Street art: Brussels

Even more to see: Brussels, Belgium

We couldn’t end a tour of Brussels with a focus only on Grande-Place, even as memorable as that historic site is. There’s so much more to this capital city of Belgium, so we’re ending our Holland/Belgium tour with a few extra places to see and a signature food: Belgian chocolates! The Cathedral of St. Michel […]

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Grand-Place at sundown: Brussels, Belgium

Brussels’ grand central square: La Grand-Place

Our last stop on a two-week tour of Holland and Belgium ended in the capital city of Brussels, Belgium’s largest municipality, capital, and administrative center of the European Union. But we hardly noticed those noteworthy accolades: we just loved it for the scenery, history, and modern fashions and art! Although we initially thought that this […]

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Artwork, buildings along the quay: Ghent, Belgium

Day trippin’ Ghent: Just not long enough!

It would be difficult even for veteran travelers to say they’ve “seen” Ghent in a day. This is one powerful Belgium city, rich with historic buildings, art, and room for roaming. As kids, we had heard of the Treaty of Ghent that ended the War of 1812 between Great Britain and the U.S. But we […]

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Waterfront buildings: Bruges, Belgium

Saying “aah” at every turn: Bruges, Belgium

Move over, Prague. We just may have a new favorite place: Bruges, Belgium. Yes, we had heard that Bruges was pretty, interesting, intriguing, and it was also the site made popular as the setting for the movie In Bruges. But we weren’t sure the city could live up to its reputation. Immediately upon arrival, however, […]

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Sunrise at South End, Pawleys Island, SC 2022

LAPC #213: Here Comes the Sun

Thanks to Amy for hosting the Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #213 this week and this topic that probably appeals to anyone who loves photographing the sun whether it’s morning, noon, or late evening! (In fact, head to her site for a stunning photo of an Alaskan sunrise taken at 3:49 a.m.) To love beauty is to […]

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Belgium’s charm begins in Antwerp

Leaving Holland’s quaint streets and stair-step gabled architecture could have made us regret that we were nearing the end of our Holland & Belgium cruise with Viking were it not for the continuing charm of Antwerp. Even though the official capital of Flanders is Brussels, we found the “unofficial capital” — Antwerp — to be […]

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Open air dining in Maastricht, Netherlands

The many delights of Maastricht

It would be hard NOT to fall in love with Maastricht, a town in Holland known for its markets, open plazas, and rich history. And so, we, too, fell in line with others who agree that this is a free-spirited place for shopping, touring, and relaxing. Known for its open-air markets selling everything from clothing […]

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Retracing Van Gogh: A walking tour of Neunen

It would be difficult, we suppose, to visit The Netherlands and not hear about Vincent Van Gogh, the well-known post-impressionist artist known for “greats” such as Starry Night, Sunflowers, The Bedroom, and The Potato Eaters. But what we didn’t realize was that his life was a humble one, living, as he did, in a small […]

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Cheese store in Gouda, Netherlands

A foodie day in Gouda

Before we get into this delightful Viking Cruise add-on excursion to the little town of Gouda, Netherlands, let’s get one thing straight: You’ve got to pronounce Gouda correctly! That’s right. You’re probably not saying it right, and the lady holding a tray of sample cheeses will insist that you learn the proper pronunciation before you […]

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