Saturday's trip was to Bruges... what an incredible city. Every time I turned around there was a breathtaking piece of artwork to photograph-- a building, a street lamp, a statue. It is a fairy tale city with the most intricate, whimsical details... even their trees are gorgeous, twisted artwork...
Everything about Bruges demands attention and reverence; it was overwhelming and beautifully intoxicating. We went through a few museums, much much faster than I would have liked, but there's time to return. I just know those who visit me will love this city. I can't wait to go back.
Just before I gave my oral presentation for class, we all climbed this incredible belfry.
Think of the stairs in a lighthouse, how tightly coiled and steep they are, then multiply that by oh, I don't know, a million. More like a trillion. It was so intense. (I really wish I could have taken a photo of the tower's interior but it was like a flipping race to get to the top.)
Yeah, that's about right. On some parts of the trek, there was a railing but it was more or less a rope you had to hang on to so you didn't get vertigo and tumble down. Near the top, the steps were more of a ladder-- that's how steep they were. Good god. It was intense, and I sound like a wuss, but it was intimidating. The view from the top was well worth it... see for yourself:
Needless to say after the hike down, I was disoriented. Don't worry, I was still able to deliver my stimulating presentation on the Medieval Wool Cloth Industry.
We went through some cathedrals as well. Stained glass... oooh....
The canals and rivers, which I hope to explore more on the next visit, basically make Bruges the Venice of Belgium. I didn't get to see too much of the city-canals, but here is some water to prove I'm not lying.
Those of you with Facebook-- I posted a lot a lot a lot of shots up there (I went through two sets of batteries for my camera on this trip alone!) so feel free to check them out. This here is just a small taste of one of the most unbelievable cities I've ever seen.Upcoming Tuesday looks promising... this is on the agenda. Oranges, anyone?
Other upcoming trips include Ghent and Amsterdam... I'm not posting in this thing nearly as much as I anticipated but hopefully these small updates are to your liking.
Hope all is well! I miss you guys very much.
Love,
Lauren
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