We are preparing for our European Splendour trip....hope you enjoy coming along with us.

Roman Colosseum

Mediterranean Splendour - Post #1

 At sea – just departed Santorini, Greece - 4/28/18

Starting in Rome - 4/17/18 – 4/21/18

Ahhhhhhh… ROMA!!!

Rome, The City of Love and yes we are in love with it (as my little giraffe’s shirt indicates – of course we found a giraffe in Rome!).  Before we arrived in Rome we decided to do different things on this trip, as we have been here a few times before.  Mike had the delusion that it would be a simple “walk about” Rome visit.  We definitely didn’t do that, we were busy morning till night and went to bed exhausted but happy.

Monument to Vittorio Emanuele II

Italian Flag with Sculpture to Vittorio Emanuele II

Monet's Roses

Monet's Painting Palette

Water Lilies & Agapanthus

Rooftops of Rome

Seagull Nesting in Planter on Terrace of

Monument to Vittorio Emanuele II

          Our first day started with a Monet exhibit (I know he was French but the exhibit was in Rome and I am addicted to Monet).  The Monet exhibit had a great selection of his paintings with several of them flowers from his gardens.  Monet’s paintings are always amazing to see up close and there were very few restrictions here so you could get up really close and actually see his brush strokes.  Monet stated, “My garden is my most beautiful work of art” but it was the garden that inspired him to paint these glorious pictures.

The exhibit was held in the Monument to Vittorio Emanuele II building (also known as the Wedding Cake Building).  It was a terrific plus, as we got to walk around this very impressive building and went out on the terrace overlooking Rome.  The Italian flag flies next to an impressive statue of Vittorio Emanuele, the first King of a United Italy starting in 1861.  As our guide said, “Contrary to popular belief the Italian Flag colors of Green, White and Red do not stand for basil, mozzarella and tomatoes but the colors represent hope (green), faith (white) and charity (red)”. 

Artichokes - Jewish Style

Porquetta - Stuffed Roast Pork

          Friends told us via Facebook about a food walking tour that sounded terrific so we decided to take it and they were correct… it was wonderful.  The Trestevere Food Walking Tour consisted of 7 eating stops over the course of 4 hours.  The food was heavenly and the guide was terrific.  Trestevere is a neighborhood in Rome that is very trendy and “sort of” like SOHO in NY.  It is where the young business people and Avant Guard live and “play” with wonderful restaurants.  Most are small and many have been run by families for generations.  We started out with appetizers including artichokes and prosecco, ate and drank our way through 5 more stops including a pasta course with wine and ended up with the best Gelato ever (Mike was in heaven).

Hadrian's Villa

Statue of Mars with his Great Butt at Hadrian's Villa

500 Year Old Olive Tree

          We decided to do a day trip to the town of Tivoli which is the home of two ancient villas.  The first visit was to Hadrian’s Villa, it was the summer home of Emperor Hadrian with construction completed in 134 AD.  Hadrian was a very cultured man and appreciated art.  There were over 300 works of art at the villa, which are now displayed at museums all over the world.  A great prelude to the next villa….

Villa D'Este with it's Beautiful Fountain

Villa D'Este - Walk Of 100 Fountains

          Villa D’Este is a beautifully restored home known for its fantastic fountains.   The Villa was built in the 16th century by Cardinal Ippolito D’Este II, the son of the famous Lucrezia Borgia and Alfonso D’Este.  There is the walk of 100 fountains but the most impressive fountain is one that has an organ which is played by water pressure from the fountains.  All the fountains run 24/7 powered by running water from the mountain streams (there is no external power used).  The villa was built in this location, on the hillside, so the water flows from upper fountains to the lower ones creating the constant beautiful spray of water.         

