Gallivanting Grandma

September 3, Friday – cloudy & hazy and 15 degrees Celsius in the morning.

We were on the road by 11:00 AM and found our way out of Bruges and onto the A-10 Eastbound. The drive to Ghent, Belgium was under an hour, but finding the hotel took a while. We had looked up hotels last night on the Internet and found the NH Gent Belfort Hotel in the center of Ghent and it sounded pretty good.

NH Gent Belfort Hoteles

The directions we had from the Internet said: “Follow the signs to ‘Gent Centrum’ then follow signs for Vrijdagsmarkt P1. Take the 3^rd street on the roundabout: Belfortstraat. Hoteles on right, opposite Stathuis.” Sounded easy enough, but when I read the directions to Jeff as we were driving into Ghent, he said that he thought that “vrijdag” means Friday! Today was Friday and we wondered if that meant a Friday Market! It did! We got caught in market traffic and closed streets, but finally found the NH Gent Belfort Hoteles. Yes, that’s how they spell it! We parked the car and went into the modern lobby to register.

While we were driving into Ghent, we noticed that the city looked a bit gritty and old. We had read some good things about it, but now we weren’t so sure. Our hotel room # 261 immediately changed our opinion of Ghent! It was a huge room with a sitting area with a couch and chairs, a work area with a large desk, a king-sized bed, and still had lots of space to spare. The bathroom was also incredible!  The entire bathroom and closet area measured about 15 ft. by 6 ft. A sliding door led first to a hallway lined with shelves and closets, like a walk-through closet. Two were hanging closets and the others had cube-like shelves. A Nespresso coffeemaker rested on one shelf with ready-to-make coffee pods. A steel safe and mini-bar took up a couple of other shelves, but there was still plenty of space for storage. On the left were two bowl-type sinks and opposite was a huge European bathtub. At the end of the long room was a glass-enclosed shower and to the right was a private section for a toilette. My description doesn’t do the bathroom justice. Neither do my photos!  Please use your imaginations.

After we admired the room and bathroom, we went out to explore Ghent. The morning haze lifted and the sun was shining and it felt a little warmer. Ghent is an old city, and has many new modern buildings mixed in with the medieval ones. It didn’t feel like a tourist town with souvenir shops, but seemed to be full of locals and business people.

We walked down streets lined with old buildings and canals, and admired the architecture. I got into conversation with a young man who lives in Indianapolis, Indiana but who was originally from Bangalore, India. He was touring western Europe on a whirlwind two week vacation.

He told me his philosophy of travelling was similar to the lesson of the Parable of the Frog in the Well. The Frog lived in his well his entire life and thought that his well was the most beautiful and magnificent place in the world. He thought his water was the best and the most wonderful of all. One day he left his well and discovered the outside world and realized that his well was small and limited and not so wonderful. We both agreed that travelling was the best way to expand our personal worlds, see new things, and get to know other people.

Julie’s House Bakery & Tea Shop

We stopped at a charming tea shop called Julie’s House and had a snack of tea & coffee and cheese cake.

Julie’s Cakes

Then we went to the “Castle of the Counts” called Gravensteen.  It was rebuilt in 1180 by Philip of Alsace.

Gravensteen Castle

We took a self-guided tour of the castle and took photos. Besides the governor’s house, the castle was used as a prison for hundreds of years.

The Top of Gravensteen

It looked like it was going to rain, so we hurried back to the hotel to take it easy and avoid the rain. We rested and went out again to see some of the sights in the central part of Ghent.

St. Bavo’s Cathedral – wood & white marble pulpit

We first visited St. Bavo’s Cathedral (Sint-Baafskathedraal). The exterior of the huge church is not impressive, but the interior is amazing and contains several true works of art. Visitors can see the original 12^th century foundation in the underground crypt, but the main part of the cathedral was built in 15^th century. The impressive Rococo-style pulpit was made of oak, gilded-wood, and white marble. There is a major painting by Rubens and the world famous series of panels by Hubert and Jan van Eyck which was completed in 1432.

St. Bavo’s Cathedral

We then walked across to the Belfry. It dates from 1313 and is the proud symbol of the city of Ghent’s independence. Belfrys were important during the Middle Ages because most people were illiterate and the bells chimed the hours of the day.  The Cloth Hall was build onto the side of the Belfry in 1425. We entered and climbed up the circular staircase to the second floor and took the elevator to the top of the Belfry.

When we got off the elevator we saw an ancient mechanical clock and a gigantic cylindrical “music box”. As we were looking at them, the clock clanked and set off the cylinder to turn to play a tune. It was the ancient carillon! It was loud! But what fun to see it actually working!!

