Reflection (detail)
Just in case you found it hard to believe that the previous photo was a reflection in the Dijver, and not the building itself, here you have a detail of the previous picture showing a slight rimpling in the water. It goes to show that sometimes, the illusion is more beautiful than the reality.Reflection
Walking along the Dijver, I got to enjoy one of my pet pleasures : a magnificent reflection. This is the back of the OCMW buiulding, reflected in the water.Legwork
Legwork in the Astrid park
On August 12, you do not have to dance. You can just look, and it does not cost a dime. A Cuban group Havana Impacto of 10 dancers, whose members probably all live in Belgium, will eventually try to get you to dance with them nonetheless. In any event, the music promises to be lively.
Playing chess in the park
Every Sunday morning in July and August, if I am right, from 10:00 a.m. till 12:30, the KBSK (the Royal Chess Circle of Bruges) organizes a chess-tournament in the Minnewater park. Most people never notice that a huge chess-board is installed in the Minnewater park. Smaller tables, of the normal size, are built all around it so people can play a game. Most often though, one sees tourists sitting here, eating a sandwich, or somebody reading a book, although these tables were installed for the chess-players. And, as you can see, young and old come here to play. It would seem that this older player finds the strategy of his young opponent not so easy to overcome.Geerwijnstreet 11-13
There are quite a few private hotels in Bruges. This one, built in the neo-classical style, in the Geerwijnstreet, is a beautiful example. Built in 1870, probably the work of architect Pierre Buyck.Geerwijnstreet 11-13 (2)
This impressive private hotel has a remarkable entrance with a balcony above it. It seems a notary now has his cabinet here.Geerwijnstreet 11-13 (3)
On the façade of this private hotel at 11-13 Geeerwijnstreet, one can see this stone. Daniel Gillès was born here on May 7, 1917 and died on May 8, 1981. Why did somebody write the figure 3 there? The man wrote several books (in French), one of them "The Mists of Bruges" (1962), about Bruges, of course, what else with this title. It is a guide to the city. If the book is no longer available in book stores, you can still find it in the Bruges Municipal Library. Our Canadian visitors might like to know that as of May 2006, a copy is available at the Victoria University in Toronto.Superintendant Van In House
The filming of the third sequel of "Aspe", a television thriller-serial with Superintendant Van In as principal character, is already in full swing in Bruges. Yet, we will only get to view the second sequel on the small screen, this coming Fall. Only the first part of this serial was based on the books written by Pieter Aspe, who had his main character move from Bruges to Blankenberge and even to Antwerp. The producers of the television series found it preferable to keep him in Bruges. They want "Aspe" to be as representative of Bruges as "Flikken" is of Ghent. And for the (television) home of Superintendant Van In, a role being held by Herbert Flack, this house here, on the left of the Wijngaard square, has been chosen.Erstwhile Meat Market
During the Middle Ages this is where originally the city's crane had been erected. And where now we see a street, there was a wharf, the Kraanvest. When the wharf became obsolete and a crane was no longer needed, a cover was built over this area and in 1771 and 1772, the resulting building was used as a meat market. It is now a bicycle-renting business aimed at the tourist trade. Before that, it was a grocery store. The classical-style building is one of the hundreds of protected monuments in Bruges.