Belgium Part 2

The day after the race (Sunday), we went to Bruges. This is what Andrea really wanted to do for her 40th. She had read it was one of the most charming cities in Europe.... and it truly was! 

Our hotel was SO nice! Seth can pick a good hotel! 

This was a sitting area in the lobby

Tiny balcony off of our room overlooking the streets

Shortly after we arrived, we took a canal boat tour

We hit Belgium at the perfect time! Check out the colors in the leaves! 

We saw swans frequently. There's a story behind them.... you can find it here 

This is a traveling piece of art. It's made from 5 tons of plastic waste from the ocean! It's 4 stories tall and represents why we need to change how we use plastics.

The canal tour offered amazing views of the city! We couldn't really understand the tour guide, but we were able to take in the architecture via boat

Seth, me, Brenda and Bobby

We walked around some more after the tour and popped into a brewery

Belgium is known for its chocolate, and when you go in October..... this is what you get 

Kinda gross, kinda cool

We ate dinner at a restaurant and got to sit outside. Seth and I both had mussels (and totally could have shared!). They were really good!

After dinner, we stopped and got a Belgian waffle for dessert. There are different waffles, depending on the city. Bruges waffles are different from Brussels waffles.

On Monday morning, we did a walking tour of the city. We had a wonderful tour guide and learned so much!

The old hospital (it's also a museum)

Gorgeous sights

Listening and learning

This is the Beguinage. There are several white homes in a gated area where women (kind of like nuns, but not Catholic) lived. They cared for each other and the community. 

These homes are owned by a family and they are for people who are in hard times. They're tucked away all over the city. They're small and very inexpensive to live in. I guess it's kind of like the projects, but really really pretty.

I just love the stained glass 

So many neat details! 

Our crew after the tour (Andrea, Chris, Crystal, Dan, Seth, me, Brenda)

Afterwards, we ate at an Indian restaurant. It was fantastic! 

This church supposedly has a vile of Jesus's blood. 

Brenda and I shopped for lace!

This is a cup of the world's BEST hot chocolate. I bought their morsels and the lady told me how to make it. MUST RECREATE.

Amen and amen

We climbed the 366 steps to the top of the Belfry of Bruges 

Check out those views! 

On Tuesday morning, Seth and I had a breakfast date just the two of us at a wonderful little restaurant. Seth loves eclairs! 

We walked around Bruges for a little longer and then drove to Brussels to stay the night (as we were flying out of there early the next morning). Chris, Andrea, Seth, and I took an uber from the airport hotel to the square in the heart of the city for dinner. It was bustling! We primarily stayed in the square. The buildings are so beautiful! But it felt very touristy and I didn't feel 100% safe. I'm sure it's a neat city.... I just need to experience it for more than a 2 hour evening!

This is a statue near the square of a little boy peeing. We actually bought James some chocolates of this statue and he thinks it's hilarious #boyhumor

We flew home the next day. At the airport we found a Starbucks! We weren't impressed with any coffee the entire trip, so it was kind of a relief to find something familiar! 

We were thrilled to get home safely to the kids! Thank you to my parents for taking great care of them while we were gone!

Belgium- Part 1

Seth had a race at Spa (in Belgium) on October 13th. I flew out with Andrea (her husband was racing too) on October 11th. Cheers to a fun trip ahead!

 We arrived in Brussels Friday morning, rented a car, and drove two hours to Spa. I was pretty proud of us for navigating all of that in a foreign country! 

This was a our cute AirBnB. It used to be a small hotel with a restaurant. It had 8 rooms (we used up 5 of them with our group). I'll post more pictures at the end of this post. It was quite an interesting place to stay! 

After quick showers, we explored a little with Seth's parents and another racer's wife (Crystal). This is the charming town of Spa. We grabbed some lunch at a sandwich shop.

 If you take the funicular to the top, there really is a spa up there (The Thermes of Spa). In looking at their website, it would be AMAZING. Next time, next time....

After this, we drove around for a little while and then went to see the track. 

