#flathal #flatstanley #bruges #belgium
The night before we arrived in Bruges the flat fellas looked at a map and tried to figure out a walking route allowing us to see as much as possible in 5 hours.
The bus that brought us into town, and dropped us at Bargeplein, drove us past the city gates… it also gave us a glimpse of some windmills that we decided to add to our route.
We started our walk with a choice as we set out to follow our blue dotted line… and we diverged from the tour groups, hoping to enjoy a calmer, less traveled path. It has been said this can make all the difference.
Bruges, Belgium, Around Every Corner Was Another Magical Scene
Shortly after crossing the red bridge, as we walked through Minnewaterpark a large tree caught our eye. Three travelers saw three different things! One saw a fungus, another a mushroom, and the third? A fairy landing pad, lit up and awaiting an arrival! As we shared our theories on what had been spotted there was much discussion. At first, the fairy landing pad sounded outrageous… but gradually, as everyone looked at it on screens, while taking pictures, we each saw the magic potential a little imagination and fun could offer an unexpected sight.
In some ways that set the tone for our adventure. Laughter, joyful discovery and photo taking, as we embraced the magic of the day, and “followed the blue line” as we nicknamed our route.
Flat Hal and Flat Stanley were intrigued navigating a city with canals. Walking over stone bridges that looked like they were out of fairy tales, past lakes that reflected the medieval buildings, or simply offered little hidden hideaways from the modern world.
Flat Hal and Flat Stanley Walked The Canals In Bruges
Finding a bridge to cross the canals, and a place where we could walk along the canals was specifically on our to do list when we made our walking route.
Having visited one of the bridges every walking tour seemed to be stopping at, when it felt like a hundred people were all vying for a chance to photograph this quaint view so unlike our hometowns, we were doubly grateful later when we found an empty bridge, with plants and flowers growing from the stones, the occasional boat of tourists passing by, marveling at our having this path to ourselves.
One of the most striking buildings we stopped beside for a bit was Old St. John’s Hospital (Oud Sint-Jan). A building dating back to the 12th century, this was just one of many places that felt timeless.
