A few shots from our last morning in Bruges yesterday. Weather was finally gorgeous so had to walk around a bit before we headed off to Paris. These are from the square and the belfry.
Took a quick train ride over to Ghent to explore Gravensteen. This castle was built in 1180 by Count Phillip of Alsace and housed numerous counts until 1353. We got to tour the great halls, the towers, and even the dungeons (still equipped with some of the torture devices!).
we made it into Ghent today but stayed just long enough to tour castle Gravensteen. It was a pretty nasty day so we headed back pretty soon after. Alli may follow up with some additional photos.
some shots near the square at night
Slightly different than the Amsterdam canal cruise! A lot smaller and much older sights. I loved it!
Such a beautiful little city with so much history...and quite a difference from the bustling streets of Amsterdam. Oh and the whale art piece is a new installation and was designed completely out of plastic that was found in the ocean.
Once we got off the train in Bruges we decided to avoid the busy market square and walk to the outskirts of town to see some windmills. Bruges used to have 23 windmills dating back to the 14th century but these are the only four that remain (after numerous restorations). Based on the windiness during our walk (gusts of 30 mph) I’m sure they came in quite handy!
Sitting in Belgium but still needed to post from our last night in amsterdam! Did a canal cruise around sunset which took us by many houseboats, through the smallest canal, and by the dancing houses (named due to the shifting of the houses since they were built on “swampy” land). Nice way to finish our stay in Amsterdam!
waffles from the grand cafe in front of the belfry... those that have seen ‘En Bruges’ know where
This church was so amazing. Too many stories and facts to list but some include: built in the 1400’s and restored numerous times over the centuries. The organ was built in 1738 and stands 30 meters tall. It has 5,068 pipes. Mozart and Handel have both played it. There are also around 1,500 graves under the floor dating back centuries. Pictures also of the oldest safe in Haarlem dating to the 1500s and the “Holy Ghost” bench from the 1400s. It was truly unbelievable!
My favorite area so far! About a 15 minute train ride from Amsterdam but such a different vibe and pace. Very laid back town with a lot of medieval homes and buildings still intact. We will have a whole separate post for the church alone!
took a quick trip into Haarlem ... here are a couple miscellaneous shots around town. More to come from the old church in the town center
Had some amazing spare ribs, ravioli, wine, chocolate soufflé and espresso for dinner in the Jordaan neighborhood
We also toured the Van Gogh museum but there were too many people around for photos
real men ride giant unicorn rockers?