From my community campsite on the coastal town of Grand-Fort-Philippe, I rode up to Dunkirk to see the beaches. When looking at those beautiful beaches and the lovely town of Dunkirk, it is so hard to imagine the turmoil and horror of 85 years ago.
Riding north I also visited Bruges. It was around 75k away and took less than an hour. In the ‘old’ centre, parking is very limited, and you either need a permit or be lucky to find a small car park where you pay by the hour. The traffic wardens also seemed to be quite active. One of the beautiful things about having two wheels is that you can get away with parking on pavements, or in alleyways, or spare bits of ground. I was lucky that I managed to find a space near the cetre in an alleyway – next to other motorbikes and mopeds.
I’ve never been to Bruges before and I fell in love with the place. With its narrow streets and beautiful buildings, I now understand why so many people want to visit. It’s especially thought provoking when you see buildings still being used as houses or shops that were built in 1500’s – when Elizabeth 1st was still on the throne and the Black Death was rife in London. Or when you see a small enclave of buildings still being used which were built in 1776, the year when the Declaration of Independence was signed in America.
I also visited two wonderful churches. The Church of Our Lady was built in the 13th century and it is beautiful. What’s so impressive is the beauty of all the original altars, confessionals, chapels plus a stunning Rococo pulpit that seems to just hover in the air. The Pilgrims church is also another gem. In the middle ages churches did not have the white walls they have today; they were decorated and painted with bold colours and frescos depicting religious themes. And in the Pilgrims church it is still decorated as it would have been in the 14th century. Also, if you get there between 12 and 2pm they show a piece of cloth which is supposed to bear the blood of Jesus. I didn’t queue for that as I was too busy marvelling at the artwork.
Walking around Bruges and seeing all the wonderful architecture and the winding canals makes me want to come back for more. Not in summer though, as I expect it would be too busy. It’s October now and there are still plenty of tourists, but probably a lot less than summer – but that didn’t stop me going to a chocolate bar and having a large cup of hot cocoa and a chocolate covered waffle. If you like chocolate, come to Bruges…
