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On the corner of the Philipstock- and the Gunsmiths streets there is a business for sale. Until recently it was the Vanbelle Bakery. The chances that this business might be a bakery again are very slim. There is another bakery in the street and, moreover, slowly but surely the trend is towards buying bread in the big chain-groceries. And this, of course, means the loss of the independent baker.

At the beginning of the 17th century, there was already a bakery here. The first baker's name was Adriaan Wouters. Four hundred years later, Christiaan Vanbelle puts an end to it. During all these years, here the people of Bruges came to buy their farmers' bread, as well as many other specialties, of course. The interior of the bakery was very old-fashioned, and it was one of it's charms. We are curious to see what shall become of this store. It is in a quite good tourist spot. Lace-shops are no longer "in". I am hoping for an "all-night" store, or a chocolate boutique. However, rumour seems to make it likely to become a souvenir and notions shop.

Good morning, Bruges. The heat is not letting up. From 10 in the morning, it becomes unbearable. It is now almost a certainty : this will be the warmest summer our small country has ever known.

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... of Alighieri Dante (1265-1321) has the following reference to Bruges and the Cadzand. Translated, it reads :
"As do the Flemings between Cadzand and Bruges,
fearing the streaming waters who turn against them,
throwing up dykes to keep the sea at bay." 
Dante was using this comparison with the Flemish dambuilders to illustrate the dams surrounding the hellish sea of flames he was describing in his "Divina Commedia". Thus it would seem that the fame of the dam-builders of our area had reached as far as Italy during Dante's lifetime. It was only much later (in the 20th century) that the Dutch surpassed the Flemish in this discipline. That particular fragment of the "Divina Commedia" has been symbolized in the group of statues which stand in the centre of the Zand.

That's him, Simon Stevin. The square, where some are sleeping ( see previous photo), is named after him. Everybody takes a picture of Simon from the front. Yet, there are also a back and two sides to him. And seen from the side it is quite noticeable that the famed mathematician is the victim of quite a bird-poop problem.

Bruges still has two houses with authentic wooden façades. Sorry to disappoint you, this is not one of them. This one can be seen when looking diagonally from across the theatre building, in the Vlamingstreet, on the corner of the Kraan square. This façade was re-done in 1963 and is the work of architect Antoine Dugardyn. He used iconographic sources as basis for his interpretation of how the house actually looked like in the year 1542. What is missing are the painted motifs at the top of the façade, who earlier illlustrated the name of the house "De Haan" = The Rooster.

Those street names would translate as "Woolstreet" and "Oakwood street". One more view of Bruges from the Halltower.

Those Spaniards seem to have gone to quite some length to leave their business card on this bell in the Bruges bell-tower. All those who came here, high up in the Halltower, know what I mean. Did these Spaniards bring a ladder with them? If not, then they certainly were very acrobatic people.

Four more days. Bruges' most celebrated day is almost upon us. This scene depicts the Resurrection of Christ. We have here two Roman soldiers fast asleep next to the burial grotto. The rock that closed theburial site off has been dragged aside and the grotto looks empty.