Beautiful Brugge

I know I skipped a week and I feel awful about it.  Well, a little awful.  There wasn't too much going on here, so I decided I would save up for this week's blog.


First of all we returned to the doctor for Travis' biopsy results and it was good news.  No malignancy that could be detected.  He did want us to see the oncologist and have him determine if the lump should be removed anyway or if it should just be monitored every three months.  The lump is smaller, but I guess it's never a good thing to have a lump where there shouldn't be one.  Anyway, he will see the oncologist in July.


On with some more fun stuff...

Last Saturday, I took a USO trip with my good friend, Susan, to Brugge, Belgium.  We had to catch the bus at 3:45 a.m.!!  We arrived in Brugge at about 10:30 and our tour guide gave us a walking tour of the city.  It was so interesting and very beautiful.  After our tour, we were left to explore, eat and shop on our own for the rest of the day.

Brugge was the center of the international cloth trade back in it's heydey from the 1200's to the 1400's.  It was filled with rich merchants who built fine mansions, churches and cvic buildings.

At that time it was located on large canals that fed into the North Sea.  Eventually the waterways silted up and the trade center shifted to other towns on the coast.  Because of that, Brugge was never a strategic target during the wars and it was left virtually untouched to this day.  It is like stepping back into medieval times.

 This is the Beginhof-  It is where a group of women who were members of a sisterhood similar to nuns but without the vows lived.  They lived in this walled off, tree filled square surrounded by their white , gabled houses.  It's a really peaceful, quiet area that is now used by the Benedictine nuns.

 This church is home to the only Michelangelo statue outside of Italy. It's the Madonna and Child.  It was beautiful and like I said of la Pieta in Rome...photos just don't do it justice!

Typical Flemish Houses with the stepped rooflines.

The window of a lace shop

 Belgium is famous for it's hand worked bobbin lace.  This lady is sitting in the doorway of her home and making lace for the tourists.  She had a little basket to leave money in.  She was using about 20 bobbins.  It was so interesting!   I did buy a little piece, but it's so expensive!

Susan in front of a cute antique store.

This is the Belfort or Belfry.  It was first built in 1240, but has been partially destroyed by fire a couple of times and rebuilt.  In the late 1700's a set of carillon bells were installed that still play today.

Blind Donkey Alley

My yummy lunch-Mushroom, chicken and cheese pancake.

Brugge was so much fun, but what made it perfect was seeing it with Susan.  We always have such a good time together, we just both like and appreciate so many of the same things.  What a great friend!!


The next adventure was a little day trip with some of the ladies up to Kirn for a textiles market, then to Bergen to visit with my friend, MIssy's cousin who is a woodworker.  Then we stopped in Fishbach to see Olaf the antique dealer.  Fun day!

The Kirn Market

My new one man band friend.  I was practicing my German and he was practicing his English.   We were both terrible!

                         Missy's cousin carved this beautiful front door on her house.  

Missy and her cousin

Friends!

Mike spent the week in Garmisch for some training.  Travis is getting ready for finals and his last week of school.  
Life is busy but life is good.  I hope that life is treating you the same!


love and miss you all,
-corri