March 2nd, 2011
Bruges, Belgium
We started our day trip to Bruges like we started most days-- quick breakfast of croissants at Carrefour, followed by mass confusion about public transportation. We figured out the train eventually, and scored a good deal by getting one 10-trip pass to share, rather than each buying our own round-trip ticket.
The wandering was lovely. Twisty, tiny streets, so well cobblestoned that even the pedestrian crosswalks are made with white cobbles, not painted on.
Our first plan in town was to climb the clock tower, which literally found by wandering and looking for the tallest buildings we could (not just stupidity, but actually the directions of the lady at the tourism center). It was lovely wandering, and we even found Anna a copy of Harry Potter in Dutch on the way.
Found it! The clock tower dominates Markt square, one of the central squares of Bruges.
366 steps later, on the most ridiculously steep, tightly wound spiral staircase I have ever seen, we reached this amazing view of the city. Well worth the climb.
The massive bells. We stayed long enough to hear them play, and not just chime the hour, but actually play music. Loud, but very cool.
Back on the ground, it was time for lunch. "Markt" square means "market," and there was indeed a functional market set up, so we set about finding something tasty and cheap to eat. I settled on sharing strawberries with Emma and getting some hot food at the very multilingual burger stand. This was my first experience not knowing what language to order in, as Bruges is actually in Flanders, the Flemish portion of Belgium, where the speak Dutch or Flemish, although many still speak French, as well as English, or even German. So confusing! After getting our food, we sat in the sun on the steps of the post office to enjoy our fair with a lovely view of the square.
The market sold everything from produce, to raw meet, to hot foods, to flowers.
Along with the grand buildings like the clock tower, Markt square was also lined with these smaller, brightly colored shops in the architectural style characteristic of the area.
Our next goal was Chocostory, the chocolate museum. But, given the twisty european streets, our inadequate maps, and the strange habit of not having street signs or, when they did, labeling the street in a different language from the one on the map, it took us a while. No worries, though. We were content to wander through such a beautiful city, and stumbled on some lovely surprises on the way.
Wandering in Bruges, just enjoying the sunshine (in spite of the cold) and the architecture.
We stumbled upon the grand City Hall building, in Burg square.
We also made the welcome discovery of the smallest, cutest chocolate shop I have ever seen. Just look at how small Emma and Kathryn look in front of it. We sampled their specialty-- praline, a sort of hazelnut truffle common in the area, and we each ended up with a box of chocolates.
In the end, we asked for directions in a toy store and found our way to the museum, where we learned all about the history of chocolate and the process of the chocolatier, complete with demo and samples (the best way to win over an audience). Best part hands down-- they actually had a pressed euro machine.
A play-mobile diorama visual aid-- this museum would be what you call "kid-friendly."
For those of you unfamiliar, I have a LOT of pressed pennies at home, so the chance to press a 5 euro piece as a souvenir is nothing short of thrilling. Thank you, Chocostory.
After the museum, we returned to the streets of Bruges for a little souvenir shopping as our day wound down. The last thing to check of the list? Belgian fries. So we picked out a stand back near Markt square, selected from a long list of condiments (I ended up with garlic mayonnaise), and settled down on the steps to eat and enjoy the view in the golden afternoon.
Souvenir shopping. The little store fronts were really adorable-- that may seem like a strange thing to say about architecture, but it seems to be universally what people say about Bruges, and it just sort of fits.
Back in Markt square for days end. The elaborate architecture really looks amazing lit up by the setting sun.
I watched the line of horse carts, waiting where the market had been earlier, ready to take passengers on an afternoon tour of the city. It was lovely to take it slow for the day, and just sit and enjoy. A nice break from the super-tourist speed, and it seemed a shame to leave.
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