Hostel Hostels, Bruges, & Ghent

Before I completely leave the topic of Bruges, I should mention that I stayed in a hostel.  In Europe, hotels can be very, very expensive and as a single traveller, hostels are a much more affordable option.   In that I am from the US, I have only stayed in one hostel before and it was definitely “an experience to remember.”  Perhaps, all hostel stays will be memorable experiences!   

I arrived in Bruges and it was dark and raining, I took a bus and then walked to my hostel.   At Check in I was issued a plastic key card.  After I had dinner and downloaded the photographs of the day to the laptop, I went to sleep.  Because I was staying in a hostel, I wore my white leopard tank top and my light blue penguin pajama pants (so that my pasty irish legs didn’t scare the other patrons).  In the middle of the night, I got up to use the bathroom and added my black sweater and shoes to my ensemble.   When I returned to my room, the keycard was no longer functional.  A couple of travelers back from the bar also attempted my key and concluded that I was out of luck.  They said they saw the manager in the club downstairs behind the bar and maybe he could help.  So, off I went to the “Club” where there was a crowd gyrating to the techno music and disco lights.  The bartender turned to another guy and said – I think she needs some help!  The night manager, came out from behind the bar and looked me over from head to toes, he said, “Wow, out at the club in your jammies!”  He took me to the office, made me a new key, and back to bed I went, thankful I did not have to sleep in the hallway.  

Before leaving the area and heading back to Paris, I had to make a stop in Ghent.  I have heard wonderful things about Ghent and I know that in St. Bavo's Cathedral is one of the masterpieces of the Northern Renaissance, the Adoration of the Lamb by Hubert & Jan Van Eyck.  I got off of the train and took a local tram into the city. 

 Ghent squareRiver in Ghent

 

The Apse of St. Nicholas from St. Bavo's

St Nicholas interior

I wandered around town and had a bite to eat.  While some people do speak French, more speak Dutch and wow is that difficult!  My typical language "cheat sheet" in hand, I attempted to speak a bit, but it didn't help much in Ghent.  After a great lunch, St. Bavo's was my destination.  The cathedral was beautiful, but I immediately paid the fee to see the Adoration of the Lamb and it included an excellent audio guide.  After spending so much time in museums and at exhibits, I can get tired of audio guides rather quickly but this one held my attention to the end.  This masterpiece is truly worth all of the hype that surrounds it.  I love Northern Renaissance art, which is why I chose to visit Brussels, Bruges, and Ghent, and it was not disappointed in any of the work I was privileged to see.  

Adoration of the Lamb

by Hubert & Jan Van Eyck in St. Bavo's Cathedral

I hopped back on the train and made my way to Brussels, but I was not feeling well and didn't leave the train station as I waited for my train to Paris.  The best thing about living in Paris is that not only do you have the city at your fingertips, but the bulk of Europe if you can read a train schedule.