Jennifer Lambert

A Sacred Balance

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Day Trip to Cologne

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We had long wanted to visit Köln or Cologne, the fourth largest city in Germany.

We were counting down to our move back to the States and had to make it a day trip. We had to get a special emissions test and sticker to travel into the city.

Day Trip to Cologne

We parked and walked around the Cathedral.

Our first stop was Früh.

Even though 90% of the city was destroyed during WWII, the brewery was spared.

While we didn’t partake in traditional Halve Hahn, we did have a lovely meal of fish, cold beef, potatoes, veggies, and salad.

After lunch, we toured the Cathedral.

St. Agilulfus altar and shrine

The Shrine of the Three Kings is the largest reliquary in the world.

We watched a chalk artist and some musicians in the courtyard.

It was a very warm day and we dipped our toes in a fountain!

We had some lovely ice cream before heading home.

More Things to Do and See in Cologne:

  • Fragrance Museum
  • Chocolate Museum
  • Cologne Zoo
  • Boat Trip on the Rhine
  • Hänneschen Theatre
  • Köln Triangle Panorama
  • Olympic Museum
  • Kolner Seilbahn Cable Car
  • Groß St. Martin
  • St. Maria Im Kapitol
  • Ludwig Museum
  • Romano-Germanic Museum
  • Wallraf-Richartz Museum
  • Museum Für Angewandte Kunst Köln
  • Kolumba Museum
  • Schnütgen Museum
  • Belgian Quarter
  • Cologne’s Old Town
  • St Gereon’s Basilica
  • Botanical Garden
  • Hohenzollern Bridge with Love Locks
  • National Socialism Documentation Center
  • Rheinauhafen District
  • FC Köln
  • Gamescom 
  • Christmas Market Cologne

We had a great time in Cologne!

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Give the Gift of Adventure with Uncommon Goods

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I just love my fun travel cork globe from UncommonGoods!

Our new globe showcases our travels as a family.

The cork globe is lightweight and hollow. We were careful with the thumb tacks and pins. We don’t want to dent our globe!

I love the simple modern stainless steel stand.

It was super easy to assemble. Just fit the steel rod axis through the globe and screw on the top peg.

Our globe measures: 11.8″ height x 9.84″ diameter.

Latitudes, longitudes, the equator, and meridians are well-marked. Continents and countries are easy to view. There’s a neato compass in the Pacific Ocean. It rotates on its axis. It’s great as an educational tool!

It could be fun to tack small souvenirs to the globe too. I don’t feel comfortable removing or replacing the tacks and pins and leaving holes in the cork. There’s also a full-color globe available that is very pretty.

Our family loves this addition to our rather minimalist decor, tastefully exhibiting our travels.

Uncommon Goods is one-stop shopping for the whole family! I want pretty much everything they have.

The travel and book-themed items are some of my favorites.

Explore all the unique and top-rated items at Uncommon Goods and check out these amazing stocking stuffers! There’s something on these lists to buy for even your most difficult person who seems to have everything. I often send my parents clever gardening and home decor gifts.

I was so pleased by the very careful packaging of my cork globe! Shipping was super quick too.

Six red thumb tacks (included with the globe) mark the places we have lived as a military family.

We probably have a few more adventures to go!

White straight pins mark the fun places we have traveled as a family.

We hope to add many more in the future!

This fun cork travel globe was a great surprise family gift that we all enjoy.

There are so many fun items that I love from Uncommon Goods – I’m updating my wishlist!

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Oahu with Kids

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We lived on O’ahu for three years. Living in Hawai’i isn’t the same as a vacation there. But every single day, there’s a rainbow!

My husband was stationed at Hickam AFB. We lived on base. It was mostly magical. The kids still call it home and we all long to go back.

The thing about living in paradise is that you’re living in paradise. It’s not a vacation every day. Dishes and laundry still have to get done. We homeschooled. Everything is expensive. Gas and food prices are high. Traffic is terrible. You have to watch out for centipedes.

But you can go to the beach whenever you want. There are lots of lovely parks and gardens and hiking opportunities. Those are FREE!

O’ahu is a great place for families!

Be sure to check out:
Hawaii Activities
Non-profit Sustainable Tours
Reef Safe Advocacy

Attractions in Kaneohe

The Windward Coast is a tropical paradise.

