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Published: April 23rd 2006
Paris
The beret suits him, don't you think?Well, Mom and Jim came for a visit over the Easter holiday. It was great to have some of my family come all the way over here to visit me, although it did make me a little homesick. We had a wonderful time. They arrived on a Friday morning, and I did my best to keep them awake all day so that they could get over their jet lag. Their first taste of Belgium came from the waffle stand at Gent St. Pieters Station, and I believe they were quite impressed. After dumping their luggage at my apartment, we went to Iepers and walked around a bit, but they were really too tired to enjoy it much. That evening we had dinner at one of my favorite restaurants, and Jim's mood improved substantially when I introduced him to Belgian beer. I think his favorites now are Westmalle dubbel and tripel, and Corsendonk. On Saturday I borrowed two extra fietsers from my friends (thanks Daniel and Laura), and took Mom and Jim on a biking tour of Gent. It rained periodically throughout the day, but being in Belgium that was not unexpected. I'm glad we were able to tour Gent on a
Jim
This is pretty typical for him. Saturday, because it allowed me to show them many of the markets that get set up around the city. On Sunday Mom and Jim took the bikes and went on a little excursion of their own around Gent (I think Mom was shopping, and Jim was waiting patiently). That evening we took the train to Blankenberg to see the Belgian coast and eat some mussels. Then on Monday we left for Amsterdam. That was a very nice trip. We were all impressed by the architecture and canals in the city. On Tuesday we visited the Van Gogh museum, and then returned to Gent. I had to work in the lab on Wednesday and Thursday, so Mom and Jim did some sight seeing in Gent on those days. On Thursday afternoon we left for Paris. I think that Jim was a little reluctant to go to Paris, but in the end I think he enjoyed himself. They saw the Eiffel Tower, and I took them to Notre Dame, the Arc de Triomphe, Montmartre, and Versailles. I had been to Paris once before and Montmartre and Versailles were two places that I didn't get to see the first time, and were well
worth the additional trip. I returned to Gent on Saturday, and Mom and Jim returned on Sunday. Then on Monday morning they boarded a plane and headed back to Arkansas. All total, it was a brief but enjoyable visit, and I'm really glad they took the time to come.
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catherine
non-member comment
nice visit
I'm so glad they went to visit you, I know they had fun. I love the pics of them on the bikes, especially the one in motion. I would love to be able to ride my bike everywhere I went. Oh yeah, it's bugging me cause I can't find you in that picture...where are you?! love ya and miss ya!!