One Last Hurrah

LAKE COMO, Italy - As the time was drawing near to our departure from Germany, Juston planned one last special trip to Milan and Lake Como, Italy. It was the only other place I wanted to make sure I laid eyes on before heading back to the US of A. These photos may help you understand why......

A Family Road Trip

Germany > Belgium > Denmark > Sweden

DUSSELDORF, Germany – June 1, 2013 -  At 7:30 AM Saturday morning, J and I scooped up my future in-laws from the Dusseldorf airport and headed toward Cologne, Germany. There, we stopped off to see the Kölner Dom (Cologne Cathedral) and ate a quick bite before returning to the car to make our way to Belgium.

ANTWERP, Belgium - As one of the largest seaports in Europe, the city of Antwerp is located right on the bank of the Schledt River, which links to the North Sea. In Old English the Dutch name Antwerpen (hand werpen) translates to “to throw”. Legend has it that the city got its name from a mythical giant named Antigoon, who would demand a toll from those wishing to cross the river. For those who would refuse, the giant would severe one of their hands and throw it into the water. Eventually, Antigoon was defeated and his own hand was cut off and thrown into the river. The statue in front of the town hall now commemorates the folklore.

BRUGES, Belgium – Ahhh, Bruges. It was love at first site. The small, medieval city was filled with white swans gliding along picturesque canals and winding cobblestone streets dotted with an absurdly high concentration of chocolate shops and quiet cafes serving Belgian beer and waffles.

With over 45 different chocolate shops in the city, we spent a lot of our time in Bruges admiring (and tasting) the many piles of pralines and trays of truffles offered by local chocolatiers. After succumbing to the temptation over and over again, we even purchased a few boxes of chocolate confections to take home. (Fun Fact: In 1912, Jean Neuhaus invented the praline, the quintessential Belgian chocolate, when he filled chocolate shells with cream and nut paste.)

The Basilica of the Holy Blood, a church in Bruges, houses a venerated relic of the blood of Christ on a fragment of cloth, collected by Joseph of Arimathea after the Crucifixion. Although heavily guarded, it was quite an emotional experience to spend a few moments hovering over this relic.

And Belgium Waffles! Oh, waffles!

Every once in a while as you travel, you stumble onto a town that somehow missed the 21st-century bus. For us, Bruges was definitely one of those places. It was an enchanting and wonderfully preserved town FULL of Old World charm. 

Up to bat after Belgium....

COPENHAGEN & SWEDEN

While both Sweden and Denmark were beautiful and filled with beautiful people, the cost to travel there wasn't so pretty. It was a tad expensive (that's putting it mildly), but it was certainly worth the trip!