Day trips

An old coworker of mine has noticed I haven't posted lately. I guess he's a little short of reading material to keep him entertained at work. So here goes:

We've taken a couple of short trips lately. One afternoon in Brussels and a day in Brugge with the students.

Brussels is only a thirty minute drive so we went over to check it out and do some scouting for a possible day trip with the students later.

Atonium building

Our first stop was the Atonium park area. We also looked in on a very nice indoor water park at that location. Not much else there, we passed on the rest of the tourist attactions. Instead we took a subway into the center of town.

It turns out that we came on the anniversery of the liberation of Brussels by US troops. So the town square was filled with vintage vehicles and people in costume. There was a band playing 40's music and even a marching band at one point. We tried a fizzy cherry flavored beer called Kriek. It was good for a hot day, but tasted nothing like beer. I think it's a Lambic beer which is normally very fizzy and often tastes more like champagne than beer.

Liberation day in the middle of Brussels

We also did a day trip to Bruges. It's about 1 1/2 hours by train. It was kind of hectic with the boys and the 24 students. I think Kathy and I need to make it back one day without the kids to fully appreciate the city. I think it would be fun to bring a bike to explore and to see it at night when it's all lit up.

Boys playing in the center of Bruges, the famous tower is in the background

Besides that we've just been starting to get into a routine. The boys go to school at 8:30 and get out at 3:30 most days, so I've had some time to take some bike rides to explore the area. I'll try to remember the camera next time to show some of the sites.

We also had a reception wine and cheese party for all 70 students that live in the dorm. That includes the 24 Loyola students from the US and all the other Belgium and international students that are staying there. It got pretty packed with that many people in the house, but everything worked out ok.

Next week Kathys parents arrive for a visit and I'm starting my first fencing class. So I should have more to report by next week.

First day at school

Jack and Jesse had their first day at school on Monday. They were excited to go meet some kids and make some new friends.

Ready for school

Lets Go!

Jesse with his teacher and other students heading for class

It's hard to tell from this picture but Jesse towers over most of his class.

The play yard at the school (they just put in a new big play set)

They weren't quite as sure once they saw all the chaos and us leaving, but the teachers were very nice and all went well.

Kathy and I enjoyed our day alone with a long bike ride into the surrounding country side. When we got home for lunch we both noticed how odd it was not to have the boys underfoot.

On the way home Jesse reported that the teacher 'Taught me nothing'. I guess he was expecting a little more rigorous academic environment. He also said that a girl pushed him even after he used all the nice words that he knows. Jack said he made a couple of friends and that he took a walk with the class to a playground.

They must have liked it because they happily went again this morning. At school we even got an invite to an upcoming birthday party at a class mates house (our social circle is expanding rapidly).

France part deux

This time we left for Paris on a large tour bus with 24 students. The US students from Loyola had arrived just a few days earlier.

On Saturday after a long bus ride and heavy traffic in Paris we went straight for the Eiffel Tower. At the Trocadaro we were greeted by a beautiful view of the tower and a circle of dancers commemorating the death of Micheal Jackson, complete with several Jackson impersonators.

The Loyola students

Sunday morning we went to Notre Dame. Kathy and most of the students even made it to mass there. After lunch in the Latin quarter we went back to the boys' favorite playground in Paris at Luxemburg Gardens.

Video of Boys at the playground in Luxemburg Gardens

Monday was the Louvre. The boys and I broke off from the guided tour after about 15 minutes (too slow and boring for the boys - maybe for me too). We did a whirlwind tour of the lesser known but very cool exhibits at the Louvre. We saw mummies' coffins, creepy skull statues, funky African artwork, giant paintings, and one of the boys' favorites, the Easter Island Head (aka the Dum Dum guy from the Night at the Museum movie).

The boys with Dum Dum

That night we had a picnic with some pizza, beer and wine on bank of the Seine. It was a nice night so there were lots of locals also enjoying the scene. A group next to us even provided some background guitar music for our dinner. Not a gourmet meal - but very pleasant and memorable.

Tuesday we headed for Versailles. Unfortunatly it was rainy and cool so we didn't tour the gardens but the rooms were still impressive. That afternoon we went to the top of the Arc de Triomphe and even got to see part of the nightly military cermony at the tomb of the Unkown Soldier.

Wednesday we stopped by the cathedral in Chartres then back to the coast. The next day Kathy took the students to Mont Saint Michel and I took a day off with the boys in St Malo just exploring the beach. The boys even got a French hair cut that afternoon.

Friday we went back to Bayeux. At this point we realized that our bus driver was good at finding the general location for the main tourist sites like Chartres and Bayeux, but he had no idea where he could park the bus. So we drove in circles a few times before homing in on the correct location.

That afternoon we went back to Point du Hoc. It's a very impressive site. They have left it pretty much as it was after D-day. The point is covered with bomb craters and German fortifications.

German Gun Emplacement

Jack in the remains of a blown up German bunker

Friday night we spent in Arromanches at the nice hotel with the ocean view (Hotel de la Marine). The harbor still has remnants of the temporary port that the British used to off load equipment just after D-day.

One of the pontoons for the floating docks; the break water is in the distance.


Boys playing army on a half track next to our hotel