The Dijver Canal is one of several that helped Bruges come by the title, "The Venice of the North."
I’ve always been a sucker for medieval towns (I adored Germany's Regensburg and fell in love with Austria's Salzburg); give me narrow cobblestone streets, stone footbridges, ancient city gates, an historic church gracing a charming town square and it’s a sure thing I’ll get lost in the magic; which is pretty much what Jimmy and I did several weeks ago, with good friends Joan and Jerry, during a day trip to Bruges, the capital of West Flanders in northwest Belgium.
Who knew a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site could guarantee such a fairy-tale experience!
Who knew a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site could guarantee such a fairy-tale experience!
Tell me these don’t look like yummy gingerbread houses lining the cobblestone “Markt” of Bruges. Eat your heart out Hansel and Gretel.
Three million visitors annually will back me up on the gingerbread thing.
Had our visit included an overnight stay, I feel certain I’d have been a shoe-in for the role of Cinderella despite a lack of ugly stepsisters.
I guess the pumpkin top comes out after sunset.
There were majestic castles and cathedrals . . .
 Truth be told, this Baroque building was the Bishop's Palace on Brug Square. |  The Church of Our Lady dates to the 13th century. |
. . . and quaint cottages and shops to lend authenticity to the timelessness of this fairy-tale setting.
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And of course every fairy tale requires an abundance of beautiful flowers, in this case a field of daffodils to grace the Begijhof, a religious institution for women founded in 1245.
Most of the medieval town, including the Begijhof, has undergone renovations.
A healthy dose of pristine cobblestone streets and romantic meandering canals
 The city of Bruges is home to 120,000 lucky people. |  At one time ships navigated the canals of this once thriving port city. |
provided a serene backdrop for stunning medieval architecture and statues, not to mention an enviable picture of prosperity and tranquility reminiscent of the city's Golden Age during the early 1300s.
 The Old Civil Registry on Burg Square. |  Local heroes Jan Breydel and Pieter de Coninck were memorialized for leading an uprising in 1305 while fighting for Flemish identity. |
Every quarter hour, a magnificent 47-bell carillon pealed a gentle reminder of the passage of time in a place where time had ironically stood still for at least six or seven centuries.
Don't know if Bruges medieval belfry is full of bats.
I’d hoped the Emperor would step out of Bruges’ Provincial Court Building to show off his new clothes while we were there.
The original Waterhalle, built for the port city of Bruges in 1294, was demolished in 1787.
Alas, the Emperor never showed, but a handful of ugly ducklings turned swans showed up in their birthday suits.
You'd be a quack not to fall in love with Bruges.
Classic stone footbridges and one enchanting scene after another made our visit picture-perfect, although all the walking on cobblestones didn’t help Joan’s bum knee and my less-than-happy hip, but hey, even fairy tales have their share of malevolence.
 The St. Bonifaciusbrug bridge is one of the most photographed in this fairy tale. |  This was one of my favorite views. |
Besides, every damsel in distress must have her Prince Charming.
 Ahhhh, feels good to sit! |  Charming with the truck and porta potty in the background. NOT! |
We shared a toast to our new fairy-tale lives,
Belgium is famous for their beer; and iced tea and ginger ale.
reveling in the fleeting moment. And true to form, as we exited the old city gates of Bruges and closed the book on this enchanting fairy tale,
How much farther to the bus?!!
a dreamy castle sealed the deal.
Does living life in a fairy tale mean you get to fast forward past the scary parts?
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