View from the top of the Belfry

We found a place for dinner and ate a satisfying meal of waterzooie and tagliatelle with chicken. We had an enjoyable day in Ghent and were ready to move on.

Ghent’s former Post Office now a shopping center

September 2 – Thursday It was sunny with some high clouds, but cool 55 degrees to low 60s

Today was supposed to be our “down day” which means a ‘take it easy day’, but it wasn’t. We have found over years of traveling, that every few days we need a day of rest or else we get burned out.

It’s actually very difficult for us to stop and rest while we’re traveling because we both seem to be driven to keep going. We really have to fight the urge to “see what’s beyond the next corner” and just stop and relax and rest and become renewed before the body gives out.

Our plan today was to see just one thing, then return to the hotel and rest, and then go out later for dinner. In our guide-book under the category of “Tranquil Escapes” was the “Prinselijk Begijnhof ten Wijngaarde” or in English: the Princely Beguinage of the Vineyard. All the Flemish begijnhofen are UNESCO World Heritage sites and since Bruges already has this status, the begijnhofen is pretty special and we thought it would be well worth the visit.

The Begijns were religious women who accepted vows of chastity and obedience, but preferred to earn a living by taking care of the sick, and making and selling lace. The order provided an option for women to live without a husband and children, but without becoming a nun. There were no other options for women at the time. It was founded in 1245 by the Countess Margaret of Constantinople.

There are no more Begijns today, but the Begijnhof is occupied by Benedictine nuns who try to keep the Begijn traditions alive. (Whatever that means!)

We decided to visit the Begijnhof in the morning. It was on the edge of the city near the outer moat and we walked through a different part of Bruges to get there. There is a small museum in one of the houses and the convent’s baroque church is open to visitors.

The guidebook gives this appropriate description: “This beautiful little cluster of 17^th century white-washed houses surrounding a lawn with poplar trees and flowers makes a marvelous escape from the hustle and bustle of the outside world.” This is exactly what the Begijnhof was! It was a beautiful tranquil place within a beautiful historic place…..

We had a cup of tea and relaxed a bit at a corner tea shop. We walked to the outer moat and along the Minnewater (lake) near the train station. We continued to walk and take photographs.

Bruges is a very photogenic city with a lot of character and beautiful historic architecture. We returned to the Navarra Hotel to rest up a little and later went out for dinner.

Earlier I did a Google search to find the best moules et frites restaurant because I wanted really good mussels, and found a restaurant near the Stadhuis (town hall). We walked there and waited a few minutes until they opened at 6:00 PM. We shared a delicious fish soup (vis soep) and I had moule Provencal. Jeff had fried mussels in butter and garlic. After dinner we walked around the central markt and savored our last few hours in Bruges. This is one of Europe’s loveliest and well-preserved medieval cities. It is a delightful city which we both like and want to return to again some day.

September 1 – Wednesday: Sunny & cool

Bruges is a beautiful city and it’s very exciting to be here again. Jeff and I visited Bruges seven years ago, but I wasn’t feeling well and I didn’t see very much of it at the time. Last night, we drove into the medieval city through one of the huge gates. There’s something exciting about entering ancient portals and carefully driving down narrow cobblestone streets. As the guide says, “To step into the old town is to be transported instantly back to the Middle Ages…..” UNESCO recognized the cultural importance of the historic center by awarding it World Heritage status. About 25,000 people live in the “old center” and about another 100,000 people live outside the historic district.

One of the Canals in Bruges

We drove as far into the heart of the city as we could and then luckily found a parking place. It was a little after 6:00 PM and we had to find a hotel for the night. We had parked very close to the center market place and when I looked around, I remembered the location of the hotel we had stayed in seven years ago.

Entrance to the Navarra Hotel

I couldn’t remember the name, but I knew where it was! As we walked there, Jeff remembered it also, and we inquired about a room. Luckily, The Navarra Hotel had a double room for us! It’s a nice, comfortable hotel located just off the central Markt square and near everything. The room is large, by European standards, with a very large modern bathroom. Breakfast and free WiFi are also included.

Street View of the Navarra Hotel

We settled into the Navarra and then went out to walk around a little and to find dinner. The city glowed in the evening light. We chose a small simple restaurant, called Dell’ Arte, near the hotel, and we were surprised by how good our dinner was. I had “chicken waterzooi” which was a delicious thick chicken and potato soup. Jeff had cheese croquettes, Flemish beef stew, Belgium pomme frites and home made ice cream. Afterwards we walked back to the hotel and collapsed!

