Brugge

Brugge is a great town. Not all lace, chocolate, and beer but there's enough. Not too big. Great broodje shops with a wide variety of inexpensive food to explore - the restaurants on the square, though, are another story expense-wise. Cheap parking (park at the train station for 2.50€ a day and get a free bus ride downtown and back). Interesting buildings everywhere. Prettier canals than Amsterdam. No wonder it's filled with British tourists. Sigh.

This is most of the bike rack at the train station.
There's probably 2000 bikes parked there.

Belgians in Indiana are famous for raising pigeons but this is the only cote we've seen in Belgium.

Michelangelo's Madonna and Child.

Spitting horse rude fountain.

Permanent transom window - not just for October.

Not a flood, just a fancy boat house.

Brugge was a lace town and it's still being sold to tourists although most everything is made in China. Here's some examples from stores and museums.

Strictly for tourists.

The Lace Center in Brugge is the best we've seen. There's a small display of antique lace (but with absolutely no information) but the highlight is the "demonstration" room where a local club of bobbin lace makers spend their afternoons making lace. They invite you to watch, talk to you, explain what they are doing, and do impressive work.

The density of weave on this piece is astounding (detail below).
It's too fine to be seen with the naked eye.

A really detailed piece. The pins on the border support the work as it goes.

Chantilly lace - black silk.

While we're on the subject of lace, Terry went to the Costume and Lace Museum in Brussels and was very impressed. Cameras weren't allowed.

There were approximately 150 examples of Brussels hand made lace in good to excellent shape. There is no such thing as Brussels hand made lace being created anymore as the last Belgian lace makers closed down between the 2 world wars. It was replaced with machine made lace. Yes, there is imitation and basic laces being made for the many souvenir shops, but it is being made by low-wage countries (the same way handmade quilts are). What was in this museum were examples of the real thing - beautiful handmade Brussels lace. The examples are from as early as the 17th century. When you pay to go through the exhibits you are given a 22-page explanation of the exhibits with lots of interesting information about lace in general. I learned lots about types of lace and how it was used. For instance Chantilly lace (a term I've heard a lot but didn't know anything about) is "continuous thread bobbin lace made of silk, usually black, rarely white. It has transparent motifs created in half stitch."

In addition to the lace samples there were old pattern books on display and examples of the actual paper patterns used to form the lace. Lace on display included evening skirts, ruffs, bridal dress and veil, shawls, fans, altar clothes, flounces, and more. They even had some early portraits showing the subjects wearing lace. Even the lace in the portraits was breathtaking with lots of detail showing. Sure wish I could have shared pictures with you. This was one museum that was definitely worth the price of admission (and only 3€).