Brussels - The City, Not the Sprouts

In an act of sheer nuttiness and daring, I spent my last weekend on this side of the pond in another country.  It was a blast, but now the practical side of me is screaming "What were you thinking?!?!?".  Oh well, as my mom always says - either it will or it won't - get packed that is.  So, in the name of avoiding the suitcases and the kitchen that needs cleaning, here are some photographs of our adventure to Belgium.



Cool building - I have no idea of it's significance. I just thought it looked neat.

This is a hotel - and a UNESCO World Heritage site.  We didn't stay here.

The Central Square was so neat!  Seriously, it was chocolate shop, chocolate shop, lace shop.  Repeat.  For the record, once you've had true fresh Belgian chocolate, the packaged stuff won't tempt you in the slightest.

Another cool building on the square.

The second building from the left is supposed to be modeled after the bow of a clipper ship.  I can see it if I squint.

Another view of the square.

The calmest cathedral I've ever been in.  It was destroyed by the Calvinists during the 17th century (or maybe 1700s - all the history runs together) and then rebuilt.

True story:  This cathedral was about 300 yards from where we ate lunch.  Two miles later we finally found it (okay, that may be a slight exaggeration, but not much) only to discover that the cathedral we were looking for was in a different city.  Oh well, it was still a pretty building; plus, it helped me burn the calories that were about to be consumed.

Belgian Waffle - ironically purchased from the Australian ice cream stand.  Somehow that just seems wrong, but it was the only place making them fresh while you waited.

Things I Will Miss About England

As excited as I am to get to see my family in a few short days, it's still going to be hard to say goodbye to this country I've called home for two years.  Oddly enough, I really didn't want to move here at first, but as I've lived here the place has grown on me and there are so many things that I will miss.

• My friends and colleagues
• Daylight from 5:00am to after 9pm in May
• Gardens that are beyond description
• Walking to work
• Good English muffins (trust me, Americans, what you call an English muffin is an abysmally poor imitation of the real deal)
• A cup of tea solves every problem
• Fresh produce market
• Clotted cream
• My small group from church
• Cheap airfare to so many different countries
• The National Trust - and gallivanting to their sites with the ladies
• Prices always have the VAT (sales tax) already added in - less mental math for me!

This is the starter list - I'm sure I'll discover more things as I get closer to leaving and adjust back to the US.  Now, this is not to say that I'm not excited about being closer to my family and what God has next in my life, but it's still sad to leave.

The List

Since everyone keeps asking "What will you do first when you get back to the US?", here's the list:

• Hug my family
• Hug my family
• Hug my family
• Call my sister
• Call my other sister
• Lay in the sun

 I'll work on everything else after that.  See you soon!

Leaving Party

The "Tea".  Finger sandwiches, scones, clotted cream and jam, and cakes.  We also had strawberries with cream. 

I have the best small group ever! My small group from church gave me a leaving party with an English Tea Party Theme. I loved it! It was so much fun. My cameral was on some weird setting, so I only have two photographs to show, but they went all out. We held it in the back garden of one of my friends and they decorated with bunting and had chairs and picnic rugs for us to sit on. It was a delightful afternoon.

One of my favorite British discussions to date was hearing the planning of this event - it was quite the education.  Firstly, no one is really sure if scones are "scones", "scahns", or "scoons".  So, whenever you refer to them you just say all three.  Secondly, there is the Devonshire or Cornish debate - cream then jam or jam then cream.  Personally, I'm a fan of the Devonshire method, because I think it looks prettier.  I was in the minority at our event.  Then there was the debate about the food choices.  You can have an assortment of cakes (muffins, brownies, etc - just call them cakes and not muffins, brownies, etc.); however, tea is not finger foods - no carrots, crisps, or dips allowed.  And, shhhhhh, don't tell, but the sandwiches are supposed to be fingers, not triangles, but I think they all eat the same.

The lovely flowers that they presented me with to enjoy until I leave.

Last Hurrah in London

Last week I went into London for one last hurrah.  It was a chance to see some things that I just hadn't had time to see yet.  Most of my day focused on history and I got so engrossed, I forgot to take pictures of a lot of it, but I do have a few for you.  Mostly it was a time for me to observe and absorb the sounds, smells, and hustle and bustle of the city one more time.

The Imperial War Museum.  It has free entry - score!  I went to see the home front exhibits of World War I and II.  They also have a really neat exhibit of World War II from a child's perspective, complete with a replica home of the period and displays on schooling, shopping, working, and playing.  It was really neat, but quite emotional - I can't imagine what it must have been like to live through it.

After a lovely walk along the South Bank of the Thames, I crossed the Millennium Bridge to St. Paul's.  The architecture is just amazing.  From here I went on a walking tour of "London during the Blitz".  It was fascinating.

One of our destinations was Christ Church Greyfriars, which took a direct hit during the Blitz.

Where the sanctuary stood has been turned into a public garden.  It was recently replanted as a cottage garden reminiscent of the actual sanctuary building.  The path is where the aisle would have been and the "columns" will soon be covered with climbing roses.

A View of St. Paul's Cathedral from Paternoster Square.  According to our guide, Sir Winston Churchill had ordered that St. Paul's be saved at all costs.  It did take two direct hits, but both did much less damage than they would have thanks to the St. Paul's fire brigade that slept in the church to put out any fires started by the Blitz bombings.

The Chapter House in front of St. Paul's.  This is a  three story building.  That means the cathedral is HUGE!

I finally found a view of the cathedral that you can get a half-way decent picture of the scope of the building from.

The face on the dial is Winston Churchill's.  Brendan Bracken was Churchill's good friend and Minister of Information during the war.  I don't know if I would still be good friends with someone that stuck my face on a clock.

The Guildhall.  One night of the Blitz was called the Second Great Fire of London because so much of London was ablaze from all of the bombs.  The roof of this building was destroyed that night, but the rest of the building (parts dating from 1411) was saved.

I went through Trafalgar Square on last time.  The Olympic countdown is in the background.  At the time there were 435 days until the Summer Olympics begin.  Fun fact:  The cycling event will go right past the home of one of my colleagues.  How cool is that?

Hever Castle

Hever Castle was the child-hood home of Anne Boleyn (of Henry VIII fame).  It is a classic Tudor home with some updating done by William Waldorf Astor - he incorporated the lovely Italianate gardens.

The Walled Garden - these types of gardens always remind me of "The Secret Garden".

The Castle from the front.  At first glance, it seems rather small, but it's quite charming once you get inside.

The Tudor style courtyard - that's 500 year old wood!

A view of the castle from the side.  The topiaries are supposed to be animals - I never saw them.

A nice, quiet spot with the soothing sound of water trickling over the rocks. I need one of these in my yard.

One of several scenic bends in the garden path.

For Uncle Mike

My Uncle Mike LOVES cows.  These are for him.  If you ever visit the Hilton in Amsterdam (I've just walked by) you can enjoy these on the front lawn.  "Art" is everywhere.