Valparaiso stands for two things in my mind: the murals and the hills. Our cruise from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, ended in Valparaiso 15 days later. 8 of us rented a 4-bedroom house on one of the hills, and we walked down the hill to join a free walking tour.
The guide pointed out places of historical significance. No big deal. Then he showed us the murals. Wow! This city had no shortage of interesting murals painted all over the place. Most were real artworks of high-quality rather than random graffiti.
We were on a Panama Canal cruise that started from Ft. Lauderdale and ended in Valparaiso, Chile. We stopped in Colon, which was not a very attractive port, then we embarked on the journey through the Panama Canal.
Unlike the Suez Canal, the Panama Canal was constructed through the jungle and over mountains. Consequently, the scenery is more interesting and locks are required to step over the mountains. Our ship was of a class called “Panamax,” ie the largest ship that will fit through the locks. subsequent to our transit a parallel canal has opened that can accommodate even larger ships.
Museum of Biodiversity
As you emerge into the Pacific, you can see the skyscrapers of Panama City in the distance as well as the somewhat garish Museum of Biodiversity designed by Frank Gehry, whose wife is Panamanian.
We got to know Bruges rather well thanks to all the trans-Atlantic cruises stopping there on their way back to Europe from the Caribbean. Cruise ships dock at Zeebrugge port, and we use the coastal tram from there to Blankenberge train station, then get on the train to Bruges. From the Bruges train station, you can walk to the center of town in 20 minutes(1.6 km/1 mile).
Markt
Markt(Market Square) is the central square where the bell tower is. You can climb up 366 steps to get the best view of the city. We passed. Take a few steps to the right, and you arrive at Burg where the government buildings are. They all look like just popped out of a storybook.
Basilica of the Holy Blood in the Burg square. A vial said to contain a cloth with blood of Jesus Christ is in this Catholic church.
Canals and swans are the symbols of Bruges. The legend about the swans of Bruges: In 1488 the people of Bruges had executed one of the town administrators belonging to the court of Maximilian of Austria. The town administrator, Pieter Lanchals, family coat of arms featured a white swan. Legend has it that Maximilian punished Bruges by obliging the population to keep swans on their lakes and canals till eternity.
We meant to visit some museums, but we have not done that yet. Every time we go to Bruges, it is just so lovely to stroll & we don’t feel like going inside.
One thing we have to have in this town: waffles! All the Belgian waffles I’ve had in my life elsewhere do not measure up to the real thing! My favorite is at Carpe Diem, a cafe that makes me never want to leave.
