June 16th – This is the lovely old hotel that we woke up in this morning.  The building dates back to the mid-1400s and was likely used originally as a warehouse since it sits right beside the canal. The rooms were spacious and filled with antiques. Our room was the three windows on the right and afforded a view of the canal.  How delightful to wake up in the morning and see the ducks playing just outside our window.

We walked over to the tourist office and determined that we would wait for the 2pm walking tour. As we were heading out to find a museum, to put in a few hours, we discovered a boat cruise through the canals. Our guide spoke five or six languages but only used three on the tour – otherwise it would take too long.  The canal tour afforded many views of the wonderful old buildings alongside the canal and at least one shower from a boat passing in the opposite direction.

We then visited the folklore museum – an interesting collection of items used in the life of the Dutch people down through the ages. Each room showed the tools and described the life of various people such as the shoemaker, the baker, the teacher, the tailor, the milliner, etc.

After a quick lunch at a little cafe and updating the parking sticker on our car, we were ready for the walking tour. It was described as “The Legends of Bruges” tour and the guide was a great storyteller. At each stop on the tour, instead of only describing the building or statue, he told a story of the people that inhabited the area in the last century. It was a free tour but tips were welcome if one enjoyed the tour. We ended up in the square at the city hall, in the middle of a concert being played by a military band. An excellent time to sit, listen to the music and enjoy a Belgian waffle.

We left Bruges about 4:30 destined for Middelburg – just a stop along the way to make the next day easier. Our B&B in Middelburg was a fabulous place called B&B ‘t Poorthuys and run by two interesting guys who were wonderful hosts. Originally a doctor’s house built around 1530, the place was completely renovated in 2013 when they bought it. The decor was a stunning black and silver/grey combination. Lovely!