La Traviata

          What is a trip to Italy without a visit to the opera?  La Traviata was playing at a small local opera house with minimal sets using huge famous artworks as its backdrop, creating a very different and interesting look.  The costumes were lovely and the voices great.  The opera story is, of course, a classic… boy meets girl and they fall in love; girl meets other boy and they fall in love; blah, blah, blah ensues and eventually she dies.  Someone always has to die at the end of an opera….

Galleria Borghese - Statue by Gian Lorenzo Bernini

Galleria Borghese - Ceiling Painting

          The Villa Borghese is the 5^th highest rated attraction in Rome and is so worth the trip.  The great part about this museum is that it has a timed entrance and exit.  Our guide made sure we were in by 9:00 AM because we had to leave by 11:00 AM.  They only admit a certain number of people at each interval so the gallery is not too crowded and you can really enjoy the wonderful artwork.  Our guide was very knowledgeable and gave us great insight into the art.  There were several Bernini sculptures, countless fabulous paintings, ceilings painted as to make the figures looked three dimensional and so much more.  The reclining figure on the settee was the sister of a cardinal and it was scandalous that she posed partially naked for Bernini for this sculpture.  If I looked as good as she did I might have considered it too.

Us with Colosseum in the Background

Interior of Colosseum

          Next stop… the Colosseum, we hadn’t been there in over 25 years so a visit was definitely needed.  They have done lots of reconstruction and it is now a real tourist attraction.  Our guide told us that her parents used to take wine and pizza there when they were young and party at the Colosseum.  Not so any more, a young man entering in front of us tried to smuggle wine in and it was very quickly confiscated by the guards.  It is very impressive to see and walk through this building with so much history… so much of its premise so foreign to our thinking.  They even had the gladiators fight giraffes, pretty amazing to me to think of the slaughter of my favorite animals for “entertainment” (we won’t even go to the thought of people being killed).  Worth the trip to see it and know it is now being preserved.

Trevi Fountain Under Renovation 2014

Trevi Fountain at Night

Our last night in Rome at Trevi Fountain

          After the very busy day at Galleria Borghese and the Colosseum we had a delicious diner at an outdoor restaurant… a lovely end to our Rome visit (or so Mike thought).  We have seen Trevi fountain during the day and also under renovation (a few years ago) but have never seen it at night.  So it was 11:00 PM after we finished dinner, had dessert at a cafe and I suggested to Mike that we go see Trevi Fountain at night, he was a real sport and said yes (even though I knew he was thinking… my wife is crazy).  We hired a taxi to take us there, wait for us and take us back to our hotel.  It was so worth the trip, a very romantic, beautiful end to a fabulous trip to Rome.  We turned our backs to the fountain, tossed our coins over our shoulders into the fountain and hopefully we will return again….

Mediterranean Splendour - Post #2

 At sea – just departed Vigo, Spain – 5/10/18

Starting in Italy to Athens, Greece 4/21/18 – 4/27/18

Mt. Stromboli with Volcano Eruption Smoke

          We left Rome and sailed past Mt. Stromboli… who knew there was a mountain named after that wonderful stuffed bread?  Well, I don't think that is where the bread got its name, but it was interesting to see the active volcano billowing smoke.  It is called the Lighthouse of the Mediterranean due to its bubbling lava which is visible at night.  So on the way back to Rome (later in the trip) we stayed up to 1:00 AM to get a glimpse of it, but unfortunately that night it was quiet and we didn’t get to see “ The Lighthouse”.

Port of Dubrovnik, Croatia

Buggy Safari - Dubrovnik, Croatia

View from the Mountain Top - Dubrovnik, Croatia

Street in Dubrovnik, Croatia

          First stop was Dubrovnik, Croatia… a lovely, lively city with winding streets and café’s everywhere.  We took a cable car ride to the top of the mountain and from there we took a Buggy Safari tour which took us to the hillside above the city.  Mike had fun driving the buggy, it was beautiful scenery but VERY DUSTY.  Of course whose buggy wouldn’t start after we made a stop to view the scenery… yes, it was ours.  We had to get a new buggy and catch up with the group, always an adventure within an adventure.

