Travels with Me - The Beguinages, Amsterdam, Netherlands and Brugge, Belgium

Several times someone would comment about photos and I would think 'Oh, I could have included that'.  So, I have decided that each month, I hope, I will blog about a new place or just show more pictures of a place already mentioned.  To make it easy I am going to start with the Netherlands and just browse through my photos.  I hope you will enjoy it.

I made two visits to the Begijnhof Section in Amsterdam.  The beguines, as they came to be called, settled this area of Amsterdam in 1150.  They took care of the sick but they were not nuns, took no vows and were free to leave.

You pass through this portal and go down this lane

to reach the interior

This house shown below was thought to be the oldest house in Amsterdam until very recently.  It was determined to have been built in 1528.

 This is the interior of the Catholic chapel that was made by combining two houses.

More information about the Beguinage can be found at this site.

I also visited a former Beguinage in Brugge, Belgium, established in 1245, that is now used by the Benedictines.  Here are some photos.

The Flemish Beguinages are all UNESCO World Heritage sites.  Here is the video:

Here is another interesting documentary about the Beguines.

I hope you enjoyed this post.

V - Venice of the North, Brugge, Belgium

I will be completely honest and say that I don't believe I had ever heard of Bruges, until I saw the movie 'In Bruges'.  I was hooked and knew that someday I had to visit.

The historic center of Brugge is another UNESCO World Heritage site.  I spent two days here.  This first was dreary and devoid of tourists.  The second day was sunny, crowded, and difficult to get around as the King and Queen of Belgium were entertaining the King and Queen of Jordan and doing those 'touristy' things I was doing.  Here is the UNESCO video followed by lots of photos.

 City Hall on May 18.  Built in 1376 A.D.

Market Square

Canal view with swans and Church of Our Lady in the background.  

Jan Van Eyckplein church

Belfry of Bruges

Market Square

St. John of Nepomuk

Church of Our Lady, 13th - 15th Century

Statue of Jan Van Eyck

Michelangelo, the Bruges Madonna.  This is found in the Church of Our Lady.  If you saw the movie, Monuments Men, then you surely remember them finding this statue in a salt mine in Austria.

City Hall on May 19 with people awaiting the arrival of the royals.  

The Queens and their entourage.  If you enlarge the photo, you can see a pink hat under the lavender awning, one of the Queens so I was told.

BTW, this is where I had the waffles with ice cream.  Yum!!!  Such a cozy little place.

Have you ever been inspired to visit someplace after seeing a movie?  Which movie and what place?  

Bonus:  Hosta ventricosa