In Bruges

Long time ago in some publishing company or another I came across a book called 'Dream Towns of Europe' and the one place that stuck in my mind was Bruges in Belgium.  In addition the film 'In Bruges' is one of my all time favourites, so off I go from Antwerp on a day trip on the train.

Bruges had its heyday in the 15th century as a Hanseatic town trading throughout the North and Baltic Seas, but by the end of the century the river that provided access to the city had silted up and Bruges quickly became a backwater.

Much bigger than I thought, the town is picture perfect and in the middle of summer packed with tourists. The city centre, beautifully preserved, has two main squares, enclosed by stunning medieval buildings.

However, once you moved away from the city centre the crowds of visitors quickly diminished and the streets were eerily quiet.  Every thing was neat clean and tidy but there were no people - no children playing in the streets, no windows open on a warm summers day and the only sounds were my own footsteps. At the same time I had the feeling that people are watching me and the overwhelming atmosphere was that of some creepy horror film.

Once back the centre, the crowds returned, but now I am convinced that no one actually lives in Bruges and I certainly wouldn't want to stay there over night

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