Mid-life gap year Tanya and Craig

Brugge is a beautiful Belgian mediaeval city. It is distinguished by its cobbled streets, canals and squares.  On the main square it has an ornately carved 14 th century city hall, as well as the Liberty of Brugge and the Basilica of the Holy Blood. From the 13 th to the 15 th century Brugge was at the centre of the trading crossroads in Northwest Europe. The magnificent facades derive from the embassies of the trading nations and wealthy merchant families from this time.  The city has a Begijnhof. A Begijnhof is a walled oasis of spiritual peace with a delightful inner garden. They were places where single religious women lived and prayed; however they were not tied to the church ie no vows.  Markt Square’s 13 th century belfry has a 47 bell carillon and an 83m tower.  Brugge’s streets are filled with chocolate shops; cafes selling mussels, fries and beers; and touters for canal, miniature train or walking tours. It is a tourist mec...

There are not many towns in the world that have World Heritage status. Tournai is a town with two World Heritage listed sites and before this week, it is a town that we had never heard of. Tournai is in southern Belgium, not far from the French border and not far from the city of Lille. Tournai is Belgium’s oldest town, with origins dating back more than 2000 years.   It is a city of art; beautiful facades and wide picturesque streets.  The World Heritage listed cathedral (Notre Dame) with its Gothic and Romanesque style is unique as it has five bell towers. The cathedral, in its current architecture began around 1140. Archaeological investigations show elements of previous constructions, also believed to be religious dating back to the Gallo-Roman period of -5000 to 406.  The other World Heritage listed building is the Belfry which was built in 1188 and signified the charter of municipal liberties ie King Philippe August of France granted the bo...

Gent had been described to us, as one of the most beautiful cities. Our friends who laid the claim may have been biased as they reside in Gent; but having visited them and the city, we agree.  The city is on the confluence of two rivers, surrounded by land ideal for sheep farming. Thanks to the wool trade Gent grew so much that it was second largest city in Europe to Paris.   While the town’s castle is 11 th century much of the beautiful architecture dates from the 14 th century onwards. The wealthy wool merchant families invested in beautiful and well-constructed architecture. It is a city with a strong rebellious history, dating back to 630. As the industrial revolution took hold and Gent became the first industrialised city in continental Europe, there was protest about impoverished conditions in which labourers lived and worked. As conditions in Gent mirrored Manchester in the early 1800s the first modern trade unions and socialist movements were es...