Brugge, Province of West Flanders, Belgium
Today we had a great taste of West Flanders. The principal city here is Brugge (marshy land), dating way back to the 9th Century. Its importance and fame all began because of its proximity to the ocean (five kilometers), and the trade in different materials brought in from the outside. The lovely old buildings and gabled houses, the splendid churches and narrow canals, all point out to its importance for the economy of the area, which reached its peak during the 15th Century. Unfortunately the mouth of the river began to sand up, and the town was eventually abandoned, receiving the name of the “Dead City”. It has made an eventual recovery, and today boasts six million tourists a year!
We had started our trip by bus from Oostende on the coast early, and shortly thereafter began our walking tour of the city. The most attractive and interesting visit during the day was that to the Church of Our Lady, Mariastraat, which is primarily Gothic but incorporates, in almost all the interior decorations, in black and white, several different styles. The greatest treasure of the church is a white Carrara marble madonna, holding the Child. This marvelous piece of art and beauty was made by Michelangelo Buonarotti in 1504-5, and was intended for another place. The Monaron Family of Brugge purchased it and gave it to our Lady’s Church. It constitutes one of the very few works of Michelangelo outside of Italy.
We visited different interesting squares and old buildings, and then took a tour of the canals in a long boat. This way we were able to see many palaces and more of the history of Brugge. By midday we were on our bus again, and heading towards Oostende, where we had lunch. Some of us stayed to take our meal in Brugge. By 4 o’clock we were moving, and had left the cruise ship port of Oostende, to the open ocean and south, towards France!
Today we had a great taste of West Flanders. The principal city here is Brugge (marshy land), dating way back to the 9th Century. Its importance and fame all began because of its proximity to the ocean (five kilometers), and the trade in different materials brought in from the outside. The lovely old buildings and gabled houses, the splendid churches and narrow canals, all point out to its importance for the economy of the area, which reached its peak during the 15th Century. Unfortunately the mouth of the river began to sand up, and the town was eventually abandoned, receiving the name of the “Dead City”. It has made an eventual recovery, and today boasts six million tourists a year!
We had started our trip by bus from Oostende on the coast early, and shortly thereafter began our walking tour of the city. The most attractive and interesting visit during the day was that to the Church of Our Lady, Mariastraat, which is primarily Gothic but incorporates, in almost all the interior decorations, in black and white, several different styles. The greatest treasure of the church is a white Carrara marble madonna, holding the Child. This marvelous piece of art and beauty was made by Michelangelo Buonarotti in 1504-5, and was intended for another place. The Monaron Family of Brugge purchased it and gave it to our Lady’s Church. It constitutes one of the very few works of Michelangelo outside of Italy.
We visited different interesting squares and old buildings, and then took a tour of the canals in a long boat. This way we were able to see many palaces and more of the history of Brugge. By midday we were on our bus again, and heading towards Oostende, where we had lunch. Some of us stayed to take our meal in Brugge. By 4 o’clock we were moving, and had left the cruise ship port of Oostende, to the open ocean and south, towards France!
