Where in the World is Jenna Jaxon? (Part 12)

Good Morning all! Here’s the latest from

BRUGES!

It has been more crazy days of sightseeing and traveling since I left Wrotham. I spent two nights in London, resting and then shopping for last minute souvenirs–in the rain, I might add!

Then very, very early on Thursday, I flew out of Heathrow and into Stuttgart, Germany for a week-long visit with my good friend and fellow historical author Ella Quinn. We barely had time to catch up, then we left the next morning for Bruges, Belgium, a 7 hour car ride with Ella’s Great Dane, Lilly.

BRUGES

PUBLIC SQUARE IN BRUGES

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As soon as we got there we checked into our lovely hotel, Hotel d’Orangerie, then headed out to Les Poules Moules, a fabulous restaurant whose specialty is steamed mussels. Absolutely delicious! I couldn’t finish them all. Then we walked around the town, just kind of orienting ourselves to the lay of the land (although Ella’s been there before, it’s still confusing).

MY LUNCH OF MUSSELS AND FRITES (FRENCH FRIES)

HOTEL DE ORANGERIE

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next day we set out to The Church of Our Lady, to see Michelangelo’s Madonna and Child sculpture (I had heard of this “Bruge Madonna” from the movie The Monuments Men) and it is a beautiful, beautiful sculpture. After lunch–while we got out of the pouring rain–we went to the Basicilia of the Holy Blood and they were having a veneration of the Holy Relic for which their church is named: a vial of the blood of Jesus Christ. I was absolutely awed by the fact I was seeing an actual church relic (as a history major I’d read about them, but never seen one).

BRUGES MADONNA BY MICHELANGELO

BASILICA OF THE HOLY BLOOD

THE BLOOD RELIC
PHOTO BY MATT HOPKINS VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After this we took a boat ride through the canals of Bruges. Then I acted the tourist, buying Belgian lace and Belgian chocolates for those at home.

BOAT RIDE TOUR OF BRUGES

Next morning we headed out to the battlefield at Waterloo and visited one of the museums and walked down to the Hougoumont farm, the center of Wellington’s defense. We were very fortunate that a re-enactment was happening that weekend. We got to visit with a group of re-enactors who were actually portraying not the Waterloo campaign, but a battle between the British and French from the late 18th century (Waterloo was just convenient to do the re-enactment on). So I got a picture of them (and Lily got in the shot!).

BATTLEFIELD AT WATERLOO

HOUGOUMONT FARM AT WATERLOO

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

RE-ENACTORS AT WATERLOO BATTLEFIELD

After lunch at the battlefield, we headed back to Stuttgart. Yesterday we rested, and today we will be exploring (read shopping) Stuttgart.

More on that tomorrow!

Cheers!

Jenna