Another view of the Basilica of the Holy Blood.  The church takes its name from a phial brought from Jerusalem to Bruges in 1149 by Derick of Alsace.  The phial is said to contain a few drops of the blood of Christ.  It is available for viewing on Friday of each week from 8:30 am to 11:45 am and from 3 to 6 pm.  We were lucky enough to be in Bruges on a Friday, and joined the line of pilgrims to quietly pass by the small phial guarded by a priest.  On Ascension Day each year, it is carried through the streets of Bruges in the magnificent Procession of the Holy Blood, a major Bruges pageant combining religious and historical elements.

Photo by:  Linda Garrison