September 23, 2022 : Bruges, Belgium

Groetjes! I hope all is well with you. Thank you for your prayers and following along on our European adventure.

Joyce and I started the day with our visit to the breakfast buffet and a walk around old Bruges. Rain was expected later in the day so she wanted to buy an umbrella and I wanted a beanie.

After we ran our errands, Jeroen’s parents swung by and dropped us off at the train station where we met up with Renee and Jeroen. We were headed to Ghent, Belgium for a day trip. The train ride was very smooth as we glided through the countryside for about 30 minutes.

Once in Ghent, we took a taxi to the Graventeen medieval castle, which was home to many Counts of Flanders from 1180–1353. Straight “Game of Thrones” vibe. We listened to the recorded tour of how life was back in the medieval times of knights and the crusades. We left there feeling grateful we didn’t live in that era.

Walking through the streets of Ghent we stopped for a late lunch at a delightful restaurant. The bar was still open but the main restaurant was closed until dinner.

We continued to walk and shop for a few hours as the rain started to come down. We caught the tram back to the train station and enjoyed a quiet ride back to Bruges as the rain drops covered the windows. Jeroen’s parents prepared a wonderful “simple” (their description) Belgium dinner of mashed potatoes, red cabbage, broccoli and sausage before we were dropped off in front of our hotel.

Another beautiful day in Belgium!