brugge + north sea + aachen + bastogne

Still playing catch-up here on the blog, but I'm making progress!  I added a few new things to our page (check out the new tabs which list the countries Rich and I have been to!) and updated the title banner.  What do you think?

We have some really cool places to tell you about, and tonight I'm going to share our trip we took a few weeks ago to Belgium!  

This wasn't our first time in Belgium (Rich got this country back in January, then Mom and I got it in February while she was visiting), but this was our first time to really experience it!

Rich always plans the details of our trips well in advance...the most scenic routes possible we'll take to get there, hotel reservations, historic places we should see, etc.  I guess some people may be uncomfortable with not knowing--I am not one of those people.  In fact, I had no idea where we were going on both of the last two trips we took (after this Belgium trip).  I only asked what I should pack for the weather and got in the car, and I'm totally okay with this.  Rich is so dang good at planning trips that I know I won't be disappointed.  In case you can't tell, I LOVE this about my husband.  He is the best.

Anyway, for this particular trip I knew we were going to Brugge (pronounced like Brooj) but didn't really know much else.  He plugged the address of the hotel he'd reserved into the GPS, and about 5 hours later we arrived at the Boathotel de Barge.  Yes, you read that right.  Our hotel was a boat.  A BOAT!  See what I mean with being totally okay with his planning?!  Almost four years ago, we spent the night in one of the boxcars on the Chattanooga Choo Choo, so sleeping on a boat in Belgium sort of one-upped the game!

Our room!  And yes, those are life jackets on the bed!  And yes, that is water outside our window!

We settled into our room quickly, then headed out to explore the city.  And let me tell you, this place did not disappoint.  Brugge is best guessed to have begun its existence in the first century B.C., though it didn't receive a city charter until the year 1128.  Because of its location on the North Sea, the city became an important port for trade routes.  In 1907, the port of Zeebrugge was built.  

Look closely for the red spot on the bridge...that's Rich!

Seriously?  And this is just the beginning.

 And now, a selfie!

One of our first stops was for a snack.  Rich had a Belgian waffle with fresh whipped cream and strawberries, and I had French fries.  Not sure what it is about fries here, but they were so good (and I forgot to take a pic of them)!

Belgian waffle...absolutely delicious!!!

Next stop was for Belgian chocolate.  Oh.  So.  Good!

No, these are not rusty pieces of hardware.  They are chocolate!

No, these are not seashells.  They are chocolate, too!

Canals wind all through the city, and swans are everywhere here!

Canal beside Minnewater Park.

Canal beside Minnewater Park. 

Can you spot the two hiding swans?

There are plenty of opportunities to take horse-drawn carriage tours through the city.  We didn't take one, as we prefer to wander around on our own, but there is no shortage if this is your thing!

There are also lots of boat tours through the canals as well!  We considered doing one of these, but it was a little too late in the day.  Next time!

We didn't go inside, but the towering steeple of Church of Our Lady could be seen from all over the city.  Construction began in the 13th century, and a statue by Michelangelo called Madonna and Child sits inside.  

Steeple of Church of Our Lady

 

Statue of Simon Stevin, a Dutch physicist and mathematician.

Another building that can be seen from all over the city is the Belfry.  It was built around 1240 A.D. to be used as an observation tower to spot fires and other danger.  Today, there are 47 bells in the tower, ranging from 2 to 11,000 pounds each!

The Belfry in the Markt.

Saint Salvator's Cathedral at the end of the street.

I have never seen such beautiful crucifixes as I have in Europe.  They're everywhere, even on the side of the road in the middle of the country!

There are also a LOT of beautiful, very intricate doors here.

 And tons of statues.  Everywhere.  

Statue in the middle of the Markt (bonus points if you noticed the pigeon!).

Did you think I wouldn't give you a better view of Pigeon Head?  I find a Pigeon Head in every.single.city.we.visit.

Provincial Hall in the Markt.

One very significant place in Brugge is the Basilica of the Holy Blood, built in the 12th century. The Basilica is known to hold a piece of cloth with the blood of Jesus Christ.  It is believed that when Joseph of Arimathea (the man who gave up his own tomb for Jesus) and Nicodemus washed and prepared the body for burial after the crucifixion, Joseph preserved the blood.  Unfortunately, the Basilica was closing just as we reached the steps, so we were unable to go inside.  We'll definitely plan to visit again.

