Brugge - Post Thanksgiving Get Away

Brugge, Belgium

We spent the Post Thanksgiving Weekend in Brugge, Belgium. Brugge is a little town just on the North Sea about 2 hours south of our town in Wassenaar. It was founded in the 9th century by Scandinavian Vikings. Like Holland there are canals everywhere. Here are a couple of them.









Below is Joan enjoying a cold winter day on the Belgiun Canals.




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Brugge has some really cool things going for it. It has a small Chapel called the Chapel of the Holy Blood. It was built in the 12th century by the Bishop of Flanders. He received a piece of cloth stained with the blood of Jesus from his Crucifixion. We spoke to the guide on duty at the Chapel and he said they have records dating back to 1400 indicating the relic was brought to Brugge and has never left since. Based on some recently discovered records in Istanbul researchers believe there were 3 pieces from the cloth, one taken to Brugge, one to Italy and one remained in Intanbul. The whereabouts two other relics are known.





Above is The Chapel of the Holy Blood





Above is The Relic of Jesus kept in the Chapel





The Chapel of the Holy Blood has beautiful stained glass windows.


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In Our Lady's Church in another part of Brugge, there is the only sculpture done by Michelangelo that can be fould outside of Italy.




Modonna and Child by Michelangelo

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Christmas Market ....the real reason we came to Brugge! Our hotel was just on the Burg Square, the setting of the City Hall. They were just setting up the town Christmas tree. By the time we came back from dinner it was up and lit.




The Brugge town tree.



Gluehwein (Glow Wine)....the fuel of the Christmas Markets all throughout Europe. €2 a glass and it will warm you right up. Good thing we brought lots of €2 coins.




Chris and Andrew outside of one of the many food stands. I think Chris spent €2 on some Gluehwein.





Chris walking down one of Brugge's many shopping streets.





Andrew outside the Skating Rink in the middle of the Christmas Market.



Another Successful Trip. See you all soon.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

Have a happy Thanksgiving all.

The Saturday Leiden Market

The Saturday Market in Leiden

Every Saturday the market shows up in Leiden. Along the New Rhine River Canal . There are hundreds of market sellers setting up along the Canal. You can get absoutely anything you want (well alomst...its Holland by the way). We go about every other week for the "stuff" we need.



A typical market seller stall. Thos is one of the "Bread Men" selling Turkish loaves, French Baguetts, Rolls and the like. As they say in Holland, its bread day 1, bread crumbs day 2 and bird feed day 3. With no preservatives (a good thing by the way), it goes quickly.

It wouldn't be Holland without Flower sellers. These bunches were 5 euro a piece.

Nuts you say, we have pleanty. These guys have bowls of nuts, spices, olives and herbs for sale.

The StroopWaffel man. There are 5 stands making fresh Stroops. Hot, gooey, dripping and good.

The chesses are fantastic. These big wheel pieces are 15 - 20 kilos each.

Andrew in the market.....just before a Stroop.

We found this wall of vines on the way to the market from our little parking spot. It was just awsome, all in fall bloom with reds and greens and yellows.

Well, thats our weekend jaunt to the Leiden Market.

Hope you enjoyed.

ITS CHRISTOPHER'S BIRTHDAY

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHRIS


Today is Christophers 17th Birthday.


He is off to a 3 day Model United Nations Conference at The International School of The Hague. He is the designated Delegate from Andorra, a small country on the French/Spanish border. It is a Principality in the Pyrenees with a population of 20,000. I've never heard of it.


Anyway,

Happy Birthday Christopher!