  • Ho’omaluhia Botanical Garden
  • Bellows Air Force Station
  • Sea Life Park
  • Hanauma Bay
  • Kualoa Ranch – Lots of movies and shows filmed there like Jurassic Park, Pearl Harbor, Lost, and Hawaii Five-O. There are ATV tours.
  • Kane’one Sandbar

North Shore Attractions

The beaches on the North Shore are best for families to visit during summer months. The waves get huge mid-November through March and host the famous Triple Crown of Surfing Championships.

There’s TONS to do on the North Shore of Oahu!

  • Matsumoto’s Shave Ice
  • Shrimp Trucks
  • Ted’s Bakery
  • Haleiwa Joe’s
  • Uncle Bo’s
  • Ray’s Chicken
  • Art Galleries
  • Surf Shops
  • Puu O Mahaka State Monument
  • Waimea Beach and Falls
  • Turtle Beach
  • Sharks Cove

Honolulu Attractions

Honolulu is the Hawaii state capital and of course, there are lots of fun things to do in the big city!

  • Honolulu Zoo
  • Waikiki Aquarium
  • Discovery Center Children’s Museum
  • Pearl Harbor
  • Pacific Aviation Museum
  • Diamond Head
  • Ko’olina
  • Bishop Museum
  • Friday Night Fireworks on Waikiki Beach (FREE)
  • Lili’uokalani Botanical Garden (FREE)

We loved living on Oahu for three years, exploring most of what the island had to offer. Some things we didn’t get to see or do since we had very little children. We’d love to go back!

We also traveled to Mau’i, Kaua’i, Ni’ihau, and The Big Island.

Hawaii Coffee Company
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Honolulu with Kids

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Attractions in Honolulu, Hawai’i for families are plenty!

Honolulu is the Hawaii state capital and of course, there are lots of fun things to do in the big city!

  • Honolulu Zoo
  • Waikiki Aquarium
  • Discovery Center Children’s Museum
  • Pearl Harbor
  • Pacific Aviation Museum
  • Diamond Head
  • Ko’olina
  • Bishop Museum
  • Friday Night Fireworks on Waikiki Beach (FREE)
  • Lili’uokalani Botanical Garden (FREE)

Be sure to check out:
Hawaii Activities
Non-profit Sustainable Tours
Reef Safe Advocacy

Honolulu Zoo

This is a nice zoo with mammal, birds, and reptiles. There are also lovely gardens to enjoy.

There’s a great children’s area with a petting zoo and playground.

We loved the exhibits you can climb inside for closer looks!

General Admission
$14.00 – Adult 13+
$6.00 – Children 3-12 yrs.

Kama’aina/U.S. military*
$8.00 – Adult 13+
$4.00 – Children 3-12 yrs.
* I.D. required for kama’aina/U.S. military rates.
FREE – Children 2 and under

Waikiki Aquarium

A lovely Hawaiian aquarium with coral life, monk seals, aquaculture, seahorses, and jellyfish.

We loved viewing the shallow aquariums and experiencing the touch pools.

General Admission
$12.00 – Adult 13+
$5.00 – Children 4-12 yrs.

Kama’aina/U.S. military*
$8.00 – Adult 13+
* I.D. required for kama’aina/U.S. military rates.
FREE – Children 3 and under

Hawaii Children’s Discovery Center

A fun children’s museum featuring the temporary special exhibits and permanent exhibits like the human body, busy town, world cultures, farming, rainforest, and Hawaiian habitats.

General Admission
$12.00

Kama’aina/U.S. military*
$10.00
* I.D. required for kama’aina/U.S. military rates.
FREE – Children under 1 

Friday Night Fireworks in Waikiki!

Every Friday night around 8 PM, Hawaiian Hilton Village sets off a fireworks show – and it’s FREE! It’s great to plan a picnic, watch the sunset, and then view the fireworks!

Lili’uokalani Botanical Garden

Portions of this garden were once the property and favorite picnic grounds of Queen Lili`uokalani, the last reigning monarch of Hawaii.  She later donated her land to the City and County of Honolulu to be used for the public’s enjoyment.  This developing garden is devoted to native Hawaiian plants. It’s FREE!

Diamond Head

This is a great hike with gorgeous views!

$5.00 per car or $1 per person for pedestrians. CASH ONLY. NO PETS.