 Saturday day was race day! It was a 12 hour race (9 a.m to 9 p.m). Here's the whole gang!

 And here I am with my hubby! Go, # 151! 

We did have amazing weather! It was truly perfect fall weather. When Seth came to this race last year, during the same time it was rainy and cold. 

 This day was Andrea's 40th birthday!! Woo hoo! 

We came back to our hotel for lunch and break from the 12 hour race. We sat outside in the sunshine. This HUGE (empty) wine bottle was in one of the rooms so we were just being silly with it. 

We headed back to the track later that afternoon to watch the rest of the race. Night time driver change!

Seth's car (3 drivers- Dan, Chris, and Seth) finished 2nd!

https://www.facebook.com/crystal.d.rogers.5/videos/10156881082587652/UzpfSTYyNzAxNTgwMDoxMDE1NjUwMzc5MTk0MDgwMQ/

 Here is the video of the awards. Love the champagne spray (Chris didn't want to get his trophy wet, but Seth wasn't going to let that happen, lol)

Below are pictures of the random place we stayed 

 Our room (not pictured: our carpeted bathroom with a bathtub (no shower) 

 Uneven, narrow stairway

JB at the bar 

Behind the bar (nothing in the taps)

 Front room - ping pong, air hockey (not that we had time for any of this)

commercial kitchen 

 Eating area

 sauna 

pool

 pretty lake across the street

We had all of this for 4 couples and a single guy (plus some of Bobby and Brenda's friend's sons came and stayed one night since we had the room). It was reasonably priced (separate hotel rooms would have been more expensive). Crazy!

Fall Break 2018

Fall Break was the last week of September this year. Adelyn went to Montana for the entire week (my inlaws took James and Thomas over the summer and took Adelyn and Emily over Fall Break). I worked Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday and then James and I went to Amelia Island with my parents. Seth stayed home and worked all week. 

 We left at 5:45 a.m Wednesday morning! First stop: Starbucks for Mom and McDonald's for James

 Needed MORE coffee (another McDonald's stop)

 Getting closer! We stopped at Peach World.... which was ironically, not selling peaches

 Our condo wasn't ready when we arrived around noon, so we met my parents for a little lunch at The Salty Pelican and wondered around the CUTE downtown

 Wednesday was my dad's birthday! Happy birthday, Grandeddy! (James is enjoying some ice cream from Fantastic Fudge. The ice cream was Working Cow.... SO, VERY GOOD)

 When I was little, we always got to pick out a junky cereal while at the beach. James chose this Boo Berry and was pumped!

 Once we were able to check in, we all took a nice little nap!

 And then hit the beach for the last little bit of the day

 My mom got my dad some Fire Cracker sausage links. Ha!

 We enjoyed a lovely, delicious dinner at 29 South

 We spent Thursday morning at the beach

 James brought his army guys and we built a great sand castle/fort for them to defend

 He played with this chair in the current for a long time! 

 Love this boy!

 We drove to St. Augustine that afternoon

 We did the Cultural Experience (to see what life was like when it was settled). Such a neat tour! This is the fort in the background

 It was dinnertime by the time we got back to Amelia Island, so we ate at Down Under (it's literally under a bridge overlooking the water)

 It ended up being James and I outside and my parents inside, but it was nice having a "date" with my little man

 Friday morning sunrise!

 Each morning, my mom and I went for a nice walk. We found this inn. Mark my words... I WILL stay at the Elizabeth Pointe Lodge some day!

 We had more beach time that morning. James loved his one-on-one time with Nana!

 We built another castle 

 After lunch, we went to the downtown area and everyone got ice cream at Fanstastic Fudge

 James thoroughly enjoyed his Superman ice cream 

 There were some cute antique shops that we went in. James found some Starting Line Ups

 Pippi Longstocking's house! (or at least where the movie was filmed)

 Relaxing!

We ordered sushi Friday night and James sacked out early on the couch. I call that a good night!

James and I left Saturday morning and my whole family was reunited Saturday evening. Adelyn had fun in Montana, and I enjoyed some much needed one-on-one time with James and my parents.