In Bruges, Again

July 4th we finished packing up, took a Bolt to the Bercy station and boarded the Flixbus to Bruges. Au revoir, Paris! We'll be back next May. Well, actually, next week, but only to fly out of CDG.

We got to Bruges early in the evening, found our lodgings, the interestingly-named Hotel Bla Bla, had a bite to eat, and then embarked on a wandering tour of the old city. We're here mostly for the Flemish art and museums, but the street scenes and old buildings are among Europe's best. We were in Bruges in 2015 and certainly a time or two before that...the first in 1979.

Outside our room at the Hotel Bla Bla, which I would characterize as a nice
sort-of boutique hotel...a dozen or so rooms in two different old buildings...all
updated...around a couple different garden areas

Hydrangeas going strong

Unhelpful but beautiful old map in reception

The white facade of Hotel Bla Bla

New to us department...get plastered while your hair gets done

Street scene

Door scene

The very famous bell tower on the square; In Bruges is one
of my very least favorite movies; thanks a lot, Marie

Part of the square; not Brussels, but nice, even if mostly 19th century
re-creations

Street scene

Belgian lace shop

Not all in a row

Sweets shop, just like in Paris

Every touristy European city has a torture museum or
two; we considered having drinks on the torture museum
terrace, but it was closed

Speculoos houses

Canal scene; Bruges is known as the Venice of the
North (along with Amsterdam, Strasbourg, Stockholm, 
and about thirty-five others; see here for a useful listing)

Ditto

Pollarded street scene

The classical Greek fish market (note Doric capitals)

Within

We found this place fairly interesting for its permanent built-in
counters, etc.; only one stall sells fish anymore, we've read; the
rest sell tourist trinketry

City map in lace

One of the several church towers

Close to the Groeningmseum where we'll spend
some time Friday

Dragon benches

Had we rented a car and driven Paris/Bruges/Ghent/Paris, we would
have stopped by the Abbey of St. Sixtus for a bottle or two of Westvleteren;
I'd hoped to find a bottle reasonably priced (<€20) in Bruges or Ghent and
was pleasantly surprised to find a #12 at this place for a mere €12.50; will
be pictured when I drink it in Ghent; I hope the Brothers have not compromised
the quality of their product with its availability...I also hope it's not a fake...

[Reserved For Once More Dear Friends Unto The Louvre, 2]

Once More Dear Friends Unto The Louvre, 1

We've been at the Louvre eight times in this campaign. We might have gone more but for the various maladies we've experienced on this trip. In any case, I've taken hundreds of photos, as usual, many of the same old favorites, as usual, many of which I've already posted in previous years. As usual. For this post and the next, I'm really going to try to confine myself to new things, paintings or angles or interpretations not posted before, so far as I can remember. If, for whatever bizarre reason, you want to see the many previous Louvre posts, just enter "Louvre" in the search box. Maybe fix yourself a mug of strong coffee. 

After doing the Italians on the Grand Corridor of Denon we returned four more times, mostly Richelieu and Sully, eventually doing the Spanish section, England, Flanders, the Dutch, and Germany, and then, mostly, the French. Everything from before La Tour to after Delacroix. I think we have become far more discerning in our art appreciation, looking for links between paintings and painters, paying far more attention to brush work and such. Consequently it may take me a while to condense these four visits down to something coherent and new. In the meantime, just enter "Louvre" in the search box.

On this day after the US Supreme Court's Trump/immunity ruling, Bosch's Ship of Fools 

most certainly comes to mind...

Vide Grenier On Rue Du Commerce, 15th

One of the things we've enjoyed most about Paris over the years are the annual neighborhood flea market/yard sales that pop up here and there, now and then. We learned of the Rue due Commerce vide grenier at the Mouffetarde market some days before. Some of these affairs exclude the professional flea market types (they come anyway), and some invite them (for a price). This one, we judged, was about 50/50. It's the local folk and their yard sale items that interest us, of course. This one ran 6-8 blocks along Rue du Commerce, a major shopping street in the area, both sides, and pedestrianized for the event. A wonderful Sunday morning outing.

Part of grand-mere's turtle collection

Quite a collection it was; now being parted-out...

Still no oboes

Probably not part of grand-mere's garden set 

Memories of eBay, North Carolina

A surprise extra were croissants from an award-winning boulangerie

Curvy flatiron

Circumnavigating The Eiffel Tower

After another grueling day of art appreciation at the Louvre, we bused out to the Eiffel Tower, mostly to see what Olympics stuff was up (we'd heard the rock-climbing wall would be there) but also to fulfill our usual touristic obligations.

Hopping off the bus

Grandstands on the Champ du Mars

No climbing wall; AI we guess

Grandstands before the Trocadero

Parc Floral de Paris, Bois de Vincennes

After a day or so "off" we decided to visit an old friend, the Parc Floral in the distant Bois de Vincennes, on the southeastern edge of Paris, in search of nature, quiet, tranquility...

By the ponds and water lilies

And now at the bonsai complex, admiring the blooming (!) rhododendra

!!!

!!!!!!

Resident checking us out

A favorite setting

OK, so what you haven't seen so far is that this is the
next to last week of school in Paris, and the Parc Floral
is overrun--overrun!--with school children, their 
teachers, and aides; apparently there is no dress code
for teachers' aides

We still got to see some floral stuff

But mostly kids, elementary age

Innovative fencing (no smoking)

Now we needed another day off!