Brugge-ing About

At breakfast this morning, we decided to sit at the small round tables in the front "salon" which leads off the breakfast room.  I am sure Jane Austen would regard it as a well-proportioned room!  It is larger than many of the private rooms we saw in German palaces.

The waiter approached and asked our room number.  "23 ...  is my age (he looked sceptical, but quickly recovered) ... and also our room number.". When he brought us the pot of coffee, I was alone at the table.  He said charmingly, "Coffee for the young lady."

Being away so from home now, I relish the emails we receive.  It's the first thing we check each morning.  Send your cards and letters to  robmarilyn2012@gmail.com

Maybe then I won't harass poor young waiters at breakfast.

First up was one of the top ten attractions in Brugge: a boat trip around the canals.  Our boat captain, after asking what his 15 "crew" spoke, gave descriptions of the sites first in French, then in English.  (I was slightly peeved we came second!). It was so relaxing gliding around at water level, looking up at some of the town's 44 bridges, the public buildings and many homes that face onto these waterways.

Next we headed to the Fritte Museum.  Yes, an entire museum dedicated to the potato chip.  Belgium claims to have invented the frying of thin cuts of potato.  We expected a pretty tacky scenario inside, so were pleased to find a really great museum, in a small building but over several floors, with heaps of information about the potato.  All the displays were in several languages, interesting and the display style was modern, not some tired faded one.


Next we walked the few streets to the Chocolate Story, a museum devoted to that divine food which is sold in about every tenth store in Brugge.  Some, shall we say, more downmarket stores, even have chocolate in the shape of various body parts.  Yes, THOSE BITS!




Again it was full of the early history of the cocoa bean, how it was discovered by Europeans, and had displays of various items relating to its production and use.  Quite warm inside with so many people, but a good museum to see.  And guess what these stylish HALF DOLLS, a fore runner to the dunny doll was used for?  Over pots of hot chocolate or coffe to keep them warm.

By then I was fully ready to tackle a hot chocolate and a Belgian waffle, with chocolate sauce and ice cream.

We have again wandered around this town.  Every few corners reveals another little square, with outdoor tables, maybe a statue in the centre, views of a church spire overhead.  The horse and buggy rides are popular with tourists.  The benches are full of people enjoying the mild summer sun.  Houses open right onto streets, and down some we find ourselves staring right inside people's homes. Some use fine curtains or lace for privacy, but not all!  I saw a woman chopping celery in her kitchen this afternoon. 


Two popular forms of getting around, especially for tourists; are the horse drawn rides and bicycles.  So far we have managed to avoid both:

Brugge seems a place of tapestry, lace, seafood, waffles AND CHOCOLATE.  That reminds me, time to stroll out and find somewhere for dinner.