06.19.06

Bruge Was Beautiful

Posted in Vacations and Trips at 11:10 am by mathagat

See more of Bruge – start at the yellow train toward the bottom of the thumbnails

Burges really was beautiful! Matt and I started our day with a quest for a large coffee. We hadn’t gotten to bed until late the night before and started our day early. It’s funny, here they only have very small coffee, no Starbucks or IHOP endless coffee. As we walked to the train station we stopped at every shop looking for the biggest cup of coffee we could find. Unfortunately we did not find anything bigger than a small, so we settled for it and boarded the train. The ride to Bruges was nice and peaceful. I managed to sleep through the first hour and half. Matt’s shoulder was the perfect pillow while he enjoyed the scenery and taking pictures. We had to switch trains in Antwerp, a small town just inside the Belgium border. The train station was beautiful but we only had 3 minutes to switch trains, not much time to look around.

We arrived in Bruges and set out on our sightseeing mission. Of course I had made a list of all the sights we wanted to see and things we wanted to do. How could we not have an itinerary??? Our first stop right in the center of town was the market square. In the square is the bell tower, which has stood over the square since 1300. It was an amazing sight to see and we enjoyed the music of the bells every 15 minutes. Matt and I debated climbing the 350 steps to the top of the tower for some great pics but decided that we might really regret the decision about step number 200. After admiring the bell tower we set out to find the Basilica of the Holy Blood. The church was built in 1150 by a crusader to house the drops of Christ’s blood he brought back from Jerusalem. The church was beautiful with elaborate paintings and alters. Matt took the opportunity to touch the relic. It is housed in a clear crystal tube and is closely watched by an attendant – notice the chain held cautiously. Matt did not have any life changing revelations from touching the relic but we did enjoy the peacefulness and beauty that the church offered.

After the Basilica we worked our way through the small streets of Bruges. Bruges is famous for it’s lace and chocolate. Along the way to our next stop we enjoyed browsing in both of these stores. There was some amazing lacework in many of these shops I loved looking at all the delicate handkerchiefs, infant dresses and tablecloths. I wanted so badly to buy new dresses for our nieces, Emma and Morgan. They would have looked like little Belgian princesses. But we refrained. Sorry girls. After all the shopping and walking I had developed a sweet tooth. Just breathing the air in one of the chocolate shops must be at least 1,000 calories. It is the chocoholics dream. So, I talked Matt into stopping for a piece of chocolate. I enjoyed a milk chocolate piece with caramel on the inside while Matt savored a whip cream and liquor filled piece. They were both very good. After the sugar rush we were set to visit our next site.

The Church of our Lady is the home of the only Michelangelo statue to leave Italy. The Madonna and Child is housed in this gothic church. The church must have the highest ceilings of any church I have ever been it and the most beautifully ornate carved wooden pulpit. Matt and I are plan to study into the history of our faith and the Catholic Church to gain a better understanding of the importance of each saint whose statues were placed so prominently around the church. Unfortunately none of the signs in this church were in English so we had a little trouble understanding the importance of each work.

After the church it was time for dinner. Matt and I had skipped lunch so that we could enjoy a wonderful Belgian dinner but we couldn’t eat before a trip by the famous Dumon Chocolate shop. The tiny chocolate shop is run by a very nice old woman who works with her who children to sell the smoothest and creamiest chocolate in all of Burges (perhaps we should introduce her to Paula Dean). There was quite a line to even enter the Dumon store but the experience was worth the waits. It was fun to listen to Madame Dumon interact with each of her visitors. She had to know exactly where her chocolates were going and what each buyer intended to do with them. She was pleased to hear that mine were coming to Texas. I also bought Matt and surprise of chocolate covered cherries. He ate one last night and said they were heavenly.

Finding a place to eat dinner in such a small town after all the shops have closed is not an easy feat. Matt and I spent quite a bit of time walking about trying to determine which Flemish restaurant we wanted to enjoy. Finally we chose a great restaurant right off the main square, which served three course meals at amazing prices. Since we had skipped lunch we were both hungry enough to eat a horse or rabbit, as Matt did! Yep that’s right, Matt enjoyed the traditional Flemish meal of stewed rabbit. Matt said it tasted like chicken. But it was a sight to see this poor little rabbit stewed up and on Matt’s plate. I was happy to stick to my chicken and frites (fries – everything comes with fries in Bruges).

After such a busy day Matt and I set off in search of the train station in hopes of finding our way home. After three train transfers we were finally back in good ole Amsterdam. It was a beautiful day in a wonderful city. Matt and I both agree that it is one of our favorite cities so far. Tomorrow is a lazy day – we’re going to catch up on rest, smoke some marijuana and prepare for our trip to London. Ok, just kidding about the marijuana! Until then…

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