A cold wet miserable January 2007 saw Liz Ayers and yours truly meet up for a day out in Bruges. I took along the camera (the last official expedition with the Fuji as the new Pentax" has arrived) in the hope that, inbetween the showers, there might be something worth photographing.

As you know, I don't go to Bruges unless I have to. It's too much of a tourist trap in my opinion and much too much of a museum piece. I much prefer Ghent, thats for sure. It's a city that's just as beautiful, yet much more vibrant.

I've lightened the images as much as I dare. You've no idea how depressing the originals look in the dreary January weather. And the more I manipulated them, the more I saw the shortfalls in the Fuji. It did a job after I broke my old digicam, but its front-line service has long expired. I can't wait to get the Pentax fired up.

The images are up anyway, I'll write the text "in due course". Don't forget that if you want to use any of the text or one of the images off my site, you need to read this first.

View from wharf off the Wollestraat along the canal eastwards to the Blinde ezelstraat (Blind Donkey Street) bridge

View from wharf off the Wollestraat along the canal southwards to the Rozenhoedkaai

View from wharf off the Wollestraat along the canal northwards. The buildings on the right are the rear of buildings such as the Basilica of the Holy Blood and the Gothic Hall of the Bruges Museum (Heilig-Bloedbasiliek en Bruggemuseum Gotische Zaal)

Belfry of the Bruges museum (Bruggemuseum Belfort) seen from the Wollestraat

City Halls and Belfry of the Bruges museum (Stadshallen en Bruggemuseum Belfort) seen from the Wollestraat

View from the Blinde ezelstraat (Blind Donkey Street) bridge eastwards along the canal towards the Meestraat Bridge

View from the Blinde ezelstraat (Blind Donkey Street) bridge westwards along the canal to the wharf off the Wollestraat from where the first three photos were taken.

Imposing rear entrance to the Burg from the Blinde ezelstraat (Blind Donkey Street)

Another view from the Blinde ezelstraat Donkey Street) bridge westwards along the canal - with tower of the Church of Our Lady (Onthaalkerk Onze Lieve Vrouw) in the distance.

Provost's house (Proosdij) The Burg.

Basilica of the Holy Blood (Heilig-Bloodbasiliek) in the Burg

Bruges city hall (Stadhuis van Brugge), the Burg

Southwest corner of the Burg with the Basilica of the Holy Blood (Heilig-Bloodbasiliek)

View from the Meestraat Bridge eastwards towards the Peerdenstraat bridge

View along the canal westwards from the Meestraat Bridge towards the Blinde ezelstraat (Blind Donkey Street) bridge - effectively the reverse of the shot in br008

View along the Dijver towards the Church of Our Lady and Museum of Bruges (Onthaalkerk Onze Lieve Vrouw en Bruggemueum)

View from the Dijver northwards towards the Belfry of the Bruges museum (Bruggemuseum Belfort). The wharf from where I took the first three photos is where the black umbrellas can be seen on the left.

Grote Gezelle Plein viewed from Church of Our Lady and Museum of Bruges (Onthaalkerk Onze Lieve Vrouw en Bruggemueum) Bruges Belgium. In the background is the spire of St.Saviour's Cathedral (Sint-Salvatorskathedraal)

An absolutely dreadful photo of the old Bonifatius bridge behind the Church of Our Lady and Museum of Bruges (Onthaalkerk Onze Lieve Vrouw en Bruggemueum). This was with full flash and lightness digitally enhanced to 1.8. You can imagine how dark it was here. Oooooh for an expensive camera!

View from the old Bonifatius bridge southwards along the canal to the rear of the Kastanjeboomstraat

View of old Bonifatius bridge and gatehouse

Canal passes under the building on the bridge at the junction of the Dijver, the Gruuthusestraat and the Nieuwstraat.

Church of Our Lady and Gruuthuse Museum of Bruges (Onthaalkerk Onze Lieve Vrouw, en Gruuthuse Bruggemueum) viewed from Grote Gezelle Plein Bruges Belgium

Buildings along the north side of the Markt - the central medieval square in Bruges

The belfry of the Bruges museum and City Halls (Bruggemuseum Belfort en Stadshallen) viewed from the Markt

The Provincial Palace (Provinciaal Hof) which, believe it or not, dates from the 1800s and is the home of the regional government of West Flanders (West Vlaanderen)