Picturesque Bruges and its Lake of Love

Bruges looks like a fairy tale, complete with meandering canals, narrow cobblestone streets, gabled homes, a charming market square and a tranquil Lake of Love, first founded in 1245 by the Countess Margaret of Constantinople.

The tour guide explained that this Countess was a begijns, a religious woman, similar to a nun, in that these women accepted vows of chastity and obedience but preferred to earn a living by looking after the sick and making lace.

These religious women are no longer around and Benedictine Nuns continue the begijns traditions. The beguine courtyard is a tranquil zone and the Lake of Love is a peaceful place to roam and ponder.

Within my tour group, I befriended a gentleman, an avid photographer, from Quebec City no less. We both happened to be trapped in a mostly German group. It didn't take long for both of us to escape and discover Bruges with our lenses in tow.

We meandered through the tranquil oasis of the Lake of Love and its garden and walked the narrow cobblestone roads. Note to self, runners next time to handle the uneven grounds with less plantar pain.

Early afternoon, we took a canal ride along the river to see Bruges through a different angle. The landscape was magical!

We ended our jaunt at the market square, sat at a terrace and savored Belgian beer, as I was still on a mission to try out their other delightful labels. Not sure my luggage can handle these beer bottles! What to do? Perhaps, ship them?

Blessed in Brussels

This Caspian Jewess was blessed today, in a church in Brussels, by a man, with his hands dipped in blessed water which he in turn used to touch my forehead and either shoulders.
The odd part isn't that this man reached out to me, or that I found peace in a church; rather the peculiar thing was more when it happened. I was leaving the church and throngs of people were entering at that same moment. When the last person entered, he stared at me, dipped his fingers in the holy water and began the ritual.

Why?
Did he sense I was a member of another tribe? Did he feel I needed a blessing? Is this customary in a church to enter and bless the person leaving?
One thing for sure, we both held each other's gaze.

With that in mind, I felt blessed for a variety of reasons. I discovered a cute little organic bakery, Le Pain Quotidien, which offered a variety of organic breads and viennoiseries for breakfast in a family style atmosphere. Huge farmer style dining tables, an array of sour cherry jam jars, churned butter and other spreads. It was a great way to mingle with the locals and start up conversation or sit back quietly and read the local paper.

I also feel blessed for being at ease to roam the winding, cobblestone roads map free! It is a great feeling to know that you can make your way in a foreign city. I know some of my friends will be amused with this particular section of the blog, as they know that there are certain zones in my hometown where I require the use of my handy dandy Tom Tom. Perhaps the pedestrian lifestyle is more my calling?

Last but not least, I feel blessed to be in a foodie's paradise, in Brussels. Surrounded by delicious beers, chocolatiers galore, baked goods and waffle central, I am grateful to be car less, and aimlessly walking about to burn some semblance of these delicious calories!