Cyrillic Letter "P" - Budva, Montenegro

Ballerina Bronze Sculpture - Budva, Montenegro

Town of Budva, Montenegro

          The seaside town of Budva, Montenegro is the place to vacation if you are one of the  “ Rich & Famous”.  We didn’t stay there (we’re definitely not in with that crowd),  just visited for the morning.  There is a plaza where poets have gone throughout the years to do their readings and is noted with a beautiful marble Cyrillic Letter “P” for Poets.  A nice walking path along the coast leads you to a lovely bronze sculpture of a ballerina perched upon the rocks.  Sitting looking at the sea is a great place for a cold drink or coffee… nice morning visit.

Clock with Pyramid of Shame - Kotor, Montenegro

Orthodox Church - Kotor, Montenegro

Kotor, Montenegro

Two Small Islands off the Coast of Kotor, Montenegro

Celebrating our 52nd Anniversary

          The tour of Kotor, Montenegro starts inside the city wall with the “Pyramid of Shame” located in front of a large clock tower.  In the past when someone had to confess a wrongdoing they were made to stand next to the pyramid and repeat their transgression all day long.  Please note in the picture the gentleman with his head down next to the Pyramid… might someone we all know be confessing?  There were beautiful Orthodox churches and even a church where in the past two religions shared a single church.  Religion played a large part in this town including several churches and also two small islands with churches on them.  That night we celebrated our 52^nd Anniversary on board the ship with the dining staff presenting us with a cake and singing to us in their local Indonesian language... Bahasa.  Sounds nothing like our classic celebration song but the crew had so much fun singing to us that it brought a special joy to the occasion.  A terrific way to celebrate our anniversary....

Hera's Altar - Olympia, Greece

Virtual Images of Hera's Altar - Olympia, Greece

Temple - Olympia, Greece

Virtual Images of Temple - Olympia, Greece

Virtual Image of Statues in the Interior of Temple - Olympia, Greece

          We decided to take a virtual tour of Ancient Olympia in Katakolon, Greece.  We arrived at the site where the Olympics were originally held.  The ruins covered a huge site but with some very clever technology, virtually you were able to recreate on an IPad, what the original buildings would look like.  There was a Monk who traveled extensively back in the day when the Olympics where held and noted all the aspects of the area in great detail.  From those notes and the remains left at the site, they have recreated what the area should have looked like back then.  You look at the IPad, pan around the site and you will see what the original buildings looked like.   Then an orange dot appears on the screen and after you click on it you are brought to the interior of the structure.  The Olympic Flame Torch is still lit at Hera’s Alter for the Summer and Winter Olympics.  It was totally awesome to see the ancient remains and then look at the IPad to see what it would have looked like.  I included several pictures of the site and also the IPad screen shot.

Temple of Hephaistos in the Ancient Agora - Athens, Greece

Temple of Hephaistos in the Ancient Agora with Shifted Pillars - Athens, Greece

Child's Pottie Seat - Ancient Agora Museum - Athens, Greece

Image of Child in Pottie Seat - Ancient Agora Museum

- Athens, Greece

Giraffes in Athens, Greece ??? -- Ancient Agora Museum - Athens, Greece

          We have been to Athens and previously visited the Acropolis so we took a tour of the Ancient Agora (marketplace).  On the site is the Temple of Hephaistos, one of the most intact temple buildings of Ancient Greece, retaining its original structure through the ages even after several earthquakes.  The components of the pillars on the building have shifted during the decades but the structure still remains standing even with its off center pillars.  The museum has many of the artifacts from the site; vases, coins, weapons, etc. but the most unusual was a child’s commode (pottie seat).  There was also an ancient drawing showing its use.  There was a statue that our guide said was a “horse”, it really looks more like a giraffe to me.  So maybe there were giraffes in Ancient Greece???

