Paying homage to the movie, In Bruges, I am in the medieval city of Bruges, Belgium eating lots of chocolate and waffles. As soon as I passed by the city gates I was gripped with the sense of moving back in time (ignoring the cars of course). We braved the weather on our first day in pursuit of the quintessential Belgium Fries. While I am not a huge fan of fries - it is about the sauce, I did appreciate my curry and pineapple mess sitting on the steps next to the San Salvador Church. This was not before we followed our noses into one of the hundreds of chocolate shops. Oh the chocolate heaven! The smell alone was intoxicating.
On day Two, even the schozophrenic weather did not deter us from following the paths of Ken and Ray through the canals and cobblestone streets. We managed to dodge the bouts of bad weather by ducking into the Groeninge Museum and the Arentshuis Museum. The painting of The Last Judgement did not disappoint but what really impressed me were the works by the painter and sculptor Frank Brangwyn. The expressive way he depicted the Stations of the Cross were intriquing to say the least. Other highlights included the boat ride along the canal and the winding paths around the fish market. It did not hurt that around every corner and in between there were chocolate and candy shops luring us in. At dusk we waited in the cold for the lamps to come on to view the Markt in all its glory.
Friday was met with the veneration at the Church of the Holy Blood and a leisurely stroll around the Lake of Love and the almshouses of the nearby convent. After the pace of the day before it was nice to sit at a cafe near the Beguinage and watch the carriages and crowds clippety clop by. In the afternoon I wandered around the windmills and park near our house. Later, I returned to the Burg at dusk to take in the ambiance of the lit buildings amid a moody cello being played in the square.
Saturday means market day in Bruges. It is reported to be the largest market in Europe. However, I am skeptical. Perhaps it is slimmed down in the fall. We managed to find the floral and food stalls easily and salivated at the grilled (rotisseries right there in the market) chicken and cheese counters. We also hit the chocolate museum but my advice to everyone is... skip it! We headed for the coast in the afternoon and spent the rest of our time at the seaside and on the hunt for mussels and seafood.
Off to Thailand in three days!