Wednesday Market

It was bright and sunny and cool this morning! Breakfast was another European treat with excellent coffee! We were eager to go out and enjoy the sunshine. The temperature was cool but refreshing!

Today was Bruges’s Wednesday Market Day and the Markt was full of vendors selling meats, fruit, vegetables, cheeses, chickens, flowers, etcetera.  I wish they had markets at home; they’re a lot of fun!

We decided to just walk and explore the city without any agenda or plan. Then we could enjoy the city and admire the great variety of architectural styles of the buildings and, of course, take photos!

The Fish Market (Vishandeler)

We meandered around and eventually reached the outer moat in the northern part. There really is a water-filled moat surrounding the old historic city. Just outside of the moat is a “ring road” for cars.

Another Canal With a Tourist Boat

Interspersed along the ring road are several huge Medieval “gates” which cross over the moat and allow entry points from the outside. I imagine there must have been a wall originally around the entire city.

Typical Houses in Bruges

There are a lot of tourists in the center of town, but fewer tourists venture out toward the moat. All the streets have cobblestones and bikes and cars clatter along noisily. There is also a series of canals running through the city, so taking a canal boat is a popular tourist activity. For us, just walking the streets and looking at the buildings, and taking photographs, kept us occupied for hours. We stopped twice for cold drinks of iced tea and small snacks, and to rest a while. Bruges is a fun place that we both enjoy a lot!

Near the outer moat there are windmills in several places.  They are on high hills and are made out of wood.  The windmills were probably used to grind grain to make flour.

One of the Windmills Near the Moat

As we returned toward the central Markt, Jeff wanted to buy some chocolate at his favorite chocolatier, Dumon.  He bought 250 grams of dark chocolate-covered orange peels and a small box of assorted chocolates. Then, at about 4:30, we returned to the hotel to rest and take a break and try the chocolates. Dumon chocolates are out of this world!! They are very very delicious….

Later we wanted to go to dinner. I wanted my favorite Belgian meal of “moule et frites” – mussels and fries. I did some research on the Internet and found a highly recommended restaurant, but when we went there, it was closed on Wednesdays. We found another restaurant nearby and I had my mussels, but the sauce was a bit too plain. Oh well, tomorrow I’ll try the other restaurant.  All in all, it was a good day…..

Dumon Chocolates – Yummmm….

August 31^st – Tuesday  19 degrees Celsius/66 degrees Fahrenheit

The sun was shining this morning with big gray & white clouds rolling by.  Holland is so flat that the sky is huge, like a giant dome overhead, that spans from horizon to horizon.

Dutch Windmill

We checked out of the modern Hampshire Hotel in Delft, after breakfast about 10:00 AM, and drove southeast toward Rotterdam. Our destination was Kinderdijk, which means “children’s dike” in Dutch. This is the place where there is the greatest concentration of windmills in all of Holland and they are accessible to tourists.

View of World Heritage Site: Kinderdijk

Kinderdijk is a small modern village just east of Rotterdam where a group of windmills were built to pump out sea water to protect the surrounding land from flooding.

One of the Windmills Built in 1740

According to their brochure people dug the two canals “on their hands and knees” in 1366 to 1369 to discharge excess rain water.  Windmills were later constructed to cope with rising water levels.  The existing windmills were built between 1738 and 1740 to pump out the water.  This is now a UNESCO World Heritage site because the area remains almost unchanged from its original state.

Kinderdijk Windmills

Nowadays, there are modern pumping stations have taken over the function that the windmills used to perform. Kinderdijk has 19 of the old windmills and they form “an impressive symbol of the struggle of the Dutch against the encroaching water.”

Reflection of Windmills

We walked up the canals and took lots of photos of the windmills. We had noticed big dark clouds rolling toward us and when we started to walk back to the car, it started to rain.  We huddled under a linden tree along the canal with a group of tourists because it rained heavily.

Modern Water Pump Station

We were used the rain pattern of starts and stops, so when it let up a little we went back to the parking lot.  We decided to drive east toward the coast of Holland to see what was there.  We avoided Rotterdam because it’s supposed to be a huge shipping port and industrial city.

Oil Refineries Near Rotterdam

Near the Atlantic Ocean, we took the road which goes south through the flat farmlands along the coast. We drove through many many miles of flat farmland.

Flat Dutch Farmland

Our Michelin guide stated that there was a 3-star site along this road and we were curious. This was the Oosterscheldekering or in English the “Eastern Scheldt Storm Serge Barrier”.  This is the largest of a series of 13 dams which were designed to protect the Netherlands from flooding.

We finally reached the Oosterscheldekering and we were amazed!  It is 9 kilometers long and is described as one of the man-made construction wonders of the world.  This is the modern structure which the Dutch use to control the Atlantic Ocean.

