A Bagpiper in Brugges...

August 28-29:

I took the train, first class (!), to Belgium! I lucked out with that youth discount! Thank goodness for being under 26!

At this point in my trip, I am starting to feel like it's about time to get home. Travel really wears on you physically, emotionally, mentally...it's just tiring. "All good things must come to an end..." and it's true. It's exhausting. If anyone tells me TRAVEL is VACATION, I will fervently disagree. The only time I got to "relax," which is what I normally associate with vacation, was when I was too tired to move my legs anymore, too tired to open my guide book and find another site to visit, and too tired to think about what to say to strangers. That is when I didn't mind sprawling out on a lawn or park bench and languidly people watch. Belgium, then London and then home. It will be good to be home.

The hostel in Brussels is nothing exceptional. Just 6 beds crammed into a room. I met Mary, a Canadian girl from Quebec. She seems pretty nice. But she's more of the bars and pubs type...not quite my thing.

The next morning (Aug 29), I was one of the first ones up. It is COLD outside!! I met an Aussie named Tina this morning and ended up sitting with her and her friend, Zoë, and another Aussie, Lizzie, at breakfast. Aside from every other comment being "f---" this and that, they were fun. Lizzie was going to Bruges today, so we decided to go together.

The train arrived around 11 a.m. It was nice to have someone to walk around with...she's an interesting girl. Young (19 years old). We don't share the same views, but she was good company.

The weather in Bruges was perfect!! It threatened rain as we left Brussels, but was sunny with big poofy clouds in Bruges. Our first stop was the Church of Our Lady to see the Michelangelo statue. It's the only Michelangelo statue to leave Italy during his lifetime. It was gorgeous. We visited a lot of churches. It was really enjoyable because they play appropriate choral music which creates a peaceful, almost touristy, atmosphere. But, I liked it. There was an incredible pulpit in the church that Lizzie brought to my attention. It was all wood and looked like a floating podium with wings. I liked being with Lizzie because she pointed out things that I would have missed, in spite of my art history background.

After the church, we wandered the streets trying to figure out where we wanted to go. We went to the Groening Museum, full of Flemish and Northern Renaissance work. As we walked around the museum, some interesting topics came up. She said that it wasn't my "fault" for being born in America...as though it were a bad thing! I assured her that, while I love to travel and would even enjoy living in a different country, I was happy to be an American. I kind of get that "pitied" approach from Aussies and Canadians. Strange.

We headed toward the windmills and paid 1 euro to go in one. We were told our ticket was good for the next windmill down (there was a row of 4 or 5)...yet the next one was closed. We didn't realize he'd mean the one AFTER that (ya know, because in Belgium "next one" means the "next to next one." :) We saw some of the big cogs and wheels that run them. And, as you can see, we had a fun time taking windmill pictures.

We wandered toward the Markt and bought frites (glorified French fries that Belgians are supposedly famous for) and sat in the square, eating frites and listening to a bagpipe player. Go figure.

Afterwards, we went to the Basilica of the Holy Blood that, supposedly, houses the blood of Jesus. Riiiiiiight. But it was an incredible church with murals all over the walls. Very ornate and impressive!

After that, we went in search of a "whole in the wall." That's the Australian nickname for an ATM ;) We thought we'd find one at the train station, but no luck. On the way, I had my first Belgian waffle. They are incredible!! Rather than a batter, they are balls of dough with sugar crystals in them that heat on the waffle iron and get all sweet and gooey...it was fabulous! At 7 p.m., we made it to the train station and said our good-byes.