北美生活
Live life to the fullest
正文
Only one hour train ride from Brussels took us to Brugge, a beautiful city northwest of Brussels. The trip didn't start out smoothly.
First, we couldn't find which train goes to Brugge from the giant electronic departure board. We had to ask a local for help. It turned out that riding InterCity train is kind of like riding subway. You need to look for the name of the final destination for the train on departure board, find the platform, then go to the platform and look at its monitor, to confirm that your destination is one of the stops for the train.
Second, you had to pay (50 cents/person) to use the bathroom at Brugge train station (and later in the city too). I don't care how much it is. I just don't like that idea in principal.
Third, Brugge TI office didn't give free map. We had to buy it (50 cents) from a machine outside of the TI office which happened to be broken. It took my coin but didn't give me any map. I had to wait in line for the TI office and tell them that. Then they gave me a map. After that everything was fine.
1. Brugge train station. There was a Carrefour Express at the train station (and later just off Market Square too). It is really convenient for getting water, pastry etc.
2. Near Begijnhof.
So what is a Begijnhof? According to Wikipedia: "Begijnhof is a collection of small buildings used by Beguines. These were various lay sisterhoods of the Roman Catholic Church, founded in the 13th century in the Low Countries, comprising religious women who sought to serve God without retiring from the world."
Wait a minute, what are "Low Countries"? In short answer, Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg are been called "Low Countries" because much of their land is either below sea level or just slightly above it.
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7. Market Square, the heart of the city.
8. Belfry, a medieval bell tower, at Market Square. We didn't feel like climbing (366 steps), so I can't tell you how it looks from inside.
9. A nice courtyard at the Belfry.
10. City Hall at Burg Square, which is very close to Market Square.
11. A cute ice cream van parked at Burg Square.
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14. Look at that balcony.
15. Dave thought it is funny that Laundromat is called either 'Wash Club' or 'Wash Casino' here.
16. On the east edge of the city, along the canal, there are four windmills.
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22. Back at Market Square where we saw this guy and his well traveled bike posing for pictures for donation.
23. Turns out he is Vladimir A. Yarets from Minsk, Belarus who wants to enter the Guinness Book of records as the only deaf & mute individual who has traveled all the former Soviet Union, Europe, Africa, Australia and the Americas on a motorcycle.
24. He has been doing this for 12 years, 380,000+ km traveled. This is his third bike since he started. He is 71 years old. Amazingly I think he actually looks younger than that.
25. Saw this cute scooter on our way back to the train station.
26. and this ...
27. and this.
(To be continued)
First, we couldn't find which train goes to Brugge from the giant electronic departure board. We had to ask a local for help. It turned out that riding InterCity train is kind of like riding subway. You need to look for the name of the final destination for the train on departure board, find the platform, then go to the platform and look at its monitor, to confirm that your destination is one of the stops for the train.
Second, you had to pay (50 cents/person) to use the bathroom at Brugge train station (and later in the city too). I don't care how much it is. I just don't like that idea in principal.
Third, Brugge TI office didn't give free map. We had to buy it (50 cents) from a machine outside of the TI office which happened to be broken. It took my coin but didn't give me any map. I had to wait in line for the TI office and tell them that. Then they gave me a map. After that everything was fine.
1. Brugge train station. There was a Carrefour Express at the train station (and later just off Market Square too). It is really convenient for getting water, pastry etc.
2. Near Begijnhof.
So what is a Begijnhof? According to Wikipedia: "Begijnhof is a collection of small buildings used by Beguines. These were various lay sisterhoods of the Roman Catholic Church, founded in the 13th century in the Low Countries, comprising religious women who sought to serve God without retiring from the world."
Wait a minute, what are "Low Countries"? In short answer, Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg are been called "Low Countries" because much of their land is either below sea level or just slightly above it.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7. Market Square, the heart of the city.
8. Belfry, a medieval bell tower, at Market Square. We didn't feel like climbing (366 steps), so I can't tell you how it looks from inside.
9. A nice courtyard at the Belfry.
10. City Hall at Burg Square, which is very close to Market Square.
11. A cute ice cream van parked at Burg Square.
12.
13.
14. Look at that balcony.
15. Dave thought it is funny that Laundromat is called either 'Wash Club' or 'Wash Casino' here.
16. On the east edge of the city, along the canal, there are four windmills.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22. Back at Market Square where we saw this guy and his well traveled bike posing for pictures for donation.
23. Turns out he is Vladimir A. Yarets from Minsk, Belarus who wants to enter the Guinness Book of records as the only deaf & mute individual who has traveled all the former Soviet Union, Europe, Africa, Australia and the Americas on a motorcycle.
24. He has been doing this for 12 years, 380,000+ km traveled. This is his third bike since he started. He is 71 years old. Amazingly I think he actually looks younger than that.
25. Saw this cute scooter on our way back to the train station.
26. and this ...
27. and this.
(To be continued)
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