Activities

Belgian Bikes and Beaches

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Brugge, Belgium

Today we began the day at the weekly market in the Brugge town square.The fruit, vegetables, cheese, meat, and flowers were all so fresh! We didn’t buy anything as we had just finished breakfast at the hotel, but if we were locals we’d be regulars at the market. From there we went to the top of the town belfry–the big tower with a clock and carillon. It was a bit of a hike up the narrow stairs but worth it for the view of the town.

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Marnie in the belfry

After the hike up we took advantage of the free bikes at the hotel. What we thought might be a short little trip to Damme, about 6 km away, turned into a fun 35 mile exploration. Belgium has miles and miles of bike lanes, most separated from traffic. They are all numbered and allow one to explore the backroads, farm houses, and small villages.

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Biking near Brugge

We headed north to the border of Belgium and the Netherlands. In the town of Sluis we got fresh croissants, ham, cheese and drinks and ate lunch along a beautiful canal. At that point we discovered that there are detailed local biking maps, so we bought one. The map lead us to the North Sea! And, did you know that Belgium has beach resorts? We rode along the boardwalk for miles before we decided to head back inland and to our home in Brugge. What a day!

Tonight there will be a carillon concert in the square. We didn’t even know what that was until we got here but now we know they are intricate church-like bells. We’ll report back tomorrow.

The picture below shows Steve with a few more beers.

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Pub established in 1515

He has challenged himself to try a different kind of Belgian beer at each stop and he wants me to take his picture. So, here is the evidence. The last photo was taken at the oldest pub in Brugge, established in 1515.

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Red Lights, Green Beer, and Yellow Bikes

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Amsterdam, Netherlands

We are shooting for the FULL Amsterdam experience. One day in town and we’ve already covered a lot of ground. Since our last report we explored the Red Light District and saw most of what it has to offer. The sight of scantily clad women in windows and the smell of weed wafting from the coffeehouses reminded us of the things we chose not “enjoy.” Still, we partook in the revelry by visiting several pubs and making friends with a number of other tourists. One group, in particular,caught our attention. Dads and Lads, a group of about 30 men in matching orange shirts, seemed to be everwhere we were.

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Red light district pub

After everyone had a few pints we learned that they were a group of Englishmen, fathers and 21-year old sons, celebrating the young men’s coming of age. What a place to come of age! With your Dad, no less!

Today we rented bicycles and explored the City. We rode along picturesque canals and busy city streets, always safe in a wide bike lane. We explored the beautiful Central Park-like Vondelpark, which was filled with sunbathers, runners, bikers, and families.

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Marnie and her yellow bike

We landed at the Heineken Experience and couldn’t pass it up. See the pictures below of our tour.

Eventually we decided to stop for a sandwich in Leidseplein Square. This is a popular area of the city with restaurants, bars, and street performers. Just as we sat down we watched a frail-looking old, toothless man erect a large pole with ropes attached. We were curious. Just about the time our food was delivered, the man stripped down to a bejewled thong and proceeded to do a Cirque du Soleil acrobat show right above us. The pictures we captured don’t do the spectacle justice.

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Thongman of Leidsplein

Tonight we are headed out to find a pub where we can meet more friends and enjoy the USA vs. Ghana match. It will be interesting to see who the Europeans are cheering for.

We love your comments so please write back and let us know how things are back home.

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We've arrived to the land of the bicycle!

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Amsterdam, Netherlands

Our big adventure is underway with great success. This morning we arrived in Amsterdam after a long two flights from home. We almost missed our connection in Philadelphia because we were delayed by weather. It’s a good thing we’ve both been working out because we pulled an OJ and sprinted through the PHL airport in order to get on our flight to Amsterdam with just about 5 minutes to spare.

There is a nine hour time difference between home and Amsterdam, so we arrived at 8:30 a.m. and are just beginning to feel the jet lag. As such, the one-hour city canal boat tour sounded like the best way to ease into this fascinating place.

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Bridges across the canals in Amsterdam

As we expected, Europe is gaga over the World Cup. Here in the Netherlands, the team/national color is orange. Everywhere we look there are orange banners, flags, balloons, and other celebratory symbols. The home team plays again tomorrow so we are expecting to join the party. Stay tuned.

So far we have seen hundreds of bikes here in the city, but none like we’ll see next week at the Tour de France. In Amsterdam, the bike is more common than the car.

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Steve is in heaven

Tomorrow we plan to partake. Tonight though, we plan to just wander around and maybe explore the famed red light district. But only to look!

We have access to the hotel’s Club Lounge thanks to Marnie’s gold-level status with Marriott. That means we get complimentary breakfast and happy hour. So, we are on our first Heinekens now, straight from the tap! Life is good!

Please stay tuned for more. We’ll try to post something each day along the way.

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