*This video contains flashing lights*

I tried to edit this video in Photos (formerly the superior iPhoto app), which didn't work, and then in Photoshop, which froze Photoshop, so I guess I can't edit the brightness on a video. Maybe the solution is to open it in iMovie, but for a 13-second video that's just meant to give a view of the Markt in Bruges, it's not worth it. I need to learn how to better pan a video so it's easier on the eyes first.
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Tags:   Markt Brugge Bruges Belgium Europe travel winter travel iPhone iPhone SE city town medieval

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This was the best pic I got from the boat tour. The Church of Our Lady is the tallest structure in Bruges and the third-tallest brickwork tower in the world, according to en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_Our_Lady,_Bruges

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Tags:   Bruges Brugge Belgium Belgique blue sky water canal tour buildings old Church of Our Lady medieval winter travel 2020 February leap year February 29th Europe solo trip

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As I sit here editing a picture and listening to the smooth Christmas jazz of the Vince Guaraldi Trio, it feels like Christmas. My five-month-old daughter is asleep and my wife is vacuuming (call me a sexist not; for I already did some cleaning today so now I'm off the hook). I'm eating low-sodium chips after finding out last week that I have slightly high nighttime blood pressure. But I guess it's better to find out at 37 before any damage has been done.

Yesterday we had a windstorm with freezing temperatures and a light dusting of snow. The media had us believe it was going to be brutal, but it wasn't; at least not in Toronto. I'm still glad I got to work from home yesterday so I didn't have to drive on slippery roads. Now I'm off work for two weeks!

It's also the end of December, which means it'll soon be time to write my annual summary -- a task I thoroughly enjoy! And now that I have a child, there'll be someone other than myself who actually cares to read it in the future!

Maybe if my annual summaries weren't 12 pages long, more people would read them. Perhaps I'll try to shorten it this year. The keyword is "try". But I'm just saying that. It'll probably be 12 pages again this year :D

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Tags:   Belgium Bruges store storefront retail shop lace tourists people man woman yes I assumed their genders awning display breakfast postcards window shopping shopping Europe winter travel

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The relentless pursuit of likes and comments on the Instagram (yes, "the" Instagram) gets me down sometimes, and it's become apparent that the stuff people want to see is not photos of streetcars and ferries and cityscapes (the stuff I like to post); they want to see pictures of people. Or the algorithm is burying posts that don't have people, and pushing posts that do. Or they just want to see pictures of the bébé, and it feels like my art (my photography) doesn't matter anymore.

But I read something yesterday that said to keep making art even when no one cares. So I continue. And people on Flickr seem to like my art, so that's something.

I also remember that it doesn't really give lasting happiness if one of my pics gets a lot more likes than usual. I like when that happens, but it doesn't bring about a lasting sense of satisfaction. I always want more. I am pseudo-addicted to social media and that's the way they want it to be. I bet some of you are, too.

In any case, meaningful comments mean more to me than likes.
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Tags:   Route 11 streetcar tram Europe Belgium Antwerp city public transit vehicle signs P tracks Primus Den Engel Señor Taco restaurants urban Antwerpen tourism travel Winter travel 7117 delijn

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As I walked along the narrow streets from the train station toward my hotel, I thought "Wow, this city is straight out of the '50s. Like, the 1450s." And it turns out that was an underestimate.

This picture is just the tip of the iceberg, as it were. There are lots more on the way.

If you haven't been to Bruges before, go. Stop talking and book your flight (or train ticket if you live in Europe). Just do it. You can thank me later.
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Tags:   Bruges city town medieval old stone street road buildings heritage Europe Sint-Salvatorskathedraal travel tourism

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