See the small grey building in the corner with gold statues on the facade?  That's the Basilica of the Holy Blood.

The Holy Blood.  I did not take this photo.  I found it through a Google search, but there is no name to whom to give credit.

I really can't get enough of the faces in European architecture!

 

A recurring theme we noticed in Brugge was the abundance of Ave Maria statues built into the sides of buildings.  

 

This looked like someone's house, and this someone must spend a lot of time on their yard because...wow!

By this time, we'd walked off our snack and were ready for some dinner.  We chose a quaint little pub, and Rich enjoyed a local Belgian beer.

And while we were eating, we marveled at our hotel key which was "anchored" by a huge keychain.  See what I did there?

 Time to head back to our boat.  But first, one last look of the pretty views.

 

Brugge really was a place beyond belief.



The next morning, it started to rain before we left the boat.  Thankfully there was no screen on our window, so I was able to stick my head (and camera) out to get some shots.

We left Brugge and drove further north to De Haan, a little town on the North Sea.  Oh, how the beach is my happy place!

The beach + this guy = absolute happiness.

I never leave a beach without walking in the water.  Ever.  Even when it's cold.  And this was the North Sea.

I didn't want to leave.  Rich asked me several times if I was ready to go, and I ignored the question as long as possible!  But it was time to move on, and on our drive back toward Wiesbaden we stopped in Germany's westernmost city of Aachen (pronounced like A-ken).  Attracted to its warm mineral springs, people have inhabited the area since the Neolithic era.  The Romans built bathhouses here around the 2nd century A.D.  By the beginning of the 5th century, the Romans left and Aachen was taken over by the Franks.  Charlemagne was crowned King of the Franks in 768 A.D., and Aachen became the favored city of his court.  Around 796, under Charlemagne's order, construction of the Aachen Cathedral was begun.  The cathedral is the oldest in Northern Europe.  Between 936 and 1531, the church was the coronation site for 30 German kings and 12 German queens.  

The mosaic ceiling in the entrance is called Civitas Dei, or the City of God.

Carolingian Octagon chapel.

Carolingian Octagon chapel.

The giant chandelier that hangs in the Octagon is called the Barbarossa Chandelier.  It was made of gilt copper between 1165 and 1170.  It's over 4 meters in diameter, hangs 27 meters below the roof of the chapel, and contains 48 real candles.

Center of the chandelier.

Roof of the Octagon

Charlemagne died in 813 and was buried the same day in a tomb inside the Aachen Cathedral.  Instead of being buried in a laying state, he was sat upright on a throne wearing a crown and holding a sceptre in his hand.  In 1215, he was moved into a gold and silver casket, called the Karlsschrein, which is still on display today inside the Cathedral.

After leaving the Cathedral, we had a nice outdoor lunch at a nearby restaurant.  Then, we got in the car and I had no idea where Rich was taking me.  Even after we parked the car and started walking, I still didn't know where we were!

A very pretty walk!

During our walk, several tractors drove by.  You can't tell from the picture below, but each tractor seat had a smaller kids' seat beside it.  Awesome! 

Where are we?!

Turns out, we're at Drielandenpunt...the highest point in the Netherlands as well as the place where the Netherlands, Germany, and Belgium meet!  

From here, we had one more stop to make in Bastogne, Belgium, before making our way back home.  It was Memorial Day weekend, and it seemed only fitting that we visit an American memorial.  

The Mardasson Memorial was built near Bastogne in 1950 to honor American troops who were wounded or killed during the Battle of the Bulge.  (Read this post about America's role in liberating the Dutch.)  If you've ever seen Band of Brothers, you've heard of Bastogne.

The Memorial stands 12 meters tall and has a side length of 31 meters.  Rich is standing in the middle of the Memorial in the photo below, so you can easily see that this thing is not small.

The names of each of the 50 states are engraved around and inside the top of the monument.

Don't worry--even though Alaska and Hawaii joined the union after the Memorial was built, they were still added.

I've said this before, but it bears repeating.  Seeing our flag being proudly flown, being aware of how far from home we are, gets to me every single time.  

Once again, we hope you've enjoyed this trip!  If you don't want to miss any future posts (and there are more coming very soon!), please enter your email address at the top right of the page so that you'll receive notifications.  We'd love to hear from you!