For farmers living in the Middle Ages, nothing was more important than market day.
If French farmers went for a glass of wine after selling their goods, Belgian farmers had a beer instead. Across from the Beguinage of the Vineyard stood a brewery; in Dutch, "De Halve Maan" meant half moon. It produced a fruity beer hailed as the pink champagne of beers, and it was very popular with women.
Both winemaking and brewing demanded fairly high-quality water. That was precisely why, whenever people felt the water was unsafe, they drank wine and beer instead.
The waters of Lake of Love were crystal clear. They could not only be admired as scenery, but also served as the water source for the convent and brewery. Out of contempt for royal authority, and using materials from the demolished St. Donatian's Church, the newly built French manor had adopted Gothic Revival style rather than the neoclassicism of Versailles. At a glance, the castle almost blended into the small city of Bruges, which retained its medieval character.
Since its founding in the thirteenth century, even at its most prosperous, it had never expanded beyond the bounds marked by its walls. Lake of Love was located right by the southern exit; beyond that gate lay the canal linking Bruges and Ghent. They had entered through the northern gate and only reached their quarters after crossing the entire city.
The response during the welcoming ceremony was not much warmer than it had been in Ostend, but the ringing of the belfry bells concealed the lack of cheers. Though preserving the original appearance was important for cultural heritage, she felt they ought to introduce something new. After all, they were no longer living in the Middle Ages.
For example, concert halls and opera houses. Of course, they