Bruges is the Dutch word for bridges, and on this second visit we saw some of them first hand on a canal tour.
6357 Bridge & Swans
There’s a story about the swans in this epic pic too. But in the excitement to share pix from the canal tour I’ve jumped ahead. Our day began after B&B breakfast, walking into town on back alleys where we paused at this flower shop.
6322 Bloom
Next door was an interesting facade with heart shapes in teardrop-shaped stained glass windows. Bas relief faces were inset in the brickwork, including two on the curved brick snake shapes above those windows. Out of frame in this pic were more faces and another pair of windows identical except for being upside down. I wonder what the faces, heart and teardrop shapes connoted when this was built.
6333 Forgotten Meanings?
The town square was already buzzing by the time we’d wandered our way through quiet neighborhoods outside the main attractions and tour routes.
115021 Another Path
We’ve gone on a few tours over the years and enjoyed them. Still, rather than waiting to be led and learning interesting facts soon forgotten, it was wonderful to just follow our whims and sniff out enigmas. That said, having dreamed of it since our first visit long before, the canal tour was Job One for this day! So we stood in that line. In contrast with the unstructured rhythm of wandering, we stood looking around in detail and enjoyed that intro to being one of those people in the structured tour.
131545 Outside In
Soon we were in a boat watching counterparts approaching in theirs, having been where we were going.
132707 Back & Forth
On this brief tour we passed beneath countless bridges. Probably a small fraction of the total number in the city of Bruges.
6346 One Bridge At A Time
Each of the bridges is different, all are interesting, and they accentuate the variety of buildings.
6366 Centuries of Architecture
Venice of course has plenty of canals and bridges, and like there some of the buildings have boat access and docks built in.
6379 Water Portal
The age and style of buildings covers a wide range, even here in the core of the ancient city.
6385 Tudor?
The colors of buildings differs too, though far less than contemporary cities. Here most are shades of red and white, presumably originating with brick and stucco.
6417 Colors
Mossy bridges, stepped roof facades and spires all combine for the Bruges look and feel.
6453 Bruges Harmony
Entranced by the canal tour, we set off on foot again and chanced upon Roman ruins next to one of the cathedrals.
6475 Layers of Time
The streets lead in many directions, each beckoning with fascinations changing with time and season.
6492 Different Journeys
One choice we made was going into a church overflowing with art and architecture going back into faded history.
6529 Once New
There’s a Michelangelo sculpture of Madonna & Child there that’s not included in the extensive portion of the building with free admission. Though we did pay (both to see it and to support the massive maintenance budget), aside from the intriguing story it lacks for us the artistry of his Pietà. Somehow I was more captivated by this gated room.
6531 Still
Rather than add more of our 300-some pix from that day, I’ll close with this one that for me captures a sense of the quiet timelessness infused in the people of Bruges amid their millions of wired visitors.
6594 Woman & Wayfarers
John & Anne Wiley 
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