Swans, Waffles and A Boat Ride

---

The wait is over. I have the first stamp in my new passport. I was stamped into Zeebrugge. Where? It is the port for Belgium from which one travels to Brussels or Bruges. It is the first port of call on our cruise. The ship was offering various trips today. I had voted for Ypres and the poppy fields, but Mom had vetoed that. So, we decided to see Ghent and Bruges.

I was not sure how I was going to like being on a tour. They always seem a bit ovine to me. Following someone holding up a sign and being led from place to place just seemed a bit too tacky and old. I was wrong. It actually has its charms. For one thing, I didn’t have to worry about following a map and knowing where I was. I could just follow along, listen to all the information and take photos to my heart’s content. I must admit to being won over to the concept.

Travelling so much on my own, it was a real treat for me to have Mom and Lynn along. So often, I can be heard muttering things to myself about how much I am enjoying something or how beautiful something is or how much fun I am having. Today, I could actually say those things out load and no one looked at my askance!

Early this morning, we all boarded a coach and headed off to Ghent. An interesting town that, admittedly, has never been high on my list of places to see. Once there, however, I was won over by its charms. It has lovely buildings, including St. Bavo’s Cathedral that was simply stunning. In it, there are several paintings by Rubens and one by Van Eck, all of which were beautiful. Now that I have been there, I’m very glad that I did.

As we were walking back to the coach, we passed a shop that advertised the best nougat in the world. How does one resist? A few euros later and Mom, Lynn and I were agreed that we were glad we had never tasted the worst….

Back on the coach for the trip to Bruges. What a treat! Absolutely gorgeous town built around canals. We walked and walked, finally stopping for a Flemish lunch. I’m not sure how smoked salmon and dry turkey counts as Flemish, but we were starving so beggars can’t be choosers. We went on a canal boat ride and enjoyed walking around in the sunshine.

One of the reasons that Mom wanted to go to Bruges was to take a photo of me with the swans. There is a similar family photo taken when I was two and she wanted a twin. I’ll let you judge for yourself. The reason I wanted to go was to get a Belgian waffle - the whole works with whipped cream and strawberries. Like so many things that one remembers from childhood, this was much better in the remembering. Oh well, it was a snack and we shared it with the swans.

The other really great thing about being on a tour? I found myself all day looking out for restaurants and somewhere to stay. I had to keep reminding myself that it was all taken care of. It is really nice to just enjoy the sights, knowing that your room for the night is all ready and that great food is waiting for you. I am liking this cruising thing!

---

Photos

Ghent
The old buildings around the square.

Ghent
St. Bavo's Cathedral

Ghent
The interior of the cathedral.

Bruges
One of the canals and the buildings.

Bruges
The truth be told, even in Belgium!

Bruges
Another shot of the canals and the buildings.

Bruges
A sense of really lovely this town is.

Chris and the Swan
Version Two -- 43 years later.