The 0.8 mile hike from trailhead to the summit is steep and strenuous, gaining 560 feet as it ascends from the crater floor. It was hard for us with little ones!

Pearl Harbor Historic Sites and Memorials

  • USS Arizona Memorial
  • Battleship Missouri Memorial
  • USS Bowfin Submarine Museum & Park

Kids have to be over 8 years old to go on tours, but most of the smaller memorials are accessible to military ID holders.

We took my parents on the private tour of the USS Arizona for military members and it was something we’ll never forget!

Pacific Aviation Museum

Over 70 years of Pacific aviation history. Full access to 50+ aircraft and all exhibits, including WWII Hangars 37 & 79, MiG Alley, historical videos, the Museum Store, Laniakea Café and the award winning Pearl Harbor documentary East Wind, Rain.

General Admission
Adult: $25
Child (Ages 4-12): $12
Kama’aina & Military Admission
Adults:  $15
Child(Ages 4-12):  $10
FREE – Children under 4

My daughter is a history buff and went to a Tuskegee Airman presentation and book signing.

Bishop Museum

Hawaiian cultural heritage and natural history, a planetarium and science museum.

We also loved the Farm Festival in July.

General Admission
Adult: $22.95
Child, ages 4-12: $14.95

Kama’aina/Military Admission
Adult: $14.95
Child: $10.95
FREE – Children under 3

Ko’olina

Kapolei has great quite lagoons and kid-friendly beaches. It’s just a short drive from Honolulu.

Whale watching is another great activity in this area. We saw honu, dolphins, a few spouts, and some fins.

Ko’Olina is a romantic location for couples to stay or dine or visit. The marina offers lots of options for fishing, snorkeling, and whale watching. Ko’Olina also has the Aulani Disney Spa and Resort now.

The area around Honolulu offers so much for families!

We loved living on Oahu for three years, exploring most of what the island had to offer. Some things we didn’t get to see or do since we had very little children. We’d love to go back!

We also traveled to Mau’i, Kaua’i, Ni’ihau, and The Big Island.



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Hawaii Coffee Company

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North Shore with Kids

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North Shore Attractions

The beaches on the North Shore are best for families to visit during summer months. The waves get huge mid-November through March and host the famous Triple Crown of Surfing Championships.

There’s TONS to do on the North Shore of Oahu!

  • Matsumoto’s Shave Ice
  • Shrimp Trucks
  • Ted’s Bakery
  • Haleiwa Joe’s
  • Uncle Bo’s
  • Ray’s Chicken
  • Art Galleries
  • Surf Shops
  • Puʻu o Mahuka Heiau State Monument

Be sure to check out:
Hawaii Activities
Non-profit Sustainable Tours
Reef Safe Advocacy

There are several pretty and safe beach spots for kids!

We loved visiting new beaches year-round.

  • Waimea Beach and Nature Park
  • Turtle Beach – great for honu viewing!
  • Sharks Cove – great for snorkeling!

Polynesian Cultural Center

It’s an absolute tourist trap, but a must-do! We all loved it.

Kids receive a “Passport to Polynesia” booklet which includes:

  • Spaces to collect stamps from each island village to show they completed the games or activities
  • A schedule of the day’s activities geared toward the family experience
  • Space to write down the greetings for each island
  • A fun illustration and the name of each island’s games or activities to help the keiki remember it when they return home.

We learned about all the Polynesian Islands. Each island exhibit showcases games, dances, costumes, art, and more about that island’s culture.

  • Aotearoa (New Zealand)
  • Fiji
  • Hawaii
  • Rapa Nui
  • Samoa
  • Tahiti
  • Tonga

General Admission
Adult: $59.95
Child: $47.96
Under 4 FREE

Ali’i Luau and General Admission Package
Adult: $114.95
Child: $91.96
Under 4 FREE

The canoe parade showcasing each island with its representatives dancing in traditional dress was stunning.

We had great seats for the show.

We gorged ourselves at the Ali’i Luau Buffet & Dinner Show.

Dole Plantation

Originally operated as a fruit stand beginning in 1950, Dole Plantation opened to the public as Hawaii’s “Pineapple Experience” in 1989.

The Gardens are lovely. The Maze is fun. The Pineapple Express Train Tour is not to be missed!

