Brugge, Belgium

Ah......Brugge. This was a town that I remembered my friend Jan telling me about when I came to Europe with my sons over 15 years ago. She told me, "Too bad you can't get to Brugge....it's so pretty, and they have beautiful lace, chocolate, canals, bridges".


It is, indeed, called "the Venice of the North".

We arrived at nearly dusk, checked into our small hotel in this medieval city, and went for a walk searching for a place to eat our late dinner. The beauty of Brugge in the evening just whetted my appetite for what we were to see the next day.

We awoke to the "clip-clop, clip-clop" of the horse-drawn carriages that carry dreamy tourists all around the town. Cars are not prohibited here, but are discouraged. Most people walk and bicycle......

We headed for the plaza in the middle of the town and enjoyed, of course, Belgian waffles~

....while we watched the horses get ready for their daily trots throughout the town, and listened to the old belltower sing out the time every 15 minutes with a carrilon of 47 bells. This belfry was built in the 13th century.

Brugge was at one time a seacoast village and harbor before 1000 A.D. on the North Sea. But it silted up around 1050 A.D. and Brugge found itself isolated from the bustling trade business, becoming a dying city. Canals were built to help bring more trade, and along with that the famous dikes. In the 1800's, the city was revived with tourism and most came for the beauty and the artisans that lived there (lace and woolens). There are now over 20,000 people living in the older part of the city, with over 100,000 who live in the outside areas. I can see why the tourists come. It is peaceful and one of the most picturesque cities I have ever visited. In the afternoon we took a narrated boat ride through the town along the canals.

I think I could live here......

One of the things I wanted to do was to rent a bike and go out into the country. We headed along the dikes and rode for about an hour, passing windmills, to the town of Damme. We were amazed to see that we were actually biking BELOW sea level when we weren't on the dikes!

Our evening walk after a Belgian dinner was magical, filled with lighted canals and old churches, and lace and chocolate in the windows.

We had to leave this little idyllic town the next morning and head back to Brussels to catch the afternoon train. But first we took a "deviation" to see the harbor on the North Sea, the town of Zerbrugge. This is one of Europe's most important ports. We could see why....there were ships of all sizes with containers ready to head towards many European cities.

But when we got back to Brussels, we discovered that the entire town was blocked off to cars because it was their yearly "NO DRIVE DAY"! Stopped by the police, we had to explain that we were tourists with a rental car and had to get to the train station. They reluctantly let us go through the barricades and Lyle drove through the thousands of bike-riders and pedestrians who had free-reign of the city streets. With map in hand, I about had a heart-attack trying to get us to the station around all of the blocked streets. But, leave it to Lyle's nose, he got us there with no strain on his part. I, however, wobbled with weak knees to the train.

Chocolate, NATO, waffles, and Mannekin Pis

"Let's see 20 countries before we go back!" says my optimistic husband. (Are there really that many here?) I am all for it, being the enthusiastic traveller that I am. However, looking back at the last 8 months that we have been here, I keep on reminding him that he is ahead of me in that goal. Not that I am complaining; I keep pinching myself that I am here at all with this opportunity.

So, when he told me had another meeting in Brussels, I told him that it is time that I went too, and let's throw in Brugge along with it! Tackling the computer with the French train and hotel websites, I managed to put together a fun weekend.

We took the TGV (high-speed train) on Friday morning out of Paris and found ourselves in the middle of Brussels less than two hours later. We rented a car, he dropped me off in the middle of the shopping district and drove off to his meeting at the office, with no map! (He told me later that he drove right to it.....he has this nose that just points north, I think!)

Brussels is a huge city of over a million people, the headquarters for NATO and the European Union. Not having time for a bus tour to see all of these types of buildings, I spent a little time window-shopping at all the "haute couture" shops and then headed for the old part of town, where the Grote Markt, quaint shops, restaurants, narrow streets.....in other words, the heart of Brussels. It was about a half-hour walk downhill on a beautiful, crisp, autumn morning.

I found the main plaza which was surrounded by shops, churches, and the town hall....

.....wandered the streets filled with the smell of waffles.....

......and chocolate! Godiva Chocolates had its begininings in Brussels in 1926.

