Le Tour Cliché - Part 3

08 juin 06 - Trip Day 13
(In the ICE back to Cologne, en route to Ghent)

Ghent Bike Tour

Our Ghent host, Marina managed to get some bikes for us so we can do a bike tour of Ghent. I consider myself pretty adept at biking but it’s been many years since I spent a considerable amount of time on a bike, so I had misgivings, especially about biking in city traffic. However, Ghent, as with a huge part of Europe, has bike lanes all over and very strict rules about giving bikers the right of way. So off we went on an early evening tour Ghent seeing the bustling streets that lined the river Leie, beautiful medieval structures like the Belfry Tower, St. Baafs Cathedral, St. Nicholas Church, as well as the Gravensteen Castle which has a dungeon that houses medieval torture instruments. We made the most of the “evening” sunlight from 7 to 10 pm. Biking around this historic Flemish town can’t help but leave one impressed with its rich history. The best part of it is it remains undiscovered to your everyday tourist. The whole time I was pedaling, I was thanking God that it was not a hilly place so I managed to really enjoy the sights without catching my breath. We stopped for a slice of Black Forest cake in the town square before heading back home and resting for the night to recharge for Bruges the next day.

Beautiful Bruges

I got so much flak for missing Bruges during my last visit to Europe that this time, we made sure we included it in our itinerary. The “Venice of the North” is as beautiful and picturesque as we were told although boats are only used for tours and not as a means of transportation. Beguinage (Begijnhof) is an impressive little community that houses Benedictine nuns in the present day. It used to be the home of Beguines who committed to a life of obedience and chastity. They were not a part of any religious order, and there are only 20 remaining Beguines left today. Our Lady’s Church housed the famous Madonna and Child sculpture of Michael Angelo Buonoarotti. It is one of the very few Italian masterpieces that are outside Italy.

Bruges’ little houses, colorful marketplace, stunning town square, the centuries old churches, like the Chapel of the Holy Blood and St. Salvator’s Cathedral are truly enchanting. Its medieval charm is something not easily forgotten. All the fairy tales you have read with kings, princesses and paupers “in a land far, far away” will find a home in your mind once you see it.


Cologne

On the urging of many friends, we decided to skip our intended stop in Luxembourg and opted to visit Cologne instead. It was easier access by train and supposedly had this “dome” that was supposedly very impressive. Ignorant as I was about Cologne, I expected to see a big impressive dome. Upon arriving, we were greeted right away by this monstrosity of a gothic cathedral that was referred to by the locals as the Döm. Oh, and there was no dome. Heheh! I call it monstrous not because it is ugly, but because the way it towered over the Hauptbanhof. Impressive indeed. You would think that everyone had a neck problem as they craned to look up the moment the windows allowed them a view.

After managing to tear ourselves away from the jaw-dropping Döm, we walked around in search of lunch and wanted to sample dishes that we never had before. We settled on a restaurant called Restaurant Slavia that served Croatian food. We figured we would leave it to Melissa and J to educate us on genuine German cuisine. All I can say is, Marina, my dear Croatian friend, I am soooo in Zagreb soon! And that red sauce, oh my gosh! Does that come in bottles? Hint, hint! :)

As with any waterfront, the Alstadt of Cologne was bustling with activity. There was a flea market by the river which sold old records, books, and even a vintage car. Musicians were all over and families were playing in the green spaces you see everywhere. It was a pretty idyllic scene. It was really hard to leave and make our way to Frankfurt, but the thought of seeing Melissa in all her pregnant glory didn’t make it too much of a problem. :)

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