Our Sunday Afternoon in Antwerp

Finally recovering from jet-lag, we drove to Antwerp on Sunday. It's only about an hour away from Brugge by car. Antwerp is home to the fifth largest port in the world and is also known as the "diamond center of the world." Much to my surprise, I didn't see one jewelry store or any diamonds. After researching, it's more for diamond trading and for large retailers not for the average tourist. Scott gave out a big sigh of relief!

We decided to take the horse and carriage ride which gave us a quaint 20 minute tour of the city. Below are a few highlights:

The picture above is from the GroteMarkt (Center Square) Everything focuses around the center statue of a Roman soldier who freed the port of Antwerp by defeating the Antigoon (that's what the tour book says) and throwing his severed hand into the water. You can't see it but the statue shows him holding the hand. Off of the GroteMarkt are several shopping streets along with restaurants and bars. Their shopping is a lot better than Brugge's.

Antwerp is also home to the Antwerp Cathedral. It is the largest gothic church in the low countries. The Cathedral took 170 years to build and was gutted by fire and vandals in the 16th century and restored in the 18th century.

The first picture is of a castle built in the 11th century to protect the city against the Vikings. In the 18th century it became a prison and it is now a museum.

I hope to have the rest of the pictures from our trip on Kodak Gallery by the end of the week. I'll add a link to view next week.

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It's good to be back in Belgium. I was gone about 2 weeks with only a carry-on suitcase in tow. I spent the first couple of nights with my brother-in-law, John - sister-in-law, Nicole - nephew, Max - and mother-in-law, Jacke. Then on to a hotel with Scott while he was in Georgia working. Finally, my last stop was Albany to visit my parents: Mike and Sandy and friends: Shannon, Josh, and Ashley.

I've only been out of the U.S. now for about 2 months, but I was a crazy woman in all of the grocery stores and Walmart/Target stores. I guess being gone you realize how much you miss the things you are usually able to get within a 15 minute drive. I look back now and see the error of my ways. Every single item I bought from the grocery store to take back with me, I really didn't need - It was just a want. Serves me right though, we made Kraft macaroni and cheese the first night I got back and it didn't even taste good. We've narrowed the problem down to the water, butter, or milk. Next time I visit, I won't be filling my suitcase full of wants - only necessities!

Thanks to everyone who reads the BLOG regularly. A lot of you have renamed the BLOG, the mis-adventures of Lacy, so here's another mis-adventure:

At the time, when I was buying all of the food and miscellaneous stuff to bring back my goal was to only buy what I could fit in my carry-on suitcase. By day 2, I had enough stuff for another suitcase. I plied everything into an extra suitcase I had at my parents and headed off to the ATL airport with 2 carry-0n size suitcases, a soft carry-on bag and a large purse (and my all needed neck pillow, of course!) Being the stubborn person that I am, I've decided that I won't mail anything back, but I'll deal with the luggage while traveling...how hard can it be.

I get off the plane in Brussels and had to wait in the customs line an hour and a half lugging my carry-on bag and large purse with me all the while. It's very heavy at this point. The train schedule that I had previously reviewed on-line gives me a 10:04 train and a 10:34 train. I really want to make the 10:04 train b/c that's the one that I've written in detail the stops. The 10:34 train all I know is it gets to the airport at 10:34 and I have to change trains twice. The 10:04 is just 1 train change.

At 9:45, I've just gotten through customs and have arrived at the baggage claim. Luckily, my bags are already there and this is my first attempt at rolling all of the luggage by myself through a crowed airport. The train station is several floors below so I decide to take the elevator instead of the escalator due to my time constraints. I think I only knocked a few people down along the way and I finally reach the elevator. The people in there didn't hold the door for me and I missed that elevator. I guess that was my KARMA for knocking the other people in my way. (Usually, that would be no big deal but, I have about 5 minutes to pay for a train ticket and find my level to meet the train.) I make the next elevator and successfully, purchase my train ticket, then my day starts going down hill. The escalator is broken to go to the train stop down below, so I must carry all of my luggage down. I have about 50lbs in each hand, plus my carry-on, purse, and now the annoying neck pillow. I thought I was going to go head first down the stairs. At this point I realize I'm not super-woman and think it can't get that much worse. The train pulls in (whoo, hoo I made the 10:04 train) and I stop to get on one bag up the train stairs at a time. I sit as close to the door as possible so it will be less to lug off. As I go to get off the train for my train change, I lift my bags and realize I can't go down the steep train stairs with both bags. I put one down and get off the trains and drag the rest off. I just held up the train for about 5 minutes, but I got off.

