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Day 38, 20 July 2014, Bruges, Belgium. For the first time in quite a few days I got to sleep under a quilt - A massive storm came through during the night and I went to sleep watching lightening and listening to rain pouring down. Awesome. Woke up so refreshed and listened to Madonna singing "Get into the Groove..." in the breakfast room - which of course became "Get into the Bruges..."! So I did. Took a heading and tootled into town for a look a the flea market on the Djiver. Only a couple of things that could have possibly tempted me... otherwise just a method of parting tourists from euros. Though in the past druids gathered here and the water was considered holy, these days it's just a fab spot for photos of little boats. To get a dose of culture to start the day I headed into the Groeninge Museum for a crash course in the Flemish primitives from the 15th C all the way to current artists. Very informative, some stunning masterpieces by Jan van Eyck and Memling and air-conditioning in which to enjoy it all. Next stop? More by default than anything because it was a combined ticket, the Arentshuis next door featuring Belgian-born British artist Frank Brangwyn - learning something new everyday. When I get to the UK I suspect I'll notice his work everywhere. Next stop - a Picasso to Miro exhibit at St John's Hospital. Glad it was included in the pass because it was definitely not worth €8, but I'm very fortunate to have seen enough works by Picasso, Renoir, Monet, Toulouse-Lautrec etc to be fussy. Time was moving along so I had to too - next stop Diamant Museum Bruges. If you like something, learn about it I reckon and this place features some interesting history exhibits - but the highpoint was the daily diamond polishing show which was fascinating. Very fiddly business cutting and polishing rocks from the core of the earth - who'da thunk it. Following the show I headed to the top floor to see an exhibition of jewellery covering 30 years of the HRD Antwerp Awards - 'the Oscars' of jewellery design. Wow. There was some out there stuff up there. Particularly liked some brooches incorporating porcupine quills and diamonds - saw these used in jewellery in Africa and they are finicky things to work with, so even more impressive. Next stop... The Bruges Historium - which is in theory a multi-sensory trip back in time to Bruges in 1435 based around a fictional story using the characters in a Jan van Eyck painting. For €11 in actual cash - thankfully included in the Bruges Pass, because it wouldn't have kept a challenged child amused. BUT the view over the Markt (big square, centre of Bruges) was fabulous and I do love a view. All that sightseeing had worked up an appetite and I finally gave in and invested in a serve of Belgian Frites from one of the two green mobile chippies in front of the Belfry (a tradition since 1897). Every two years the chip makers tender for the right to stand on this spot and the highest bidder wins the contract. Not bad for a plate of chips. I sat in the courtyard of the Belfry and watched the fit, keen types getting ready to climb the 366 narrow, winding steps to the viewing platform. Positively tuckered out just thinking about it. Lucky I had my fries. I figured I had one more tourist attraction in me, and since it was right there I headed into the Salvador Dali expo in the Belfry (ground floor). That done ('nuff said?) I considered heading home for a rest - before chuffing off on a self-guided walking tour of a part of the centre I hadn't yet seen - taking the long way home. Including the Te Beurz inn where the business folk used to do their business, trade securities etc etc... The name of the inn has of course passed into several languages as the name for a stock exchange - the Bourse in France and Borsa in Italian. I've seen too much on my strolls around Bruges to write or remember it all... but have noted some highlights in the photos from along the way. Enjoy.
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James Hardie Hi Babe, you are doing so well the pass, is almost over, love James