Bruges: Day Seven and Eight

Looks like a good morning for a road trip.

 

We drove two and a half hours into Bruges Belgium today.
(anybody see the movie)  haha    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruges

 

 

The infamous tower from the movie "In Bruges."  There are 366 steps and it was built in 12th century

   

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	This church was built in 1157. It is one of the 16 Catholic Churches in the city of Bruges.

"The Basilica of the Holy Blood (Dutch: Heilig-Bloedbasiliek, French: Basilique du Saint-Sang) is a Roman Catholic minor basilica in Bruges, Belgium. Originally built in the 12th century as the chapel of the residence of the Count of Flanders, the church houses a venerated relic of the Holy Blood allegedly collected by Joseph of Arimathea and brought from the Holy Land by Thierry of Alsace, Count of Flanders. Built between 1134 and 1157, it was promoted to minor basilica in 1923.
The 12th-century basilica is located in the Burg square and consists of a lower and upper chapel. The lower chapel dedicated to St. Basil the Great is a dark Romanesque structure that remains virtually unchanged. The venerated relic is in the upper chapel, which was rebuilt in the Gothic style during the 16th century and renovated multiple times during the 19th century in Gothic Revival style."

 

What was once the Provincial Palace has been the post office since 1887.

Bruges is famous for their mussels, beer and waffles.  I

did two out of three. :-)

Not sure what this is, but it is a cool statue.

She is reading a book.

  These were in a Bruges canal. In 1488, Maximilian of Austria was imprisoned by the citizens of Bruges, and his advisor was beheaded. When Maximilian was freed, he ordered Bruges to keep swans in its canals in perpetuity as a punishment for the crime of imprisoning him.

 

We found the coolest hostel bar, "Charlie Rockets." (Rob said he had the best beer of the trip here, St. Augestines).

Belgium Waffles - duh

No words necessary.

The tower can be seen from anywhere in the city.

Another secret find

I bought a few gifts in this shop :-)

The canal near our hotel.

We stumbled into this secret courtyard.

No alcohol involved, honest

 

The smallest bridge in Belgium. My brother said the allies must have saved it to  keep the supply line open.  haha

Amsterdam: Day five and six

Day Five:

Having a drink in a pub that served its first pint in 1630

My favorite book tunnel.  It is lined with booksellers at ends on Monet's Bridge.  It is near the University of Amsterdam

Busy day on the canals.  The sun was out all day and the city was alive with picnics and boat trips.

Rembrandt's House.  He purchased the house for 1300 Guilders and lost it when he could not make the payments.  The house and all its contents were taken from him.

The Kitchen

Main living quarter with his bed

 

The bed seems so small. He must have been a tiny man.

 

Front door (out of focus)

This was thought to be his wife's room.

He had many assistants mixing paints.  can you imagine how difficult it would have been to create the same blue pigment for  a large painting http://www.amsterdam.info/museums/rembrandthuis/

 

Day Six

This is a Jewish Memorial to the thousands of Jewish residents deported to concentration camps.
There were thought to be fewer than 6000 left at the end of the war.

Spanish  Tapas Bar

 

The Rijks

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rijksmuseum

oo

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

This church is in the Red Light District.  It is also the burial place of Rembrandt's wife. It was built in 1213. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oude_Kerk_(Amsterdam)

Weird mushrooms growing out of this floor stone

Floor Stone for Rembrandt's wife

Rembrandt's wife and her tomb

This was above a door in the funky part of the city near the train station. Very Cool!

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Old Bar that that is full of religious icons.

Sexy tram face on the way home.

 

Tomorrow we head off the Bruges.