{"id":667,"date":"2016-05-04T14:54:58","date_gmt":"2016-05-04T18:54:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/?page_id=667"},"modified":"2016-10-22T21:49:40","modified_gmt":"2016-10-23T01:49:40","slug":"bruges-excursion-a-preserved-old-city","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/shearwater-sailing.com\/index.php\/2016-amsterdam-tulip-cruise\/bruges-excursion-a-preserved-old-city\/","title":{"rendered":"Bruges Excursion &#8211; a Preserved Old City"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/bruges-castle-on-water-stu-1\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-860 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/shearwater-sailing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Bruges-castle-on-water-stu-1-186x300.jpg\" alt=\"bruges-castle-on-water-stu-1\" width=\"186\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/shearwater-sailing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Bruges-castle-on-water-stu-1-186x300.jpg 186w, https:\/\/shearwater-sailing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Bruges-castle-on-water-stu-1-634x1024.jpg 634w, https:\/\/shearwater-sailing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Bruges-castle-on-water-stu-1.jpg 928w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 186px) 100vw, 186px\" \/><\/a>Bruges is a living, working fairy tale. \u00a0It is the capital city of West Flanders in northern Belgium, is under water and very, very old. Homes built on bridges spanning canals are common in the city. \u00a0Dehumidifiers must sell at a premium since living spaces are frequently only a few feet above working canals<a href=\"https:\/index.php\/2016-amsterdam-tulip-cruise\/bruges-excursion-a-preserved-old-city\/20160428_bruges_joan3_0001\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-866\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright wp-image-866 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/shearwater-sailing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/20160428_Bruges_Joan3_0001-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"20160428_bruges_joan3_0001\" width=\"660\" height=\"440\" srcset=\"https:\/\/shearwater-sailing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/20160428_Bruges_Joan3_0001-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/shearwater-sailing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/20160428_Bruges_Joan3_0001-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/shearwater-sailing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/20160428_Bruges_Joan3_0001.jpg 1500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 660px) 100vw, 660px\" \/><\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/index.php\/2016-amsterdam-tulip-cruise\/bruges-excursion-a-preserved-old-city\/20160428_bruges_tour_guide_0185\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-786\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-786 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/shearwater-sailing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/20160428_Bruges_tour_guide_0185-205x300.jpg\" alt=\"20160428_Bruges_tour_guide_0185\" width=\"205\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/shearwater-sailing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/20160428_Bruges_tour_guide_0185-205x300.jpg 205w, https:\/\/shearwater-sailing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/20160428_Bruges_tour_guide_0185-698x1024.jpg 698w, https:\/\/shearwater-sailing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/20160428_Bruges_tour_guide_0185.jpg 1635w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 205px) 100vw, 205px\" \/><\/a>We enjoyed following the lollipop tour guides. Theywere\u00a0uniformly knowledgable of the cities they guided, joining our group for a single city tour and departing at the end. Several paces were offered, easy walkers, us, and strenuous walkers. Our various tours involved quite a lot of walking, easy by Bruges standards, but strenuous by our relaxed lifestyle. \u00a0After the first trip or so, no one signed up for the more strenuous walking.<\/p>\n<p>Bruges also has a sense of humor.<a href=\"https:\/index.php\/2016-amsterdam-tulip-cruise\/bruges-excursion-a-preserved-old-city\/briuges-canal-boat-band-3\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-778\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-778 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/shearwater-sailing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/Briuges-canal-boat-band-3-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"Briuges canal boat band-3\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/shearwater-sailing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/Briuges-canal-boat-band-3-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/shearwater-sailing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/Briuges-canal-boat-band-3-1024x683.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The city is known for Belgian Chocolate and fresh finger pastries. \u00a0Fortunately, it is also known for lovely walks and breathtaking engineering interlaced with scenic beauty.<br \/>\nEvery canal is ringed with homes, shops and working buildings. Whatever passes for zoning serves to keep the people close to their places of work, ensuring walking and bicycles remain the dominant public transportation.