Mediterranean Splendour - Post #3

 Home in New Jersey – 5/19/18

Starting in Greece 4/27/18 –  5/5/18

Dinner on King's Day - Dressed in Orange to Honor

King Willem-Alexander's birthday

We sailed away from Olympia, Greece on the Koningsdam on April 27, which is King's Day, a national holiday in the Netherlands in honor of King Willem-Alexander's birthday.  Holland America, with its company's deep history and roots in the Netherlands, asked that guests honor the holiday wearing the national color… orange.  We decided to comply, so before we left I was off to the outlet stores to get clothing that wasn’t too expensive in a color we don’t usually wear but as they say, “When in Holland do as the Dutch do” and we did.

Champagne & Strawberries Overlooking Santorini's Caldera - Santorini, Greece

Oia, Greece

Someone has to Paint those White Buildings - Oia, Greece

Black Sand Beach - Santorini, Greece

Black Sand Beach - Santorini, Greece

Wine Branch Growing Wreath - Estate Argyros Winery - Santorini, Greece

We have been to Santorini before and wanted to do something different.  Mike went on Cruise Critic and met some people from New Orleans who were doing a private tour and were looking for 2 other couples to share it with.  We joined them and had a terrific day starting with Champagne & Strawberries after a private van (Mercedes) picked us up at the top of the mountain (after taking the tram to the top).  We went to the lovely town of Oia… beautiful views, lots of small boutique hotels, restaurants & shops.  A nice walk around town and then we were off to the Black Sand Beach, the volcanic sand retains the heat and makes the sand very hot to walk on.  We had lunch at a beautiful seaside café with our new traveling friends.  There I discovered wonderful tomato marmalade, made only in Greece from their special cherry tomatoes… found it in a local store and brought some home.  Then it was off to a Monastery at the highest peak of Santorini with beautiful views of the area.  The Argyros Winery was next on the agenda with a great wine tasting and information about the very different wine growing techniques in Santorini.  Due to the heavy winds and ground level moisture, the grape vines are not on the typical metal frames but the vines are wrapped around forming a wreath sitting close to the soil.  The grapes grow inside this growing wreath.  This allows the moisture from the soil to irrigate the vines in the evening when the weather is cooler and therefore almost no watering is done at this vineyard.

We clean-up pretty good… Gala Night

Grotto - Capri, Italy

The Three Sirens - Capri, Italy

Lemon - Capri, Italy

Sunset leaving Naples, Italy

We again joined our Cruise Critic travel mates for a private trip to Capri.  We left Naples in a mini-van that took us to Sorrento to board a private 38 foot boat to take us to Capri.  The water was very rough and we bounced around a bit but made it to Capri for a tour by water around the Isle of Capri viewing several grottos and exquisite scenery.  We spent the afternoon on Capri, eating and shopping.  Capri is known for its extremely large lemons used in making their famous Lemoncello.  A beautiful place to visit and enjoy the local food and scenery....  We left Naples as the sun was setting and birds were traveling at the side our ship so they were eye level, a great ending to a fabulous day.

Steps Leading Down to a Tomb

Wall Paintings - Tomb - Tarquinia, Italy

Wall Paintings - Tomb - Tarquinia, Italy

Wall Paintings - Tomb - Tarquinia, Italy

Archaeological Museum of Tarquinia, Italy - Perfume Jars

Archaeological Museum of Tarquinia, Italy

Slanted Steps for Horse Traffic

Street Scene in Tuscania, Italy

We were back in Civitavecchia, Italy again, as we took back to back segments on this cruise, both starting near Rome.  We definitely weren’t going to travel back to Rome so we opted for a trip to Tarquinia where Etruscan burial grounds have only recently been found, some as late as the 1950’s.  The burial tombs (over 6,000) date back from the 6^th to 1^st century BC with beautiful painted frescos adorning them.  They are behind glass wall entrances so they can be preserved for future generations to see these amazing painted tombs.  Apparently the people from this era believed in an afterlife and a special tomb was needed for their resting place.  They are on the same par as the tombs in Egypt… a final resting place that is beautifully decorated for the next life.  The Archaeological Museum contains the remains of this mysterious Etruscan population.  The museum is housed in Palazzo Vitelleschi, a former residence where the steps were fashioned in a brick pattern that gradually slanted each step so that horses could climb the steps.  It was the tradition in that period for visitors to have their horses bring them to the upper level of the palazzo.  The afternoon brought us to Toscania, Italy with its small streets and beautiful churches.

