Friday 5 June 2009

If you like food and architecture, you may like this!

Holly was 18 years old last Friday. So Tuesday of this week we all went to Brugge. We were there by 5pm, the sun was shining and I had my husband and two girls with me.


I do adore this fountain group, the mermaid is so incredible.
Pretty Brugge street...
Pretty tasty Brugge beer, with an omlette for dinner.
A walk and onto my favourite sculptures ......Set of 4 bronze sculptures, Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse by Rik Poot, in the garden of the Arentshuis.


View from same area.....
Mmmm....
Everywhere you look in Brugge (as you know) is a treat for the eyes, a picture postcard at every turn.....
Peeled and faded...
Fancy a little ratty tasty treat????? No, me neither!

I did fancy some of the following.....
Most definitely some of these.....


Meant to try this 'best hot chocolate' but unfortunately didn't have time...
A very out of context Shop door handle. Most odd, but I really like it...50's would you say?
Holly's first Cocktail, which she didn't like, so I had to drink it, it was such a chore! She will kill me for including this.

Evening drew in on the first evening, gentle walk round the town and more alcohol consumed..... we went back to our Hotel. It was really strange, as we are so used to everywhere being smoke free in Britain that it came as quite a shock when the public were allowed to smoke in the Hotel and Bar!
Next morning.....elevenses, greedy so and so, but wild horses couldn't have stopped me.

Market was in full swing. My husband was actually bodily pushed out of the way by a very elderly gentleman......Brugge is a dream to walk around. You don't have to cling to your belongings for fear of muggings, you just watch out for physical abuse in the market place by the elderly! (Maybe a lifetime of of rubber necking tourists get you down).
There is a permanent 'Dali' Exhibition just off the Market Square, which Holly and I visited. I am not very keen on Dali's work but Holly wanted to go in because she is attending Art College. She found it very difficult to know what to draw (pics and sculptures in the exhib) in her sketch book because the bloke had a one tracked mind, if you get my drift, still there were elephants on stilts!
The vaulted ceiling of the Exhibition space was painted a stunning blue and the columns gold....very beautiful. I sat and people watched.


View from front of our Hotel.

Inside our Hotel.


View from canal trip....

View from Evening Meal! Helen of cocoaandblankets recommended the 'Passage' restaurant. Very pleased she did too, as the food and ambiance were memorable.
Next morning and a coffee in the market square before leaving to drive home.
Odd that at 10am we are sitting in this fine Market Square and by 6pm we are home, I can never get my head around it.


Thanks for ploughing through this lot with me. I hope you are not too rigid with boredom looking through someone else's holiday snaps, yawn!!!!

Thanks for stopping by.x

28 comments:

Jackie said...

LOVE holiday snaps.We have thousands of unused airmiles and we were just talking about Brugge. I would be in a permanent sleepy state with all that chocolate which I would not be able to resist.Rather like the mermaid.

Michala Gyetvai (Kayla coo) said...

Hello Viv,
It's lovely to see your photo's.
I don't know anything about Brugge and it looks such an interesting place to visit.x

Sal said...

It was lovely to come along with you on your trip...which looked fabulous!
Have a lovely weekend ;-)

Fleur de Boheme said...

Not boring! Nice to be your travel companion! No vintage finds ? ;-)

Bye Kirsten

Gigibird said...

We always have a nice time in Belgium.
Lovely to see you all had a great time.

Vintage Fairy Tales Rebecka said...

Thank´s for bringing us to Brugge!
Have a great weekend!
Becky

sea-blue-sky & abstracts said...

Not bored at all, love the photos. I have never been and Brugge looks so picturesque. Particularly like the horse sculptures and hotel staircase.

And the food, well, now I'm ravenous for something chocolatey, gooey and comforting - a chocolate digestive is no substitute! BFN.
Lesley

Clare said...

How lovely..many happy belated returns too!!Know what you mean re: Dali..never been a fan myself.

Roberta said...

Is this the same...it looks it..as the movie that Ralph Fines and Colin Firth were in...they were mobsters stuck in "Brugge" for Christmas. It's rather sad...but the last picture of the courtyard looks the same...freaky. So glad to see it under beautiful warm conditions. Happy birthday to your daughter. Fondly, Roberta

Teena Vallerine said...

Loving those pink chairs in the hotel. Tip to Holly - Strawberry Daiquiris - the only way to go and perfectly seasonal so you can practice at home with mum! Great day trip - thanks for taking me along! t.x

lilylovekin said...

I don't even know what country Brugge is in! But it looks lovely and I'm glad I got to see it through your snapshots. Thanks for the travel log. It looks like they have good chocolate there,one of my favorites.

Julia said...

I loved your post! Thank you for sharing such amazing pictures, I felt like Id had a little vacation by the time Id finished reading :)

It looks like a place I must visit, definately!

Love Julia xxx

Kate Fernyhough said...

Never been to Brugge, thanks for the sneak peak.

Gina said...

Lovely... on my list of places to visit!

Corinne Phillips said...

What a fantastic way to celebrate your daughter's birthday. Brugges looks amazing. I agree with other comments - definitely a place to visit. Thanks for sharing your lovely photos.

Cathy said...

Glad I dropped by to see your lovely blog. I enjoyed my tootle around Brugge with your interesting photos. It looks as if it is well worth visiting and not too far away either. Would be ruination to the old diet though..ha ha.

x vInTaGe VioLeT x said...

i love to have a nosey at other peoples holiday snaps - so not at all boring to me! Looks lovely and yummy chocolate i wonder what the rats were made of?!

Julie Whitmore Pottery said...

Lets see; if I drove due West from Cambria, California, for eight hours, I'd be in a Western Ghost Town. No frothy cappucino, not a chocolate nougat in sight, but maybe an ice cold Coors in a Country Bar. What a wonderful trip, Viv.

jenny elkins said...

So glad you had a great time with your family. Loved seeing where you were and what you did. Pictures were great!

Mad Aunt Bernard said...

Lovely to see these! What a feast for the eyes and for the tum - I'm now thinking about beer and omelettes! Looks like a fantastic place, glad you had a wonderful time!

Paula In Pinetop said...

Thanks for taking me on a little vacation while I sip coffee in my robe.

Looks like a fun time.

Anonymous said...

Bored? NO! Jealous? Yes! Ive never been to Brugge... it looks so beautiful though, its just shot to the top of my list!

A time to dance said...

Oh it takes me back, I would love to go again I never get tired of it...we did it in the middle of winter once and it was wonderful too...no mozzies and lots of hot chocolate, you seem to have gone to the same places as we do...so glad you enjoyed the passage...love and hugs H

meplusmolly said...

Glad you had a good time!
I'm not normally one for other peoples hol pics (hehe) but yours were great! I've never been to Brugge so it was interesting to tag along on your trip! ;0

CAROLYN SAXBY said...

No, not boring, great snaps, made me feel like I was there too! Love Bruges chocolat, haven't been there for nearly 30 years mmmmmmm .....

seo said...

Thanks for sharing your holiday photos

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Unknown said...

I am always have a nice time in Belgium. Lovely to see you all had a great time. .

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