MPC Press International

Brugge

May 24th, 2014 by willmarks

May 1 is Labour Day in Spain, and it fell on a Thursday, meaning a 4-day weekend and thus an opportunity for us to explore. Vueling Airlines pointed us to Belgium, and we landed Wednesday afternoon and immediately boarded a train for the one hour, approximately 100 kilometer ride to Brugge.

Our lodging was the Crowne Plaza, just off of Burg Square, where this photo was taken, showing the Town Hall.

Brugge is a walking city, with picturesque canals.

We arrived in the late afternoon, and during the walk to dinner, the reflections were perfect.

Our hotel recommended the Hobbit Grill, for ribs, which were good, not great, a bit dry and lacking flavor.

We kicked off May (Thursday, 5/1) with a bike tour, courtesy of Quasimundo, and led by our well versed guide, Dany. Our first stop was at a Godshuizen, literally translated as “Houses of God”, but really meaning houses for the poor and needy. As far back as the 14th century, these houses were built by rich families and corporations (donor often identified on the building) for poor and needy widows and widowers. There was typically a courtyard, where food for residents could be grown, and a chapel as part of the complex.

We also stopped at a Begijnhof (Béguinage in French), a group of small houses surrounding a courtyard, used by Beguines, which were sisterhoods of the Catholic Church; Beguines were nuns, observing the vows of obedience and chastity, but not poverty. In addition, at any time, the Beguines could break their vows and leave the community. The Begijnhof of Brugge, pictured, was founded in 1245 and the Beguines lived here during the last seven centuries.

You need to see a windmill if you visit this part of the world. Sint-Janshuis Mill, built in 1770, apparently still grinds grain.

The Belfry, a medieval bell tower, was first constructed in the 13th century, but more than one fire as well as lightning, mean that the current structure, 83 meters in height, was completed in different phases over several centuries.

We endeavor to climb every tower we see, and this one included 366 stairs, leaving us with a nice view of course.

Despite the high praise from more than one critic, no need to try Chez Vincent and its “Real Belgian Fries”; rude service and average food at best.

But just outside Chez Vincent, you can try to hop from stone to stone.

Visiting the Chocolate Museum, Choco-Story, is a must for all ages, with interesting story boards on the history of chocolate, how to make it, and a film. For one, we learned the proportions of ingredients, notably cocoa and cocoa butter, of dark chocolate versus milk chocolate versus white chocolate. In the gift shop you have the challenge of deciding which wafers to purchase; we settled on the 67% cocoa. I say “we” but I guess this was my choice. Max, Ella, and I enjoy fairly dark, with Evelyn and Maggie having a preference for closer to milk chocolate.

Travelling can be a bit of a “grind”.

We went 0 for 3, two dinners and one lunch, in terms of successful meals in Brugge, after expensive and moderately appetizing food and weak service at Cambrinus, a beer hall also well known for good food.

In the Church of Our Lady sits the only Michelangelo sculpture (a Madonna with Child) to leave Italy during his lifetime, completed during the first few years of the 16th century.

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