Mountain Top Monastery - Montserrat, Spain

Monastery Church with Black Madonna

in the Alcove Above the Crucifix - Montserrat, Spain

Black Madonna - Montserrat, Spain

Statue of Christopher Columbus at Las Ramblas

 Barcelona, Spain

Street Performer - Las Ramblas - Barcelona, Spain

Next stop Barcelona, Spain… we started the day off with a trip to Montserrat, the home of the famous “Black Madonna”.  Montserrat is a town at the top of a beautiful mountain range, jagged with stunning views.  The entire town was founded upon the worship of the statue of The Virgin Mary, patron-virgin of Catalonia.  Legend has it that when the shepherds found the statue in a cave, they tried to move it, the cart got stuck and they took it as a sign that she should stay on the mountain.  There are varying views as to why the Madonna is black, some say it is the wood that has aged while others say it is the smoke from the candles that have burned over the years.  Montserrat is home to a Benedictine community with 80 monks, and has served the shrine for almost a thousand years, dedicated to a life of prayer, work and welcoming pilgrims.  We then went back to Barcelona, started at the famous statue of Columbus (not pointing to America as most believe) and walked Las Ramblas with its many street performers, human statues and restaurants.

Oceanografic (Aquarium) - Valencia, Spain

Red Star Fish & Sea Cucumber

 Oceanografic (Aquarium) - Valencia, Spain

Largest Octopus I Have Ever Seen

 Oceanografic (Aquarium) - Valencia, Spain

Valencia, Spain – We were in Valencia before and knew there was a world class Aquarium there, actually the largest in Europe, so we had that on our list of things to do while there.  We spent several hours at the Oceanografic site and were so impressed with the various different buildings that comprise this incredible site with great exhibits.  A really different, wonderful day….

The Virgin of La Fuensanta - Murcia, Spain

View of the City of Murcia, Spain

From the Monastery of the Virgin Of La Fuensanta

Walking Path - Murcia, Spain

Casino/Club For the High Society to Meet - Murcia, Spain

Steel Safety Gate Painted to Fit in with the Beautiful Architecture - Murcia, Spain

Geranium Flower Wall and Garden - Murcia, Spain

Festival With Locals Wearing Traditional Clothing

 Cartagena, Spain

Honoring "The Festival of The Cross - Cartagena, Spain

Festival With Locals Wearing Traditional Clothing

 Cartagena, Spain

Festival With Locals Wearing Traditional Clothing

 Cartagena, Spain

 From the port of Cartagena, Spain we took a tour to Murcia, Spain starting on the mountain top at the Monastery of the Virgin of La Fuensanta.  The statue of the Virgin is used to process from the mountain top to the town below on feast days.  The statue has a wardrobe of clothing with special attendants who dress her for these special occasions.  If you stand at the top at the mountain Monastery and look down at the town you cannot imagine how people can carry the statue and process that far.  We took our bus down and walked through this charming town with pathways and arches lined with flowers, squares filled with geraniums and beautiful architecture.  One of the outstanding buildings is called a Casino, not actually for gambling but a meeting place for the high society of Murcia.  Back in Cartagena, The Festival of The Cross was in progress with the local people dressing in the traditional Spanish clothing and partying on the streets. We left Cartagena in a very festive atmosphere.

