Mmmmm.... The Land of Chocolate and Beauty

We are “In Bruges” (without Colin Farrell).  The group experienced their first stair climb (366 to the top of the bell tower), first Michaelangelo (Madonna in the Church of Our Lady), their first European parade (a bizarre “super heroes and Santa Claus” affair,  their first holy relic (a vial with the blood of Christ in it in the Basilica of the Holy Blood), and the great low-calorie food the Belgian are known for – waffles, pomme frites (Belgian fries), and chocolate (Dumon’s).  Madam Dumon and her daughter Nathalie were ready for us - in their tiny shop they also had Madame Dumon's 16 year old grandson working to serve our huge group.  Parents, expect some great chocolate when we get home.   Unless your kid eats it all over the next two weeks.

It was sunny, blue skies, beautiful!  We love Bruges!

 Above:  Looking cool in Bruges.

 Above:  Emma gets a photo of Michaelangelo's often-stolen Madonna of Bruges.

 They call Bruges "The Venice of the North" - I wish the gondolas in Venice took this many people through the canals there.

 In front of the city hall, next to the Basilica of the Holy Blood.

 Josh, letting down his hair.

 One of the many traffic jams going up the stairs of the bell tower.

 Wowwww Dad, don't embarass me.  Just kidding, Magdalena wouldn't say that.  On the top of the bell tower.  I'm loving having my oldest daughter along - I remember the little girl in grade 3 saying bye to me the first time I did this trip, and now, here she is!  Sometimes, I forget she's here though...  seriously!  Bad dad.

 Father and son!

 Poor Jesse fell off the bell tower.  Still has the energy to take a picture, just can't get up.

 This crazy lady grabbed my backpack and wouldn't let go.

 In front of the Provincial government house on Market Square.  Mrs. Mykle's brother, who lives in Amsterdam, met us here just to take this picture (so I would be in one of them).  You can see our group has a dark side.

 I've been missing my bike back at home - it's been two whole days - so I had to borrow this one and go for a spin.  I just barely missed decapitation by the spinning windmill blades.

 Under the statue of Bruge's favourite sons - Pieter de Coning and Jan Breydel, famous for slitting French spies' throats and starting the first successful peasants' uprising against nobility in the Middle Ages - the Battle of the Golden Spurs.  The knights went into battle against these peasants thinking it would be nothing, so they just wore their "dress" uniforms, including their golden spurs.  The peasants enjoyed melting down those golden spurs after slaughtering all the knights.

 Everywhere you turn in Bruges, you see beauty.  And chocolate made into all sorts of interesting shapes ( I couldn't post that picture due to Blogspot regulations).