I have no clue where my next train is so I stand at the line for a minute resting because at this point I'm very sore from lifting the bags and can we say "jet-lagged!" Then, I see my next train on rail 16 I'm on 14. No elevator/escalator here so again, I have to haul my luggage down about 5 flights of stairs and then up 5 more to get to the next gate. I'm am exhausted by this point and all I want to do is sit down. The next train comes and I go to lug my bags up the train steps again and one of my bags gets caught. While I try to release my bag, the other suit case falls. There's a big line behind me now, but I can't help it. I literally can't move any faster. I'm rolling one suitcase down the aisle and dragging the other one on it's back b/c I didn't have time to flip it over b/c the lady behind me starts getting irritated. I don't speak French, Dutch, or whatever language she was speaking to me in but I knew enough to know she was mad. The train is already full from its previous stop so I can't find a seat. The aisles are very small so every step I take I'm barely making it with my luggage. (The trains are not really made for luggage just daily commuters.) I find a seat dead center of the train, I stop and lift my first suitcase over my head into the storage compartment. All the while, little lady, keeps getting louder and louder for me to move. Finally I say, "do you not see my trying?!" I was pretty impressed with myself for lifting 50lbs over my head. I just shoved the other suitcase in the seat across from me then held my carry-on bag and purse...and stupid neck pillow! To keep this story from getting even longer, I made it to Brugge...had to haul the luggage down another 5 flights of stairs and then on and off the local bus and then down 2 blocks on cobblestone. I was exhausted when I got home and have been sore the last couple of days. I worked my trapezius muscle more than it has ever been worked.

My dad always says, "never pack more than you can carry." I think I found my limit.

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I've got about 6 normal loads of laundry to do today, which in European washers is about 12 loads, so I better get started.

Until next time!

The Market in the Markt-

Every Wednesday Brugge has a market in the center of town (The Markt) where everyone comes in to town to sell their produce, meat, cheese, or flowers. I look forward to going every week for flowers and produce. Everything is a lot cheaper at the market than at the grocery store. I bought the pansies in the back last week and the daisies the week before. You can also see our tiny patio. We're very lucky to have a patio. A lot of houses do not have patios. This one is just big enough to hold our grill, a small table, and two patio chairs.

This past weekend we went to the Cactus Festival in Minnewater Park, which is about a mile from our house. The Cactus Festival is a 3 day festival where well-known bands play all day, each day. (Kind of like Music Midtown for those Atlantans reading.) We went Friday night to hear the Wailers play. Are you asking yourself who are the Wailers? I was to until I researched them. The Wailers are Bob Marley's old band. They are still touring around and still representing what Bob Marley stood for. We had a great time. Saturday, Gnarls Barkley (an up and coming hiphop artist) was the head-liner. I wanted to go see him but it wasn't worth it since he only has one song I know. Sunday, Erika Badu and David Gray head-lined. We didn't go to that one because they both played late and Scott had to work the next morning.

As I mentioned in a previous post, recycling is huge here. You can imagine the trash that can accumulate from a concert from all of the cups from drinks and such. Well, not to worry Brugge had a solution for trash. For every cup you turn in you could receive 10 euro-cent or if you turned in 16 cups you could get a free drink. Kids often accompany their parents to places in Europe so there were quite a few kids here. All of the kids were running for the empty cups like crazy. I admired the kids that came up and asked you for the empty cup in your hand, however, Scott thought differently. He watched as the kids ran up to people and then went back to their parents to give them the cup. They were basically working to get their parents drinks. I gave one cup to a kid who asked (I actually don't know what he said b/c he spoke in Flemish.) He reminded me of a grown-up version of my nephew, Max. This kid who came up to me couldn't have been over 5. Scott patiently searched the crowd and found the one girl who never asked anyone for a cup. She would spot empty cups from yards away and hussle to go get them. He gave some cups to her. Plus, she used her cups to buy herself something to drink. We turned the rest in and got coins for our cups. Before you think it, no, we really aren't boring it was just really interesting to watch, plus this was before the Wailers started so we were people watching.