Mediterranean Splendour - Post #4

At Home – Memorial Day 5/28/18

Starting in Gibraltar – 5/6/18 – 5/13/18

The Rock of Gibraltar - Gibraltar, British Territory

St. Michael's Cave - Gibraltar, British Territory

Our Fearless Taxi Driver with Her Wooden Sword

 to Fight Off the Monkeys  - Gibraltar, British Territory

The Great Siege Tunnels - Gibraltar, British Territory

Next port was Gibraltar… on the ship you have to be on the look-out to get the first glimpse of “The Rock of Gibraltar” as the port is an hour away and you can’t see “The Rock” after docking.  We met some lovely people on board and decided to venture out together and take a taxi rather than a traditional tour.  Great decision as our taxi driver was so funny and fought off the Barbary Apes with her wooden sword (no animals were injured, just a funny way to disperse the apes).  At “The Rock” the apes are famous; known to be pesky, sitting on the vehicles and stealing anything you dangle in front of them, so no shiny jewelry, etc.  We went to beautiful St. Michael’s Cave and the Great Siege Tunnels.  The Tunnels were built during WW II, a labyrinth of passageways and rooms running through the rock carved out of solid limestone creating an extraordinary defense system.

Plaza of  The Ibero-American Exposition of 1929 

Seville, Spain

Hotel Where Don Juan Frequented - Seville, Spain

The Alcazar - Seville, Spain

The Alcazar - Seville, Spain

Exterior Alcazar- Seville, Spain

We then went to Seville, Spain with first stop at the beautiful plaza where The Ibero-American Exposition of 1929 was held, a world’s fair.  There are beautiful mosaics throughout the Plaza with fantastic architecture… buildings, bridges and columns.  Along our walking tour we passed the famous hotel where Don Juan frequented.  It is said on a bet he was prodded to seduce a nun and the story goes… he won the bet.  Now we were off to the very impressive Alcazar with amazing arches and mosaic work.  The Alcazar is still the official residence of the King of Spain while in Seville.  It is a UNESCO site and the oldest royal palace still in use in Europe.

Santa Justa Elevator - Lisbon Portugal

Bottles of Port - Lisbon, Portugal

Paving Stones 

- Tribute to those who Worked in the Stone Industry

 Lisbon, Portugal

Beautiful Tile Work - Lisbon, Portugal

Lisbon, Portugal was a city we visited on our very first trip to Europe… many, many years ago.  Lisbon is built on very hilly terrain and elevators, trams and funiculars are used to transverse the city.  The famous Elevador de Santa Justa was designed by Raul Mesnier de Ponsard, a student of the great iron craftsman Gustave Eiffel who built the Eiffel Tower.  Ponsard, after studying under Eiffel, returned to his home city of Lisbon to design his iron masterpiece.  The streets are adorned with intricate stone patterns for which Lisbon is known.  There is a beautiful stone pavement and monument dedicated to the hard working stone masons who produced these intricate street patterns.  Of course the area is known for its Port Wine, it is a Portuguese fortified wine produced exclusively in the northern provinces of Portugal.   There are shops with bottles dating back to the 1930’s with price tags in the thousands… we did not bring home a bottle!  There are lovely tiles displayed in shops throughout the town with many patterns to choose from.  Unfortunately the transportation systems were not working well on the day we visited and we were unable to use the funicular or tram but were able to ride the beautiful, historic elevator.

Church of St. James with Incense Burner in Front of Altar - Santiago de Compostela, Spain

The Botafumeiro (Incense burner) in the  Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela

 

Markers on the Pilgrimage Trail & Symbol of St. James
 Santiago de Compostela, Spain

