Arrival in Belgium... written May 14th

We are in Belgium… wow. There are just no words to describe the beauty I experienced last night. We arrived around 8:00 PM and were greeted by the woman who was to show us our house. She took us down stone-lined streets until we came to our destination.

Our home we are staying at is filled with character. A small house, each tiny nook and cranny is taken advantage of… each hidden corner a mysterious treasure to behold. Architecturally, the house is, in a word, funky. There are four basic floors, but none are really full floors. The spiral staircase joins them all, but is a piece all its own. It is very strange, but extremely interesting.

The family settled in and each of us expressed a strong desire for food! The kind lady directed us to the Markt, the middle of the city of Bruges.

The whole crowd ventured into the town square…

Nothing could have prepared me for the sights my eyes beheld. Such elegance and timelessness that met me on that cobblestone road… the buildings were of classic character and seemed to each have an intricately woven story of their lives. The grandeur of each and every façade held my vision… breathless. I could not have imagined a more magical place.

Elements of stone and brick and wood all melded together as one and provided the most incredible picture for my little self. I could only attempt to comprehend the vastness of all that lay before me. Still processing, I walked on somewhat of a cloudy haze. The smells that found their way to my nose were new and exciting. The idea of food was perhaps the most promising! Each new experience permeated my senses… then found its way to my spirit and engrained itself there. When we finished our Belgian fries, I walked to the very center of the square, loveliness all around me. I stood in awe there thinking.. I will always remember this... for as long as I live.