Julie’s Blog

All this talk about St Nicholas has reminded me about the St Martin’s day parade I saw in Bruggen in November.

St Nicholas Day is celebrated on December 6th.  Children leave a shoe out overnight and if they have been good, St Nicholas fills it with goodies, if they have been bad he leaves a piece of coal or some sticks and stones.

Here is St Nicholas checking is his book to see who has been good.

Went for a leisurely walk around Hariksee and of course stopped for some light refreshment and to investigate the small Christmas market at Mühlrather Mühle.

Went for a leisurely walk around Hariksee and of course stopped for some light refreshment and to investigate the small Christmas market at Mühlrather Mühle.

Jane and I discovered the delightful town of Monschau on Saturday and it’s equally delightful Christmas market.

We sat in a restaurant eating our dinner listening to this guy playing the harp.

My first taste of a German Christmas market.

The next day we headed to Ypres.  We drove through the Menin Gate and headed into the main square.  This is quite amazing as it was rebuilt after the First World War.  We spent a fascinating couple of hours in the In Flanders Fields museum before eating lunch in the square.  On the way home we visited the Tyne Cot cemetery.

Next day I climbed up the bell tower but unfortunately the views were limited because of the weather. Then I did some exploring, wandering around the city, finding famous buildings and visiting the folk museum.

View from the Belfry

That evening we ate in a restaurant in market square which looks beautiful all lit up at night. That night we went to the Royal Theatre (a beautiful old building) to see a South African band, Southern Wind.

I spent a few days in Bruges over half term with Steve and Angela, friends from school. On arrival our plan was to head for the tourist information but we got waylaid on the important task of tasting the local speciality – waffles! Next we strolled around the city and after a stop for dinner we headed to the cinema.

Elmpt is the nearest village to “camp”.  I’ve walked and cycled there.  There are plenty of places for grocery shopping including a fruit and vegetable stall, a farm shop and numerous supermarkets.

Brüggen is the nearest small town.  It’s a picturesque town with some pretty traditional buildings, a castle and most importantly an ice-cream parlour.  (more…)