Bruges!

Sleep was not a problem on our first night in Europe.  After leaving Amsterdam, the bus went from chatty to silent in about half an hour.  I was sitting in the jump seat beside Rens talking about what we’ve done since we last saw each other, and I just conked out mid sentence.

 This is our first time staying two nights in Bruges at the efficient but bare bones Hostel Europa.  It’s great for our group – with lots of common areas for the kids to hang out in, and nice comfortable rubber mattresses on the bunk beds.

Bruges was an economic powerhouse in the middle ages, until the canal that connected it to the sea silted up and all the trade and banking moved away to Antwerp.  Their loss is our gain, as there was no money to tear down old buildings and build new ones in the “dead” city – it retains its mostly Gothic architecture and medieval street plan throughout.  Tourists started coming to visit in the late 19^th century, and today, Bruges is literally propped up on tourism alone – filled with specialty Belgian chocolate shops and Belgian beer shops and restaurants and pubs galore.  But we are here for the art, the architecture, the canals, the churches, the history. 

We had a fairly relaxed pace today, walking into town at normal human speed around 9 in the morning.  Every corner you turn in Bruges, you see something even better than what you saw before… my favourite is seeing and hearing people’s expressions when we turn the corner into the big Market Square, where a huge medieval bell tower, neo-gothic provincial government house, and many fine “low countries” style buildings housing restaurants and shops line the street:

 “Wow” 

“This is SO cool”

 “I love Europe!”

“Is there a bathroom here?”

I took everyone on a walking tour of the city, including stops at the Market Square, the Burg Square, the Basilica of the Holy Blood (has a vial with a drop of Christ’s blood in it), the fish market, and the Church of Our Lady (has a beautiful Michelangelo Madonna statue in it – stolen by the Nazis in WW II and recovered by the Monuments Men of the US Army after the war.  Also has a really interesting public urinal right beside the door to the church.  Really interesting).  Then we took a canal tour of the city in a couple of boats – first time ever for one of my groups.  After bringing everyone to meet Madam Dumon of the world famous Dumon Chocolate Shop, we split into our smaller groups for lunch, shopping, dinner, and walking back to the hostel.  Mr. Johnson and I rented a couple of bicycles (more bikes than cars in this town!) and rode out of Bruges along a canal to a little village called Damme.  In the café there we met this retired teacher who now owns an antiquarian book store – and that’s exactly what I would have guessed he did from looking at him – he was straight out of a Harry Potter movie with a bushy beard, long hair, and the roundest, thickest, darkest-rimmed glasses I’ve ever seen.  He gave Mr. Johnson and I some lessons on discipline and authority in the classroom.  Seriously.  Then we met up with James’ niece Jennifer(who is only two years younger than him – they went to elementary school together) and her husband Jeff and two adorable kids Patrick and Persephone and had dinner together.  Very interesting conversation – Jeff is a professor of Medieval History at the University of Brussels, and Jennifer is finishing her PhD in English Literature!  Their kids are smart too…

The Bruges Bell Tower.  I've taken a few pictures of this over the years...

Inside the Church of Our Lady

 In front of the bell tower.

James shoots the girls.  The boys check out the public urinal.  And possibly use it.  The girls don't.

In front of the house of justice in Burg Square.

 

Out the window in the stairway leading up to the Basilica of the Holy Blood.

Paul snaps a shot of the Michelangelo Madonna of Bruges.

The kids check out the art in the Church of Our Lady.

On the canals in Bruges.  Having fun - especially Sarrah!

 Ryan looking a little sea sick?

 Paul (in the other boat) snaps a picture of Shelley (in our boat).

Nathalie Dumon serves a customer while Jacob admires the chocolate in the window. 

Dumon - I think everyone got something here.  Madam Dumon loves our kids - she gave me a big box of chocolates (white with caramel filling) to "give to the children" the next day at lunch.  

It is hard to get a group to walk with you through Bruges without stopping every minute or so for photos.  Which was fine on Saturday - we weren't rushed at all.  Normal human speed....