To celebrate my husband's birthday recently the whole family headed off on the Eurostar for a weekend in Bruges. Now, if like me you had never been to Bruges before, I can only say that you should definitely be adding it to your list!
The city is small but perfectly formed
with beautiful canals and
stunning buildings. This is the Provincial Government Building on the main Market Square,
and this is the Chancellery, which dates back to the first half of the 16th Century.
The small street you can see, which separates the Town Hall from the Chancellery, is named the "Street of the Blind Ass", I have no idea why :)
Our favourite building though was the Belfort
and if you are a fan of the film In Bruges with Colin Farrell and Brendon Gleeson, you will recognise this building straight away! Being big fans of said film our sons had to climb the 366 steps to the top, their mum, however, opted to stay on the ground and enjoy another Belgian speciality instead :)
Waffles aren't the only foodie treat on offer, though, there was plenty of opportunity to indulge in a couple of other Belgian specialities
Chocolate
and Beer! With over 500 varieties to sample, the males in the family were in heaven :)
As well as specialities of the edible variety, Bruges is also famous for its' lace, of which there were plenty of examples around.
Lace curtains
and even a lace fence!
Needless to say there might have been some handmade lace in my suitcase on the return journey (and maybe some chocolate too!).
Have I sold Bruges to you yet??
We visted Bruges while on a cruise and loved it. Definitely want to go back.
ReplyDeleteThis past summer we were travelling around Europe and visited Bruges with my French relatives - it was a favorite city of mine (and everyone else!!). We were there for the day and visited the brewery, checked out the lace shops, and had an amazing hamburger!! I loved every bit of it too and I want to go back!!
ReplyDeleteI love that fence.
ReplyDeleteGreat pictures. We went there a couple of years ago and it is a beautiful city. Love the film too, so difficult to resist the temptation to come out with "that quote" every five minutes :)
ReplyDeleteAlways makes me thing of the movie when I hear In Bruges! Looks fanstastic, only a little bit envious!
ReplyDeleteIt looks like you had a great time, another one to add to the list!
ReplyDeleteI've been to about a dozen European cities with girlfriends over the last dozen years - all fab but Bruges is the one is most like to do again!
ReplyDeleteFamily holidays are the best. Your destination tops it off, though. Glad to see lace and chocolates returning with you, Fiona.
ReplyDeleteIt looks so charming! It is so wonderful that your family enjoyed a holiday together to celebrate your husband. It also looks like you are getting comfortable with your camera! Pretty photos!
ReplyDeleteThe lace is definitely selling it, love that fence! And looks like you had some beautiful weather over there too.
ReplyDeleteSuch beautiful pictures. You know I only see Europe vicariously through your pictures. So years ago, we bought a very small piece of artwork, a painting of a canal in Bruges, so I particularly enjoyed these pictures. I should take a picture of the painting and email it to you.
ReplyDeleteIt looks wonderful! Hope you have a Happy Easter!
ReplyDeleteLooks like a great trip! I love that lace fence, and anything chocolate would be a hit with me!
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