GHENT AND BRUGES

 It was a long and cold and demanding day.  Bus departed at 8AM and didn't return until past 6PM.  Passenger talked about walking 15,000 to 20,000 steps.  I would not have made it

I only walked 1292 steps because I was among the very few who remained behind on the MS Esprit.  I instead did my blog, watched TV and rested.  While those that went were proud of surviving this ordeal, I enjoyed my solitude and warm comfort.  My thought was why walk around Ghent and Bruges when I could instead bask in security and contentment.  I do have a lot of photos of the tours because I have a partner who went.

But let me begin by saying a few things about Ghent and Bruges, beginning with the former.

• Ghent had a population of 50,000 in 1300, making it one of the largest and richest cities in the Late Middle Ages.
• Today, 265,086 people.

• 
  Located 48 miles from Flanders Field, where World War I battles occurred.  Remember  the poem In Flanders Fields?
• Treaty of Ghent adopted on Christmas Eve 1814 formally ended the War of 1812 between Great Britain and the U.S.
• Was occupied by Germany in both world wars, but escaped severe destruction, thus, much of city's medieval architecture remains intact,

• 
  Bruges is in West Flanders with a population of 118,509.
• Known to have Bronze and Iron Age settlements.
• The Bourse opened in 1309, likely the first stock exchange in the world.
• Best known landmark is the Belfry of Bruges, a 13 century UNESCO World Heritage Site with 47 bells.

A few photos.

The Ghent Altarpiece is called the Adoration of the Mystic Lamb, by Hubert and Jan van Eyck.

The Madonna of Bruges was crafted by Michelangelo.

I can go on and on, for there are more than 75 photos, but I'll stop here.

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