Bruges, Brussels, Amsterdam, Zoetermeer and Cologne

This is the last blog from our trip that we took during the temple closing time.

After leaving France we traveled to Bruges Belgium.

Bruges was established between the 7th and the 9th Century on the shores of the Zwin.

Throughout the town there is a network of canals and today a visitor can view the city from a boat on the canals.

Market Place of Bruges

Some of the canal system in the city.

Karen

Karen and Don

Don

Many of the buildings were covered with ivy.

These windmills are now just for visitor interest--they are no longer in use, but are fun to see.

As usual, Don is facinated by ornate doors.

We took a boat ride through the canals. This gives a very different picture of the city and it was a lot of fun!

Brussels, Belgium

Amsterdam, Holland

This is in a large park in the middle of Amsterdam.

Everywhere you look in Amsterdam there are rows of bicycles. Don asked someone about how many bicycles there are and they said that there were 15 million people in Holland and 30 million bicycles. Amsterdam really isn't built for automobiles, and most people ride bicycles. There are plenty of automobiles however. The streets are very congested. We saw one bicycle that had a carrier on the back of it that looked like a big box--and there were four children riding in it.

There are bicycle roads on both sides of every street.

Also in the park in Amsterdam

While we were in Amsterdam we went to the Van Gogh Museum and the Reich's Museum. They were amazing. Gave us a new respect for art.

This windmill was along the way and the picture was taken out of the car window.

After leaving Amsterdam we traveled to Zoetermeer, Holland where the temple is located. We were able to attend a session there. It is a very small temple but extremely beautiful.

We met Hiltja Kop at the temple. She has served a mission here at the Frankfurt Temple since we came. After the temple session she offered to take us to a pier on the North Sea.

This is at the North Sea

Carol Frost, Hiltja Kop, Karen

We had a lot of fun watching these waterballs. The idea is to get in the balls and try to stay upright.

North Sea Pier

On the beach they have sand sculpture building contests. This is one that was left from the last contest.

This is the back of the sculpture

And, this is the front!

After leaving Holland we returned to Germany. We stopped at Cologne for a couple of hours and visited the Cathedral.

These are Mimes. At first we thought they were statues. There was a jar in front of them for money--and when someone put in a coin they would both bow. It was fun to watch.

One last look at the Cathedral above the trees. Next stop: Herriman, Utah

We hope that you have enjoyed our blogs throughout the last 17 months. This will be our last blog while here in Germany. We have a few weeks left still, but are not planning on traveling much.

We return home on September 24th and will be speaking in Sacrament Meeting on September 25th. Yikes! Do you think that we will have Jet Lag?

PS For those that are interested we speak at 11:00 AM in the chapel located on 126th South just west of Bangerter.

Mont Saint-Michel

We visited Mont Saint-Michel which is a castle/fortress/cathedral that was built in the English Channel. In modern days there has been a dyke built out to the island so that visitors can easily reach the castle.

This is one of our first views of the island as we were driving towards it.

St. Michel dates back to the year 708.

It was originally known as Mont Tombe, which literally meant "tomb on a hill".

Legend has it that one night during the year 708, Bishop Aubert was visited by Saint Michael in a dream and was ordered to make the Mont into a shrine to him. Aubert, thinking his imagination had got the better of him, did nothing. The archangle grew impatient with him and, when he appeard for the third time, poked a hole in the disbelieving bishop's skull.

Aubert fulfilled the archangel's wishes and sent messenger to Monte Gargano in Italy. They brought back some sacred relics, including a piece of the red cloak worn by Saint Michael during one of his apparitions and a frangment of the altar where he had placed his foot.

As time went by, the rock became known as Mont Saint-Michel and Aubert sent a handful of men to live there and pray to God and his archangel.

Over the years the existing buildings emerged and became part of Mont Saint-Michel.

Shall we say crowded?
Climbing the many, many stairs to the fortress

Looking out over the English Channel

Yep, we were there!

In the early 15th century the English decided to storm this stronghold (French) that had dared to stand up to them. Because the citadel, defended by its ramparts and protectged by the sea, was impregnable, they laid siege to it to starve it into surrender.
The siege began in 1424 but an expedition of Breton noblemen setting off from St. Malo managed to disperse the English ships. This naval victory meant that the Mont could agian receive provisions by sea. The siege had failed and the citadel had not fallen.

When we were there the tide was out. There were signs posted telling what time the tide was coming in and warning that the cars on the lower level of the parking lots had to be out of there before the tide came in or they would lose their cars. The tide in the bay where the rock stands is among the strongest in the world. The sea comes in over a dozen miles in the space of a few hours, as fast as a horse at full gallop. At times the sea travels under the sand, creating pockets of treacherous quicksand.

We had a great time visiting Mont Saint-Michel--our next stop is Belgium!