On Sunday seven teachers, including myself , traveled to Ghent (30 minutes each way). It is known for their medieval architecture and made famous for their textile industry. Like Brugge it has canals woven through out the city. It is a "rougher" version of Brugge and well worth the trip! The cost for the train ticket was 8 euro.
Surprise, the weather was overcast! I took a stance and decided to put on shorts for the day. It is only August and I am already in long sleeves and jeans!! In hopes preventing myself from having a "tired" fall wardrobe in October. I just have to realize that the climate is much different than Denver!
The highlight of the day was visiting the castle called Het Gravensteen. Currently, Belgium is divided into 3 regions: Flanders (Flemish Speaking Portion), Wallonia (French Speaking), and Brussels (Flemish/French). Both Brugge and Ghent are in the northern portion of the country which is Flanders. This castle was home to "counts of Flanders." Some sections of the castle date back to the 1100's. One of the main sections was a room displaying medieval torture instruments. Very gruesome!!! See the picture of thumb torture devices. The guillotine in the picture is an original blade! Oh yes, no ice cream allowed!
Next, we decided on a Dutch restaurant for lunch. I thought I was ordering soup and ended up with two fried cheese balls! Although quite good, I was hoping for a healthier option :) In the bathroom there was a sign regarding bathroom procedure! Check out the picture.
Surprise, the weather was overcast! I took a stance and decided to put on shorts for the day. It is only August and I am already in long sleeves and jeans!! In hopes preventing myself from having a "tired" fall wardrobe in October. I just have to realize that the climate is much different than Denver!
The highlight of the day was visiting the castle called Het Gravensteen. Currently, Belgium is divided into 3 regions: Flanders (Flemish Speaking Portion), Wallonia (French Speaking), and Brussels (Flemish/French). Both Brugge and Ghent are in the northern portion of the country which is Flanders. This castle was home to "counts of Flanders." Some sections of the castle date back to the 1100's. One of the main sections was a room displaying medieval torture instruments. Very gruesome!!! See the picture of thumb torture devices. The guillotine in the picture is an original blade! Oh yes, no ice cream allowed!
Next, we decided on a Dutch restaurant for lunch. I thought I was ordering soup and ended up with two fried cheese balls! Although quite good, I was hoping for a healthier option :) In the bathroom there was a sign regarding bathroom procedure! Check out the picture.
School begins on Wednesday and will blog about school next!
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