Bruges, 2015

We visited Bruges in 2013, saw its two great museums and walked around a good bit. This year we wanted a more leisurely visit to the great city but also an opportunity to see the one important art work we missed last time...Michaelangelo's Bruges Madonna. We stayed at the Klein Strand campground again in 2015, a short bus ride from the centrum. We still haven't gotten that bus ride quite right, but we're getting closer.

Panning around Bruges' great square

Thus

And thus

The great bell tower

Many lace and fine sewing shops

Artsy view of the Stadthuis

Disused Medieval bridge, now a welcome little rest area on a
canal

 Bruges is fairly over-run with tourists, especially Americans,
and they all do the canal boat rides

"Not another blaring tour boat!"

City of spires

Fish market of yore

Town map done in a lace-look

Speaking of which, here's the lace lady doing a demonstration;
I video'd a bit of it, until my head exploded, which I'll post to
YouTube shortly; the demonstration, that is; the video is at
http://youtu.be/B19AFILy4Bk

St. Mary's Church

Inside of which resides the Bruges Madonna, the only work of
Michaelangelo's to leave Italy during his lifetime

He did it just after the Pieta

Unlike any other Madonna and child done up
until that time, whether in stone or paint

Canal scene

A few of Belgium's 1000 beer brands and types

Swan island

In  Bruges' Beginhof, older women's residence; the tree-houses
were someone's idea of an artistic statement

The Maison Blanche, an older house now a fairly exclusive
hotel; and the lovers' bridge

Garden

View from the bridge