MORE OF BRUGES

We had mixed emotions about doing the segway tour but bit the bullet and decided that we could and would do it.  We showed up ,signed in and were taken across the street and given our segways and instructions.  We were able to practice a bit before hitting the road.  It wasn't too hard although I have to admit I was a little tense.  Took me a while to loosen up on the handlebars and relax my knees.  It was really fun except my feet kept going to sleep.  I was glad to learn that Sharon's did too.   

We made it to the Market square without incident.  They were a little concerned about my cutting the corners too close.  Apparently getting your wheels up against a curb can be devasting.  I wasn't in danger of hitting a curb I just much preferred staying on the right side of the road rather than being in the middle.  We did have the right of way on the road and all but one person respected that.  But,  it only takes one to ruin your day.

From Market Square we went to Burg Square.  There were just 4 of us.  Sharon and I and some young people from Cornwall.  At each of the Squares Johnny, our guide, told us some of the history of the town and the buildings.  When we made our first stop Johnny renamed us the Golden Girls.  I wonder if he thought I was Rose?  That Norwegian accent ya know.

                                        

We went buzzing down alleys and up and down streets and we followed Johnny, "our mother duck"  all  in a row.  

Our next stop was De Vos Almshouse ( Godshuis de Vos) .  It consists of a group of houses for the poor, elderly and widows.  It is one of 46 almshouses in Bruges.  The DeVos Almshouse was founded by Adriane de Vos, a wealthy philantropic merchant of Bruges.  It was founded in 1480.  Each house was assigned to a specific organization .i.e, a hospital or guild and was to be used for the benefit of thier eldery or poor members.

Residents of the Almshouse pumped water from a well and grew vegetables in small gardens in front of their house.  There is also a chapel on the grounds and residents were expected to pray for the soul of their benefactor.  

 

The windows do not face the street because a tax was levied on each window facing the street.  Today the city owns the Almshouse and has converted the complex into 6 houses for the residence of the elderly citizens.  It is managed by the social services department of the government. 

                                         

                                       

We left that street and again in "duck formation" headed to the next site which turned out to be "Lake of Love" or Minnewater. ( Minne is the Dutch word for love ).

One of the symbols of Bruges is the swan.  There are always plenty of them on the Minnewater.  There is a legend about the Swans of Bruges.  In 1488 one of the adminstrators belonging to the court of Maximilian of Austria was executed.  The town administrator was Pieter Lanchals, which means "long Neck".  The Lanchais family coat of arms features a white swan.  Legend has it that Maximilian punishd Bruges by obliging the population to keep swans on their lakes and canals till eternity.

Our next stop was the Bequinage which is a French term that refers to a semi-monastic community of women called Beguines, religious women who sought to serve God without retiring from the world, as well as the architectual complex that housed such a community.  There are two types of beguinages:  small, informal, and often poor communities that emerged across Europe from the twelfth century on, and the Court of Beguinages (begijnhof, Dutch), a much larger and more stable type of community that emerged only in the Low Countries in the first decades of the thirteenth century.  

This is still the home of the Benedictine nuns.  It is a beautiful, calm place.  A broad couryard of grass , trees, and flowers surround the picture pefect white Flemmish buildings.  Signs welcome you to the enclave but specifically request quiet and ask that you do not disturb the traditionally habit-donned sisters. 

The chapel.

                                           

We left the area...

got on our segways and went off to another church.  This time to one for the churches for the poor.

Churches for the poor were decorated with wood, not mable, and granite,  Still very beautiful.  We were not able to go inside so the pictures were taken through the glass and have a reflection but you can still see how beautiful the church is with it's wood panals and decorations.

                                    

Johnny had some interesting little bits of information he passed on during the tour.  For example, if you had a home made of stone you were said to be "stone rich".  Of course if you were "stone rich" you could be buried inside the Cathedral or church.  Unfortunately as the bodies decayed they smelled, thus the term "stinking rich".  Most often the church was basically closed for a couple of weeks while the body decomposed and the windows and doors of the church were opened to help dispel the odor.  

Our last stop was at the Folklore Museum  Here you could learn about the Bruges of the 17th century.  It features an almshouses, a cobbler's ,barrel and hat maker's workshop and other depictions of life during that century.  

We also went by the oldest bar in Bruges which dates back to 1515.  We couldn't stop.  No drinking and drivving segways, for sure!

We returned to the segway store in one piece.  We didn't fall off once or panic in the traffic.  We didn't hit any curbs or any people. It was a good safe trip and it was fun!!!!!  If our feet hadn't fallen asleep we might of considered buying a couple of segways!  I can see it now - "Two old broads abroad travel around Europe on their segways"!

