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 fo