Today was our day trip to Bruges, Belgium. After leaving the hotel at 6:30 and sitting 4 hours on a tourbus, we arrived in Bruges. Once there we received a walking tour of the city and a ticket for a boat ride along the canals. My father had raved to me about the town from when he had seen it as a kid, and it really was as amazing as he said! Most of the town smells like chocolate, and nowhere does it smell like car or industry. There are bikes and horses everywhere, and the buildings, though mostly later than Medieval times, are still laid out in the plan of the original old city and designed in a neo-Gothic style that looks somewhat French, German, and Italian. I spent the entire day imagining what it would be like to live in a town that smelled of chocolate, has three official languages, but also speaks English, doesn't have automobile traffic, and has neo-Gothic houses with canals and parks and cobblestone streets. Incredible! After I learn French, I'll have to invest in learning a Germanic language. While we didn't understand the Flemish, we did have a good time making fun of the spelling of the words.

So, we spent our several hours after the tour and boat ride wandering in a couple Flemish painting museums, in the main church, which has a Michelangelo Madonnna and child and a Caravaggio hanging on the wall, and wandering the streets. We opted for the not-so-healthy lunch options, and ordered Belgian waffles with strawberries and whipped cream. They were the best waffles I've ever had! Such an amazing lunch, I may have been a little over excited. We also shopped and bought a ton of chocolate. On our way down one street we even saw a woman making lace. It was absolutely riveting! She moved incredibly fast with these handles of thread, and kept placing pins to make the lace pattern. She was clearly practiced, but she did not make it look easy. She just made it look incredibly complicated and almost magical.

In the afternoon, we rounded up again and rode the bus home. Everyone on the bus was asleep within ten minutes, just like we were little kids who tired themselves out running around all day. We did get to see the most beautiful rainbow on the way home! It's pretty late now that we're back, so we're going to retire soon. Tomorrow is our last full day to spend in Paris! I can't believe it. Sunday we head to Disney and then Wednesday we leave! Eek! Tomorrow I'll try to push the family a little more than today or yesterday because I still have stuff I want to see!

I'll tell you all about it tomorrow! Bonsoir!