Brugge (Bruges) – 3 February 2015

Once again, no particular plan; just walking from the train station to the big market. People put small artworks in their homes’ windows.

street scene building buildings painting in window flower heart door house archway church saint river view buiding teddy bear in shop window river view river view church door church interior church exterior

Here is a picture that proves I was really there, plus a picture of a shop window that sells what I would classify as kitsch.

self pic kitsch

In one of the plazas there is an 83 meter tall belfry. It was built in three layers, the bottom two constructed in the 13th century and the top one between 1482 and 1486, according to a placard in the belfry entry. Of course, I had to climb to the top and get pictures. (The first two pictures are panoramas of the market, taken at ground level. The next two are of a 3D map and model with braille text.)

market panorama market panorama 3d map threed belfry model belfort statue belfry interior large bell belfry drum room belfry view belfry view belfry view belfry view belfry view belfry view

More city pictures as I walked about. I am really glad of having the 24x zoom on the camera, as it lets me get closeups of building details I would never otherwise be able to capture. However, it does make me a bit lazy, as I can get a good picture of a building without having to walk a block or two to be close enough.

golden knight with wings slaying dragon statue heraldic animals papageno statue papageno statue column in plaza closeup of column

The Chocolate Museum

I suppose I had to go in and see the chocolate museum, but frankly, it wasn’t particularly worth either the time or money. Here are a few pictures from inside.

choco serving pots choco serving cups choco molds choco molds choco ads

There is also a Friets (french fries) museum, but I decided to give that a pass. It can’t be all that much: “Take potatoes. Cut them up. Fry them. What else is there to say, you nitwit?”

More of Brugge

OK, back to the walk about the city.

doorknob with star shaped base old church closeup church column detail building blue glassware canal view building arc closeup door frame building arc kruispoort statue building with gold decorative simon stevin statue

I got to a plaza called 't Zand, where I saw this statuary. It was sufficiently complex that it needed several pictures.

tzand tzand tzand tzand tzand tzand tzand

On the way back to the train station, I went through King Albert Park.

king albert park king albert statue station colored columns brugge station

Back at the Brussels Midi station, I got some pictures of train-themed art by Hergé.

tintin tintin tintin

Signage

These next few are in the Brussels Midi station, posted by the Brussels Poetry Collective.

It is better to travel one mile than to read a thousand books.

signage travel better than reading
signage wall clock

Obscure messages rain down from the train station loudspeakers.

signage loudspeakers

Another sign read (in French), “Le train passe et repasse, mais jamais avec les memes passagers,” which translates to “The train comes and goes, but never with the same passengers.” (Sorry, the picture of it did not turn out well.)

This sticker on a mail slot in Bruges says “Newspapers yes, advertisements no.”

signage kranten ja reclame neen