Blankenberge and Bruges, Belgium: A Watery Adventure, in Parts

Watery adventure part one: it was raining in Brussels and we covered a lot of ground yesterday, so we hopped on the ground and headed to a resort town on the North Sea (near the English channel) called Blankenberge.  Very similar to a Lake Michigan beach town (though with Panama City-sized hotels), we spent our time wandering around the shops and restaurants, dodging the hordes of old folks there in tour groups, and doing a little boardwalk people-watching.

Watery adventure part two: we stuck our feet in the North Sea!  Though the sea itself was quite swimmable, the air was pretty chilly, so none of us got wet past the ankles.  After our brief foray in the ocean, we hopped back on the train to go to Bruges.

Watery adventure part three: though we escaped the rain in Brussels, we weren't quite so fortunate in Bruges.  It didn't rain too hard, though, and lucky for Grandma and Grandpa, Jamiann was there to make their ponchos look good!

Watery adventure part four: we took a canal ride through the historic center of Bruges!  This city, which also has the honorary title of 'Venice of the North', is quite beautiful from the water, and the 12th-17th century buildings are really something to see.

Watery adventure part five: just as we got to the Burg, Bruges's medieval square, it started raining again, and this time it rained hard.  We decided it was time to return to our base in Brussels, and after a hearty meal of soup and salad (and, of course, beer), we ended our fun day of wetness.