We both found the Friet Museum surprisingly informative and entertaining. At the end, we were able to buy "authentically cooked" friet and they were very tasty. The cone-shaped bag on the left of the picture is what they were served in. I got a free one to bring home. We each got a discount coupon, for the little friet shop, but we only got one bag of friet. It was huge.
There was far too much historical and nutrition information on the walls to take pictures of all of it, but this is an example of the kind of information designed especially for kids. It was low on the wall and presented in Flemish and English. As with the rest of the textual pictures, you will need to click on them to read the text.
Potatoes came to Europe when the Spanish explorers returned with them from South America.
This is the kind of presentation designed for taller people. Ergotism was a disease caused by the fungus that grew on rye grain, the primary grain used for bread. It was also known as St. Anthony's Fire. By the end of the 17th century, it started to abate because people were eating more potatoes and less rye bread.
Of course, there is always someone who thinks anything new is the work of the devil.
Potato cultivation advanced in Ireland faster than anywhere else.
Potatoes are a nutritious and delicious source of vitamin C, magnesium, iron and potassium.
Now for that other vitamin C, chocolate. The Chocolate Museum is devoted to the history of chocolate, not only the cultivation of it and the manufacture of candies, but also how it came to be a relished drink with specialized cups and saucers developed for drinking it. If you go to the link, you can get to most of what we saw. I took no pictures besides this one of Trout. We did partake of the chocolate drops as we entered and we did watch the demonstration at the end and sample what was made right there. Two food groups down and one to go.
But before we go on to beer, these are some pictures from shop windows along the street. There are several chocolate shops in Bruges, many that make their own. Easter was over, but this guy was still in the window of this shop. Not exactly the kind of Easter bunny we're used to seeing. Belgian chocolate makes you strong!
This is pretty typical of what you might see in a window.
As are these pictures. They are examples of some of the things you see in Europe that shock Americans. No biggie over there, regardless of country.
It didn't matter what was displayed in the shop windows, no one was supposed to sit on the window sills. At least these spikes weren't too pointy.
Now for the beer. Trout didn't try as many kinds of beer as I expected him to. We saw more than one shop like this one with a huge variety of beers and the kind of glass each is supposed to be served in.
We did take a special tour of De Halve Maan (half moon) brewery. Click on the link to learn about its history. There were many breweries in the town of Bruges, but this is the last one downtown that is still brewing beer.
The tour is fascinating, but not accessible for anyone with mobility issues -- too many stairs and narrow stairways that you have to go down backwards. These are pictures from the roof.
Trout wanted to make sure I got the smokestack.
This view is down to the part of the canal where the swans are.
Here you can see down into the courtyard and see two of the modern brewing vats.
After lunch, we decided it was time to get souvenirs. I chose this University of Brugge T-shirt. I like the color and the date the university was established.
This is it for the secular Bruges postings. The rest should be more religious.