Oosterscheldekering Barrier

On our 15 year old map of Holland, there was a picture of a ferry which ran between the peninsula at the end of the road we were on, to the Dutch mainland near Belgium. We had thought that perhaps we might go to Bruges, Belgium (they call it Brugge) if there was time. We arrived at the ferry terminal, in the town of Vlissingen, at about 4:00 PM to discover that the ferry did NOT take cars: only people and bikes! Is there a lesson to be learned about travelling with old maps?! The new Michelin Guide also made no mention of the ferry. We took a break and had something to eat and drink at an outdoor snack bar and tried to plan what to do next.

The People & Bike Ferry in Vlissingen, Holland

We were very discouraged because it was a long ride back to the mainland and around and out to Bruges, Belgium. I decided to ask at the ferry terminal if there was another ferry for cars which goes to the other side, otherwise it would have taken us many hours to drive around.

Chalk one up for the Dutch! What is more reliable and safer and quicker than a ferry? Answer: a tunnel! Of course! The woman at the ferry ticket office suggested the tunnel which was only 10 minutes away. This tunnel was NOT on our 15 year old map…..

The Tunnel

We breezed through the 6.6 kilometer tunnel which went under the water of the Westerschelde between the two peninsulas jutting out into the Atlantic Ocean.  The tunnel ended in the town of Ternenzen, Holland.  Then we followed the signs and road markers to Belgium.

One of the Medieval Gates into Bruges, Belgium

We arrived in Bruges about 6:00 PM. We were tired, but happy that we had made it! Now all we had to do was find a hotel, relax, have dinner, and rest up after a long tiring day…..

Monday August 30th – another windy chilly rainy day!  59 degrees with huge dark clouds rolling in from the west.

I miss the bright sun and warmth of Turkey…..

Breakfast at the Hampshire Hotel was excellent with freshly ground Italian coffee. It had all the usual fresh breakfast buffet offerings, including tomatoes & cucumbers similar to Turkish breakfasts.  However breakfast at the Hampshire Hotel was elevated to a new high level with two chilled bottles of Prosecco standing in a large silver bowl in the corner of the breakfast counter. Champagne glasses stood brightly next to the bowl. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the nerve to try some, but I promised myself I would indulge tomorrow morning. We’ll see…

Delft Market Square Looking at the New Church

It was very windy and the rain starts and stops intermittently every few minutes.  I wanted to finally see the historic city of Delft which is famous for its beautiful tiles and porcelain.  It is also the city where Johannes Vermeer was born and lived his entire life.  There are two major churches and are the famous landmarks in the city of Delft: the Nieuwe Kerk and the Oude Kerk.

The 12th Century Old Church

The New Church was built in 1381 and contains the crypt of the Princes of Orange.  The Old Church is the oldest church in Delft and was built sometime in the 1200s and has a memorial stone dedicated to Johannes Vermeer.

We walked around for a while and had a warm cup of coffee in a cafe which was decorated with old music posters of John Coltrane and Elvis Presley.

A Coffee Shop Selling Coffee, Tea, & Pastries

We stopped into one of the three shops that manufacture real Delft pottery.  A man was glazing some pieces and it was interesting to see the unfinished work.  The woman in the shop told me how to tell real Delft pottery from the many imitations and she said that all the shops in the main square sell imitations.

“De Candelear” Delftware Ceramics Factory

In the afternoon we decided to take a drive to the city of Gouda to find some cheese. The traffic was moderately heavy and the land is very flat.  We reached Gouda in about 30 minutes and found a garage near the ” Markt Centrum”.  We walked to the main square of the city and saw the picturesque Stadhuis in the center.  This is a lovely Gothic town hall which was built in the 15th century.

The Gouda Stadhuis (Town Hall)

Towering over the city are the spires of the huge Sint Janskerk (St. John’s Church).  The guide said that the original church was built in the 13th century but was destroyed by fires three times over the years.  Each time the church was rebuilt, it was extended so that today it is the longest church in the Netherlands.  Saint John’s Church is famous for its stained glass windows which were made in the 1500s, but the church was closed.  We walked around the large church and explored the neighborhood.

St. Janskerk Behind Buildings in Gouda

We had been hoping to find a shop that sold Gouda cheese, or even a cheese maker in Gouda, but there were no cheese shops in the main square.  It was getting late so we decided to return to Delft.  Tomorrow we’re moving on to another city.  We don’t know where, we’ll decide later.  I will continue to write about this trip and post it when I have access to the Internet.  The weather forecasters predicted more sun than rain tomorrow, so we’re hoping for a better day.