Jon is mending. The bones are supposed to "knit" about 2 weeks post-break (which is the day after tomorrow). He is thinking he'll get back out on the bike on Monday. In the meantime, he has been playing Internet chess and trying not to become overly corrupted with my Brugge Pubs ;)
To all the friends and family with the kind words; thanks so much, it really helps! Nobody is really "down" around here and I haven't been blogging much lately because Jon and I have been trekking all over town doing the tourist thing. This town has an inexhaustible number of attractions! For example, yesterday, here is what we did:
Astrid Park: Watched ducks play on a half frozen pond. They were busy fighting and playing a game that involved pushing floating wood around with their bills. The kids played on the frozen playground, complete with caves and a giant slide. We watched a British guy do the giant slide upside down and backwards. He came shooting out the bottom screaming- it looked like an excellent way to break one's neck.
"Black Cat" Folk Museum: Fortified ourselves with beer at the museum cafe then proceeded around the exhibits. Axel was on the loose and ran out of one room and back into the one we had just come from. We retrieved him but not before noticing why he had come back to that room. The black cat (Aristide) was sleeping in the exhibit. Only Axel noticed and this was his way of bringing it to our attention. We petted Aristide, he was a nice kitty.
Lace Center: Watched Bruggian women from (9 to 99) making lace. One of Leah's schoolmates was there learning the trade. Lace is crazy complicated, I had no idea.
Jerusalem Church: Built as a "family" church for a pair of 15th century crusader brothers to hold all the relics they were bringing back from Jerusalem. The weirdest relic ended up being one of their hearts, as sent back from Scotland after he was murdered. It is interred in a raised crypt along with his wife's remains.
Oldest Pub in Brugge (1515): Beer and Warme Chocolademelk met Rhum. Yum. What, cash only? Oopsie. I ask where the nearest ATM is (FAAAAAAR) so the barkeep lets me borrow her bike. Her boyfriend asks, do you guys even know how to ride bikes? Ha! Well, I used to race bikes, I say. So he says, "What, like 20 years ago?" WTF??? Just for that I rode as fast as I could on the icy cobbled streets (passing many CARS) and returned in less that 10 minutes. He couldn't have kept up, fo sho!
Home, briefly, to deposit the kiddos.
Free outdoor concert near the old stone bridge: 7 men singing a capella. This was one of those really great moments in life, the kind you always remember. People were gathered around the stage warming themselves at little fire grates, spontaneous dancing broke out, the sonorous septet's notes echoing throughout the square. They topped it off with a blues-y rendition of Jingle Bells and sent us on our way.
Duc de Bourgoune restaurant: Menu Royal (no cheese). The food was really good but every course had a plate with about 8 different items on it. Seriously. It was a bit fussy. Waiter pulled my chair out for me when I returned from the bathroom. I was wearing jeans and a north face hoodie :o
Kissed in front of the Kissing Statue.
Cambrinus: God of Beer and also a Brugge cafe with lots of beer. We were in the latter. It is becoming an old pasttime but with a menu the size of Webster's dictionary you could never get bored. (Just don't try the chocolate beer).
Yes we really did all that, so you can see why the blogging has been so neglected.
To all the friends and family with the kind words; thanks so much, it really helps! Nobody is really "down" around here and I haven't been blogging much lately because Jon and I have been trekking all over town doing the tourist thing. This town has an inexhaustible number of attractions! For example, yesterday, here is what we did:
Astrid Park: Watched ducks play on a half frozen pond. They were busy fighting and playing a game that involved pushing floating wood around with their bills. The kids played on the frozen playground, complete with caves and a giant slide. We watched a British guy do the giant slide upside down and backwards. He came shooting out the bottom screaming- it looked like an excellent way to break one's neck.
"Black Cat" Folk Museum: Fortified ourselves with beer at the museum cafe then proceeded around the exhibits. Axel was on the loose and ran out of one room and back into the one we had just come from. We retrieved him but not before noticing why he had come back to that room. The black cat (Aristide) was sleeping in the exhibit. Only Axel noticed and this was his way of bringing it to our attention. We petted Aristide, he was a nice kitty.
Lace Center: Watched Bruggian women from (9 to 99) making lace. One of Leah's schoolmates was there learning the trade. Lace is crazy complicated, I had no idea.
Jerusalem Church: Built as a "family" church for a pair of 15th century crusader brothers to hold all the relics they were bringing back from Jerusalem. The weirdest relic ended up being one of their hearts, as sent back from Scotland after he was murdered. It is interred in a raised crypt along with his wife's remains.
Oldest Pub in Brugge (1515): Beer and Warme Chocolademelk met Rhum. Yum. What, cash only? Oopsie. I ask where the nearest ATM is (FAAAAAAR) so the barkeep lets me borrow her bike. Her boyfriend asks, do you guys even know how to ride bikes? Ha! Well, I used to race bikes, I say. So he says, "What, like 20 years ago?" WTF??? Just for that I rode as fast as I could on the icy cobbled streets (passing many CARS) and returned in less that 10 minutes. He couldn't have kept up, fo sho!
Home, briefly, to deposit the kiddos.
Free outdoor concert near the old stone bridge: 7 men singing a capella. This was one of those really great moments in life, the kind you always remember. People were gathered around the stage warming themselves at little fire grates, spontaneous dancing broke out, the sonorous septet's notes echoing throughout the square. They topped it off with a blues-y rendition of Jingle Bells and sent us on our way.
Duc de Bourgoune restaurant: Menu Royal (no cheese). The food was really good but every course had a plate with about 8 different items on it. Seriously. It was a bit fussy. Waiter pulled my chair out for me when I returned from the bathroom. I was wearing jeans and a north face hoodie :o
Kissed in front of the Kissing Statue.
Cambrinus: God of Beer and also a Brugge cafe with lots of beer. We were in the latter. It is becoming an old pasttime but with a menu the size of Webster's dictionary you could never get bored. (Just don't try the chocolate beer).
Yes we really did all that, so you can see why the blogging has been so neglected.
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Going to Scott's on Monday. We'll try to call.
Love,
Mom