Lazy Day in Brugge!

Today was the most perfect kind of travel day that we've been craving! After two weeks of non-stop battlefields, cemeteries, and war memorials, we finally did nothing but wander aimlessly in this beautiful city. Brugge doesn't have a lot of big, important sites to see; instead, it's the kind of city that you just need to get lost in and enjoy the meandering! So we did just that!

 

 

We started at the Grote Markt (town square) because it's the hub of the old town, and from there we just wandered down any little alley or street that caught our eye. We saw beautiful canals, old leaning buildings, narrow cobbled alleys, and unique and brightly colored architecture everywhere. It's just the most darling city!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After we explored for a couple of hours, we found a quaint little cafe with outdoor seating for a light lunch. We probably sat there for an hour and a half just eating slowly, sipping coffee, and watching all the people walk by. After our sit, we wandered down different streets and canals for a couple of hours until we ended up back at the square.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These pictures really don't do justice to the beauty of Brugge because it was such a gray day. You really can't see how vibrant the buildings' colors are and how beautiful the canals and squares look in real life, but this is enough to give you a taste of how lovely Brugge is!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oh, I almost forgot, on the way back to the square we stopped off at a highly recommended chocolate shop. This particular chocolatier is known for combining chocolate with lots of odd savory flavors, and I've been waiting to try some.

 

 

 

 

 

We bought one of several different kinds: chocolate and....lavender, tomato and basil, havana cigar, soy sauce, beet root, shizo leaf, citron lemon drop, and of course a couple of salted caramels! We've only tried the lemon drop so far because we'd just had lunch, and it was delicious. I'll let you know about the others as we snack on them the next couple of days!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These pictures of the white stone houses are of something called godshuis (God's houses) and they're almshouses for the elderly poor in Brugge. This particular godshuis was built in 1613, and traditionally, these almshouses are paid for by the rich in the city. Most almshouses are small, white or yellow painted houses, sometimes in a row, but often grouped around a courtyard.

 

 

Almshouses were built from the 14th century on and founded by wealthy citizens or guilds. They gave shelter to needy elderly or widows without means of subsistence . They were founded by crafts (weavers, blacksmiths, bakers, shoemakers, boaters, etc) or by private persons.

 

 

 

 

45 godshuisbeluiken from the 14th to 18th century are spread around the city today. Of these, 43 are still inhabited by the elderly. Most almshouses still bear the name of their original founders. They are beautiful old stone buildings, and the courtyards are lush and full of color!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This picture is for my mom and my sister Kari.They tease me because I never stop at antique stores in Europe, so I wanted to show them that at least I walked by one today (on the left)! :-)

 

 

 

 

 

 

All in all, this was the perfect way to spend a day in one of the loveliest cities in Europe! We absolutely soaked up every minute, and we feel rested and reinvigorated for three more weeks of touring! And to top off a perfect day, we're going to a trendy, modern restaurant for dinner tonight and it's supposed to be really amazing! I'll have to do a food blog afterward and let you know how it is!

 

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