A Bruges deluge

The weather forecast for our second day in Bruges was looking quite horrendous. Indeed, when we woke up on Saturday the 18th of November and tentatively lifted a corner of our bedroom curtains, our view of the rain-soaked meadow didn't exactly spur us into action. It was, in fact, all we could do to drag ourselves from the cozy confines of our bed and get ready for breakfast.

Our room being in an annex meant that we had to brave the rain which kept falling from the canopy of grey sky without any let-up. That's when we realized that our umbrellas were in the car! 

Thankfully, the breakfast room, in the main part of the B&B, is just a hop, skip and a jump away, so that we got there without getting completely drenched.

Mouthwatering aromas had lured us past the kitchen and into the breakfast room proper, where all kinds of delicacies were on offer as always. 

Apart from the usual choice of breads and croissants, to be savoured with cheese, charcuterie, smoked salmon or a selection of homemade jams, there were some freshly baked mini apple turnovers and a plate of utterly moreish vanilla pancakes. 

But we started with a healthy dose of fruit and yoghurt and glasses of homemade apple and pear juice!

We lingered a long time over breakfast, discussing our options. At Veronique's suggestion, we were all set to (re)visit nearby Loppem Castle, our previous one dating back to August 2021. It was a good thing I had the presence of mind to google the property, only to find that it had closed for the Winter season on the 13th.

Never mind, there's always Bruges, which obviously has plenty of bad weather options!

With all that dithering and lingering, it was late morning before we set off, making use of one of the B&B's umbrellas to get to our car which was parked just beyond the gate in the background.

I selected the Sunweb umbrella (not linking because they're not my thing) especially to hit home the irony of the situation.

We had decided upon the award-winning Gruuthuse Museum, which we knew would keep us occupied for a couple of hours.

I had worked out the shortest way to get there from the 't Zand car park as the rain had brought its friend the wind, which tugged at our umbrellas, which we had to hold on to fast to keep them from being blown inside out. 

For some reason, however, we almost instantly missed a turn. Well, it would have been unheard of if we hadn't got even a little bit lost, wouldn't it? Our mishap was soon redeemed by the fact that I spotted a familiar sight beyond a parking lot belonging to a meeting centre. Dodging a couple of puddles, we made our way across it, which turned out to be even more of a shortcut!

The presence of the wind also made it feel quite a bit chillier than the 8°C insisted by the thermometer, so that it was quite a relief to get into the shelter of the museum's ticket office. Being a Saturday, we were surprised there weren't any queues, so that soon our tickets were purchased, after which we made our way across the courtyard to the museum's entrance (above, top right).

This was by no means our first visit here - which was on our 25th Wedding Anniversary in February 2020 - but there's so much to see here that I'm sure it won't be our last. In fact, our visit may already have been on the cards when we found the museum guide in a charity shop earlier this year!

As for award-winning: at the annual European Museum of the Year Awards ceremony, the Gruuthuse Museum was awarded the "Portimão Museum Prize – Europe’s Most Welcoming Museum" in 2021. 

Stepping into the majestic entrance hall (below, top left), we were directed to a room of lockers big enough to hang up our coats and leave behind our soggy umbrellas.

The museum is housed in the former Gruuthuse Palace, a city palace whose origins date back to 1425.

It was restored at the end of the 19th century by the Bruges city architect, Louis Delacenserie, who created a completely new interior in neo-Gothic style. For example, he designed several lavishly decorated fireplaces. 

The fireplace in the room with its fabulous tiled floor room (above, bottom left and top and bottom right) is replete with elements referencing to Louis (or Lodewijk) de Gruuthuse (1427-1492), the palace's most famous owner.

Although it appears to be made from stone, appearances can be deceptive: parts of it are made of wood, which has been plastered and painted so that the whole structure has the look of stone.

"Plus est en vous" or "There is more in you."  It was the life motto of Louis de Gruuthuse, the man who endowed this city palace with its grandeur. That's him in the portrait on the top right.

But who was he? Also known as Lodewijk van Brugge (Louis of Bruges), lord of Gruuthuse, prince of Steenhuize, lord of Avelgem, Haamstede, Oostkamp, Beveren, Tielt-ten-Hove and Spiere and Earl of Winchester! If that isn't enough of a mouthful, he was a Knight of the Golden Fleece too.

Via inheritance and acquisition, Louis of Gruuthuse came to possess various estates with which he earned his living. A major source of income was the tax which he was allowed to levy on (almost) every imported or locally brewed tonne of beer, known as the "Gruut tax".

