Two very busy months have passed since Amanda’s family visited. We have been meaning to tell you about the day trip to Brugge we took while they were here.
Here’s a brief recap:
Early in the morning our driver for the day met us in Leuven. After packing in the strollers and fixing the car seats, we all piled into the van. Happily, both babies slept during the two-hour drive out to Brugge, while Amanda’s dad peppered our driver with questions about politics and the economy in Belgium.
Before we got to the city, we first stopped in Damme, a small, historic port town located in the nearby countryside. After visiting the Damme Church, we headed along the Damse Vaart and into the city (a long, picturesque canal running from Damme to Brugge).
Like Venice, Brugge is a city built on the water: canals, rivers and waterways run right through the town, with buildings and streets linked by bridges. Despite the resemblance to Venice, Brugge has all the typical features of a 12th century Belgian town: lots of stone and brick work, classic Flemish architecture, a Beginhof, and of course a large and colorful central Markt.
The most memorable thing we did in Brugge was to take a boat tour of the city. Max rode along with us in the boat. He loved passing just under the low-hanging bridges, and he pointed out the many swans that accompanied us on our tour.
When we made it back to land, we walked around the town, ate a delicious French bistro lunch in one of Brugge’s many tea rooms, and visited the Church of Our Lady. The Church houses a beautiful Madonna and Child by Michelangelo.
After a full day of walking and boat riding, everyone was exhausted, including Max and Elle. By the end of the day, having missed their naps, the babies were in no mood for a two-hour ride back to Leuven, and they let us all know it.
Despite the cacophonous ride home, we had a great day in Brugge. We couldn’t have picked a more beautiful city to explore during the Carhart’s visit.
More to come soon…