{"id":9813,"date":"2013-12-15T23:53:51","date_gmt":"2013-12-16T05:53:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/holyrover\/?p=9813"},"modified":"2013-12-15T23:53:51","modified_gmt":"2013-12-16T05:53:51","slug":"the-venice-of-the-north","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/holyrover\/2013\/12\/15\/the-venice-of-the-north\/","title":{"rendered":"The Venice of the North"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

\"In
Carriages offer rides through the historic quarter of Bruges (Bob Sessions photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

Before leaving Belgium we need to make a brief visit to Bruges<\/a>, one of the most picturesque cities I\u2019ve ever visited. Remember how I told you that the Belgium city of Leuven is pronounced in two ways? Bruges is the same way. If you\u2019re a French-speaking Belgian it\u2019s Broozh<\/em>; if you speak Flemish it\u2019s Broo-gah<\/em>. Whatever way you pronounce it, it\u2019s gorgeous.<\/p>\n

\"IMG_7141\"
Boat tours wind their way through the canals of Bruges (Bob Sessions photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Alas, that\u2019s part of the problem in Bruges, which reminds me of a celebrity who\u2019s mobbed by paparazzi wherever she goes. Even in November, Bruges was full of tourists, and in the height of summer I\u2019m sure it\u2019s even more crowded. But don\u2019t let that keep you away, for even surrounded by gawkers, she is one extraordinary beauty.<\/p>\n

Bruges became a major trading port in the 13th<\/sup> century, growing wealthy from international trade. But by 1500 its connection to the North Sea had silted in, cutting it off from its most lucrative industry. Bruges settled into sleepy decline, its medieval buildings spared destruction because so few people were interested in living there.<\/p>\n

\"In
The Beguine Museum preserves a typical home of the Beguine religious community in Bruges. (Bob Sessions photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It wasn\u2019t until the late-nineteenth century that the outside world rediscovered Bruges, drawn by its time-capsule vibe. With its cobblestone streets, cozy brick cottages, grand public buildings, and clip-clopping carriages, the city is a delight for the eyes. Most charming are the canals that thread through the historic district, waterways that give Bruges the title of Venice of the North.<\/p>\n

One of the most peaceful places in the city owes its existence to those indomitable Beguines that I told you about a couple of posts ago. Founded in 1245, the Bruges Begijnhof<\/a> is now home to a group of Benedictine nuns who worship in the Church of the Beguinage. Next to the church is the Beguine Museum, located in a former Beguine house. Its spare interior gives a sense for the daily lives of these women who took vows of simplicity and service. Outside, the enclosed courtyard to the Begijnhof exudes tranquility, making its \u201csilence\u201d signs seem superfluous.<\/p>\n

\"Statue
Statue of Mary and an angel in the Church of Our Lady in Bruges (Bob Sessions photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

From the Begijnhof we went exploring, fortified by some Belgian chocolates purchased from a quaint shop (hey, it\u2019s research<\/i>). Next stop was the Church of Our Lady<\/a>, which is famous for having one of the few Michelangelo statues to have left Italy during his lifetime (those wealthy Bruges burghers had plenty of money to throw around). Unfortunately the church is under renovation and so we weren\u2019t able to see its most important treasure, but I was quite taken by the more modern representation of Mary and an angel that you can see at right. It\u2019s a curious statue in many ways: the angel is smaller than Mary, for one thing, and seems tentative in his approach to her. Her face and body are bisected by a line, perhaps indicating the two-fold nature of the child she carries. \u00a0I stood in front of it for a long time, pondering.<\/p>\n

But an even grander church is located on the town\u2019s central square. The Basilica of the Holy Blood<\/a> is a gilded wonder that houses a relic brought back from Jerusalem in 1150 from the Second Crusade: a vial said to contain some of Christ\u2019s blood.<\/p>\n

As regular readers of this blog know, I have an extremely high tolerance for unusual religious sites, so I was delighted to see the church and also the relic, which is displayed reverently on a pillow at certain times of the week (we got the chance to see it\u2013it looks like a vial of dried blood). The upstairs chapel is exuberantly neo-Gothic in style, with an ornate altar and brilliantly colored stained glass windows. This is just the sort of thing that horrified my Protestant ancestors, but we don\u2019t all have to worship in Quaker meetinghouses, do we? And if that vial helps someone have an experience of the holy, it doesn\u2019t make any difference if it came from Jerusalem or a local blood bank.<\/p>\n

\"IMG_7245\"
The Basilica of the Holy Blood\u2019s neo-Gothic altar in Bruges, Belgium (Bob Sessions photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Let me close by telling you about my favorite part of our visit to Bruges. After being surrounded by crowds much of the day, my son Carl and Bob and I had a late dinner and emerged afterwards into nearly deserted streets. A light rain was falling, and we walked back to the train station past buildings lit with sparkling lights, their reflections shimmering in the waters of the canals. It was easy to imagine the people who had once taken this same path before us: medieval tradesmen, ship captains coming back from lengthy voyages, wealthy burghers and their wives dressed in silks, and Beguines in modest dress on their way to tend to the sick.<\/p>\n

It was really quite magical and I mentally thanked all those people who had thoughtfully vacated the city so we could have it to ourselves.<\/span><\/p>\n

Many popular destinations are like this, I think. You go to Rome or Paris and may well be disappointed to be surrounded by picture-snapping tourists (even though you\u2019re one of them). But if you\u2019re patient and lucky, you will get a brief respite when the crowds thin, the light shifts, and suddenly the city reveals its inner character to you.<\/p>\n

We had such an experience in Bruges that night as we strolled along its canals, marveling at the beauty that surrounded us. I don\u2019t know what to think about the authenticity of that relic in the Basilica of the Holy Blood, but I do know this: Bruges is authentically entrancing, especially on a misty night when the past doesn\u2019t seem past at all.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Before leaving Belgium we need to make a brief visit to Bruges, one of the most picturesque cities I\u2019ve ever visited. Remember how I told you that the Belgium city of Leuven is pronounced in two ways? Bruges is the same way. If you\u2019re a French-speaking Belgian it\u2019s Broozh; if you speak Flemish it\u2019s Broo-gah. 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