Author: emnye

Today was panoramic Trabzon one of the oldest trade port cities in Anatolia. The sightseeing included Faith Mosque for a short visit. A drive to Sera Lake and a panoramic view of the city.

Batumi Georgia located on the coast of the Black Sea is the second largest city of Georgia.  What a sad place. The people there have been through so many wars and endured so much suffering it’s hard for us to imagine their lives on a daily basis. It was difficult to spend a day here and realize what they are sharing with us is their very best. Continue reading “Batumi, Georgia”

Russia was a fascinating destination !  We have no visa, so the only way to see Russia was with a tour group. Sochi sprawls along the shores of the Black Sea and the back drop is  snow-capped peaks of the Caucasus Mountains, Europe’s highest range. Continue reading “Sochi, Russia”

Topekai Palace – Ottoman era

Grand Bazaar

Blue Mosque – 6 minarets

We arrived in Istanbul day before yesterday and had our first on shore excursion, which was Istanbul by night. It gave us a little glimpse of the layout of this two continent city. Continue reading “Istanbul, Turkey”

Cologne Cathedral

Cologne Cathedral

Cologne’s first impression is unbelievable ! The 800 year old Gothic cathedral stands waiting to greet you the moment you step off the train. It sits like a preening giant Continue reading “Cologne, Germany”

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Bruge cameo dog

We are traveling today. First by car to Lille, then by train to Bruges, Belgium.
Our challenge of the day was in returning the rent car. The train station is in the center of this very busy city and they are not allowed to post car return signs, so you have no idea where to go. Greg was ready for a “big” Belgium beer once we arrived !
We had a wonderful dinner at Huyze Die Maene on the city square. It was relaxing to sit outside and soak up the sights.
Our second day we chose to take it slow and enjoy the city. We started with Belgium waffles and coffee like I have never tasted before. Both were exquisite.
We wandered the streets & parks that line the inner city canals, looking at antique stores and chocolate shops along the way. By mid day we gave into the chocolates calling our names !
One of my highlights was taking a photo of the sweet old pooch that had a cameo role in the movie “In Brugge”. You will see him sitting at his window watching the world go by. He is the epitome of “a dogs life”.

Carrara marble statue of Madonna and Child

park rendition

Today we toured the town.
We climbed to the top of the bell tower, which has been standing in the Market Square since the 1300′s. It has 366 of the tiniest little circular stair steps you can imagine, just about 5 inches across in the middle.
The view was fantastic since it was a beautiful clear day. While we were there we were serenaded with a ringing rendition of “green sleeves”. One of the loudest we have ever heard.
We made our way to the Basilica of the Holy Blood. This church is famous for it’s relic of the Blood of Christ. (If you believe in folklore).
From one church to another we went.  The Church of Our Lady was our next stop, dates mainly from the 13th, 14th & 15th centuries. It has the only Michelangelo statue known to leave Italy in his lifetime. The Madonna and Child, which is unbelievably beautiful.
After all the religious exposure we decided to equalize and veer off with a tour the Halve Maan brewery. The ‘Brugse Zot’ is one of three beers still brewed in Bruges. There once were dozens, but the Germans destroyed them during their WW II occupation.
The tour is divided into groups by languages. French, Dutch, Flemish, Italian and English. The shops and restaurants are interesting because of the varying languages spoken by everyone. The bistro serves a nice hearty lunch, we had Flemish stew and frites with our brew after the tour. Both hit the spot.
Strolling in the parks and neighborhoods, it’s difficult to distinguish one from the other. We purchased tickets for Amsterdam, then went to a movie house and watched Tamara Drew. A current movie from England.

We drove to the D-day beaches. The day was overcast and a little gray which felt appropriate. Continue reading “D-Day Beaches Normandy, France”