Oh, one more interesting thing from the Cactus Festival - the Porta-Potties. Now, these were just for men and it was the most fasinating thing. I tried not to stare, but you couldn't help it. Imagine a porta-pottie without walls that was divided into four sections. Each section had three walls (two on each side and one in the center with the urinal area) The men would find an empty side, step up, and use the bathroom. You couldn't see anything but the back of the guys. Scott used it and highly reccommends it for the US. No lines, no smell, no small,enclosed spaces. I had to pay .30 euro cents to pee in a stall.

We went to tour Brussels on Saturday. Every city in Europe basically had a Centre (Centrum, Grote Markt, etc) Brussels has a very beautiful Center Palace. The pictures attached do not do it justice. We were only able to just walk around but we want to go back to look at the churches and museums. After you've looked at all of the tourist stuff that's pretty much it. Everything else is like every other city - kind-of run down and busy. Of course, I forgot the tour/guide book so we were just guessing where we were going.

Click HERE to see our Brussels pictures. I added comments this time.

Whoo hoo! We have are first trip planned. We'll be taking the train to London in August for the weekend. We're going to see Mamma-Mia at the Prince of Wales theater and site-see the rest of the time. I've seen the show 4 times but Scott has never seen it. It's so great-I always want to go back. It's playing at the FOX in Atlanta in July for anyone who hasn't seen it!

I head back to the U.S on Thursday so my next post will be in a few weeks. We start our language classes when we get back too! Until next time......

A beautiful day in Brugge!


We took a boat tour on Saturday. It's just like taking a gondola ride in Venice through the canals only this tour is in a boat with about 20 other people through the canals of Brugge. The bridge in the picture is the oldest bridge in Brugge. It was built in the 14th century and is still in its original condition. It's about 3 or 4 blocks from our house. We drive over it all the time and never knew the history behind it. Sorry there isn't more pictures of the boat tour - our camera batteries went dead after this picture - our only picture.

Our house is finally put together. Scott (he likes to refer to himself as Bob Villa now) was able to hang all of our pictures up this past weekend. It took us until now to get up enough courage to use the drill. It wasn't like drilling into just sheet rock. We (I say we, I just watched) had to drill into masonry brick and had to have the correct screws and anchors. Everything worked out well and the house is beautiful.

I had my 3rd driving lesson on Sunday. For those of you who don't know, every vehicle in Europe is a manual and I never learned to drive one. My only mode of transportation has been walking, biking, taking the train or the bus. Scott has his company car now, a 2006 Audi A4, and I decided (after much convincing) to take it for a spin (around the parking lot.) I've mastered getting into first, backing out of a parking spot, slowing down, stopping, and getting into higher gears. Scott wanted to venture out of my comfort zone (an empty parking lot) to a residential area. I pulled out onto a small side street and then I got scared. I saw a stop light coming up and a Porsche behind me. The light turned red and I stopped. But, I stopped on what Scott calls a speed bump and what I call a large hill. I haven't learned what to do on hills so I'm in panic/terror mode and all I can think about is hitting the Posche behind me. The light turns green and I push the gas pedal down, but I guess the clutch foot wasn't moving at the same rate the gas foot was going and all of a sudden the back tires start to spin and I take off squealing. (It's cool to spin your tires, right! They do that in NASCAR!) Then panic mode again there is a round-about coming up and the Porsche is still behind me...I pull into the first driveway I find and become all teary. That driving lesson was over really fast. Scott hasn't given up on me, next week's lesson - coping under a stressful situation.