Bach and Rock: Brugge and on into France

Amazing how a week can pass with little or no internet connection and we're suddenly way behind on blogging. As before, my job is to catch up. First, Brugge. or Bruges in French. A picture perfect medieval town of "In Bruges"" movie fame. Definitely on the Dutch side of Belgium where everyone speaks Dutch. The old city is glorious with cobbled streets, stone architecture leaning toward Holland.

And Belgian beer. Oh my gosh. Our first afternoon we slipped into a pub hardly changed in 400 years!. Cafe Vlissinghe. Can you imagine?

We stayed in a wonderful B&B where they served us breakfast each morning in our room. So pampered. So feeling like on vacation. The very best was renting bicycles and riding 5 miles toward the sea and the small town of Damme. Belgium doesn't have as many bike paths as Holland, but here a dedicated path along the canal, and a first glorious sunny day, found us pedaling in ecstacy.

Next we drove into France. First stop, Amiens, home to the largest gothic cathedral in France, about twice the size of Notre Dame in Paris. Filled with light, it was extraordinary.

From Amiens, we headed to the Normandy coast. Honfleur is just across the mouth of the Seine from the huge harbor of Le Havre. This small town has inspired generations of artists, from Bowdin to Monet, and many of the impressionists, and even to this day the town is filled with artists. And for good reason.

Seafood!!! We ate moules (mussels) three days in a row. A huge bowl of moules plus too many french fries (frites) to eat sets you back about 9.5 euros--about twelve dollars. So sweet. So delicious.
One aim of the trip was to visit the Normandy beaches, the site of the allied landings on DDay in world war II. Highlights were visiting the site of Port Winston, where the allies constructed an entire port in a week from materials made in England and towed over the English Channel, starting the day after the Allied landing at Omaha (and other) beaches. This allowed unloading of troops, food, supplies, armor, tanks, etc to support the allied operation. Bits of it remain.