Bruges, Belgium

Riding in Belgium is almost as easy as riding in Holland. One crucial difference is that in Holland, the bike paths are given names and numbers -- in Belgium, in contrast, only the intersections between bike paths are numbered. Until I figured this out, we spent a lot of time staring at maps wondering why we were going in circles chasing a bike path that seemed to have a different label depending on which way you approached it from!



One of our first stops in Belgium was a town called Brugges. This is a historic city that looks like it is stuck in the 13th century. The 13th century did have tourist shops, chip stands, and those little trains that take tourists around the city, right? Actually it is a magnificent city and has been named a UNESCO heritage site for its unique bellfry, seen at left.











It is also ringed by very pretty canals, which made us wish we had a punt (see Cambridge blog entry). Actually it didn't, it made us wish we had those big tricycles that float. Much more secure that standing on a narrow little boat, even if a bit less elegant.






It also had a very pretty windmill on a hill: