Venice of the North

In planning our adventure to Europe, my dear friend, Roz Hawk, helped me plan out our itinerary. She had lived in Belgium for seven years, so I knew that this part of our trip would be a treat. She, of course, had a whole selection of ideas to keep us enthralled. Our first day we planned to be in Brugge, which everyone who seemed to know anything about this country insisted we not miss. They were right, but Roz also mentioned that if we had time, we should stop for lunch in Gent. We loved both towns, but the quiet authenticity of Gent seemed to tug at me just a little more than Brugge. Originally, I wasn't sure if we really even had time to stop in Gent, but in looking for hotels, for some reason, the Marriott in Gent's most charming town center was more than reasonable. We pulled in late at night, unaware of what we were in the middle of, until the next morning when we went down for breakfast. I believe our hotel is the white building on the left with the gold ornament on top in the photograph above. I am in love with this spot. The dining room is on the ground floor with large windows looking across the canal to a street view that is just as charming as our hotel's side of the waterway. I think that I took a million pictures in Gent! 

Because we knew that Brugge was waiting not far away, we were pulled away from Gent after a morning strolling the streets.

Brugge is a hyper version of Gent. It is full of tourists, chocolate shops on every corner, museums, chapels and bell towers to explore as well as canals, cobblestone alleyways, picturesque squares and block after medieval block of neo-Gothic architecture. Brugge flourished in the middle ages, establishing itself as an economic capital in Europe. During this time, the Flemish school of painting produced such masters as van Eyck and Menning, who not only influenced Brugge, but Europe in general as well. It is no wonder that this beautiful city is a UNESCO World Heritage Centre. We began our day with a panoramic view of the city atop the belfry. As was the case in every tower, copula, and monument in Europe, the climb up was a challenge, holding a three year old and nudging a five year old forward, but the journey, and reward, was worth the effort.    

We were then on the lookout for Flemish Art, so we wandered through the Groeninge museum searching for van Eycks. Flemish paintings are characterised by their brilliant colors and their perfection. In this museum, it was easy to point out to the older children these distinctive elements.

Portrailt of Margareta van Eyck
Jan van Eyck

I was told that the one stop that we could not miss in Brugge was the Church of our Lady. Within it's walls is the only sculpture by Michelangelo that is not in Italy, the sculptor of the Madonna and Child.  The sculpture was intended to be placed in the Sienna Cathedral, but was purchased by two Bruggean merchants in 1504 and brought to this chapel.

The remainder of our day was spent searching out the best Belgium chocolate in Brugge, trying our first official Belgium waffle, and taking a canal ride through this historic town. Upon leaving, the draw to Brugge by those who know Belgium, was clear. We all agreed that this medieval town belonged in the same category as the enchanting towns of Carcassonne, Toledo and Sienna.