 |
| Markt - Bruges, Belgium Copyright Andy Richards 2019 - All Rights Reserved |
OF ALL the cruise stops we have made in Europe, Bruges is probably the tiniest of all. The only other one that might come close is the Swedish town of Visby on the tiny Swedish island of Gottland). But an awful lot of beauty, architecture and history is packed into that little space.
 |
| Bruges City Hall Bruges, Belgium Copyright Andy Richards 2019 - All Rights Reserved |
LIKE SOME of the other port "stops," Bruges is not on the water. But unlike many of them, it is reasonably close (10 miles) and transportation to and from the cruise port it relatively easy, buy shuttle, taxi or uber. The port is Zeebrugge. In both instances (and in most cases I have seen on itineraries) Bruges was not even a full day stop. Amsterdam, long a primary cruise port for cruise ships and river cruises, is a short hop from there, and I think Bruges is one of those "lets make a quick stop there on the way" destination. But in my view it is every bit worth that stop. It takes 30 minutes to get to the main square (Markt) in Bruges, depending on the mode of travel. We have found it most expedient to go by cab or Uber. Once you enter the Markt, it becomes immediately apparent why Bruges is such an attraction.
 |
| Bruges Belfry - Bruges, Belgium Copyright Andy Richards 2019 - All Rights Reserved |
THIRTEENTH CENTURY Belfort, a gothic Belfry, towers over the Markt at one end of the plaza, dominating Bruges' historic center. Ringing the rest of the plaza are colorful, mostly single story, buildings, all in gothic style. In the middle is an ornate statue. A block away, the very ornate, but again gothic, City Hall stands in front of its own plaza.
 |
| The canal behing Belfort - Bruges, Belgium Copyright Andy Richards 2019 - All Rights Reserved |
BECAUSE IT is so small, Bruges is easily walkable from the Markt Plaza. On this day, our cab driver dropped us off on a small street directly behind one of the entrances to the Markt. Knowing our time frame was tight, we arranged with him to pick us up 4 hours later in the same spot (and thankfully, he was dependably waiting for us right on time).
 |
| Back canal - Bruges, Belgium Copyright Andy Richards 2019 - All Rights Reserved |
I HAVE often read about Bruge being compared to Venice because of its "canals." In reality, there are a couple large canals on the outskirts of the town, and one very picturesque canal that cuts through the middle of the old historic district. It seems to me that whenever we encounter a city that has one or more canals, people want to compare it with Venice. Having spent some time in Venice over the years, I don't find those comparisons particularly apt. But I will say that any of them can be very beautiful for viewing and for picture-taking. One of the salient features of canals are their ability to create and present (often colorful) reflections. For such a small place, I found plenty of opportunity to exercise my picture-taking muscles. Line a canal with gothic architecture, plant some colorful flowers, let the sun create reflections, and you have a ready-made photo-artistic model.
 |
| Canal Boat Tour - Bruges, Belgium Copyright Andy Richards 2019 - All Rights Reserved |
WE WALKED around a bit, stopped at one of the many cafes lining the Markt for a drink, and then boarded one of the canal boats for a leisurely float along the canal, with remarkable views and reflections along the way. The drink? For me it was - of course - one of the local Belgian Lagers!
 |
| Church of Our Lady - Bruges, Belgium Copyright Andy Richards 2019 - All Rights Reserved |
LATER, WE walked along the canal in the middle of the historic district. At the end of the canal is the impressive and equally gothic Church of Our Lady. Also dating back to the 13th century, I was taken in by the old stone bridge spanning the canal in front of the approach to the church.
 |
| Canal - Bruges, Belgium Copyright Andy Richards 2019 - All Rights Reserved |
THE END of our time in Bruges nearing, we headed back to the little Chocolate shop behind the Markt, where we had begun, to meet our driver. Sadly, the shop was not open. The two things most people think about sampling when they visit Belgium are their beer and chocolate. Fortunately, we did find some chocolate in another shop in the town. We re-boarded our ship, knowing it was our last night aboard. Tomorrow, we would terminate in Amsterdam.
 |
| Bruges, Belgium Copyright Andy Richards 2019 - All Rights Reserved |
No comments:
Post a Comment
I WOULD LOVE TO READ YOUR COMMENTS: