Brugge Boat Tour

With all the canals we encountered on our trip, we were bound to take at least one boat trip.  On past trips, we have had limited success with boat trips - in Bath, the water cooled motor on our boat stalled out after sucking in a plastic bag; on an attempted trip to Victoria B.C., the weather was too rough for the Victoria Clipper to sail. Anyway, this time, we had no such problems. The entire tour was very well-run, and we had a good tour guide.

He was very British, sort of Prince Charles in a boating cap, but he easily spoke German and French on the tour as well, and I am sure he could have done at least Dutch/Flemish, and probably Italian and Spanish, if required to do so. Every anecdote was given first in German, then French, then English.  It was sort of funny, because he would tell a story or joke, and one group of passengers would laugh, then he would repeat it in German, and the German passengers would laugh, then finally in English, and the rest of us would laugh. So you could prepare yourself for something humorous.

The canals and the now silted-up harbor are what helped to make Brugge a big trading center back in the Middle Ages.  They circle the old part of town, and give you a great view of the various architectural styles, as well as the ducks, swans, and trees that live on and around the canals.

In some areas, the doors that traders and merchants would have used to bring in cargo and move goods are still doors, and not bricked over.  Here, a duck uses the ledge as a napping spot.

This is my favorite image from our boat ride.  The dog in the window clearly had it made - an open window, sun, and a soft cushion on the window sill from which to watch the passing boat traffic. And a glorious cascade of flowers on the vine next to him, if he cared about such things. Now I want a house on a canal...