European Vacation: Bruges

One day during my vacation, we made a trip to Bruges. Located in the West Flanders province of the country where Dutch is the official language (there are three official languages in Belgium), Bruges is beautiful and extremely charming.  

With its quaint bridges and the houses built on the canal, it's understandable why Bruges is often referred to as the Venice of the North. Walking alongside the canal on a sunny day was a great way to explore the city.There were tiny houses juxtaposed next to larger ones and small side streets that opened onto hidden courtyards. We even saw a Gothic house that was black and gold (we, of course, came up with a fairy tale worthy story of who had built the house).

Even small details on the houses like doorknobs were interesting. These are just a few examples of what I came across. Don't you love the donkey?

A very lucky dog in the window of one of my favourite houses.

The wild swans of Bruges.We also visited the Church of Our Lady, which has the Michelangelo sculpture the "Bruges Madonna and Child" and took a boat ride on the canal, which I definitely recommend. Not only do you get a close up look at some of the houses that you can't get from the street but the swans come right up to the boat!

With all the sightseeing, we built up an appetite and had a typical Belgium meal of mussels and fries at an outdoor restaurant. We also did a bit of shopping at Dille & Kamille, a wonderful home store where I purchased a pretty pink and white latte bowl (visit their site here).

All in all it was a wonderful outing in a city that I would enjoy visiting again one day.

Next up: Paris!

Photos by Michele.