Bruges was a nice retreat after leaving Amsterdam. We stayed in a guestroom at a private home, which was much cleaner than a hostel. We had our own big bathroom and a TV with lots of English channels. (We got to watch the Biggest Loser and Room Raiders!) In the morning they made us a big breakfast with home made yogurt. It was really delicious. We got all of this for only 60 euros a night, what a deal!
On our first and only day in Bruges we did quite a bit of sightseeing. We started by visiting the Museum of Chocolate. We learned about the history of chocolate and its spread to Europe. Did you know it only came into popular consumption about 200 years ago? We also got to see a model of a coco tree, and learn about chocolate production. The best part was the free sample as we left the museum.
For lunch we ate some Belgian waffles. They were pretty good.
Afterwards we visited two churches. The first was the Church of the Holy Blood. The church claims to have a drop of Christ’s blood. We didn’t see the blood for ourselves because it cost 1.50 a person, but we did watch other people look at the relic. Some of the reactions were pretty intense, one lady was sobbing as she left the church.
The second church was a little less dramatic. It’s known for its Michelangelo sculpture, one of the only ones to leave Italy. That was pretty cool to see.
Our last stop in Bruges was the Begijnhof. It is the site of a women’s religious order. Although the area is a UNESCO world heritage sight, we weren’t able to figure out why. The compound is basically a group of white houses. I mean it’s nice, but nothing too special.
At this point it was still quite early in the day, but we had already done basically everything there was to do in Bruges. We decided to buy some Belgian chocolate and sit by a canal. The chocolate was good, and it was a relaxing break from sightseeing.
Bruges wasn’t the most exciting place we’ve visited, but it was definitely a much-needed break from the chaotic cities.
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