Oh, the tourists. Bruges is the most crowded city we have been in so far. In the first hour of being downtown, I think I hear more English than I have heard from the start of our trip. So many people here.
We get out of the crowd by going into the Groening Museum. The museum has a collection of paintings from the 14th century and each century after. It is interesting to note the changes in the painting techniques and subject matter as time went on. There is an exhibit of books that had incredible colour and script.
We wander to the main square and sit to eat a quick sausage roll for lunch. We share our ledge with a couple from Belgium and have a wide ranging chat. Later in the day we share our bench with a lady from Kortrijk and we discuss politics. These conversations are what makes travelling special.
Today, we have time to sit in the square and watch the action. Two things… First, folks passing by are wearing sensible footwear. With all the cobbles, heels do not work so flat shoes, or sneakers, are the footwear of choice. Second, mostly women like to pose for photos. They place their feet a particular way and the arms are expressive. We see one fellow push up his sleeves so his watch and bracelet are showing for his posed photo. It seems that the person is saying “Look how fabulous I am, standing in front of the Stadhuis!” She is more like an actor in a scene rather than a traveller letting the scenery, ambience and culture sink into her bones. Has social media done this?
Mussels, with garlic celery and onions, for supper. We manage to consume the whole bucketful and are thankful for the long walk back to the hotel.
Murray says:
There are so many different types of bikes here. Over the past couple of weeks I have seen bikes that look like they have been resurrected from the 1800s to racing bikes worth $10,000 plus. I saw two bikes today that I thought were worth a picture. One is a cargo bike with a roof and wind shield for the passenger and the second an enclosed recumbent, efficient from the aerodynamic perspective and protected from the elements.
The other thing that I have been seeing is the juxtaposition of architectural styles that sit side by side in every village, town and city we have visited. As I think I mentioned, that at least the facades of the old building are protected by the city or even the country. Which is sort of not true to the past, but these building fronts do remain and when a new building is placed adjacent to an old one the result can be quite stunning. I don’t know why cities like the one I live in, Edmonton, do not have enough balls to tell the developers they have to respect the existing city fabric and work with what makes the city unique.