Combo tickets for all three tours (best deal):
Adult 22.00
Child $18.00
Kama‘aina/Military $20.00

The North Shore of Oahu is a must-see!

We loved living on Oahu for three years, exploring most of what the island had to offer. Some things we didn’t get to see or do since we had very little children. We’d love to go back!

We also traveled to Mau’i, Kaua’i, Ni’ihau, and The Big Island.



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Kaneohe with Kids

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We lived in Hawai’i for three glorious years. We loved learning about the culture and history. We enjoyed the food and traveling all over the islands!

Attractions in Kaneohe: The Windward Coast

  • Ho’omaluhia Botanical Garden
  • Bellows Air Force Station
  • Sea Life Park
  • Hanauma Bay
  • Kualoa Ranch – Lots of movies and shows filmed there like Jurassic Park, Pearl Harbor, Lost, and Hawaii Five-O. There are ATV tours.
  • Kane’one Sandbar

Be sure to check out:
Hawaii Activities
Non-profit Sustainable Tours
Reef Safe Advocacy

Ho’omaluhia Botanical Garden

This was one of our favorite places!

Ducks and flowers are exciting.

Waimanolo Beach at Bellows AF Station

117 recreational lodging rentals: cabins, condos, camp cabins, campsites, and RV sites. Rent equipment or take classes at Turtle Cove.

We loved just going to pretty tree-lined beach. The surf sometimes got a little rough and the lifeguard would warn us about the children getting knocked over by the waves.

Sea Life Park

This is the ocean park shown in the movie 50 First Dates with Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore.

You can opt for encounters with dolphins, sharks, sea lions, rays, and more!

Admission
$39.99 (13 and older)
$24.99 (3-12 years)
FREE – Children under 2 

The Windward Coast near Kaneohe offers so much for families.

We loved living on Oahu for three years, exploring most of what the island had to offer. Some things we didn’t get to see or do since we had very little children. We’d love to go back!

We also traveled to Mau’i, Kaua’i, Ni’ihau, and The Big Island.



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European Travel with Kids

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We’ve been blessed to live in Europe for the past three years.

We’ve taken advantage of the cheap travel opportunities to see much of Europe with our kids. We’ve seen most of my travel bucket list locations.

European travel is an adventure, even more so with kids!

Our traveling priorities are museums, culture, history, and food!

Travel makes you modest. You see what a tiny place you occupy in the world.” Gustave Flaubert

Necessities

Travel passports for everyone, including babies.

Since we’re Americans, living in Germany, we are issued passports with a SOFA stamp for free, but we only have those to prove we live in Germany, for traveling back and forth to the USA. We also had to purchase travel passports to move freely around Europe.

Tourist passports are necessary for everyone to cross a border, even if they are open, not posted, or you’re traveling by car or train.

Pin and chip cards haven’t caught on in America so much yet. Europe still prefers cash. We ordered a pin and chip credit card from USAA for travel ease. Our bank now offers the pin and chip check cards. We notify them when we travel outside of Germany, but they’re still often declined when we travel. It’s embarrassing.

Power adapters for the camera battery and devices.

Activities for downtime. We like travel pencils and journals or coloring pages or info sheets about where we’re traveling. These are great for rainy mornings, long waits in restaurants, airport delays, airplane rides, and boring trains.

Air Travel

Carry-ons for airplane travel are cheaper than paying for checked luggage, but not necessarily easier. We picked up six small rolling suitcases for about €30 each that abide by RyanAir guidelines. We have been able to use these for three years just fine. It’s amazing how much we can pack in them!

Toiletries must be packed in see-through quart-size zip bags, one per passenger. This includes all liquids, gels, powders, creams, lotions, etc. All containers must be under 3 oz or ml. We all got to be quite handy with packing these baggies with all our necessities and whipping them out for security checks.

We use RyanAir almost exclusively for our European air travel.

WizzAir is another cheap airline, but your free carryon can only be a backpack. We didn’t attempt this.

EasyJet is another discount airline we haven’t used, but we’ve heard great things.

We like Skyscanner to compare rates.

It’s good to be flexible. We are flexible on dates and times. Early morning flights can be stressful, so we stay in a hotel right beside the airport the night before. Some airports are cheaper than others. It’s good to check surrounding airports for better deals. We pay for parking online for a discount and to ensure a spot in the lot.