But one of the big tourist attractions is a statue called Mannekin Pis. You can probably guess what this statue is about. Yep.....a little boy relieving himself into a fountain. It comes from the 17th century and has a number of legends behind it, mostly about a little boy who saves the city in various battles because of what he does, either in battles or by putting out a fuse. Who knows.....I don't quite get it all. But I did pass by it while walking and noticed that he had a little outfit on to cover up his naked little body. Apparently there are over 200 such "costumes" that have been given to this statue, from people from all over the world, all in a museum nearby. Go figure.

I enjoyed the day and miraculously, Lyle found me waiting on the street where he dropped me off. We weaved our way through the rush-hour traffic and headed for the town that I had dreamed of visiting someday........Brugge! Somehow Brussels, to me, played second fiddle to that wonderful little town we were about to visit....

Watching French TV

It is a Monday evening and since it is the end of September, that means it is the end of another quarter for Lyle. That also means long days on the phone, whether it is at the office, or when he comes home and continues the conversations. One of the frustrating aspects of the job here is that he has to be mindful of the time difference between Paris and the U.S. Many of his conference calls are in the evening because it is early afternoon in the U.S, and that makes dinner a challenge. Do we have dinner like the Americans at 6 or 7 p.m.? Or do we wait until after the phone calls and dine like the French....around 9 or even 10 pm?

Well, tonight, since I had a fantastic lunch at the Women's International Club meeting, he had dinner while on the phone, and I decided to see what was on TV.

We have cable TV here, of course, and it is pretty interesting. After looking at television a little in hotel rooms in Belgium and Spain, I am coming to the conclusion that French TV is not very English-friendly. There are a number of American TV shows, but they are usually dubbed into French, so I can't hear the English. I just watched the end of Extreme Makeover, in French. Can you even imagine Ty screaming and talking in FRENCH? It is pretty weird!

This cable station has a button on the remote where sometimes you can switch from French to English. It works about half the time. Some of the American shows I have cruised by, not stopping because they are only in French, are The Office, 24, House, Cold Case, McGyver, The Simpsons, Starsky and Hutch, Queer Eye, and lots of cartoons. It is a real mix of current and oldies. I find it more interesting to look at the French shows, but am frustrated that I can't understand what they are really about. Oh, how I wish I knew the language! I do actually enjoy the commercials as they can be quite funny! And...they are good language lessons!

There are very few programs in English : CNN, CNBC, France 24 (gives the Paris news in English), and TMC, which plays old movies. I am now realizing how limited that is since seeing a little of Belgium TV last weekend, where there were LOTS of English and American programming....and no dubbing! They did more sub-titles instead of dubbing. I even saw the British version of "Dancing with the Stars".

One of my favorite channels in the US is HGTV and I love to watch people looking for houses to buy. Well, right now I just discovered "Maison a Vendre" (House for Sale). It's kind of fun to take a peek inside French homes. Living in a city full of apartments, I sometimes forget that there are actually single-family homes here too!

We don't really watch that much TV, though, but as the days get darker earlier, the evening walks are probably going to become more scarce. I just need to do a little more reading.....and maybe even study my French!

A visit to Paris from Pope Benedict XVI

After seeing banners around Paris telling about the Pope coming to town......and since he was doing an outdoor Mass on the grassy Invalides esplanade a few blocks from where we live......Lyle got me out of a deep sleep at 7 a.m., brought me a cup of coffee, and told me that this is something we needed to see. On a crisp and hazy Autumn morning we walked with the crowds to find a place to sit. Well, the predictions of large crowds were right. Over 200,000 people came out that day to welcome him and hear what he had to say.

We were too late to sit directly in the middle, but there were huge screens and speakers set up so that nearly everyone could get a view and hear the music.

We heard that many of the youth camped overnight on the lawn, after a huge youth service at Notre Dame the night before. People of all ages squeezed in to find a place and waited hours for the Mass to start. Amazing for a country where only 50% of the population say they are Roman Catholic, and of these, only 10% regularly attend church! This is something President Sarkozy thinks should change, with his talk of "positive secularism" the day before. France has had a strict view of separation of church and state since passing a law in 1905. Many here feel that religion should be a 'private thing' and not talked about nor shared.

