Welcome to No Man's Land...

We set off on our last grand European adventure together, on Monday, March 21. We were greeted by our beloved coach driver Glen, and loaded up! We then had a two hour coach ride to Dover. This is where we were to catch a ferry to take us across the English Channel… remember how something always has to go wrong? This trip was no exception. We arrived, only to discover that our ferry had been cancelled due to technical difficulties… great! But because we had already checked in and passed the gates, there was no turning back. So in the parking lot we sat! For two hours… sounds like fun, huh? Haha  No worries, we kept ourselves entertained with my handy dandy deck of Irish cards! It’s a lot harder to play cards on a coach than you think… It’s very tricky business! We finally got a spot on the next ferry, and the bus just drove straight on! It was pretty cool… then we all got off the bus, and continued our card game extravaganza on the ferry. This was my first time on a real boat… and let me just say, we don’t get along. Haha But we finally made it to the other side of the ocean, and continued our drive until we reached: BRUGES, BELGIUM!

Bruges is a magical place… the end. Seriously, it is so adorable, and it has the most open and friendly atmosphere, I absolutely loved it! So we got to Bruges, and checked into our hotel. Then we were set free to explore! So we wandered around the cute little cobblestone roads, and passed the cutest little cottages and shops you’ve ever seen! We just enjoyed the evening sun as we walked, and then we found the river… so gorgeous! So of course, we took a boat tour! It was so much fun. I loved just sitting there in the sun, with the cool breeze blowing, floating my way through the city. AHH! I just loved it!

After our ride, we went and found us some ever so famous Belgian Friets! And oh my goodness… they were soooo good! Best fries ever! On our way back to the hotel, we were absolutely drawn into a chocolate shop… never had I seen anything more delicious in my entire lifetime.

The next morning, we all walked over to The ChocoStory Museum…. Or if you prefer, the museum of chocolate!  J It was really awesome. Not going to lie. Not only because we got a free sample of legit Belgian chocolate, but because we learned the entire history of chocolate! And because I’m such a history nerd, and a chocolate lover… it was fantastic!

After that, we just wandered for a while. Me and Kaylee and Ramzi just went and sat in the city square, and soaked up the sun! It was absolutely amazing! Then we went and got us some legit Belgian Waffles…. Oh my. I about died. Best waffle I have ever had in my entire life. It absolutely blows my mind as to how they make them taste so delicious… I never knew it was possible! Haha  

 Our next adventure took us to the city of Ieper, where we attended the In Flander’s Field Museum. This is a World War 1 museum, and it was incredible! They gave us a little ticket at the beginning that had a name on it. The name of a soldier… and as we went through the museum, there were little booths that you could scan your ticket on, and it would tell you a bit of the story about that soldier. And at the end, you learn what happened to them. My man lost his leg in one of the small battles, and as he was being taken to the medical tent, he died. It was really a cool experience! I spent almost two hours in there… unfortunately, it had to end, and we continued our journey until we arrived in Amiens, France.

After checking into the hotel, me, Kaylee and Ramzi went out and explored the town. The only down side… nobody in this town speaks English. Hooray. Haha  Needless to say, we had a great time trying to buy groceries at the store! J But we eventually figured things out, and went on our way. The next morning, we ventured over to the cathedral… which just happens to be the largest cathedral in all of Europe! How cool is that!?

So after wandering around inside there for a little bit, we went out and walked along the river for a bit before we had to get back on the bus. One of my favorite parts of this entire trip was here, on the bus, driving through the countryside of France. I loved it! There were endless green fields, stretched as far as you could see… and seriously, about every 200 yards or so, there was a cemetery… tall white headstones surrounding a big white cross. They were everywhere. Close to the road, off in the distance… and along the edges of the fields, you could see piles of old war things like helmets, bullets, and shrapnel that the farmers dig up each spring. It was such an incredible sight! We made a stop at the Newfoundland National War Memorial, and visited the battle field of the Somme battle, the largest World War 1 battle. It was awesome!

We got to walk around the trenches, and listen to the stories of the battle. It was so cool… I had never really been a huge fan of WW1 history, but I honestly think that has changed! It was so amazing to actually be here in these countries, learning about this kind of history, and being able to actually see the real effects that it has had. It’s amazing!

I absolutely loved this trip! And I would do it all over again in a heartbeat. J Belgium definitely wins the prize here! It was amazing... I’ll give it a close third place on the list of favorites!