It didn't end well for Louis, though. Being one of the executors of Mary of Burgundy’s will when she died at a young age, he came into conflict with Mary’s widower, Maximilian of Austria. In 1485, his possessions were confiscated and he was even imprisoned in Mechelen for three years. Louis was released when the political situation changed but, when Maximilian returned to power in 1489, it put a definitive end to Louis’ career. In 1491, he was accused of treason at a chapter meeting of the Order of the Golden Fleece and fell out of favour. He passed away in his palace in Bruges before a court ruling was issued.

In the museum one can journey through three crucial periods in the history of Bruges. First of all, there is the city’s Burgundian heyday, followed by the previously underexposed period during the 17th and 18th Centuries, before finishing with the "rediscovery’" of Bruges in the 19th Century neo-Gothic style that is so typical of the city today. 

These three periods are brought to life by more than 600 exhibits, each of which has its own story to tell. 

From majestic tapestries to Gothic stained glass, from elegant wooden sculptures to refined historical lace, from the paintings of different periods to a 17th and 18th Century dinner table, set with silver cutlery and luxurious Chinese porcelain. 

If we were surprised at the lack of queues in the ticket office, we were even more - and pleasantly - surprised at having most of the museum's rooms practically to ourselves. No dodging the crowds here  which, judging from our glances through the leaded windows, seemed to insist on being gluttons for punishment by walking around rain and windswept Bruges wielding an assortment of umbrellas. 

If you're outside and look up at the Gruuthuse palace's façade from the the courtyard at the back, you might be able to spot this tiny stained-glass window (above, top left), which is known as the smallest Gothic window in Bruges. It is said that the Lords and Ladies of Gruuthuse used the small window to see who arrived by boat on the canal below. 

A contemporary stained glass design was installed during the extensive five year renovations of the museum, which took place between 2014 and 2019.

I enjoyed playing around with my camera, making a series of distorted snapshots of the courtyard and the umbrella wielding crowds.

The highlight is undoubtedly the authentic late 15th Century oratory which forms the link between the Gruuthuse Palace and the Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekerk (Church of Our Lady) next door. 

Louis de Gruuthuse had this unique late Medieval jewel built in the 1470s. From here, looking down on the church choir, he and his wife were able to follow the services conducted in the Church of Our Lady from the privacy of their home.

The chapel is finished with panelling made from the very best oak from the Baltic region, the vaulted ceiling richly decorated. Don't forget to look for the little angels that support the vaulted ceiling: almost all of them are still original, and each one has a different face.

Another must-see is the loggia or balcony on the second floor which offers one of the most iconic views in Bruges. 

The tiny humpbacked Bonifacius bridge must be one of the most photogenic bridges in Bruges. It is perpetually crowded and even on this most inclement of days there was a queue of people patiently waiting to cross it and make selfies. I wonder how many of them realize that this is actually one of Bruges' youngest bridges, built in 1910? But then again, it does blend in with its historic surroundings extremely well!

It was well past midday when we emerged from the museum onto the rainy streets of Bruges. We crossed the street to have a look at the menu of the restaurant opposite, but were horrified to see that a humble Croque Monsieur (toasted sandwich) would set us back € 18. We therefore decided to return to 't Zand and the many restaurants lining the square. Here, we had lunch at a much more reasonable price, after which we returned to our car and drove back to the B&B, picking up a baguette to have with the rest of our tapas board along the way.

The sun briefly rejoined us on Sunday morning, which made us toy with the idea of going for a walk before setting off on our journey home. However, we hadn't even made it through breakfast before the heavens opened again. Oh well, there is always next time. After all, this is only an hour away from home!

I'm leaving you now with my outfit of that day.

You've already caught a glimpse of my blue cord midi skirt, which was a naughty lunch break retail buy earlier that month. I wore it with another recent acquisition, a wide navy elasticated belt with Celtic knot style buckle. My Zoë Loveborn blouse is a favourite, picked up for next to nothing from the indoor flea market, while the chunky yellow cardigan and the orange beads were charity shop finds. 

Red cat brooch from the delightful Katshop, which recently had an unwanted visitor who smashed his bike through their window one night. All ended well, as the nasty specimen who did this thankfully got nicked, but I'm sure you can imagine the amount of work involved in clearing all the glass from the shop.

I'll be resuming my usual schedule in my next post. See you again then!