In the morning we took a bus tour of Brugge. We knew we’d be able to take a closer look at things during our walking tour but decided we’d be able to choose which sights to investigate further from the comfort of an air conditioned bus. The tour was complete with headphones that provided information in any one of several languages—including, of course, English.
There used to be 27 windmills surrounding Brugge. Aren’t windmills what people think of when they hear of Flanders, Holland, the Netherlands? But there are only three left in the area around Brugge now.
The first settlers in Brugge were there between the 7th and 9th century. Imagine that! Because of its harbor and easy access to the North Sea and beyond, it quickly became an important commercial center.
One of the places I wanted to visit was a lace shop, since Belgian lace has been famous for centuries. Known as “Flanders Lace” before the 17th century, it’s sometimes created on pillows like the one pictured here, with thread pulled from bobbins and wound around intricate patterns that are placed on the wheel that rotates in the center.
I also visited a Folk Museum, where individual chambers were set up representing such things as a Medieval milliner, apothecary, barrel maker, parlor and school room, etc. Amazing and exciting for someone like me who not only loves history but plans to center a book in Brugge someday! They didn’t allow pictures inside, so we bought lots of postcards.
On our walking tour we saw so many wonderful cathedrals with their treasures and opulence. Among some of the incredible artwork was in the Church of Our Lady—one of the few statues by Michelangelo that’s outside of Italy, of the Madonna and child carved in the beginning of the 14th century. It was so light and detailed compared to other work, perhaps because of the quality of the Carrara marble it was carved from. It was purchased by a wealthy merchant in 1506 and donated to the church.
I don’t know how many churches and cathedrals there are in Brugge, but it’s hard to tell which one is the most impressive. We didn’t take nearly enough pictures!
The scene behind me is the “Rozenhoedkaal.” Isn’t it lovely? But it’s a good thing this isn’t an audio blog, because I have no idea how to pronounce that.
There are many canals and bridges in Brugge, as well as a fish market where they still sell goods, and St. John’s Hospital, one of the oldest in Europe. I read it was already there in the 12th century, a sort of rest home for weary travelers.
This is La Place de la Bourse, or the Stock Exchange Square. It dates back to the 15th century and was the model for the European stock exchange. I found myself imagining merchants from all over the world here, carrying on international trade in this center for bankers and financiers. Made me want to write a book…
Between the Gothic architecture and the horse-drawn buggies over narrow cobbled streets this town had such a fairy-tale feel that I found myself envisioning a whole new book . . . definitely Medieval, perhaps between a wealthy merchant and the daughter of aristocracy…
Next stop: Poelkapelle! Never heard of it? Neither had I, until a fellow WWI enthusiast recommended a wonderful Bed & Breakfast for us to stay in this little country town. Poelkapelle was right in the thick of things during the war. It’s not far from Ypres—which was never taken by the Germans but pretty much destroyed by all the shelling. The farm that’s now a B&B was occupied by Germans, while much of the surrounding area became part of No Man’s Land. As much as I loved doing some Medieval research for a future project, I was excited to get back to my WWI research.
Join Me!