Soaking Up The Sun, Gruuthuse Museum, Bruges

This shot captures my Mum at her best ..... a sweet and diddy wee lady with bright pink shoes (and far comfier than mine were!), taking a short break from the miles and miles of tramping around Bruges that we enjoyed, hopping from chocolate shop to chocolate shop and soaking up the sun that we were blessed with throughout our stay.

Mum's sitting outside the Gruuthuse Museum, which was once the home of the Flemish aristocrat Lodewijk Van Gruuthuse, whose name it still bears today. The grand Gothic mansion houses thousands of art pieces and antiquities, including a diverse array of fine arts and decorative arts that range from weapons to furniture.

The name already explains why the Gruuthuse family was so important. The old Flemish word 'gruut' means 'peeled barley' or 'wheat'. This was the main ingredient for beer-brewing in the Middle Ages. The lords of Bruges had the monopoly for the sale of this very important product and because of that position. they became very wealthy and powerful and soon became known as the 'lords of Gruuthuse'.

The most famous member of the family was, as mentioned above, Lodewijk van Gruuthuse (Louis of Gruuthuse), diplomat and art lover. His equestrian statue can be seen above the lower front facade of the Gruuthuse palace, under which is his personal motto 'Plus est en Vous' - 'There is more in you' . This part was built during the lifetime of Lodewijk, namely in 1465. In 1628 the former palace of Gruuthuse became a pawn shop but after a complete renovation between 1883 and 1898, the entire house became the city's archeological museum - 'Gruuthusemuseum'.