Beautiful Brugges!

Day 1

Back on the road again – a whole 47km towards Brugges. We checked in at Camping Memling on the eastern side of the city and only 3k’s away.

After doing the washing and having some lunch we were able to head into the city by bus.

Brugges, another beautiful little city filled with al things typically Belgian – chocolate, beer, waffles and lace. WE had head it would be busy but we found it not too bad.

We arrived in the centre – once again the Grote Markt (city market) in which was the city’s famous Bellfort or bell tower, which incessantly plays musical tunes on its bells.

The famous bell tower

More of the Grote markt

Next we went in search o the Basilek of the Holy Blood where a few drops of Christs coagulated blood are kept under guard 24/7. Finding what you would think would be a fairly well visited church was a another challenge all together. Eventually after several wrong turns we found it built into the border buildings of the Burg Square. It was well worth it as the day and time we visited the sacred relic was available for viewing so we could get up on the side alter and lay our hands on the vile holding the drops of Christ’s blood (well almost, it was covered by a little Perspex screen well polished by the priest guard between every pilgrim – some people kissed it – ewww germy).

The entrance (just in case you are ever looking for it)

The guardian priest with his precious relic

Finishing here much earlier than we anticipated, (it was only a tiny church with not much to it) we had time to visit another Brugges treasure – Chocco Story, the museum of Chocolate. Although we thought this would be the same as the German one in Cologne it was much different also telling the story of chocolate in Europe – first as a drink of the rich and famous and then moving to solid form and also told us why Belgium is so famous for doing chocolate well. The Belgians being the first ones to invent chocolate moulds, filled chocolates or pralines and pretty much perfecting the whole chocolate making and boxing process. They have also ben involved in several studies showing the health benefits of chocolate – mood enhancers for depression (due to serotonin and endorphin release) and vasodilator assisting with management of heart disease, blood pressure and migraines. All in all we got the message – KEEP EATING CHOCOLATE! We then got to watch a chocolate praline making demo and then of course got to taste the end result – YUMMO!

This was a giant egg made of real chocolate!

Picking the cocoa beans

Ahhh the return of the manekin pis

A chocolate Barack Obama

The end product of all our labours

After all of this chocolate we wanted MORE and went in search of a bargain chocolatier. We ended up getting 5boxes for 10€ to eat for the rest of our trip (or as long as they last).

Some of the options we had to choose from
(Sorry fathers and friends - no chocolate boobies for you)

We settled on a more sedate 5 boxes of choccies

Still not satisfied it was more waffles – delicious.

Hey there was fruit on them we're not THAT unhealthy :)

Now full we headed back for a light dinner and bed.

Day 2

Back in Brugges again, to the Halve Maan brewery – the only Belgian brewery still brewing beer inside the city of Brugges.

A traditional Belgian Brew

We had a guided tour of both the modern brewing plant and the old brewing plant where beer was cooled by wind on large copper rooves and fermentation and maturing vats were cleaned by young boys (they were the only ones who were small enough to fit inside) who often emerged drunk form the alcohol fumes. After the tour we were rewarded with one of the beers – The Brugse Zot, and sat with a fellow Aussie and 2 Hawaiian-Italians for some company.

Tasting the malt

A cutaway of the fermentation tank

The view from the brewery rooftop

Beer drinking done we made our way back into the centre of the city for some traditional Belgian lunch cuisine. Dave opting for rabbit done Flemish style (cooked in a dark beer stew) and me opting for a chicken watersooi (a creamy chicken stew). Both were delicious and topped off the day in Brugges.

Making our way back toward the campground and just when we were thinking the city could offer no better we stumbled upon a cheese festival! 100’s of cheeses all in one place for us to try – soft cheeses, hard cheeses and ones with yummy fillings – pestos and herbs. Luckily they were only giving out tiny samples or we might ot have fitted back onto the bus on the way home.

CHEEEEESE!

Massive cheese chopping knife

Once again we made it back to the campground just before a storm hit, we managed to find a cosy spot in the annex of the Page’s (a Aussie family on a 9month tour of Europe) annex. We sat chatting, drinking beers and eating choccys with what turned out to be a group of Australians all congregating at one caravan park and nearly all right next door to each other – what are the chances?

A great night was had thanks to Ray, Daphne and family (our hosts) as well as the other Aussies Sandy and Don and Margaret and Terry.