We left directly after language school class on Friday for Bruges. After a near-mishap where we somehow couldn't track down our train, we safely made it to our destination and trekked to our hostel (my first ever!). After checking in, we headed out to do a little nighttime sightseeing.
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| One of the train stations on the way to Bruges looked pretty neat |
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| Church of Our Lady, built from the 1200s to 1400s. It boasts the world's 2nd-tallest brick tower |
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| Bruges' main square was absolutely gorgeous. Here is the Province Court, which was the former meeting place for the provincial government of West Flanders. Constructed in 1787 in the Gothic Revival style |
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| This medieval bell tower has 48 bells inside, each weighing anywhere from 2 to 11,000 pounds |
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| The gothic town hall from 1376 towers over Bruges' 2nd main square |
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| A night in Belgium wouldn't be complete without a stop for delicious Belgian beer. Later, we also dined on a Bicky burger, which is Belgium's pork version of a hamburger |
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| In the 1800s, people had to pay taxes based on the amount of windows they had in their house. Thus when the taxmen came by, some Belgians would simply board up their windows as seen here |
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| We found a windmill in Belgium! |
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| Here you can see how the Bruges skyline consists of neat-looking historic towers |
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| This is the Basilica of the Holy Blood, built in the 12th century. Inside, it has a relic said to contain some of Christ's blood |
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| It's small but has an ornate interior |
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| Apparently the relic isn't really out for display anymore, but is located behind this monument |
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| Next up: climbing up the stairs of the bell tower to get a neat view of the city. On the way up, we ran into this gate, which used to guard the city charter and other important documents |
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| Finally at the top! BUT WAIT - there's a fence! So much for taking pictures with my nice camera, which is too big to fit through the gaps. This stupid metal netting is literally the bane of my existence. I've run into it at 3 different viewing platforms, including at the Cologne cathedral, and it irks me every time like no other. At least my phone camera is great |
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| Bruges looks just as cool from way high up |
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| Back to my real camera. These bells used to dictate the lives of Bruges citizens. Different pitches and different ways in which the bells were rung indicated things like the start of the work day, lunch time, or time to close the city gates. In the middle ages, this bell tower was an indispensable lookout |
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| I navigated us to a spot which appears over and over again in Bruges postcards. Unfortunately the crappy weather kept the picture from being postcard-perfect |
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| This is the Beguinage, once a residence for semi-monastic women called beguines that dates back to 1245. Now Benedictine nuns use the complex |
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| Lots of swans to be had |
And that sums up our trip to Bruges! We loved it. As you can see, it's a quaint charming town that still looks like it's in the Middle Ages.
But it was time to press forward in our trip through Belgium. Next stop - Antwerp!
Actually, first we transferred trains in Ghent. Ghent is supposed to be a neat city, but we only had enough time to take a selfie to prove we were there, however briefly.
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| #millenials |
Check out the next post for Antwerp!