Ssislandgirl Posted January 31, 2015 #1 Share Posted January 31, 2015 Hi all, We stopped in the port of Zeebrugge last September. We were in port from 7 to 4. The following is a very picture heavy trip report on what we experienced in Brugge. Hopefully it will inspire others to visit. We arrived in the port of Zeebrugge very early in the morning and set out to explore the picturesque town of Brugge. My husband and I are avid DIY'ers and arranged for a taxi pick-up at 8:30 at the harbour gate. Our times in port coupled with being there on a Sunday did not really allow for using public transportation, which would have been a lot less expensive. Unfortunately, the taxi fare is fairly pricey for a 25 mile roundtrip, but we were able to find six fellow cruisers on our CruiseCritic Rollcall to split the cost. Pick up was timely and the ride only took about 20 minutes. When we arrived at Market Square, our designated drop-off and pick-up area, most of the places were not even open yet. Great for taking pictures! I mapped out our walk using my trusty off line CityMapsToGo App. The Belltower (Belfort) Carriages were awaiting potential customers in the square and this Jack Russell Terrier was guarding his master's seat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ssislandgirl Posted January 31, 2015 Author #2 Share Posted January 31, 2015 We visited Burgsquare with the Basilica of the Holy Blood Photos of the Upper Chapel Then moved on towards the canals and the Fish Market, which is unfortunately not open on Sundays. Frank Van Ackern Bust near the Fish Market Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ssislandgirl Posted January 31, 2015 Author #3 Share Posted January 31, 2015 Interesting roofs of City Hall The following photos explain why Brugge is also called the Venice of the North. The canals are lined with old houses rising straight from the water. Fidele, the famous Lab is occupying her window seat already Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CI66774 Posted January 31, 2015 #4 Share Posted January 31, 2015 Great photos! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ssislandgirl Posted January 31, 2015 Author #5 Share Posted January 31, 2015 Great photos! Thank you for the kind words and for following along Regards Petra Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ssislandgirl Posted January 31, 2015 Author #6 Share Posted January 31, 2015 We decided to walk to the windmills outside the city walls and found this interesting looking balcony on our way. City Gate Four old windmills are lined up in this grassy area Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ssislandgirl Posted January 31, 2015 Author #7 Share Posted January 31, 2015 Where many locals were having fun coaching future soccer champions. You can climb up to visit the inside of the windmills. Be careful, it is very steep! We continued on a different route towards the city center again. Here are some impressions... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ssislandgirl Posted January 31, 2015 Author #8 Share Posted January 31, 2015 Beautifully detailed railings and benches Brugge is a photographer's dream Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ssislandgirl Posted January 31, 2015 Author #9 Share Posted January 31, 2015 My parents joined us on the cruise. We sat down to enjoy Belgium Waffles and coffee. After a well deserved break we ventured out to explore the rest of Brugge Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferndale Girl Posted January 31, 2015 #10 Share Posted January 31, 2015 Loved your photos! Do you know if there is a map at the visitor's center? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ssislandgirl Posted January 31, 2015 Author #11 Share Posted January 31, 2015 And eventually ended up at Brugge's Begijnhof, a very tranquil area in the now tourist filled city. Some interesting modern bridges to connect residences We ended up at Market Square again, just in time to be picked up by our trusted cab driver. Unfortunately, I didn't have enough time to climb Belfort Tower. Oh well....hopefully next time! The Flemish Lion is growling "Goodbye" We were back at the ship around 3pm in plenty of time for our 4pm departure to France. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ssislandgirl Posted January 31, 2015 Author #12 Share Posted January 31, 2015 Loved your photos! Do you know if there is a map at the visitor's center? Sorry, do not know if the visitor's center has maps. I would think, they do! I know, that Celebrity had a not very detailed map for their passengers. Hopefully someone else knows the answer. Regards Petra Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BJS Posted January 31, 2015 #13 Share Posted January 31, 2015 Thank you for posting the great pictures...have wanted to go to Brugge for quite a while and now will be there in May:) Your pictures have made me more excited than I already was. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TasKaz Posted February 1, 2015 #14 Share Posted February 1, 2015 Amazing pics - thanks for posting :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swann5 Posted February 1, 2015 #15 Share Posted February 1, 2015 Excellent picture review! Thanks for posting! Our ship is not in port quite as long. Do you remember what time the shops and market opened? Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cornishpastyman1 Posted February 2, 2015 #16 Share Posted February 2, 2015 Lovely set of photos Petra. We had similar hours on a Sunday and didn't get to some of the places you did so it was nice to see these to fill in a few gaps. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SusieKay Posted February 3, 2015 #17 Share Posted February 3, 2015 Looking forward to our own DIY day in Brugge on a spring TA. Your lovely photos add to the anticipation. Thanks so much for sharing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HRPro Posted February 4, 2015 #18 Share Posted February 4, 2015 Lovely photos and one of my favorite places in Europe. We'll be back for a visit in May on our Spring TA! Thanks for helping enhance my excitement about returning to this beautiful place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hancogran Posted February 7, 2015 #19 Share Posted February 7, 2015 Fantastic photos! Thank you so much for posting. We will be in Brugge in May and after seeing your pictures, I can't wait. They really are beautiful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donstan Posted February 7, 2015 #20 Share Posted February 7, 2015 And eventually ended up at Brugge's Begijnhof, a very tranquil area in the now tourist filled city. Some interesting modern bridges to connect residences We ended up at Market Square again, just in time to be picked up by our trusted cab driver. Unfortunately, I didn't have enough time to climb Belfort Tower. Oh well....hopefully next time! The Flemish Lion is growling "Goodbye" We were back at the ship around 3pm in plenty of time for our 4pm departure to France. You're photos were absolutely fabulous. We are going in May on the Brillance and I'm having difficulty finding a Taxi service for 6-8 passengers. Do you remember the company that you took. I signed up with Rony's taxis but was advised by another passenger that they were unreliable. Did you take the canal boat ride? Some of your photos look like they were taken from the water. I enjoyed them so much. Donna {donstan] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wally_bushy Posted February 7, 2015 #21 Share Posted February 7, 2015 Great photos. We were there in Aug 2012 and loved the place. Thanks for the chance to recall the beautiful city Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ssislandgirl Posted February 14, 2015 Author #22 Share Posted February 14, 2015 You're photos were absolutely fabulous. We are going in May on the Brillance and I'm having difficulty finding a Taxi service for 6-8 passengers. Do you remember the company that you took. I signed up with Rony's taxis but was advised by another passenger that they were unreliable. Did you take the canal boat ride? Some of your photos look like they were taken from the water. I enjoyed them so much. Donna {donstan] Hello Donna, Thank you so much for your kind words. I am sorry for the late reply to your question. Incidentally we used Rony's taxi service and were very happy. They were on time for both pick-ups, the van was clean and in good working order. We had no complaints! We did not take the canal cruise because I wanted to take photographs of the beautiful scenery. It is a lot more difficult for me, as a novice photographer, to produce good photos from a moving boat while competing for good vantage points with fellow passengers. We usually walk everywhere so that I can stop and shoot wherever I like. Have a wonderful day in Brugge Regards Petra Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zebra Posted February 20, 2015 #23 Share Posted February 20, 2015 Fabulous pics! Did you take Eoro's or use credit cards? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ssislandgirl Posted February 21, 2015 Author #24 Share Posted February 21, 2015 Fabulous pics! Did you take Eoro's or use credit cards? Hi Jackie and Tony, We always carry some local currency for where ever we travel, but reserve the credit card for larger amounts like hotel bills, etc. Several years ago we got a Capital One Venture Visa card, which doesn't incur any foreign transaction fees. Last year our Amex started to offer the same "bonus". Thanks for looking at the photos. I am glad you liked them Regards Petra Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lara h Posted February 21, 2015 #25 Share Posted February 21, 2015 Quote: "Amateur photographer"...I think not!! They are fantastic! We will be there end of July so hope we get the chance to have a similar experience as yourselves! Thanks for posting !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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