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[restlessspirits]

Bruges, Belgium

We bid farewell to Peggie and the remaining 6 of us were picked up at our hotel on Sunday morning and ushered to Southampton.  We had a nice stop at Stonehenge on the way.  It was a great stopping point and I have to say the attraction itself was incredibly well done by the British Heritage Society.  It’s very impressive that they were able to make one of the most popular tourist attractions in England still feel natural and peaceful.  The museum entrance passed through a panoramic film of Stonehenge at sunset and sunrise on both the summer solstice and winter equinox when the sun lines up perfectly with the alignment of the rocks that was particularly hypnotic.  The museum/gift shop/café felt more like Scandinavia than English country side, the food was fresh and local so we had a little bite and cup of coffee before heading to port.

We hopped on the Celebrity Eclipse for a tour of the Baltic Sea that was to last 14 days.  Brad and I really don’t fit the typical cruise demographic, I would say there was easily 30 years between our age and the average age of all of the other passengers.  Putting aside the fact that we don’t have a lot in common with the other cruisers, it’s a great holiday option for our family.  The kids LOVE it, the service is top notch and we can cover a lot of ground, exploring many more countries in one week than we could realistically do using any other mode of transport.  Often I’m not willing to spend the time or money to visit a city or country for an entire week but can easily get a feel for it or take in the highlights in a one day stopover. 

Lynn was a first time cruiser so it was fun introducing her to the lifestyle.  Upon boarding we were greeted with champagne and checked out the ship.  Canyon Ranch has partnered with Celebrity so the spa and fitness center were extremely high end, light spacious and beautiful.  Lynn and Mom picked up a pass to the Persian Gardens, a spa like retreat area on the ship that has limited access to its heated chairs, saunas, steam showers etc. .  The boys were rowdy after all of that time in the car, so we opted for the quickest cure for cranky children – water.  Charlie spotted a series of fountains on the pool deck that were likely decorative, but according to him were a splash pad so it wasn’t long before he and Ben were soaked and screaming in delight much to the entertainment of our fellow passengers.

The next morning we arrived in port at Zeebrugge, Belgium and made our way to Bruges, the capital of West Flanders which is beyond charming with cobbled lanes, central canals and photographic squares.  We took a boat through the canals enjoying turn after turn of medieval buildings & signs of spring.

We visited the Begijnohf, a community formed by women in the 13th century who took active roles in their community and faith and chose to live in a commune style setting.  It still functions as such today and was a beautiful place of peace and calm in a city full of tourists.

And then there’s the food.  The chocolate shops were plentiful so we had a few samples of course, but to be honest I was looking for a waffle and I was not disappointed.  Not too sweet, crunchy on the outside warm on the inside and heaped with fresh strawberries.   Mission complete, back to the boat.