Elisa's Daily Scoop Monday & Bruges, BelgiumAnd the heat continues to ensue! My kiddies lost it a bit when I told them that I'd prefer to take them to the barn Tuesday and Thursday rather than today and Wednesday. I tried to have this conversation with them yesterday while having our early Sunday dinner of pasta. (I thought the food would make them more amenable about waiting an extra day to ride - I was wrong lol). My decision was based on the fact that it's going to be another hot day! Oh well, they'll get over it. So, today, we'll be heading to Astoria to visit my dear Aunt Ro with the girlies for some lunch. Not on their hit-parade, but the ever-so-sensitive side of me says "Tough!" Before I tell you about what's on the agenda for today, let's chat about my day yesterday... As it was the hottest of the days thus far this week, we played things by ear. Kelsey and I were up and at 'em early and headed over to Starbucks for some morning beverages. She enjoyed her double chocolately chip frappaccino and I had my usual Venti Hot chocolate. We decided to save our Creamsicle Frappaccinos for an afternoon snack to celebrate National Creamsicle Day yesterday. I actually manage to catch a cute movie to enjoy my Sunday afternoon. A few weeks ago, I picked up a movie in Stop & Shop for $3.99 called In Bruges. Starring Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson, it's the story of two hit men who are told to "cool off" in Bruges (Belgium) while waiting for further instructions from their mob boss Ralph Fiennes. The scenery was beautiful and it was actually quite cute and I will say that watching Colin Farrell is always pleasurable. It's sort of a dark comedy, but very entertaining. It was the closest thing I've come to traveling in a while since one of the hit men is into the sights and history of the city and educates the audience with all sorts of fun facts! Well, speaking of Bruges, Tanya visited this lovely little storybook town back in August 2014, on her UK & Scandinavia Trip. Time for another 16 for 2016!! 16 Fun Facts About Bruges, Belgium 1. Bruges, is the capital and largest city of the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium, in the northwest of the country. 2. Its port, Zeebrugge, was built in 1907. 3. The Germans used the Port of Zeebrugge for their U-boats in World War I. It was greatly expanded in the 1970s and early 1980s and has become one of Europe's most important and modern ports. 3. Bruges is a city on a canal and is sometimes referred to as the 'Venice of the North.' 4. The name Bruges is derived from Old Dutch. The word meant 'Bridge'. 5. The city predates the Pre-Roman Gaul Era, with its first fortifications having been built by Julius Caesar after the conquest of Menapil in the 1st century BC. 6. At one time in the city's past, Bruges was considered the chief commercial city of the world. 7. Bruges became important due to the tidal inlet that was important to local commerce and this inlet was then known as the "Golden Inlet". 8. It was also a medieval city of the rich, with 475 castles found in Flanders and 50 of them in and around Bruges. 9. Because of its rich medieval architecture and history, Bruges has been recognized as one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites since 2000. 10. Three of the top sites in Bruges include the Church of our Lady, a tall brick fixture that pierces the Bruges skyline; The sculpture of the “Madonna and Child”, one of the few works of Michaelangelo to have ever left Italy; and the 13th-century belfry. 11. The 13th-century belfry with its 47-bell carillon and 83m tower provides beautiful panoramic views of the city. 12. The Groening Museum is one of the many museums scattered around Bruges, houses artwork from the 18th to the 21st century, from such artists as Jan van Eyck, Rogier van der Weyden and Gerard David. 13. As of 2008, Bruges' total population was 117,073. 14. Bruges is well known as the seat of the College of Europe, an elite university institute for European studies regarded as "the EU's very own Oxbridge." 15. The Basilica of the Holy Blood (Dutch: Heilig-Bloedbasiliek, French: Basilique du Saint-Sang) is a Roman Catholic minor basilica which is believed to house a venerated relic of the Holy Blood of Jesus Christ, collected by Joseph of Arimathea and brought from the Holy Land by Thierry of Alsace, Count of Flanders 16. Herring with raw onions and gherkin is a delicacy in Bruges. The Romans called the Belgians a ‘miserable tribe of herringeating primitives’, but the Belgians had the last laugh when they created Bruges. After our lunch with Aunt Ro today, we'll be heading back to Long Island. If we are inclined, we will head to the community pool for the evening. It might be a good way to end the day. We shall see. Happy Anniversary to Tanya and Dave today!! I hope it's a magical evening! Tomorrow, she departs for her first city on her Magical Anniversary Trip...London!!! Back atcha tomorrow!! -E xoxo | Tanya's Daily Scoop |
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