the full zap of booze taste. I had Grand Marnier, Viviane had gin. I think mine was better.

Sunday, 22 December 2019

My knee was hurting a bit, so I had taken a pain killer before bed. I slept so hard, that the next morning when I woke up Viviane was sitting on her bed all dressed and ready to go. I jumped up, realizing it was late, and said “Why didn’t you wake me up?” She said, “I tried. I called you. I shook you. You were dead to the world.” I jumped out of bed and got dressed as fast as I could. Thankfully, we had pre-packed the night before. We took our bags down to the lobby and tucked them into the storage room before heading off to breakfast.

The rain that was predicted for the entire weekend finally caught up to us. We were thankful that we had done all of the outdoor things already. Today was going to be museum day! We headed straight to Market Square and bought tickets to Historium.

Historium is located where the Waterhalle used to be. It took us through a series of themed rooms to get a sense of medieval Bruges. The rooms had props (some even moved) and a video portrayal that made it feel like we were bystanders in the room while negotiations were being held. There were even aromas lingering in the air – the sea smelled like the sea, the dining room smelled of food cooking, the bath house smelled of sage. Our headphones told the story in stereo with appropriate background sounds of water lapping, dishes clattering, and birds shrieking.

Once through the themed rooms, we found ourselves in a small exhibition room that had placards explaining, in finer detail, the history of Bruges. What struck me was the “back on this year in history” timeline. Europeans always laugh when I say this, but while Europeans were building Notre Dame and painting the Mona Lisa, Canadian were still living in teepees and following herds of buffalo. The first official settlement in Canada was 1604 – just after the Spanish Armada and the French Civil War. Europeans were fighting political wars; we were skinning muskrats. Further on was an area where we could dress up and take our picture with wooden props. Then, on to the great terrace to get some panoramic pictures of Market Square. It was pouring rain, but we suffered through.

Back downstairs we had our Virtual Reality tour. It followed in the footsteps of the themed room tour we had upstairs, but this was in 3D! We were on the ship and in the Waterhalle. We could see how the treadwheel crane worked. We could look in every direction to see aspects of medieval life that made it come alive. We were able to fly from one building to another to get a sense of the narrow streets. I never had a full virtual reality experience before. It was incredible!

After our virtual reality tour, we climbed 145 narrow spiral steps to the (almost) top of the tower. We stopped 26 meters up, while the turret goes up another 9 meters. Only 6 people at a time were allowed because, once at the top, that is all that will fit around the narrow turret. There is a mock-up of the doorway near the ticket counter – 45 cm wide and 150 cm high. Only if you can easily pass through the door can you buy a ticket. It was still raining quite hard, but I did manage to get a nice panoramic picture of Market Square and a bit beyond.

On the way down we exited through the exhibition room. Some museums have a gift shop that you have to walk through in order to exit, Historium had a pub. We had to pass right through the Develorium. We were hungry and may have stopped for a beer and a snack, but the place was packed crowded. We carried on until we found a quaint cafe and had a small meal and a hot chocolate for dessert.

The hot chocolate came on a tray with a huge (at least 2 cups) of hot milk, a small bowl of chocolate chips, another bowl of advocaat, a bowl of whipped cream and a package of sugar. We had to make our own hot chocolate. Interesting. I didn’t know what the advocaat was. Viviane explained that it is a traditional Dutch drink made from raw egg yolks, sugar, and brandy. I tasted a bit on the tip of my finger, it was yummy! It had a custard-like consistency and tasted very boozy. We dumped everything into our hot milk and watched the rain-soaked pedestrians go by while we sipped.

About the time we were finished our hot chocolate it stopped raining. We made our way to the Groeninge Museum. This is one of the oldest museums in Belgium. It can be traced back to the early 18^th century. The highlight of the museum is its magnificent collection of 15^th century Flemish Primitives. The pièce de résistance was van Eyck’s “The Madonna with Canon van der Paele”.

One painting was very gruesome and poignant. It was called “The Judgment of Cambyses” by Gerard David. It depicts a corrupt judge being flayed alive for taking a bribe and delivering an unjust verdict. It used to hang in the Justice Hall to encourage honesty among magistrates. A copy should be hung in every government and judicial office.

Another painting was cleverly done so that the flat piece of wood looked like it was a deep, three dimensional frame. The dead fowl appeared to be hanging from the top of the frame and not like a painting at all. All in all – I found that I liked the 15^th century artists a lot more than the artists that followed, with the exception of a few.

When we left the museum we came to a small park with four metal statues depicting the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. A bit further along we came to the little hump-backed Bonifacius Bridge. Oh what a pretty sight! The canal passes under the bridge and gently laps at the ancient brick foundations of the buildings flanking it. The bridge looks ancient, but it was actually built in 1910 in a medieval style that incorporated some old gravestones. Just over the bridge is the back side of the Church of our Lady, which we had seen the day before.

It was getting late and our time in Bruges was coming to an end. We headed back to our Hostel, collected our bags and walked to the train station together. Viviane had a specific train schedule. Mine was flexible, so we took the same train as far as Brussels. We went over our wonderful weekend and promised each other to keep in touch. In Brussels, we had to go our separate ways. I was fortunate to catch an earlier Eurostar back to London.

A note about the Eurostar: It is under the English Channel for only about 20 minutes. It travels at 277 km/hr.

In summary, we were mesmerized by the beauty of EVERYTHING! Buildings with tall, stepped false fronts that were accentuated with rope lights. Buildings with different coloured bricks to highlight windows and doors. Peaked dormers stood boldly from the roofs. Fabulous Christmas decorations graced other doors and windows. Huge, twinkling Christmas lights hung from trees. Churches steeples jabbed skyward. The sound of horse drawn carriages along cobblestone streets. Ducks and swans floating on tranquil canals flanked by elegant brick buildings and age-old trees. Tiny cafe’s tucked behind a wall. It really is a fairy-tale town.