September 30, 2009

Today's Letter of the Day Is...

B!
(Again!)

A few weekends ago we went to Bruges for the weekend. We had a great time and ended up spending the day in Brussels on the way back. It was so much fun, so beautiful and ancient. Well... medieval is more like it.

A few facts about Bruges before I begin:

Bruges is a medieval wonder as most of the architecture from this time is still intact, therefore the historic city center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, an internationally noted place of cultural or physical significance.


It's pretty interesting stuff. Read more about it here, learn more about it here.


Bruges is located in west Belgium, but don't say that, say Flanders. Because it's a city built around a canal system, Bruges is often referred to as the "Venice of the North."


Some little known facts about Bruges:

  • Bruges had a lot of wealth during the Golden Era (12th to 15th centuries).
  • I love this quote from Lonely Planet, "When Philip the Fair, King of France, visited Bruges in 1301, his wife, Joanna of Navarre, was so surprised by the inhabitants' wealth and luxurious clothes that she purportedly claimed: 'I thought I alone was queen, but I see that I have 600 rivals here.'"
  • Bruges used to be a port city, and the major export were textiles.
  • Woollens, weavers and spinners were thought to be the best in the world in Bruges during the 12th to 15th centuries.
  • The first English book ever printed was published in Bruges.
I have lots of pictures...

I will post them all...
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tomorrow.


G'night!


Oh!
Did you happen to see this movie?

You might like it.


G'night!

1 comment:

playbirdplay.com said...

yes, I saw the movie, but I like your portrayal of Belgium much better. Enjoy!