Brugge Day 2

We woke to a dreary grey Tuesday morning.  I hoped the rain would hold off until after our 3 hour bike tour.  I enjoyed a cappuccino, fresh fruit salad, pan au chocolat, and eggs with mushrooms while watching the tourists take pictures on the famous bridge outside the window.  A 9:50 am start time prevented us from lingering.

We met our QuasiMundo bike tour in the opulent Burg Square where we viewed six centuries of architecture, including the Basilica of the Holy Blood.    This Church houses the drops of Christ's blood a Crusader brought back to Brugge from Jerusalem during the 12th century.  Supposedly the dried blood which had been preserved by Joseph of Arimathea from Christ's body 1150 years before, suddenly turned to liquid every Friday for the next two centuries.  Thousands of pilgrims from all over Europe ventured to Brugge to adore  this relic before it dried up for good in 1325.

An Australian couple and a couple from New England joined the tour.  Jost, our guide entertained us while we waited for everyone to arrive.

After acquiring our bikes, he took us to Market Square where he explained the difference beweet the Flemish, in northern Belgium, and the Dutch in Belgium's south.  Apparently the French, the Austrian, the Ottomans continually occupied Flanders.  The statue depicts two friends, Jan Breydel a butcher and Pieter de Conic, a weaver who led the only attack the Flemish ever won.  Jost spoke with passion about how well dressed these solders must have been with a weaver as a leader.

Next we biked to Church of our Lady, home to Michelangelo's Madonna and Child.

He showed us these Almshouseswhich are similar in function as our Projects.

We biked to Begijnhof, small apartments that housed women of the lay order, and then to Minnewater, a peaceful lake.

We ended our ride biking along the canal to view the four working windmills which are used to grind grain.  We popped into a small cafe and enjoyed a locally-brewed Belgium beer.

After the tour, Dave and I spent 45 minuted looking at Flemish art in the Groeninge Museum and then ate more chocolate from the Chocolate Line.

We ended the day at Den Gouden Harynck, a highly recommended restaurant.  Our uppity waitress, who could have played in a Harry Potter movie, snapped at Dave when he requested the three course meal while I wanted the four.  "You MUST both order the same menu," she said very exasperated.  Three hours later, I longed to move into their kitchen while Dave needed a five mile run.  "At least on an airplane, I can get up and do laps after an hour."