Brugge... the Venice of Belgium

This morning the four of us went to breakfast at the bakery across the street from Eva's apartment. It is so close I think she could order a loaf of bread and have them throw it in her window. They have a wide variety of whole grain, rye and sourdough breads that you can order small portions of and eat with 4 different chocolate spreads and zillions of jams. Very tasty indeed.

So, we left on the train for Brugge quite full, or as Eva would say, "fat and happy". The ride was full of people heading to the seaside to relax on Sunday, it took a couple of stops for us to get seats together! Riding across the Belgian countryside is pleasant. The area is dotted with farms, cows and little forests between the cities.

Brugge is an ancient city that was established as early as the 12th Century although I think it has existed in some form much longer. The city has an extraordinary amount of medieval architecture that is perfectly preserved. There is a church tower (Church of Our Lady) that is one of the tallest brick towers in the world. The Church also houses the sculpture "Madonna and child" by Michelangelo. We unfortunately did not get to see it as the church had closed when we arrived. So, one more visit will be necessary at least!

Upon arrival Bob and I were thrilled to see an extensive flea market taking place in the park. We wandered through looking at old home hardware and wondering how much we could carry in our backpacks. In the end we settled for some beautiful decorative hooks that pack easily and two more steins that are handmade stoneware with blue glazing. We also picked up 6 of the most enormous, delicious macaroons that I have ever tasted. The outside was such a marvelous combination of chewy and crunchy with a soft fluffy interior. Mmmmmm...

We strolled to the boat dock munching on macaroons and hopped on a boat tour of the city. We saw many old monasteries and convents, most now schools; the belfry tower with carillon bells and the tower of Our Lady. There are large numbers of swans, ducks and some cormorants in the canals and in the parks bordering the water.

We walked from the boat to the UNSECO heritage site town square to marvel at the expanse and get some lunch. We finally had our mussels and frites today. Eva had garlic, I had wine sauce, Crystal had cream sauce and Bob was so happy to order "North Sea" bouillabaisse. It was all totally delicious, far too much food, but very much enjoyed.

We continued wandering around town stopping in the occasional chocolate shop and looking at the lace that is famously made here. Unfortunately on Sundays there is not much (if any) lace-making and we were unable to see the ladies at work. The lace is incredible and made into everything form detailed doilies to jackets and dresses.

We all took a nice break resting in the garden of the Church of Our Lady before we made our final stroll through town stopping to pick up a bag of chocolates. Picking up the train we rested on the hour ride back to Brussels with the Belgians returning from the seaside.

Back at Eva's we had a light dinner before stopping by a local restaurant to try another Belgian beer. We had a great time enjoying a finely crafted beverage and catching up with Eva on her love life. She is too much fun and we all laughed a lot and appreciated our last night in Belgium.