On the giant screens in front of us, we could see Pope "Benoit" make his way in the popemobile through the crowds.....

.......and then conducted a Mass, all in French, but we could follow it in the booklets they handed out. What we couldn't understand, however, was his sermon. I did read about it later, though, and what he mainly called the people to do was to give up "idols" that keep them away from God. He emphasized that Europe is facing "disaster" if it turns away from religion. But he also emphasized that the way to get close to God was to make a vocation of serving Him and called for the youth to consider that. There is great concern here that there are so few youth wanting to enter ministry.

I turned to Lyle and asked, "Are they really going to serve Communion to all of these people?" He said, "Watch..." And hundreds of priests went through the crowd and passed out the bread.

WOW! It was all very organized and orderly, and only took less than 15 minutes for the communion. The whole service lasted about two hours, and we headed home.....

......and watched the "Popemobile" go right down our street!

Here is a short video of the music before the service:

Where did the time go?

The month of August flew and we are already back in Paris, beginning a new year. Fall is in the air already, and we just have pictures and memories of very special times with our families and friends. It felt like a whirlwind, filled with .......

....days at the lake....

........and ON the lake......

Birthdays.......

Surprise, Lyle!

................How did Nathan get to be 31?

....and Anna get to be 2 already?

Christa and I had ours a day apart.......and I celebrated by playing "Rock Band".......

and there was the baptism of Amanda......

and an attempted "photoshoot" with 4 little granddaughters......

We did the things we can't really do in Paris.....like golfing, grilling, and picnics, sleepovers with granddaughters, breakfasts, lunches and dinners with our kids and Midwest friends. Is it a wonder we both gained a few pounds back?

The weeks flew by.....Lyle left forLisbon for a meeting, and I left for Florida to visit my mom who is undergoing cancer treatment in her jaw. It was a bittersweet ending to a memorable month, but I was glad to have the opportunity to be there for her second surgery and post-op recovery time. We are all hopeful that this will be conquered, as she continues treatment closer to my sister Wendy.

Yes, it was quite a month. As I flew back to Paris from Miami, a few tears were shed when I thought about the real cost of this "adventure" we are on. We will miss them all, but also happy that the world has gotten a "little" smaller with non-stop flights, emails, and free internet phone calls and webcam. The sun rises and sets on this small world .... and they are not just beautiful here in Paris, but in Minnesota and Florida too.

"On Holiday" in Minnesota

We are back home in Minnesota and how wonderful it feels! I have been here for a week, and Lyle arrived yesterday. The few weeks that we are here will be busy with birthdays, catching up with friends and families, and of course, renewing our relationships with granddaughters! They didn't forget us! Ava, Katelyn, and Anna all were excited to see us come back and gave us big hugs and kisses. And Amanda warmed up to me right away! Ahh......how blessed we are!

Summer is a time for spending time at beaches, lakes, and in boats. We have missed that in Paris, so we had to settle for a make-believe beach along the river Seine. The past few years, the mayor started a "Paris Plage" event where they cart in tons of sand and a bunch of palm trees, water sprayers, beach chairs, and cabanas to create a mini "south of France" look along the river. I think it is for all of those Parisians who DON'T leave for their annual August holidays! My friends Stephen and Frances and I took an afternoon and "walked the beach", along with thousands of others enjoying a 90 degree day.

Back in Minnesota, I enjoyed another "pretend beach" in a park where they had little rivers running through a town park nearby......perfect for little girls to splash in and enjoy a day with Grammy......

We are looking forward to a REAL beach tomorrow with Lyle's brother and all the family!

Meanwhile, I have kept busy with my family, having some sleep-overs and even having the two oldest, cousins Ava and Katelyn, alone overnight with Gramma. It went pretty well, but wore Gramma out a bit! Whew......this is why you are young when you have kids!!

How can you top the feeling you get when they run into your arms when they first see you......

......and enjoy playing, again, at Gramma's and Grampa's house.....

And you know what else is great? It only takes 20 minutes to dry my sheets in the dryer, NOT 2 hours!!!!! Ah......America!