,
Ever wonder
what it’s like to live in a postcard?
Well, come to canal lined medieval Bruges and find out. And this is
exactly what the Kid and I did, as we meandered along this UNESCO
World Heritage site, gawking in appreciative wonder at antiquated cathedrals
and trodden passageways. Ambling along
the cobblestoned paths, each inquisitive step a stroll back in time, our pink
sneakered feet rarely tired of aimless wandering, as we explored the hidden
nooks and crannies of this Gothic town.
Even my reluctant walker niece
enthusiastically traipsed for miles on end, mesmerized by the age old history
and architecture of the Flemish capital.
Surrounded by miles upon miles of seemingly endless canals, Brugge is a
magical fairy tale in the making, gifting visitors a wondrous glimpse into the
past. A land that time forgot, its
cathedral spires forming an alluring back drop to imagined story book romances,
this Belgian Venice of the North does not disappoint - a virtual history lesson
in the making.
And then we
stumbled upon the Historium. Housed in a
centuries old edifice, this interactive multi-media experience offers a unique
perspective on what life would have been like in medieval Belgium. A trail of illuminated footprints guides visitors
from one elaborately themed set to another, as if magically transporting a 21st
century globe-trotter smack dab in to the Middle Ages. The tour lasts approximately 35 minutes and you are ushered through seven realistically themed sets, each thematic room
depicting a scenario of a day in the life of Jacob and Anna.
Part love story, part tale of a struggling
apprentice to master painter Jan van Eyck, this historical journey through 15th
century Brugge both educates and delights.
We follow Jacob on his determined quest to win the heart of Anna, as he
chases both his muse as well as an annoyingly vocal parakeet, along the
cobblestoned alleyways and canal lined waterways.
Quite the
history buffs, both the Kid and I were giddy in anticipation of stepping back
in time, anxious to be witness to a snippet of the past and traipse alongside
Jacob and leap back into 1435 Bruges. Paying
our 11 Euro admittance fee, we eagerly crossed the threshold into the first of
7 lifelike sets, and found ourselves in a semi darkened room with a few props and a large movie screen. And then the unthinkable happened.
The main entranceway wall slid seamlessly
shut, much like an elevator door closing, effectively “trapping” us in this enclosed space. Now, for normal people like the Kid and 99.9%
of the general populace, this would not pose any sort of an issue or nary a
thought even worth considering, but for claustrophobic “you name it, I have it” phobic loony-tunes
moi, this is somewhat of a seriously
huge issue of gigantic proportions. My main focus of thought instantly shifted
from being mesmerizingly seduced by the romanticism of an antiquated love
story, to a now frantic attempt to figure out how to claw my way out of this
confining enclosure, desperate to escape to the freedom of fresh air and
outdoor green spaces. With timed sensors
dictating the opening and closing of each lifelike set, I had not an inkling of
a clue as to when, or, most importantly, “if”, the doors would ever slide
open again, frantically counting down the seconds until the audio clip and film
ended, so that I would be able to bolt and escape. Escape?
Escape to where? The next
room? On to the next themed set? There are only seven of them to get through,
you know.
Sweat
cascading like rivers down my back, my breathing becoming more and more
laboured, I honestly have to say all that I remember from my Historium
interactive experience was scouting out the Exit signs and counting down the minutes
until I was able to high tail it to freedom and park myself in the Historium’s
2nd floor Grand Beer Café’s panoramic terrace and swill back a few
Belgian ales and calm my frayed nerves into a nirvana like comatose state. A much needed beverage of the intoxicating kind,
my Belgian Kriek worked its charm, as I spent the remainder of the day
languishing in contended bliss. No
matter that it was only 11:00am in the morning, as neither a café au lait nor a
double espresso would do the trick quite as well as a seductively soothing bubble
bath for the mind.
It goes
without saying that the Kid was appalled at her delusional Auntie’s undignified antics, rolling her eyes in disgust at the semi crazed escapades she once
again was forced to endure - begging her mother never to let her
travel with any one of her relatives, especially slightly lunatic, cuckoo, you know who, even if it did entail a
barrel of laughs along the way – that is, until the next transatlantic journey.
Come traipse
along with the Kid and I as we stumble into the past in medieval Bruges, where
we literally came close to being trapped in the Middle Ages. There’s always an adventure and a comical
situation that we (me, actually) find ourselves in, rarely ever a dull moment….come
discover travel from a uniquely different perspective…
Next week –
where in Bruges do our pink-sneakered feet take us? Stay tuned!!
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