Bruges

12 July 2013

We decided to use the cruise's package Bruges on your Own to see the medieval Belgian Town, as getting there by public transport would have been a long and boring process.  As it was we still had a long walk from where the coach parked to the town centre, but our "guide" walked us there.  While we were on the 30 minute coach trip from the ship she had given us a map on which she had marked a suggested walk and talked to us about what we should see. 

When we got there we had three hours to explore.  We could have easily spent three days.  It's a lovely little place, criss-crossed with canals, and with so many old buildings and cobbled streets. 

Every second shop is a chocolate shop, and as well as the usual block chocolate and truffles, many shops had an extraordinary number of things made of chocolate.  Men's tools seemed particularly popular (nuts, bolts, spanners, mallets), but we also saw chocolate shoes, chocolate sheep, owls, dogs and other animals.  There were also some things that I did not photograph and have no intention of describing.

 

Belgium is also famous for two other things - Waffles and Beer.  As it happened we did not try any of the beer, or go to a brewery (though there was a town brewery which was open), but Andy was determined to have some Waffles.  The day had been a little overcast and at about 11.30 the rain came down, so we decided that was a good time to duck into a cafe for an early lunch, followed (for Andy) by a fresh waffle.

One of the other strange sights there is the "wall of beer".  It is a huge glass case containing bottles of Belgian beer - each one different.

The Wall of Beer

Town Hall Square

Town Hall Square

Town Hall