September 15, 2012
Day 119: Brugge to Middelkerke, Belgium
We of course have made a point of stopping at every bakery we can find in Europe (pretty much). So when we found that the camping at Brugge had a bread and pastry bakery machine, we naturally had to give it a go. Actually what is was was just a free standing vending machine. It was very sophisticated, though, with a touch screen display of what is currently available in the machine and a complex mechanism that retrieves your request. Of course “behind” the machine is a real bakery, and this is where the real revelation came. The croissants and pains au chocolat that we bought were both reasonably priced and excellent. What it meant was that we have now cycled close enough to France for bakery to again be excellent. We would soon find out just how true that observation was.
We said goodbye to two new friends we had made at the camping, wishing them well as they cycled now to Antwerp.
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We then hopped on a road that would intersect the Brugge ring road. There we crossed the canal and passed through one of the old city gates.
Passing through this gate was like entering another world. I often think that Walt Disney could not have dreamed up a more perfect city than some of the places we have been in. This was a place like that. The narrow cobbled street we started on was lined with unique and old buildings. Perhaps because it was Saturday, there were market tables and stalls along the way. No moving cars marred the experience. We soon came on a bakery, and bought a raisin bun, just for research purposes. Superb! Good bakery continues to mystify me. The same ingredients, more or less, can be turned to junk or to art depending on the skill of the baker. In Brugge, they have the skill.
The street then turned up first one, then many, lace stores. First one, then many, chocolate stores. Down every side street was a picture postcard scene, and we knew that each turn of the street would bring more wonderful sights straight ahead.
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So we half expected but were still blown away when we turned one more corner and came upon the Stadhuis (City Hall). The building was covered with carvings, and highlighted with gold.
Next door was something we had read about: the Basilica of the Holy Blood. Apparently they have a vial containing some of Christ’s blood. We are not sure of the details of how they got it and how much blood there is, etc., and lack the internet right now to find out. However we were delighted to see from a sign out front that the ceremony of veneration of the blood was about to begin. We entered the Basilica and found truly, the most beautifully decorated religious building that we have seen so far. The entire interior is painted in a most becoming way.
We took seats before a “throne”, with about thirty other people. An elderly woman appeared, and seated herself before the relic. She addressed the people in four languages, and as far as I could hear, spoke each perfectly. She invited anyone who wanted to come forward one by one, to touch the relic, and make any private prayer they wished. Dodie did, and reports that while she did not feel any specific spiritual emanations, she did feel the weight of years of belief. She came away moved by the experience. The wonders of the town continued to flow, as we finally entered the market square. On one side is the Church of Our Lady, with its enormously high gothic tower. This tower is higher (much higher) than the one in Damme or in Zierikzee. This time, though, we did not take the time to climb it.
Our city pamphlet tells us we are also missing some swell museums. To name a few, they are the folklore museum, the fries (French) museum, the chocolate museum, the lace museum, the Picasso museum, the diamond museum, and the Salvatore Dali display!
On another side of the square is the Provincial Palace, a huge and imposing building. Also fronting the square are a variety of highly decorative buildings from the 1600’s. In front of many of the buildings are restaurants with outdoor seating. We like these, because we can put our bikes nearby and keep an eye on them.
At the first one we chose, we placed our bikes near the tables and a waiter came and told us to put our bikes in the racks, somewhere across the street. He claimed we would be blocking car traffic where we had them. Since the road was closed to cars, we told him to go to hell, and moved to the next café.
The next café was the Craenenburg. The building has been there from before 1305, and received its name from the family that lived there at that time. It has been a restaurant for the last 100 years. At the Craenenburg, it became clear again that we are back in the land of fine cuisine. Our dishes were superb. And we took a gamble and ordered pancake with strawberry. We got loads of fresh strawberries atop a perfectly made pancake, and sprinkled with powdered sugar. Then the cappuccinos – the whole thing was perfection, and we had it in the shadow of that huge tower, with caleches drawn by Belgian horses opposite, in front of the Palace!
Opposite the Basilica we had found our first Belgian chocolate shop, the Chocolaterie de Burg. The owner Marleen Mahenhout has been in the business a long time, but still retains a passion for it. This was plain to see as we spoke to her, and as she spoke to other customers. Her chocolates are works of art, and the shop is a pleasure to be in. We bought a box, and stashed them in a pack for later.
On leaving the Craenenburg, we came upon another shop, Chocolatier Dumon. It’s a unique little building, obviously very old. There we got a few more examples of the Belgian chocolates. Mine were one of those multi-coloured brown and white ones (in the shape of a flower bud), and a chocolate cherry. Maybe it was the ambiance of the street, maybe I was still high on the cappuccino, maybe I am just exaggerating, but that chocolate cherry was the most intense chocolate experience I can remember. How do you describe flavour and texture? What is truly the highest quality? Don’t know, really, but this was it!
From there we headed toward the northern gate, continuing to marvel at the sights to left and right. Once through the gate, though, the city reverted to “normal”, causing us to muse, as usual, about what is wrong with modern architects and city planners.
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Our scheme was to take the shortest route to the coast in hopes of picking up the LF1a as soon as possible. We arrived there, at Blankenberge, to find quite a scene. The coast is lined with a solid row of apartment complexes, in front of which is a beach with restaurants, beach huts, and swarms of people. We wove our way through the people, making slow progress, and no sign of LF1a. Eventually we got on a road and used the bike path beside to head for Oostende, the next major town in the direction of Dunkirk. At one point we did find an LF sign, but soon one with an ambiguous direction arrow lead us away, and we continued beside a major road.
We had only left Brugge around 2, and now cruised along quite smartly to make up time. Still, it was getting late, and we began to look for any signs leading to camping. No luck. Finally, north of Oostende we asked a couple about camping, and they said there was only something perhaps 10 km back and 10 km forward. However they offered to lead us part of the way forward, taking a short cut through Oostende. The couple was Miet and Eddy De Groof, and since they knew the city well were able to lead us on a route we would never have found on our own. Finally they pointed us down a bike path and told us where we would find Camping Zeester, which they recommended.
We did find the camping, which has a bakery, snack bar, and restaurant as well. At 10:30 we are sitting in the restaurant, with reasonably priced internet, and no sign they will throw us out. One thing though, we had told ourselves we would not camp again where the registration person jumps on a bike to show us to our spot. However when it is getting dark already, you make allowances. We had to bike back to this nice restaurant table (and shower block) from our tent!
Watch for photos of all this, hopefully coming soon!
Today's ride: 55 km (34 miles)
Total: 6,316 km (3,922 miles)
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