We began our walking tour of Bruges by crossing a bridge from the bus drop-off point, but it was like crossing back into time. A medieval tower greeted us, and we immediately marveled at how well preserved the city was. While walking around Bruges, I was somewhat surprised to see the European Union flag (blue with gold stars) predominantly displayed on many buildings. We walked through many of the streets until we reached the Church of Our Lady. It is topped with a 400 foot tower, the largest such brick construction in the world. The church demonstrates the power and wealth of Bruges at its height. The highlight of the church is a small sculpture by Michelangelo of the Virgin and Child. It is Michelangelo's only statue to leave Italy during his lifetime, which helps show just how much money the cloth traders had. After walking the city for over an hour and being mesmerized by stories of medieval times, we took a boat ride along the canals. The ride was a welcome rest for all of us, but also enabled us to see many of the structures of the city from a different angle.
After the 45 minute boat ride we walked to the Burg Square. Our guide gave people the option of continuing the tour or striking out on their own to explore the short distance between the Burg and the Markt (Market Square). We would all meet in the Markt in about an hour for the walk back to the bus. About half the group wandered off to buy lace and chocolates, and the rest of us went into the Basilica of the Holy Blood with the guide. The church has 2 chapels with significantly different looks. The lower chapel is dark and solid and in the Romanesque style. The upper chapel is Gothic and ornate. Since we were there on a Friday, we joined the pilgrims who were in line to view the phial of blood reputed to be that of Christ. It was brought to Bruges in 1150 after the Second Crusade, and is only displayed on Fridays. An old priest was guarding the phial, and we all solemnly passed and stared. (Being somewhat skeptical, I couldn't help wonder exactly what I was looking at--was it real or just a symbolic tradition?)
We were only in the Basilica about 15 minutes, but that meant we had 30-45 minutes to explore on our own. Ronnie and I walked the 2-3 blocks to the Grote Markt, and quickly found an ATM. Since we were going to be in Belgium the next day, we got some Belgian francs to spend on souvenirs, beer and chocolate. It is amazing what you can do in less than an hour. Sharp-eyed Ronnie had spied a waffle shop on our walk between the Burg and the Markt. We scurried back up the street and purchased delicious Belgian waffles. I chose to have hot chocolate syrup on mine, and Ronnie chose whipped cream on his. We found a stoop in the shade, sat down, and gobbled our waffles before we got more on us than in us. Yummy! Then we rushed into a chocolate shop and pondered over which tidbits looked the best. We bought a couple of handfuls of chocolates, and went back to meet with our group. I would have loved to explore some of the many other shops, but there just wasn't time. If you're a mega-shopper and have only a half day in Bruges, you might want to skip the tour and absorb yourself in the stores!
While walking back to the bus, we ran into some of our fellow cruisers who had been on another bus. Were they happy to see us! They were lost and walking the wrong direction. We all sympathized with them, because it would be very easy to get lost in the narrow winding streets. They joined our group for the walk back to the bus parking lot. On the way, we passed the old Begijnhof enclave. Single and widowed women lived in these places during the middle ages. The Begjins could live a life of piety and service without taking a nun's vow of poverty. The quiet peaceful atmosphere in the Beginjhof was a wonderful ending to our day in Bruges. I left Bruges with a great desire to return. Our half day there gave us an opportunity to see much of the city, but I would have loved to have climbed the Belfry, spent more time shopping, and gone inside some of the museums. Oh well, maybe next time.
