Brugge Part I

We were invited by Robin's family to come over to Brugges for the weekend. They have been so wonderful and very much cultured by the extent of travelling that they do. At his hood, there was castles that was the Baron's residence but most of castles is now a party venue instead.

We cycled to a forest nearby, and some of the trees appears to be in grid form. It's nice to see that Belgium does have forest. There's no ants or leeches, I never thought of forest other than the tropical kinds that we have. Lyn was saying that she always wondered how red riding hood can walk across a forest to go to her grandmother's house, so now we know how possible is that. There is also specific path for the Baron himself to walk from his castle to the church nearby or pathways that leads to the nicest view of his castle.

Pathway with sign for horsemen

One of the metal knots on a block post for fencing

One of the castle we came across during our journey

This is the first time I see an actual, real, acorn. I remember during junior high school I bought those nice smelling packet, which I have completely forgotten the name, it is something french, and there was a acorn among other dried plants. Coming here, some things I came across in life is becoming more real than I ever imagine. Like big holes in a tree, where birds can nest, or even lying down on the grass and just do nothing like a farmer's boy in the ranch.

One of the pathway nearby the castle. As we stood around there, petals fell as the wind blew. It lasted for few seconds, and I always thought things like this has to be someone from the background throwing petals at the groom and bride as they walk down the aisle. It was so scenic and romantic, my friends was saying it can be the best day to get married.

Realized I should take more shots of the castle itself because I took more pictures of other things instead. Once, my friend was invited by her friend, and that person lives in a castle. So, lots of things, may it be in any form of a surprise, is quite ordinary in retrospect. I'm thinking about stories of prince marrying commoners or their classmates with no nobility, and inevitably, fairy tales.

Daisy chains, which was used for Robin's coronation because it was too short to be a necklace and then a bicycle accessory for Andrea. From left to right, Andrea, Robin and Lyn.

This is Andrea, I waited for her expression to change but there is also elegance in this pose. After this we went to another park, which had a astronomy museum and observatory. There was also a sundial with explanation in Dutch. I'm still using my micro four third as if it is a point and shoot camera sometimes.

We also cycled to Robin's old house and not far away there's the most expensive school in Belgium. Before we reach, the road sign wrote school, church and something else in Dutch.

On the left side, there's the girl's dormitory, a hall in the middle and the boy's dormitory on the far right. How rich can someone get?

On one side of the school, there is a cemetery. Some of the plaque wrote things like "this person lived through both world wars" or have some relation with the church. It was nice to visit and not spooky at all, never thought I would say something like that.

Along our way back home, we saw ponies! Earlier on we got closer

to horses, and I was asking about the differences between colt and mule, so this was a surprise. We stopped to feed them, all the good grass is beyond the fence of their compound. Then later on, they moved further away from us, Lyn thought that they became bored from us, I thought that they are steering us to tastier grass.

This is the meal the Robin's family cooked for us. It's chicken with chicken. There is shreaded chicken, chicken that has been boiled for 4 hours and mushroom all together. It is eaten with french fries and taste really good, unlike anything I ever tasted before.