In Bruges/In Brugge

Brugge (Bruges in French) is the capitol of West Flanders, so it seems appropriate to me to use the Dutch spelling here. And although you can't hear my mind as I type this, my head is also pronouncing it in Dutch. I'm sure it's as bad as my spoken pronunciation of the word.

Brugge is a gorgeous place to visit. The canals cover so much land that it's quicker to get around by boat than by car. Theoretically, that is. I didn't see too many boats that were not tour boats, and they don't stop just anywhere, no matter how much you try to pay them, or how badly you have to pee.

This got me thinking about opening up a water taxi service in Brugge. Dana and I had some good, even revolutionary ideas, and we got to talking about them enthusiastically in a backstreet pub. But then this Flemish tough guy came over to our table. It was clear that he didn't approve, or so we thought, until we realized that he was telling us the dinner specials for the evening.

Brugge has a lovely town square, or Grote Markt, much like Leuven and Brussels, and it has enough bizarre statues to keep it from being ejected from Western Europe, but it also has a bit of Southern Europe and Mediterranean vibe to it. Perhaps this is just because of the canals, but I think it also has to do with the sleepy tourist atmosphere. After over a month without setting foot on a boat, we gave into a boat tour, and it was worth it... but yeah, it felt a bit cheesy at the time. The next day we redeemed ourselves by doing a 9 mile walking tour of obscure architectural wonders, most of which were nowhere near a canal.

The city is absolutely beautiful, and I had a hard time deleting any of the photos from the 24 hours we were there. Even the shots on the boat with the skipper and fellow passengers in the frame... they already feel like bits of nostalgia from a trip to Disneyland... like a Space Mountain (or It's a Small World) through a Flemish town rather than space (or a small world). The difference is that these buildings date back hundred of years, and most people have not been exposed to the unique architecture of this region. Please enjoy the photos of: picturisqué Brugge, you love it, Bruges, to see what I mean.

* As a side note, the city is the site for an upcoming film by Martin McDonagh starring Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson & Ralph Fiennes. I'm looking forward to seeing how many places I recognize!

** If you ever visit Brugge, go to Hotel Erasmus for dinner at least once. This was probably the best-served meal we had in Europe. The owner cares a great deal about the experience of his customers, and he will also make excellent beer (or wine) recommendations if you ask him.