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/index.php\/2016-amsterdam-tulip-cruise\/bruges-excursion-a-preserved-old-city\/20160428_bruges_joan_0002\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-862\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-862\" src=\"https:\/\/shearwater-sailing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/20160428_Bruges_Joan_0002-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"20160428_bruges_joan_0002\" width=\"660\" height=\"440\" srcset=\"https:\/\/shearwater-sailing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/20160428_Bruges_Joan_0002-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/shearwater-sailing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/20160428_Bruges_Joan_0002-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/shearwater-sailing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/20160428_Bruges_Joan_0002.jpg 1500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 660px) 100vw, 660px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/index.php\/2016-amsterdam-tulip-cruise\/bruges-excursion-a-preserved-old-city\/briuges-canal-boat-band-5\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-780\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-780 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/shearwater-sailing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/Briuges-canal-boat-band-5-179x300.jpg\" alt=\"Briuges canal boat band-5\" width=\"179\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/shearwater-sailing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/Briuges-canal-boat-band-5-179x300.jpg 179w, https:\/\/shearwater-sailing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/Briuges-canal-boat-band-5-610x1024.jpg 610w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 179px) 100vw, 179px\" \/><\/a> 1579 was a good year for old buildings. \u00a0This structure has living quarters and a retail shop contained within its well preserved beauty.<a href=\"https:\/index.php\/2016-amsterdam-tulip-cruise\/bruges-excursion-a-preserved-old-city\/briuges-canal-boat-band-4\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-779\"><br \/>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Music was everywhere. \u00a0While the instruments were unusual by United States standards, the classical music they played is well known to us and was, after all, written near where they are playing the sounds. \u00a0Lovely street band.<a href=\"https:\/index.php\/2016-amsterdam-tulip-cruise\/bruges-excursion-a-preserved-old-city\/20160428_bruges_joan_0004\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-864\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-864\" src=\"https:\/\/shearwater-sailing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/20160428_Bruges_Joan_0004-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"20160428_bruges_joan_0004\" width=\"660\" height=\"440\" srcset=\"https:\/\/shearwater-sailing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/20160428_Bruges_Joan_0004-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/shearwater-sailing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/20160428_Bruges_Joan_0004-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/shearwater-sailing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/20160428_Bruges_Joan_0004.jpg 1500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 660px) 100vw, 660px\" \/><\/a>Tourists and residents gather in the main town square.<br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-861\" src=\"https:\/\/shearwater-sailing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/20160428_Bruges_Joan_0001-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"20160428_bruges_joan_0001\" width=\"660\" height=\"440\" srcset=\"https:\/\/shearwater-sailing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/20160428_Bruges_Joan_0001-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/shearwater-sailing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/20160428_Bruges_Joan_0001-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/shearwater-sailing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/20160428_Bruges_Joan_0001.jpg 1500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 660px) 100vw, 660px\" \/>The churches were magnificent.<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/index.php\/2016-amsterdam-tulip-cruise\/bruges-excursion-a-preserved-old-city\/20160428_bruges_joan_0003\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-863\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-863 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/shearwater-sailing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/20160428_Bruges_Joan_0003-819x1024.jpg\" alt=\"20160428_bruges_joan_0003\" width=\"660\" height=\"825\" srcset=\"https:\/\/shearwater-sailing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/20160428_Bruges_Joan_0003-819x1024.jpg 819w, https:\/\/shearwater-sailing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/20160428_Bruges_Joan_0003-240x300.jpg 240w, https:\/\/shearwater-sailing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/20160428_Bruges_Joan_0003.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 660px) 100vw, 660px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp; Bruges is a living, working fairy tale. \u00a0It is the capital city of West Flanders in northern Belgium, is under water and very, very old. Homes built on bridges spanning canals are common in the city. \u00a0Dehumidifiers must sell at a premium since living spaces are frequently only a few feet above working canals. &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/shearwater-sailing.com\/index.php\/2016-amsterdam-tulip-cruise\/bruges-excursion-a-preserved-old-city\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Bruges Excursion &#8211; a Preserved Old City<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":782,"parent":652,"menu_order":4,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-667","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/shearwater-sailing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/667","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/shearwater-sailing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/shearwater-sailing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shearwater-sailing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shearwater-sailing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=667"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/shearwater-sailing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/667\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":883,"href":"https:\/\/shearwater-sailing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/667\/revisions\/883"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shearwater-sailing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/652"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shearwater-sailing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/782"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/shearwater-sailing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=667"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}