Bruged and Broken

This past weekend's travels took me to the rustic little town of Bruges, Belgium (For those of you who are wondering, the "g" in "Bruges" is like the second "g" in "garage," making my title awesome and perfect.)

My Europe guide book described Bruges this way: "Suspended in time centuries ago when its lifeline - the Zwin estuary - silted up, it is now one of Europe's best-preserved medieval cities and it's also Belgium's most visited town." This sounded enticing, so I decided to see for myself.

One of the things that has struck me most about seeing Europe is its age. No matter where I go, ancient structures and statues dot the cities and countrysides. It's quite amazing to walk through churches, palaces, and castles that existed before our country was even "discovered." However, the case in most cities is that they have been highly renovated and remodeled throughout the centuries. As the guide book suggests, this wasn't the case so much with Bruges. Walking through the quiet streets and alleys, you could really get a sense of what life was like in centuries past. Other than the presence of cars and a few fresh layers of paint, the town truly does appear to be suspended in time. With several horse-drawn carriages and serene little parks, Bruges was not your typical European tourist destination.

This characterstic alone set Bruges apart from the other European cities I have visited thus far, but it was also distinct in its atmosphere. There was no loud, "party" vibe which so often dominates European capitals. There were no clubs or discotechs, just history and natural beauty. It had an astonishing city square (by day and by night), but was not near as crowded as those of other major cities. Because of this, the city is much safer than its competition. Because pickpocketing and theft is such a huge problem in highly-visited European cities, I am usually too busy clutching onto my possessions to enjoy the scenery. This was not the case in Bruges. No suspicious bystanders, no large crowds, no sketchy alleys. That feeling of safety made my time there all the more enjoyable.

Now back to another strenuous week of preparation for next weekend's travels...errr homework...