Belgium Brugge 2019

[JustTravel]

It is finally warming up.

We arrived six days ago and were pleasantly surprised by the anthurium plant I purchased nearly a year ago well cared for and still blooming.

Our transatlantic flight was too long but uneventful to Brussels Airport. Our two pieces of luggage were among the first to arrive, hence, we were about a quarter hour too early for our private transport to Brugge - Airpo Taxi Service. At €90 for a Mercedes Benz car ride of nearly two hours due to commute traffic, it was money well spent.

We are again living in the St-Donaas apartment for the next few weeks. Our landlords live next door and are the nicest folks. The first few days were filled with shopping and stocking the apartment.

 

[JustTravel]

On Friday, we walked to the Begijnhof hoping to see the daffodils. We missed them last year by a week. But since we arrived two weeks earlier this time, I was hoping......

Unfortunately, the yellow ones are mostly gone but the white ones are still in bloom.

 

[JustTravel]

We continued our walk looking for signs of spring while feeling the chill of winter.

 

[JustTravel]

One of our favorite food is cheese. Our favorite place to get cheese is Kaashuys Den Hof. We go almost every other day not only for cheese but conversation with the proprietor Olivier. He is very friendly and very knowledgeable. He offers a lot of cheese - ask if you don't see what you want.

He also offers a small variety of bread, crackers, honey, confiture, beer and wine.

 

[JustTravel]

The staircase to the apartment above us.

 

[JustTravel]

Easter treats

 

[JustTravel]

A beautiful, warm day today -

 

[JustTravel]

In front of Heilige Magdalenakerk -

 

[JustTravel]

Been enjoying some warm weather here in Brugge - good time for ice cream. Our favorite place
is Oyya -

.....or waffle.​

 

[Pauline]

Your weather must be similar to ours in the southern UK. We are having a mini-heatwave. Sunny and 70F today!

 

[JustTravel]

 

[JustTravel]

Love seeing this wisteria bloom -

.....seven days ago

​

......earlier today

 

[JustTravel]

Easter Monday was another beautiful warm day, hence, a very busy day in the center of Brugge. So we walked away from the center toward the windmills.

We walked along the canal, resting while admiring the beauty of this tree trunk and its exposed roots

.....with another rest waiting for this pedestrian bridge to come down after three boats passed below it

 

[JustTravel]

On our way to the windmills, we stopped in the Volkskundemuseum. We were the only ones there, altho there were two boys playing games in the inner garden waiting for their elders finishing their visit at the other end of the museum.

It is a museum showing life in the "olden days"

.....a classroom

.....a shoemaker

......a shop

.....a cooper

......a tailor

.....close-up of Aristide, the living black cat and museum mascot, that appeared to be a piece of black fur the tailor was working with.


Remember these?

 

[JustTravel]

We saw a couple of these red mailboxes still in use. Pick-up at 13:00.

 

[JustTravel]

This trolley is a good investment especially when I need to buy bottled water. I just hope it lasts; there are 4x4" cobble stones everywhere.

 

[JustTravel]

Our go-to butcher is Maertens. They have a ranch where they raise and make most of what they sell, so everything is always very fresh.

One of their popular product is raw minced pork&veal sandwich spread. I would only buy some to add to my meatloaf mixture.

....but I do like their paté

 

[JustTravel]

Outdoor Play Day this afternoon here in Brugges. There was nothing on television for the children to encourange playing outside. Activities were set up in Astridpark and fun to watch the children having fun.

....with sticks and cardboard

.....rope

.....balls and other low-tech activities

Then the homemade ice cream truck

 

[JustTravel]

These are our Friend of the Museums cards which allow us to visit most of the museums here in Brugge at any time during this calendar year. At €50 for the two cards, it's a great deal. So far we have visited the Volkskundemuseum and the Sint-Janshospitaal museum.

Although Brugge has been too busy with daytrippers/tour groups, the museums are not.

 

[JustTravel]

The public library....

......is just off the Markt square. We went to check it out a couple of days ago and asked the very helpful librarian about obtaining a libraray card. "No problem" as long as we have an ID and a local address. The cost is €3.75 for the card that is good for the year. So, I obtained one.

Then, the librarian took us for a short tour of the library, showing us the English book section - quite a bit of books. I am allowed to borrow up to ten books, dvds, or cds for four weeks. I checked out three books.