Greetings from Flanders, the Flemish (basically Dutch) speaking region of Belgium. French and German are also official languages in this tiny country, but our visit didn’t take us that far inland. Tomorrow is a sea day, which my tired feet are looking forward to after several long days on shore, but today we had one more big one, with walking tours of Ghent and Bruges.
We docked in Zeebrugge, the main port for Bruges, a medieval city of nearly 120,000, whose largely intact city center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We were excited to see it, but our excursion for the day took us first to Ghent, which turned out to be a delight. Ghent is farther inland, and with a population of 265,000, is Belgium’s second largest city. Its charming old section was the attraction that caused us to book this tour a year ago, but we just learned a couple days ago that we were also walking into the annual Ghent Festival, which attracts up to 1.5 million other visitors.
We needn’t have worried. When we arrived a little before 10:30 am, the city was surprisingly quiet. The only thing we could figure, which turned out to have some basis in fact, was that many of the festival goers were nursing Friday night hangovers on this Saturday morning, and we were out and about while they were still sleeping or looking for a hair of the dog that bit them.
Ghent sits at the confluence of two small, canal-like rivers, and the city has taken advantage of that resource by adding actual canals, and canal rides are a huge hit with tourists. We were pleased to contribute to the local economy by investigating why, and I’m happy to report that our 45 minute water tour of the old city on the Leie River was wonderful, and an absolute must-do if you’re ever here. The old buildings along the water are charming, and allowed us to see a lot of the sights without having to walk our legs off. And that turned out to be doubly valuable, because we did end up walking our legs off later in the day in Bruges. But first I’ll finish with Ghent.
After our boat tour we were given just under an hour of free time to explore the old town on foot, but since we were advised that we should use some of that hour to eat lunch there wasn’t much time left for exploring. We did the best we could by grabbing a burger at a fast food place, which I would have otherwise preferred not to do, and managed to squeeze in some sightseeing and shopping before meeting our group and walking back to the bus.
We were on the road at 1:15 and on our way to Bruges, which calls itself the Venice of the North because it too is a city of canals. (Aside: Wikipedia has a list of nearly 40 European cities that are nicknamed the Venice of the North. Talk about self promotion!) Still, while Bruges is no Venice, it does have a delightful canal network, and as with Ghent, the buildings and scenery along those canals are very pretty. No canal ride here though, as our itinerary called for us to see the city’s old town exclusively on foot.
And so we walked, and we walked, and we walked, through a seemingly endless maze of streets and alleys, past lovely medieval buildings, churches, squares, and a river busy with tour boats. It was all very charming, but unlike Ghent, Bruges was packed with people, and the streets were crowded and noisy. I have to admit that I was ready to be done when the march ended and we were given two hours of free time to use as we pleased. And in my opinion, we used that time well, taking in two of the best things you can see and do in all of Belgium.
First, and most importantly, we went to the Church of Our Lady to see one of Michelangelo’s great sculptures, the Madonna and Child. The church itself is free to enter, and is worth visiting anyway, but to see the Madonna and several old paintings costs eight euros a head. It’s worth it. The statue is astonishing, and what’s unique about it is that it depicts a somewhat older Jesus, seemingly ready to climb down from his mother’s lap, rather than as a newborn baby in her arms. Of course the other striking feature is just how good it is. It’s hard to believe that a chunk of marble can be turned into such a detailed and magnificent work of art.
The Madonna also has an interesting history. It has been swiped twice, first by Napoleon in 1815 and then by the Nazis in 1944. Both times the thieves came to grief, and the statue again rests comfortably where it belongs. Come to Bruges and see it. It’s wonderful.
The other important thing we did with our free time was to pop into one of the innumerable waffle shops and treat ourselves to a genuine Belgian waffle. I got mine drizzled with chocolate sauce and it was amazing, by far the best waffle I have ever eaten. I suspect that there’s a lot of egg and sugar in that batter, because it was very rich, but all I can say is that it’s probably a good thing that I don’t live here, or I’d be fifty pounds heavier and dealing with cholesterol issues. Yum.
We also had plenty of time to wander around and poke our heads into the many shops lining the streets, and I bought another hat for my ridiculously large collection before we rejoined our tour group and made our way back to the bus for the 30 minute trip to the pier. We were back on the ship just before the all-aboard time of 6:30, tired and footsore, but delighted with our day in Belgium. I haven’t been to Brussels or Antwerp, but if they’re anything like Ghent and Bruges I’m sure I’d like them too.
One last thing. Bicycles. Belgium is undoubtedly the most bicycle crazy nation on earth. Bicycles are everywhere, bicycle paths and lanes abound, and bicycles feature on many of the hats and clothes for sale in the shops. Eddie Merckx, considered by many the greatest cyclist of all time, is Belgian, and is a national hero. If like me you’re a cyclist, the sight of a place so supportive of bicycling will make you smile.
And with that I’ll end. Tomorrow is a sea day, much needed, and I’m looking forward to resting my tired legs and taking care of some routine housekeeping chores. We’re headed north, and tomorrow will find us in Skagen, Denmark. I’ll be back with a full report on our first day in Scandinavia, so stay tuned.
Canal boat on the Leie River in Ghent. Our boat was exactly like this one.
These boats are a great way to see the old city.
Some miniature vikings and their parents preparing to go on a raiding party.
There are a lot of really low bridges on the river where you have to watch your head as you go under.
Does every European city have a castle?
This is Gravensteen, a private residence built by the Count of Flanders in 1180. It’s now a museum.
St. Nicholas’ Church.
Locks on the bridge. A lot of what is visible along both sides of the river is temporary, put in place for the annual Ghent Festival.
Waiting for our canal boat to take us back to the bus area after our free time in the city.
Next to the bus lot. Have waffles, will travel.
Now in Bruges on our walking tour. Took this from one of the many bridges.
Did I mention that it’s pretty here?
There’s a lot going on in this photo. One of my favorites of the day.
There are a lot of really old homes along the canal.
There are a lot of horse drawn carriages giving tours in Bruges. This is where they get water for the horses.
Tourists waiting for a canal boat.
We crossed the canal here, but not before I took this photo. What a pretty spot.
I’m not exactly sure what, if anything, this statue is meant to represent, but I thought it was interesting.
One last water photo. The whole area is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Gorgeous building in a large public square.
Another picturesque building in the square. We entered the square through that arch.
The nave of the Church of Our Lady. This part of the church is free of charge.
There’s plenty to see outside the pay area.
Michelangelo’s Madonna and Child.
Magnificent.
Me, looking for a waffle shop.
Found one. Best waffle I’ve ever eaten.
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