May 2001 › Aunt and Uncle Arrive › Day Two › Amsterdam Canal Trip › Day 3 › Delft and Day 4 › 2 Hours in Salzburg, Austria › Salzburg City Center › Kobenzl Hotel, Salzburg › Flight School › Troon, Scotland › Brugge, Belgium › More Images of Brugge, Belgium Other Months › Index page

Brugge, Belgium Monday, May 28, 2001; posted by Paris Two weeks ago we went with some colleagues to Brugge, Belgium. Hester, Rene, Willemijn, Lisa, Marcel and I drove the Espace 2 hours to spend a sunny afternoon wandering the old town. We made sure to stop and relax, a lot. We had a nice lunch, a canal trip, a beer break (with some stops to chocolate shops) and a very good dinner. Because of its navigable waterway, Brugge was one of the most active members of the Hanseatic League in the 13th century and actively traded goods with countries around Europe. Also, oil-painting was invented here by Van Eyck in the 1400's. However, over the years, the waterway began to fill with silt, the weavers were leaving for England and the region had numerous fights with the French. The economy crumbled and nothing was really changed in this poor area for hundreds of years. Today, we are left with a well-preserved medieval city. The Belfort (belfry) on the Markt. The 47 bell-carillon weighs 27 tons. A building along the canal. Rows of buildings along the canal. Our group having a very nice meal at the 'T Bezemtje. Marcel taking it easy and staying cool on this sunny day. I think this is the Minnewater (Lake of Love). A man-made lake built in the 1200's to expand the city's harbor. House along the canal.