Brugge

Brugge's Market Square

If you'd rather watch a video of this trip, it is available on youtube.

We woke up to a beautiful day in Brugge. The city used to be an important merchant town with an inlet from the sea, but as the inlet silted in the commerce moved to Antwerpt. Our walking tour took us to the Cathedral, where we saw death announcements  posted on the wall, an ancient tradition which is disappearing. Most of the buildings in the center have similar brick architecture. We passed a brick-layers house and here you could see multiple brick styles that he offered. Many of the buildings had little saint statues, including one of St. Nicholas three children.The town is dominated by the belfry. Built over several centuries the bottom is of brick and the top is stone. Throughout the day we were entertained by the 47 bell carillon. The market square is surrounded by beautiful brick buildings , each topped by a different symbol. That was how one identified buildings before there were addresses. On to Berg Square,where we had a lesson in architecture. The Basilica  of the Holy Blood is Roman style church built in the 13^th and 15^th centuries, then the gothic style City Hall, followed by the Palace of Justice.

Palace of Justice, City Hall, and Basilica

We ended our tour with a boat trip through the city canals and a stop at a lace store. Lunch was a traditional Flemish Beef Stew with Belgian fries. Stefan, our guide, was quick to point out that fries were a Belgian invention, not French.

In the afternoon, we visited St. John's Hospital. Hospitals were originally hospitality centers for pilgrims and travelers, a place for spiritual guidance and physical comfort.. It wasn't until the black plague arrived that it also became the place for the sick. A place for spiritual guidance and physical comfort. Today the hospital is primarily an art museum with some displays of medical equipment and the original pharmacy.

Shrine of St. Ursula in St. John's Hospital

We ended our day with a tour of 15 Belgian beers from lowest alcohol content to highest. Stefan had chosen the beers.  We had fruit beers, blond and bruin beers, doubles and triples (based on having multiple types of grains), even one IPA. My favorites were Kwak with its unique glass and Kasteel.