Bruges

At first glance Bruges, Belgium is sort of like a medieval Disney Land. There is the large market square ringed by old buildings and a looming clock tower, there are horse drawn carriage tours, canals all around the city, and, of course, there are lots and lots of tourists. But if you look carefully it is possible to see a bit of the real Bruges. Down quite streets, or at the early morning markets where ancient ladies come to buy their weeks produce. I would like the say that I explored the "real" Bruges as much as possible, but that was simply not the case. The truth is that it is kind of fun to be a tourist in Bruges. I did buy lace and chocolates (and even a Tintin postcard), and I did gawk at the old buildings, and yes, I even took a horse drawn carriage ride (but only because my sister wanted to).







Of all the things that one can do in Bruges I recommend touring the Begijnhof, and biking to the town of Damm. The Begijnhof (which is hard to say and spell) once housed an order of nuns. Unlike regular nuns, who are nuns for life, the Begijns were able to marry and leave if they wanted, and spent their lives devoted to religion and work. Based on my slim knowledge of the middle ages this life seems a hell of a lot better than the ones most other women led, making me think that I would have lived in the Begijnhof back in the day.





Damme is a little town about four miles from Bruges. The bike ride there was just lovely, on a peaceful trail between a canal and a cornfield. The town of Damme itself is cute, but the surrounding countryside is the real draw, with miles of road perfect for biking. My father and I were so charmed by the area that we biked a little farther than we should have, and ended up facing quite the long haul back. Needless to say I was pretty exhausted by the time we reached the hotel and didn't do much of anything for the rest of the day.