Book
-
Belgium: The Beauty of Bruges
We walked the streets of Bruges, Belgium today. Like Amsterdam, it is a city of canals and bridges. Its beauty really needs no words. Bruges is medieval grandeur and quaint cottages at the same time. It was built by the Vikings in the 9th century as a harbor on the River Zwin. By the 12th…
-
Belgium: Chocolate in Bruges
Belgium is known for its chocolate, but this decadent treat couldn’t be made without importing the main ingredient from countries around the equator, such as Mexico or Guatemala: Theobroma cacao (Food of gods). It is said that money doesn’t grow on trees, but cacao beans grow on trees, and in these countries, cacao beans were…
-
Brussels: City of Cathedrals…And…
God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. Not artificial light, but beautiful, natural light. Even on a cloudy, dreary day, God’s light shines through and makes pieces of glass look like incredible works of art. Creating them takes the God-given ability of an artist to tell pictures through stories, but without God’s…
-
Belgium: Discovering Brussels
It was time to say goodbye to the Markink family and carry on in our journey. Jessica was kind enough to drive us to the nearest train station in Vise, Belgium. We rode the train to Liege, and then on to Brussels. All these cities had beautiful, traditional buildings, cobblestone streets, and very modern personalities.…
-
Amsterdam Revisited
With the Markinks, we revisited Amsterdam to see some of the things they had not yet visited. One of the gems only a local might find was Ons’ Lieve Heer Op Solder (Our Lord in the Attic), a fully operating secret Catholic Church, hidden in the home of a linen dealer during the Reformation in the…
-
Netherlands: Zaanse Schans, Holland
Until I met Jonah and Josh, this is what I thought of when I thought of The Netherlands: Holland, tulips, windmills, and wooden shoes. The boys had to give us a geography lesson: 1) Holland is a province in the Netherlands, not the name of a country. 2) Tulips only bloom in the spring; therefore,…
-
Netherlands: Old Friends and New in Haarlem
We have adopted several students from Ravencrest Bible College in Estes Park, Colorado. We were blessed to be Mama and Papa Beaver to Jonah Markink two years ago. Now he’s off to college, and we’ve had the blessing of being Mama and Papa Beaver to his younger brother, Jonah. This week, we got to…
-
Amsterdam: City of Boats and Bikes
We flew from Edinburgh to Amsterdam because it was less expensive than the train and only took an hour. From now until almost the end of our trip, the official language will no longer be English. We’ll see how we do! The busy city of Amsterdam is an interesting place to walk. If you’re in…
-
Edinburgh: Royal Botanic Gardens
We got lost in the Royal Botanic Gardens in Edinburgh. In fact, look closely at the berry-colored bush. I’m going to let the pictures speak for themselves on this one.
-
Scotland: Edinburgh Castle
Right in the middle of Edinburgh stands the majestic Edinburgh Castle. I thought it might be only a tourist attraction, but it is far beyond that. Built in the 1100s by King David I, son of St.Margaret of Scotland, the castle has bounced back and forth between English and Scottish hands, since whoever occupied the…
World of Options Travel club 