Bruges. Or Brugge. Or something.

After Brussels we moved on to Bruges.   I should mention here that we saw a unique way of warning motorists that roadwork was up ahead �" a motorised dummy construction worker waving an orange flag.  Much more cost effective than employing a real person to do it!

On the way to Bruges we passed through Ypres and Passchendale, sites of a major series of battles in the first World War.  Over 240 000 commonwealth and 210 000 German soldiers were killed here and the Tyne Cot cemetery near Passchendale is the largest commonwealth cemetery in Europe, with 12000 buried here (this number is dwarfed by the 60000 names of soldiers that were killed in the battle whose bodies were not recovered and whose names are carved into the Menin gate at Ypres and the wall at Tyne Cot and the nearby New British cemetery).

  It’s an impressive and solemn place, with a recently opened visitor centre.  Even the sign at the toilets reminds users to treat the toilets with respect.  Around the cemetery are numerous corn fields, which is an interesting juxtaposition.  And I fell into a hole here and startled a lady pushing a wheelchair.  But I did it solemnly and with respect. 

Moving on to Bruges.  This is an old city that is very proud of being old, so they do their best to maintain the “oldness”.  Built over and around a network of canals and with a number of impressive churches and a majestic town hall building, it does a pretty good job of it too.  We stayed right near the centre of town and had a pleasant time wandering around.

  We climbed the Belfort (belfry) in the town centre �" all 366 steps and arrived at the top just in time for the bell to start ringing.  I don’t know if you’ve ever been standing right next to a giant church bell when its donging, but it was quite loud.  Good view too.  The other highlight was going to the Choco-Story museum.  This is a little museum that is pretty well done, that tells you the story of chocolate, specifically why Belgian chocolate is “the best”, then shows you how to make pralines.  Delicious.  Anyway it’s a great place to wander about for a day or so and was very relaxing and not quite as touristy as Brussels (still pretty touristy though).  Lots of toy shops and some art galleries (which we bailed on this time). 

And that was the end of our Belgium experience!