Time for lunch and we found a little place called Books and Brunch.  

Cute little place off the beaten track.  Lucky they had books you could read while you waited for your food.  Service was rather slow but the food was very good when it finally came.

     

                                   

Johnny had recommended that we do a canal cruise and so after lunch we headed to the canal to get our ticket for the cruise.  We stopped in a few little byways to take take a look and snap some pictures.

                                    

                         

I think at this point I should reassure you that we are in Belgium:

I wonder if you ate these if it would count towards your required vegetable for the day.  

OK, now that you know we're in Belgium and we have not been ignoring the chocolate shops, on to our canal cruise. 

We got our tickets and only had a ten minute wait.

Our boat arrived and we were lucky to get a dapper looking captain with a great sense of humor.

One of the passangers approached the boat with a number of bags of chocolate.  He looked at her very seriously and said"  Sorry Madam, but I do not allow chocolate on my boat.  I shall have to relief you of them" !  She looked aghast for a minute and then realized he was just joking. 

We were filled to the gills.  The canals in Bruges are used mainly for pleasure boats and tourist boats, but in earlier times Bruges had direct access to the sea and was a major commercial seaport.  According to www.brugge.be the early medieval port was accessible from the sea until around 1050, when the natural link between the sea and Bruges silted up.

 This bridge was built during the 14th, 15th and 16th century , or maybe the 15th, 6th and 17th, century or maybe .... anyway in the next picture you can see the 3 types of bricks that were used in it's construction.  A different type for each century.

Well, maybe you can't see it so clearly.  Just take my word for it.

The bridge of Love.  

                            

                                        

                                      

Remember those swans!

                                 

                               We saw homes along the canals that had windows bricked over.  Again this was to lessen taxes  they called it "daylight robbery".

The color for this building was achieved using Bull's blood.

It was a lovely way to spend an hour or so but alas it came to an end.

We  disembarked and again strolled along the streets to see what we could find  and look what we ran into.

We are definitely in Belgium.  The country of around 1500 beers(or so).  One thng I did not know before coming to Europe and drinking a few beers is that each beer has a distinct glass.  

We were here so we decided we should try a beer.  Any one who knows me knows that I like to drink from nice glasses so I ordered " a small lite beer that comes in a nice glass"! 

Just like drinking wine.

         

                           Sharon and I were thinking maybe we could get a job here but than we observed how hard these two girls worked and we would have to know what glass went with what beer- that would be almost 1500 different beer and glass combo's we would have to know.  We decided the job wasn't for us. 

We left the beer wall...

and look what I found on my way out the door - a beer scooter.  I can just see it now - "Two broads abroad scoot around Europe on their beer scooters"!

We passed some chocolate shops.

                                            

                                                    

and found a church.

  The Cathedral was not originally built to be a cathedral and only obtained that status in the 19th century.  When it was founded in the 10th century it was just a common parish. In 1834, a new bishop was installed in Bruges and the church obtained cathedral status. The building didn't really look like a cathedral.  It had to be adapted to its new role.

                                       

                                                 

                                                    

                                            

These last picturesjust point out the condition of some of these Cathedral and churches.  The maintenance cost is exorbitant.  All over Europe we have seen churches being renovated and restored but I think it's just a drop in the bucket. So many lovely and expensive relics and icons and art inside but the buildings need attention.

                                             

                                            

Belgium is known for its chocolate, it's beer and its lace.

                                                

                                       

It was a full day and we had dinner plans.  We had made reservations at pro Deo a Belgium, French bistro.  We had originally planned on taking a cab but the hotel desk assured us it was just a to minute walk. So walk we did.  Ten minutes came and went and another 10 minutes came and went.  Poor Sharon, her foot was hurting her and I was feeling guilty because I had made the reservation.  Finally we saw the sign at the end of the street.  It was just a tiny restaurant and they were turning people away.  It turned out to be well worth the walk.  The service was great -- just one waitress, receptionist but she was exceptional, and the food was devine.  I again had mussels cooked in wine.  SOOOOOOO GOOD!!

Such a happy eater - mussels and frites

We took a cab back to the square so we could get some pictures of the buildings at night,

                                           

                                           

We headed back to the hotel and up to our room.  Tomorrow we had a tour scheduled of the World War I Battlefields and Cemetery's  -  (9:00 - 6:00)   a long day!

Just a little stock tip - you might want to invest in biofreeze!