In Bruges

Today was our day in Bruges, Belgium. We had a good & typical hostel breakfast of cereal, juice, bread, cheese, meat, and jams. Then we set out for our day in Bruges ("Broozh" in English and French or Brugge - "Bruggha" in Flemish). In the movie "In Bruges", which was the inspiration for this stop, the director mentioned that his inspiration for making the film was a visit to Bruges one day. He was simultaneously struck by two emotions at once - by the beauty of the place, and within three hours, by sheer boredom. We set out to see what our reaction would be.

Our first stop was the boat tour of the canals. Bruges is full of canals (it was a major shipping port in the 1500's, before the outer canals silted up) that are very picturesque, so that's sort of the required touristy thing to do. There we were, cueing up with all the other tourists, including school groups on field trips. It was almost like a ride at Disney World.

Next was climbing the clock tower - all 366 steps - for views over the city and the market square. We followed that with a visit to the Groeninge Museum (of Flemish art - which was very good). We stopped for a snack of fries in mayonnaise (a specialty) and took stock of the situation. We had spent about four hours so far doing these things and wandering about, and our energy level for more of the same was, indeed flagging.

We needed to shake things up a little. So we rented bicycles and, armed with a good map and aided by nice bike paths, we left the town center and headed out to the edge of town where actual old-style windmills can still be found. Then we continued on another 5 kilometers to the small village of Damme. It was a lovely ride, and without children it would have been tempting to ride much further. But this was enough. The round trip totaled about 15 kilometers (10 miles) and was a good distance for the children after several hours of sightseeing and stair-climbing already.

Our verdict; Bruges is a very lovely city caught in a medieval time warp. It is a perfect stop for a 1/2 day stroll of light sightseeing. But much longer than that and you do find yourself longing for either something else to do, or a good book and a nap.

As I type this, Michelle and I are sitting in our youth hostel room with the balcony door wide open letting a fresh breeze in. The weather is finally decent (though still barely over 70F). The children are off exploring other parts of the hostel and grounds and we are able to let them go without worrying about what they might be up to. That's one of the benefits of youth hostels. It is 9PM and outside it looks more like 6PM and we have to convince the children that it's actually time to settle down, shower, and get ready for bed.

Tomorrow will be another long fun-filled day of travel and adventure...