Reaching Back in Time

My title today has a double meaning.  I'm visiting the city of Bruges in Belgium which is a city that reaches a very long way back in history.  The other meaning is that these photos date back to 1991 when I visited the city.  So, I'm also reaching back into my travel history.  I recently found a large collection of old slides and I was thrilled to find my photos from this wonderful place among those slides.

Sometime around 1989 or 1990, I saw a magazine cover photo similar to the photo above that prompted me to buy the magazine.  It was a travel magazine and it had a long section devoted to visiting the city of Bruges in Belgium.  I saved that article and reread it many times until I finally made plans to visit in person.

Bruges was a trading center that by the 11th century had become wealthy and prosperous mostly from the cloth trade.  By the 14th century, the population was 35,000, as large as London.  It was one of the biggest cities in the world and trading powerhouse.

By the 16th century, the harbor had silted up and Bruges' economy collapsed.  For centuries the town became a mysterious, dead city.  In the 19th century, a new port began to renew the city's vitality.  By the 20th century it was discovered by tourists.  Because of its long sleepy period, it was one of the most well-preserved Gothic cities anywhere.

The city of Bruges has thrived as a tourist destination ever since.

I can say that it is truly like stepping back in time.  I have a distinct memory of arriving at the train station and thinking, this looks like any other European city.  Then I took a taxi from the station to my hotel and watched as the driver crossed a bridge over a canal and into another world entirely.  The difference was abrupt and amazing.

I had discovered from that magazine article that the building that juts out into the canal in my first photo above, was a restaurant.  So my goal was to have a meal there.  I accomplished that goal and found the experience phenomenally rewarding.  The service was impeccable and the food was delicious.  I don't have photos from inside but here is a link to their website so you can take a peek. That meal was one of the most memorable experience from this trip.

In the photo to the right you can see a slim section of the restaurant all the way to the right and in the middle is the medieval belfry that towers over the city.

Wandering through the city was a photographer's dream.  Everywhere I looked there was something picturesque to capture.

During the city's heyday, Dutch artists Jan Van Eyck and Hans Memling had studios here so art played a prominent role.  While there I toured several museums including the Groeninge Museum, the Memling Museum and Old St. John's Hospital where a display of medieval surgery implements made my happy I'm living in a more advanced age.

Above is a view over the market square where restaurants and shops juggle for space.

Another place that was on my list of must-sees was the Church of Our Lady where Michelangelo's Madonna and Child resides.  The church is tiny but its treasure is great.

If you happened to see the George Clooney movie "Monuments Men", you will know that this statue played an important part in that movie.

The photo above is one of my favorite travel photos.  On one drizzly afternoon, I walked along one of the canals to the outer ring canal where I saw this scene.  There was something so appealing about the wet path, misty atmosphere and that rugged boat.  Struggling with an umbrella, guide book and camera, I managed to get the shot.

The walk was to see the windmills that run along this canal.  You can see one of them through the mist in the photo to the left.

I have been wanting to go back to this magical place ever since this visit so long ago and it has somehow escaped me.  When travel gets restored back to normal, I will make an effort to see this place again.  I hope I find it just as charming as I did almost 30 years ago.

One last thing I forgot to mention.  Chocolate!  There were chocolate shops everywhere and I indulged in a lot of it.  One thing is certain, when I make it back, I'll indulge some more.