We don’t have to wait until school breaks or holidays since we homeschool. My husband saves up a lot of leave so we can travel frequently.

I planned trips to coincide with our homeschool studies.

We went to Rome and Greece when we studied Ancient Times.
We went to Ireland and Paris for Medieval Studies.
Several Italy trips covered the Renaissance.
We went to Worms for a Reformation Unit Study.
We went to Dachau the American Cemetery in Luxembourg when we learned about WWII.
Prague is a bustling international tourist attraction since the fall of Communism.
London was learning across the ages.

Road Trips

Road trips are…interesting.

Gasoline is expensive. They measure in liters, so it seems even more expensive to Americans. Many stations require prepay. Some are cash only.

Some cities require special stickers for your vehicle, which can be purchased either at the border – or at your inspection, so be aware!

The rest stops in Europe are superb, with actual restaurants serving a variety of local cuisine. It’s much nicer than the fast food of the USA.

There are lots of toll roads, so you need to keep change on hand. Some took pin and chip cards, but it’s good to have plenty of Euro just in case.

Road trips are nice since we carried whatever toiletries we needed and cooking items for apartments saved us money from eating out.

Train Travel

We only used trains for 3 trips.

It was much cheaper, quicker, and easier for us to travel by train to Paris. We didn’t want to deal with driving a minivan in Paris or paying for parking.

Kids and youth are cheaper than adult tickets. Sometimes first class is the same price or even cheaper than coach!

Tickets must be validated before boarding. The validation centers are usually inconvenient little orange boxes at the far end of the station.

Each time we traveled by train, we were confused as to where our assigned seats were. We’d get on the wrong car because the labels are confusing. We had to get an attendant to move people from our paid assigned seats. It was ridiculous and embarrassing.

My husband wanted to reenact his trip to Heidelberg by train that he took years ago. That was a miserable day for all of us. It was super hot out. We didn’t have enough water or snacks and we were tired and irritable.

Toilets

Finding toilet facilities can be stressful.

We like apps like Toilet Finder or WC Finder, but you have to download all of it before you go if you don’t have cell service or Wi-Fi. Lots of cities and restaurants have free Wi-Fi, so that’s really nice.

Many public restrooms require payment of up to €1,50 for each use. It’s good to be aware of this and have plenty of change.

Our Priorities while Traveling:

We love museums!

We tend to focus our trips around art, history, culture, and food.

We don’t do amusement parks or frivolous entertainment.

Traveling is educational. We don’t need busy work or worksheets. I sometimes print or buy trip journals for the kids, but they are never mandatory. We planned trips around our studies in history, literature, and other subjects – to reinforce what we read about or watched.

I aim for exposure. We don’t have the funds or time to immerse ourselves for long periods of time. Yes, we’re just tourists and not really travelers. We were so blessed to be able to introduce our kids to other countries and I pray that my kids return to favorite locales when they grow up and take their own families!

Our Favorite European Trips:


Do you have travel tips to share? Where’s your favorite destination?



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Extraordinary Chaos

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Wissembourg Day Trip

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Wissembourg, France, is a great day trip from Kaiserslautern.

It’s only about 1-2 hours away, depending on traffic and weather.

Wissembourg was a battle site during the Franco-Prussian war. France lost, allowing the Prussians entrance into the country.

We went on a sunny and warm day in April and it was gorgeous with flowers and trees in bloom!

Wisteria is one of my favorite scents!

There’s a large free parking lot in the city center.

And there are free restrooms!

The 13th century medieval ramparts encircle the city center and are a lovely park-like walk or a picnic on a bench in the sunshine.

The kids liked running in the old moat.

I loved the other side of the village with the canal and ramparts.

St. Peter and St. Paul’s cathedral is lovely and dates back to the 1200s!

The abbey tower dates to 1025!

We walked through town and enjoyed the fountain and flowers.

We made reservations online at Restaurant du Cygne after browsing online for somewhere with good French food.

They have prix fixe menu and lovely plats. The wait staff is extremely sweet and helpful – in at least three languages!

I chose a 4-course prix fixe with accompanying wines – asparagus salad, dorade with bell peppers, quail, and strawberries with ice cream.

Tori chose the dorade. Katie got a steak.

