Our group said goodbye to our botel in Amsterdam and headed south toward France in the morning. The weather has been nice the last couple of days and the sky is so blue. The countryside is picturesque, a definite inspiration for the art and artists this part of the world produced.
We traveled a few hours south to Bruges, Belgium, a town that was an economic powerhouse in the 14th century. Commerce and art flourished until the 16th century when the harbor silted up and the Burgundian court moved its residence elsewhere. The town is a heavy sightseeing destination with its guilded architecture, art, cafés, canals, and incredible Belgian chocolate.
We had a very limited amount of time, only a lunch break here, so a few of us headed straight for the Church of My Lady to see Michelangelo’s “Madonna and Child”, the only statue of the artist that was allowed to leave Italy in his lifetime. The church was massive, a testament to the wealth and power of Bruges in its heyday. It was truly magnificent; I was taken back momentarily when I passed through the doors. The statue was beautiful and the space was so reverent.
The market square was the heartbeat of the city, the center of all trade. The Belfry Tower is the focal point of the square, 290 feet high, with carillon music serenading passersby. For a small fee you could climb the 366 steps for a bird’s eye view of Bruges, but our time was short, so we had to pass.
Bruges is so quaint and cute with lots of shopping, restaurants, a nice getaway location with much to do on a quieter scale than Amsterdam. I wish we could have spent the entire afternoon here. There were so many cozy corners with rose gardens and swans on the ponds, I would love to return one day and experience Bruges on a deeper level.
Our bus ride is another 6 hours to LeHavre, a port city in the northwest corner of France. We will spend several days in LeHavre, working with the host university. We will also have the opportunity to visit the beaches of Normandy and some other significant sites in the area, and I may get to play some golf!
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