Day 37, 19 July 2014, Ghent to Bruges, Belgium. The heatwave, she continues. Not to harp (but) feel like a snowman in the Sahara... melting! The train was choc-full so me and half a dozen others stood up in the vestibule between carriages for the 25 minute trip to Bruges. Eventually got to my hotel (still not loving cobble stones - but gee, they're quaint). Situated on the banks of a canal in a quiet spot only 10 minutes walk from the main square, pretty happy with this place. Old, run down, worn out - but comfy bed and an armchair from which to write. Not bad. I could have spent the afternoon snoozing and unpacking and enjoying the breeze off the canal, but that would have been cheating, so at 4pm, map in hand, I headed off to get some value out of my Bruges City Card (€45/72 hours... sightseeing whirlwind here I come). First impressions? Gosh it's pretty here! Bruges was a hip and happening place in the 1400s, but went into a downward spiral by the 1500s, which means nothing got done - nothing got knocked down and precious little got built - which is great for a town that now makes it's living from Humanus Touristicus - of which I am one. First stop on this hot July afternoon was Brouwerij De Halve Maan (The Half Moon Brewery). Now I wouldn't say I'm a beer drinker - but I'm a quick learner, it was hot and it was included in the pass - So I was there like a three-toed sloth and signed up for the 4.30 pm brewery tour, conducted by a woman who loves her beer. Born and brewed in Bruges she had everyone who could be bothered listening cracking up and learning heaps...like the hops plant is related to hemp/cannabis... which is why beer makes you so hoppy (the hits just kept on coming). This brewery's been around since 1856 in its current form (earlier establishments since 1564) and the signature beer is the "Brugse Zot" - or Bruges' Fool. The name refers to the nickname of the townspeople allegedly conferred by Maximillian of Austria. In order to welcome the duke, the citizens paraded past him in a lavish procession of brightly-coloured merrymakers and fools. A while later they asked the ruler to fund a new 'zothuis' or madhouse. He replied (apparently) - 'The only people I have seen here are fools. Bruges is one big madhouse. Close the gates!' But I did not feel one little bit foolish - after 240 steps into the heights and depths of the brewery I certainly deserved to try their blonde Zot. You will see from the picture 3 cm of foam. This is apparently almost a legal standard in Belgium for a poured beer. Concept being that you sit for a while until the foam subsides before you consume the 300 ml of beer beneath. Afterall, in a land where 1200 (I think) different beers are produced, you wouldn't want to be thought to be encouraging drunkenness. And that's without even considering the quadruple beer produced at 14% alcohol! Moving right along - might have sped up to Four-toed sloth by now. Headed towards the Church of our Lady with the lovely tower and meandered into old St John's Hospital with the lure of a free harp concert. But the next one was 45 minutes away, so meandered out again and tripped over a landing stage for one of the many little boats that putter about the canals of Bruges. It was the last one of the day and though unplanned, it's not as though I had other engagements. The half hour trip was a delight - and confirmed nothing more or less than Bruges is gorgeous and I have an issue with taking far too many photos. After the canal trip I took the long way home just enjoying the little streets and periodically taking a left or right to keep more or less in the direction of my hotel. What an awesome introduction to Bruges... pottered out for a quick look-see and ended up doing a brewery tour, having a drink, taking a canal cruise and eventually getting back four hours later. Going to be a busy few days methinks.