Alex got the chicken kids’ meal! Look at it!

Everything was superb.

The whole reason for going to Wissembourg was to get chocolates at Patisserie Rebert. We were not disappointed. My favorites are the saffron-infused truffles.

Rebert is located on a lively corner, easily recognizable by the bright red awning and crowds.

We each got a lovely pastry and we picked out a box of chocolates. The cakes were fresh and delicious a few hours later at home!

We stopped at a little grocer for some fresh peas and white asparagus on the way back to the car.

It was a fun day!

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Flanders WWI Sites

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We visited Flanders Fields.

It’s something I’ve always wanted to see.

We took a little trip to Bruges, Belgium…and saw the Flanders Fields WWI sites on the way back home to Germany.

It was emotional to see all the monuments and memorials to the Commonwealth soldiers.

The “Brooding Soldier” statue by Frederick Chapman Clemesha in the St. Julien Memorial was poignant and much taller than I expected.

We enjoyed the Memorial Museum Passchendaele 1917.

Open from Monday to Sunday, from 9:00 to 18:00. Last admission at 16:30. A museum visit lasts approximately two hours.

Adults: €6,5 or €10,5 with audioguide
Students: €4 or €7 with audioguide
Under 7 FREE

I read that it was a fun and interactive museum, but we were really blown away by how well put-together it is. We didn’t bother to get audio-guides. The plaques on each display were in English and we read every single one.

The kids loved the interactive exhibits, trying on body armor and helmets, gas masks, and cloaks.

The kids were excited to see a stuffed messenger pigeon like Cher Ami.

Cher Ami was a registered Blue Check Hen carrier pigeon, one of 600 birds owned and flown by the U.S. Army Signal Corps in France during World War I. Download the Cher Ami real story here.

The exhibits were really amazing.

We really experienced history in the replicated dugout and trenches.

There was a gorgeous park with lots of walking trails. We had a picnic lunch by the pond.

The Menin Gate was breathtaking.

I really wanted to see the Essex Farm Cemetery and Memorials.

John McCrae wrote the poem In Flanders Fields.

It was memorable to see all these World War I sites and I’m so glad the kids and I got to experience this history.

Also, here’s my World War I Unit Study.

Learn about WWI, Armistice Day, Remembrance Day, and Veterans Day

Books:

Movies:

Activities and Printables:

Learn about American Memorial Day:


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Two Traveling Texans

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Bruges with Kids

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We left super early so we would arrive early.

We spent two nights in Bruges.

We spent the whole afternoon and evening at de Haan BEACH!

It was just a short drive to de Haan and it was such a lovely beach.

The water was quite cold, even though it was a very warm day. No one was really in the water.

We walked along the strand, collecting shells, for about 3 mi, then back.

We got gelato. Of course.

There was a fun beach playground.

We had dinner on the boardwalk.

Goregous Trappist beer and moules frites. Fish and steak. Everyone was happy.

The next day, we walked around Bruges.

We ate breakfast at our apartment.

I used the walking tours in Rick Steves Belgium: Bruges, Brussels, Antwerp & Ghent.

We went straight to the Basilica of the Holy Blood. There’s a lovely chapel on the ground level.

We got to view the relic up close. It was just amazingly perfect timing. The annual festival was later that week too.

We paid to see the Michelangelo sculpture at the Church of Our Lady.

The whole city is just lovely with the canals and old houses.

We ate lunch at De Halve Maan. It was delicious.

Then we did the brewery tour. The kids loved it.

We learned about barley and hops and methods.

We got to taste more beer. The blonde beer tasting is included with the tour. We prefer the Dubbel or Tripel Zot and the Straffe Henrik.

We got chocolates at The Chocolate Line and Leonidas.

We saw lots of fun historical sites.

We bought dinner at Carrefour and cooked it in the apartment. Alex was thrilled with the wild asparagus!

Our last day, we toured the Flanders WWI sites.

We ate breakfast in our apartment and packed up.

We saw “The Brooding Soldier” statue at St. Julien Memorial. Our favorite was the Memorial Museum Passchendaele 1917. We had a picnic lunch by the pond. We drove to Ypres to see The Menin Gate. We saw the Essex Farm cemetery and memorials.

We got takeout for dinner.

We got home pretty late, but it was worth it. It was a lovely trip.


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