Belgium - October 1 - Bruges Day #1

This morning we took a train from Ghent to Bruges to explore this beautiful city for the day. The center of Bruge is built around a series of canals - similar to Ghent - and everywhere you look, you'll see one beautiful old building/home/church after another. Bruges is the epitome of quaint, but ironically, it's quaint on a grand scale. We started offer with a stroll through the Begijnhof, which is a very quiet, UNESCO Heritage community of white-washed homes built inside of a walled/gated area. This community was originally founded in the 13th century by Margaret of Constantinople, Countess of Flanders, as a refuge for beguines. What's a "beguine", you ask? A beguine is a devout laywomen who led a pious life without taking formal monastic vows, so almost...but not quite...a nun. The original beguines are gone, however, and since 1927, the site has functioned as a convent for Benedictine nuns and other resident women. No men allowed. Our next step was the Church of our Lady which A) was a very cool church; B) had some incredible sculpture, and C) houses the only Michelangelo sculpture outside of Italy - Michelangelo's Madonna and Child. While this sculpture isn't quite as moving as the Pieta in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, the mastery of Michelangelo is definitely on display. Interestingly, it has been safely returned to Bruges after TWO thefts - once by Napolean and a second time by the Nazis during WWII. We had a bite to eat in the Bruges Market Square, and huge square surrounded on all side by beautiful architecture, and then climbed to the top of the Belfort Tower - some 330(ish) steps. (I lost the exact count.) In the afternoon, we visited Bruges City Hall, the Renaissance Liberty Palace and the Basilica of the Holy Blood, where we stood in line for the opportunity for an up close look at a relic said to contain the Blood of Christ. We sampled several Belgian chocolates, cookies and other deliciousness throughout the day and took a canal boat ride to give our legs a rest before a fabulous meal at a restaurant called DeGastro - one of the best meals we've had on the entire trip. Bruges was definitely my favorite stop in Belgium, and we'll be returning in a couple of days for more adventure.