So How Long Does It Take To Build A Cathedral?

St. Bavo, Ghent, Belgium

On the way home from Bruges, we stopped in the town of Gent (Ghent), Belgium.  We knew it as a university town but beyond that, we knew little.  It was a chance to see another city on the way home.  Like all the places I've been so far, this was another treat.  While there's a lot of resurrection work going on in the city, the architecture of old is very evident.  2012 will be a time to really visit this city's center once the project is complete.

We decided to go into Saint Bavo Cathedral (pictured above).  This cathedral was built in various stages with additions over the centuries.  Evidence of the wooden beginnings of the structure are evident in the crypt and date back to the year 942!  The cathedral was considered complete in 1569, a mere 500 years later.  Inside, was the real treat.  Now this cathedral is not like the gleaming cathedral I saw in Antwerp.  This one is dark, damp and shows the discoloration of withstanding centuries of time.  Yet, it is the most remarkable cathedral I've seen to date.  The details in this place were just incredible.  Unfortunately, pictures inside were not allowed.  I know my words won't do the place justice but I was awed by the magnitude of St. Bavo.

There's much to see in Gent.  However, having gotten there about midday, we stopped for a Waffle drizzled with chocolate and a coffee following our visit to Saint Bavo and strolled the streets some more.  On our journey, I caught a glimpse of an alley that was covered in artful graffiti.  Naturally, I stopped to see if I wanted to photograph the alley.  Well, this was a long alley and it was covered with art.  The further I walked, the more art I saw.  The alley went all the way through to the next street and it was covered with graffiti all the way.  It was street art at its best.

Graffiti Alley, Ghent, Belgium

Venice of the North

Bruges, Belgium

Well, I'm falling behind a bit.  Last weekend was our first 'sleepover' in the city of Bruges, Belgium.  Known as the the Venice of the North, Bruges is the best preserved medieval city in all of Europe.  History of Bruges dates back to the 4th century but most of it's current architecture dates from the time it became a merchant trade town in the 12-15th centuries.  That's right, it's current architecture!  I am constantly amazed at the age of the structures I encounter and these buildings are still in use.

We stayed at a wonderful little hotel, Hotel Ter Duinen.  I highly recommend this place.  Small, quaint with very helpful and friendly service and located just outside the 'noisy' center of Bruge.  We felt like the location was more a neighborhood.  The breakfast the next morning was also great as we sat by the window overlooking a canal.

The best word to describe Bruge is simply charming.  Some think it's a bit touristy but we found it fun to explore the city and it's history.  The main square, which is impressive and reminds me of Brussels, and is bustling with people includes the tall belfry and the Church of our Lady.

But the real fun we had in this city can be summed up in three words, waffles, chocolate and beer!  Waffles with your favorite topping are like street food.  The shops will sell from their storefront to people passing by and they are really good!  While there are many chocolate shops, only a few actually make their own chocolate on the premises.  The Chocolate Line was recommended and it didn't disappoint.  Just standing inside the store you get a big wonderful whiff of chocolate.  Lastly, we went to the Half Moon Brouwerij for a tour of their beer making process with a nice sample at the end of the tour.  We ended the day at Spinola and had one of the best meals to date since arriving to Europe.