Today was a free day in Bruges. The only thing on the schedule was to meet the group at 6 PM, for champagne. We can handle that.
We walked over to the Bell tower and got in line for the climb to the top. It's 366 steps, up a narrow winding staircase. And the higher you go, the more narrow and steeper it gets. Plus, people are squeezing by in both directions.
It was first built in 1240. A lightning strike reduced it to ashes in 1493. It was hit by fire again 300 years later. It's looked like this since the early 1800's. Along the way up, you can see the mechanics of how it works... including the gigantic music box-type wheel.
At the top, 47 huge bells were suspended over us. They weigh 27 tons. We got to the top just in time to hear them ring out. It scared the crap out of us.
Here's the view from the top:
For lunch, we just did fast food. But European fast food. This restaurant, called "Quick", is similar to McDonald's, but tasted better:
We had planned to take a bike ride along the canal after lunch, but it started raining, so we just did some shopping.
We're getting used to the local tradition of having coffee or hot chocolate, along with a pastry or dessert, in the mid-afternoon.
Champagne with the gang at 6:
Very tasty pepperoni pizza, with peppers and black and green olives on it:
Tomorrow, we leave Bruges and head to Delft.
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