After a good night's sleep and as dawn came upon the city, we heard a strange noise outside our window. So after breakfast, we scurried out to take some photos of the swans. Yes, lots of swans! Sam even found some food to toss at them; however, they weren't interested. Hmmm, did they want waffles? They are really very beautiful but I hear they can be nasty.
This morning, our guide Daniella (who was the wife of Christian, our Brussels guide) met us at the hotel to lead us through Bruges and eventually into several interesting historical sites. She told us we were standing in front of the River Reie, which runs past our hotel. The language of both Ghent and Bruges is Dutch (I really enjoyed reading/speaking some French in Brussels); the diplomatic languages in Dutch universities are both English and French.
Walking along the canals (and following some swans), we again made our way into the Jan Van Eyck Square where Daniella pointed out one of the oldest bridges in the city. It has cement seats built into the walls and is where people from 1498 until the end of the 19th century displayed their wares for sale, tax free. Today in Bruges, the wealthy live in the north and the poor, in the south, which is similar throughout Belgium, Daniella explained.
The bear is the city's mascot. Legend says there was a bear living in the forest in the 9th century, killing and eating people. That particular bear was slain by Baldwin with the Iron Arm and is now the symbol of Bruges--a symbol of protection.
We walked through the Markt (Market Square) and also the opulent Burg Square, Bruges' civic center, historic birthplace, and religious heart of the city. Daniella pointed out the Basilica of the Holy Blood, to which Sam and I returned after lunch, as we made our way into the Church of Our Lady.
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