Pilgrims at the End of the Trail - Santiago de Compostela, Spain

Mussel Farm - Vigo, Spain

The port was Vigo, Spain… but my trusty research assistant, a/k/a Mike suggested the town of Santiago de Compostela would be a great place to tour and he was correct.  It is a very old town dedicated to St. James (Santiago) which is the final stop on the Camino del Santiago pilgrimage trail. It is a 500 mile trail going from France to Santiago de Compostela and pilgrims can start anywhere along the trail sometimes meeting others along the way completing their pilgrimage together.  We saw a jubilant group of people who celebrated in the square upon their completion; none of them started together but built a bond along the way and experienced the joy of finishing together.  There are bag pipers playing, celebrating the completion of these pilgrimages… it is awe inspiring (though not inspiring enough to want to do it).  It is a very sacred town honoring St. James and the Cathedral houses his tomb.  The altar piece in The Cathedral of St. James has a statue of St. James that you can walk behind and embrace while saying a prayer.  The Cathedral also has one of the largest Botafumeiros in the world, it is where incense is burned in this swinging metal container, the name "Botafumeiro" means "smoke expeller" in Galician.  We then went back to the port of Vigo, Spain which is known for its mussels grown in the estuary.  Bateaus, Galician mussel farms, are rafts for cultivating mollusks.  There are neat rows along the coast of big wooden platforms with ropes hanging from them where the oysters and mussels grow.  Very interesting to see....

Omaha Beach with pieces of WW II Floating Bridges - Normandy, France

American Cemetery - Normandy, France

Flags Flying over Omaha Beach - Normandy, France

Mosaic Ceiling in Chapel at the American Cemetery 

 Normandy, France

A Giraffe Park Brochure - Normandy, France

We knew when we were in the port of Cherbourg, France that Normandy would be where we would spend our day.  We assumed it would be emotional to be at Omaha Beach; the place where so many Americans died to help turn the tide of WW II, but we were not ready for the overwhelming sadness that we experienced.  The rows and rows of crosses marking the grave sites of young Americans is so overwhelming and sad to see… most of them were so young.  Omaha Beach is pristine but pieces of the landing bridges leave the mark of war on it.  We were glad we went to honor all who served to preserve our freedom.  The only smile we had that day was a brochure for a children’s adventure park called “Girafou”… we don’t speak French but we got the idea.

Lincoln Center Stage on the Koningsdam - At Sea

The ship was very nice and the food terrific but the outstanding part was the entertainment.  The production shows in the theater were different and choreographed beautifully with surround LED scenes encompassing half of the room providing excellent back drops for all the shows.  Besides the shows in the theater there were different venues for music at night… Billboard featured twin piano players (lots of fun); BB Kings Blues Club (self-explanatory) and Lincoln Center Stages (Classical music with strings and piano).  We moved around enjoying all the different types of music almost every night.

Canal - Bruges, Belgium

Beautiful Architecture - Bruges, Belgium

Food Shopping in  Bruges, Belgium

Moules & Frites - Bruges, Belgium

Waffle with Chocolate & Strawberries  - Bruges, Belgium

Our Last Vacation Picture - Enjoying our favorite place 

 Bruges, Belgium

Ahhhhhhh, Bruges, Belgium… we love that place.  If you followed our Blogs in the past you know we have been to Bruges several times before, but that didn’t stop us from going again.  We wandered around, enjoyed the unseasonably warm day; marveled at the beautiful buildings; took in the locals doing their daily chores; ate some mussels & fries in a sidewalk café (one of their specialties); enjoyed some chocolates; devoured a Belgium waffle and loved being there.  There was no fountain to toss a coin in while making a wish to return… I didn’t need the coin or fountain, I made the wish and with God’s grace we may return someday again.

We disembarked in Amsterdam, but went directly to the airport as we previously stayed there on another vacation and we were already away for almost a month… so home we came.  A terrific vacation with great weather, amazing ports and good health… totally blessed.

Study on Door Hardware – Bruges, Belgium:

As many of you know I love taking pictures (you only get a small selection in the Blog, let me know if you want to see the rest of them - LOL).  I enjoy doing studies of different things on vacation… I have done studies of doors, business signs, brides and this time it is Door Hardware in Bruges.  Scroll down if you’d like and enjoy….