Before I forget, here’s a picture I meant to include in yesterday’s post. This was just one part of the parking lot at the main Ghent train station.
Driving into Bruges wasn’t bad as we found a park and ride about 3 1/2 km from city center. Of course, the bus into town only came once an hour (we didn’t know that until we got there) but we only waited about 15 minutes on the way in and about 10 on the way out. And, I didn’t have to deal with finding parking in a town filled with pedestrian only streets.
The main square is called Market Square and has held a weekly market since 985. It’s been pedestrian only since 1995, at least it was until I drove through it in 2018. We were trying to leave the city and I took a wrong turn and drove right through the square and a pedestrian street trying to find my way back to the main road. Oops.
Here’s a video of the entire square.
The one church I went into was one we missed in 2018, the Basilica of the Holy Blood.
The church is most known for having a vial of what is supposed to be the blood of Christ. The vial was brought to Bruges from Constantinople after the 2nd crusades in the middle of the 12th century. Even though there is no verification for, or against, its authenticity, the vial is a big part of religious life in Bruges.
Then we stopped in at the Town Hall to see the Gothic Hall. The large room, which has been in its present state since the late 19th century, is filled with beautiful murals. This is where the Bruges city council still meets.
Just outside the town hall was a wonderful street performer.
We wandered the streets a little…
Finally ending up at the Frites Museum. I have to say, the Belgians have a little inferiority complex going on with the whole who invented frites issue. Their story is that they were invented in Belgium but got them name “French fries” during WWI, when a French speaking Belgian (about 43% of the population of Belgium speaks French, about 1% speak German and the rest speak Flemish or Dutch), gave “chips” to an American GI telling him they came from his country. Hearing the French, the American assumed the country was France and French fries were born.
There was even a sign board explaining how Belgian Fries began.
One of the exhibits had a couple of singing frites. If you listen closely, you can hear them sing, “we’re not French”.
The museum had lots of info about potatoes. For example, did you know the potato originated from Peru? Yeah, I didn’t either. There were lots of different displays and explanation boards.
The chip making world record holder is Belgian. In 2019, he made over 2600 kg (over 5700 pounds) of chips in 126 hours and 15 minutes, smashing the previous record, also held by a Belgian.
Of course, the best part of the museum was in the basement where we got to eat frites. We decided it was as good a place as any to eat our lunch, so we had our sandwiches while we waited for our frites to be ready.
On our way back to the bus station we passed a few more interesting things.
Marzipan.
And, of course, chocolate.
Today, we stopped and bought a few pieces to bring home.
It was an early day but it’s nice to relax a bit. Tomorrow, we’re staying in Ghent to explore the old town. The tram is only about 3 blocks from our flat. It should be a nice, easy day.