Day 13 Brugge, Belgium

This stop was a last minute change and the company we traveled with worked hard to find us guides for the day along with creating an itinerary. I will admit now that I did not even register that Belgium is known for their chocolate until we were on the bus leaving...man, I missed out on buying on yummy goodness!

We started the tour going through the inner wall of defense of Brugge. There was a canal running through the middle of the walls. We took a boat through the canal to see more parts of the area. One each side of the canal were walls of the brick buildings that were run down in areas. I saw the beauty of the buildings as they showed history and they way of living compared to what I was used to.

Once we reached the middle of the wall of defense we were able to walk around and shop. I got a waffle with chocolate and strawberries that was so delicious! It was a popular spot and the line was never short! I spent my time going in and out of of the stores that lined the narrow roads. There were handfuls of chocolate stores and they were not just chocolate bars but chocolate molds of different shapes.

We had to pay to use the bathroom, I can't remember how much. There is a person sitting outside the doors to collect. It is quite an experience when you run into these random situations that are so different from ours. The lady saw my cane and let me go into the family stall so I got in and out quickly. I was thankful!


http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/996

Day 12 Sea Day

I spent my time updating my journal, sleeping and playing bingo. Playing bingo as one hearing aid dies then another is not easy!! It was formal night which meant yummy lobster and Baked Alaska for dinner! We told our severs that we enjoyed their service and their personalities. They added to my adventure and memories of my first cruise! During our sea day we learned that we wouldn't be going to Normandy the next day. France was in a disagreement which meant that it was not safe for us to arrive there and we were not going to be allowed to dock there. I was bummed because there was history here and I had been looking forward to it. The crew found a new place that we could stop, Belgium.