Begijnhof

I love monasteries. Once my sister thought I was never going to leave a Buddhist monastery. Kathleen Norris's writing from the monastery is a favorite.

Here independent, single women of means have been living together creating a city of peace for centuries. lI was lucky to attend Vespers in the Church although I wish I had attended the Gregorian chant in the morning.

One of the most interesting sights in Brugge is the Beguinage Begijnof, a 13th century convent for a religious sect of women who served as nuns but weren't quite nuns. These women took on the nunly vows of chastity and obedience but were allowed to keep their wealth. Yet, maybe the best way to describe this sect would be Coke Light of nunnery, but however you slice it, these ladies left behind a charming convent and grounds that shouldn't be missed.

The chapel is quaint and peaceful, but for me, it is the convent's grounds which hold the most appeal. A small brook runs through the center of the inner park. These tranquil patch of greenery is be-speckled with numerous trees, giving this area an enchanted garden feel. You can walk around this picturesque patch of greenery or through its center, but whichever path you choose, you are certain to feel relaxed and at peace with the world.

Beguineage, a Benedictine nunnery in the middle of Bruges. So tranquil and relaxing. I do not have any photographs as I felt it inappropriate. I did feel like telling other travellers my feelings as they took photographs and made so much noise. So very rude and disrespectful.
The images are in my mind and, to me, that is enough. I would love to return on our next trip and spend a little more time just sitting in the square and contemplating.

I wasn't really planning on stopping at Begijnhof while in Bruges, but I am so glad I did. We were visiting at the end of March and oh my, goodness, I was literally stunned/blown away when I crossed the bridge and walked into this quiet little square. Once we walked through the gates, we were flooded with daffodils--the most daffodils I've ever seen in my life and it was one of the most beautiful sights I've ever seen! If you are lucky enough to visit Bruges in the spring, please stop by here to at least see the flowers.

You can also pop into the church there where the nuns still worship and it's a very peaceful and spiritual place.

This is one stop I totally wanted to make and put it on our must do list when prepping for our trip. While it looks far away from the main part of Bruges, it is not and is easily accessible. We went early in the morning before the tour groups came out to play. The walk leads you along a wide canal but I noted visitors also coming from the other direction, perhaps from a parking area. It was not crowded and the crispness of the air added to the wondrous solitude. Beautiful, elegant architecture of modern day blended with the old abbey seamlessly. As you wander about you definitely get the feeling of serenity. Many signs around ask you to be mindful of that serenity and most we saw complied. As you approach the area, you immediately notice the numerous swans of the area. The Swan, BTW, is a symbol of Bruges. The little pond provides a painted picture of a background. We were lucky enough to notice, a swan had built a nest and the local caretakers had put op a straw covering for the mom's privacy. We photographed it from afar though others were not so respectful. Upon entering the courtyard you are immediately struck by the number of flowers under the trees. Unfortunately they appeared to have bloomed early from a warm spell and lost their buds in the current cooler weather. If you are hungry or thirsty, there is a non-associated café serving as you approach the Beginhof. You can also note a church across the canal with what every church needs, a café in the rear, with a view of the canal. Overall, we are glad we went early as by the time we ready to walk to our next adventure, the area was being filled with school kids on a daytrip and tour groups. Oh well, I guess peaceful idyllistic settings can only last so long.