Sam, I am: Quasimodo, the Stinker and the Blinker.

On our visit to Brugge (Bruges), we booked with a small company offering two tour itineraries. With the name Quasimodo Tours and choosing a tour that “travels between twin canals locally known as the Stinker and the Blinkerˮ how could we go wrong. We didn't! I would highly recommend this company to anyone looking for the type of tours they offer. The tour we did was the Best of Belgium and was a great way to explore some of the more out of the way places. Our guide Philippe was incredibly knowledgeable, entertaining and presented numerous humorous insights making for a thoroughly engaging experience (https://www.quasimodo.be/).

Castle Tillegem

The other tour offered is to Flanders Fields, a few of the stops were planned as stops while en-route to Brugge; so we did not book that tour. To quote Robbie Burns; “The best-laid schemes o' mice an' menˮ or women, in this case, did not take into account the mass confusion known as immigration Control at Charles de Gaulle Airport. Two and a half hours to clear immigration control after an early morning arrival, followed by the car rental agency spending over an hour trying to find us a smaller rental vehicle throws off the schedule. I do not think I have ever been more thankful in my life for a colossal waste of my time. We would have been packed in like sardines as the “large SUVˮ was about the size of a Jeep Wrangler for three ladies, luggage and camera gear on a 3-week tour of Belgium and France. Our first stop en-route to Brugge was Beaumont Hamel. Of course, we had not taken into account the emotional impact of this stop, so we stayed longer than planned. The result was more schedule slippage and no visit to Flanders Fields. All the more reason for another visit in the future.

Loppem Chateau

Tillegem Castle (Kasteel van Tillegem), the first stop on the tour was a square moated castle originally dating back to the 12th or 13th century. Over the following centuries, the castle was owned by various families from Bruges, who rebuilt it several times. In 1879 Tillegem Castle was acquired by Baron Eugène Charles de Peñaranda de Franchimont, who had the castle rebuilt to its present appearance in Flemish Gothic Revival style per the architect Jean-Baptiste de Béthune. It is presently owned by the Province of West Flanders where several of its offices are presently housed. While the castle is not open to the public, the surrounding park is (https://www.castles.nl/tillegem-castle).

The second stop was Loppem Chateau (Kasteel van Loppem) located just east of the town of Loppem. It is a "new" castle built between 1858 and 1862 by Baron Charles van Caloen replacing an earlier 18th-century mansion. Architects Edward Welby Pugin and Jean-Baptiste de Béthune designed it with the latter giving it, its Flemish Gothic Revival appearance. The castle is open to viewing and houses a lovely art collection which will be a topic of a separate post (https://www.castles.nl/loppem-castle).

Tithe Barn of Ter Doest Abbey
ca. 1375

The lunch stop was the restaurant Ter Doest, located on the grounds of the former Cistercian Abbey Ter Doest in Lissewege, Belgium. The sole remaining building dating from ca. 1375 is one of the last surviving examples of a medieval barn whose construction technique was specifically adapted to the maritime climate of north-western Europe. Numerous sculptures around the barn were part of the Statues in the White Village annual open-air art exhibition.

After lunch we headed off to the picturesque village of Damme, passing the Schellemolen Windmill along the way on the Damse Vaart (Damme Canal). Seems Damme is a book lovers' paradise. Every second Sunday of the month, Damme is transformed into a book centre, as booksellers from near and far come together to display their wares! I know ladies I am in a bit of trouble for not knowing that tidbit of information while on our trip. Damme is an easy day trip from Brugge (7 km) by car, canal barge, bike, or a walk along the canal.

“The blinkerˮ or the pure one as it is known is the leopoldcanal, an un-navigable waterway dug in 1845 for drainage of the surrounding polders. “The Stinkerˮ is the locale name for the Schipdonkcanal which was dug in 1852 and is partially navigable. Its names came from the stink and pollution that was associated with “retting of flaxˮ from industrial activity along the River Lys. “Retting of flaxˮ is not done today so both the water quality and related odours no longer exist but the locale name will live on in infamy.

Castle Tillegem

Castle Tillegem Moat Warning
There is one in every crowd!

Statues in the White Village (Lissewege at Ter Doest Abbey

Happy People by Luc De Prest
https://www.metalartwork.be/

Irénée Duriez
https://www.ireneeduriez.be/nl

Ceramic Bull Sculpture by Dirk Santens
https://santensgobeyn.wixsite.com/santens

Around Damme

Schellemolen 1867
A mill has been on this spot since 1479.
Two millstones (grain and oil)

Stadhuis (Damme Town Hall)
Brabantine Gothic built in 1464

Huyse de Grote Sterre (Late Gothic)
Damme Tourist Information, Post Office and small museum
Sections date back to 1200's
Joined as 1 building in 15th or 16th-century

Tijl Uilenspiegel holds up a mirror to us in Jef Claerhout's sculpture group 1979
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Till_Eulenspiegel

Our Lady of the Assumption Church, Damme, Belgium

View from graveyard of Our Lady of the Assumption Church (13th-century)

Tower of Our Lady of the Assumption Church (13th-century)

The Triumph of the Eucharist over Philosophy and Science
in Our Lady of the Assumption Church, Damme, Belgium
Original was done by Peter Paul Rubens (baroque style) ca 1626-1625
(not sure if this is an original, done by his workshop, or a copy but it is based on a Rubens painting)