Greetings from Brugge!

After a few days without wifi and Mom trying to learn Windows 8, I am making another post from my cell. Ah, first world challenges!
Anywho, yesterday and the day before we were in As, Belgium to visit with Karel and the Mardaga Hotel. This brought the story of my grandfather's time in the war very close to home. I may post more on that later.
Today we woke up in Brugge, Belgium. This beautiful city has restored many of its medevial buildings from rubble. That restoration continues even today.
Yesterday we toured the city by foot, bus and canal. Stories of Michelangelo, saints and wars were plenty. A bit of information overload but facinating. This North American is getting one heck of a history lesson!
Today Jemp and Lony are taking us for a drive along the Belgium coast north to the Netherlands. The weather is cooler (Mom and I are sporting lovely tans) and we may encounter some thunder storms.
Off to breakfast! XO Holly

Bastogne

Below is a photo of my Grandmother - Florence E. (Fraser) Rannie (Tot), my Mother's Mother - taken in 1954. She came to visit us in Echternach after the death of my Grandfather John Leslie Rannie (Les) in February 1954. Grandma Rannie was a lovely lady and we all loved her. She was a welcome visitor for us all and especially Mom who was pregnant at the time with brother Gordon.

This is a place I hope Holly and I can visit, perhaps either on the way to or on the way back, from As.

This is what is said on Bastogne's website today - "The Sherman tank was completely renovated and is a major monument in Bastogne. This American tank belongs to the 11th Division and was brought to a stop in Renuamont on 30 December 1944, after a German attack in the village. Its crew was captured by the Germans and brought to a prisoner camp."

This monument is one of the memorials in and around Bastogne for the Battle of the Bulge in 1944.