A Christmas In Europe - Day 5

Stop 17 - Luxmbourg, Luxembourg: The next morning we took a drive through Luxembourg to see the city better in the daylight. We were impressed by the beautiful buildings and unique architecture. As we viewed the Grund area near the canal we noticed that it slightly resembled the views along the canals in Strasbourg, France.  

Stop 18 - Semois Valley: On our way back towards Brussels, we took the scenic route and drove through the beautiful Semois Valley. The views were breathtaking and reminded us of our drives through the Black Forest in Germany the year before. 

Stop 19 - Dinant, Belgium: Continuing on our journey, we drove through the stunning city of Dinant to view its unique cathedral and colorful buildings lining the River Meuse.

Stop 20 - Brussels, Belgium: And of course we just couldn't leave Belgium without getting waffles one last time. So we headed back to our favorite waffle shop in Brussels city center before heading to the airport.

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A Christmas In Europe - Day 4

Stop 14 - "Reading Between The Lines Church": The next morning we set out to find the small see-through church near the town of Borgloon, Belgium. Although it took a while to find, it was worth the search as the church was pretty incredible.

Stop 15 - Ardennes American Cemetary: Our next stop was the humbling Aredennes American Cemetary near Neupré, Belgium. It was a cold day and the sprawling cemetery was completely empty making it all that more humbling as we imagined the treacherous conditions the soldiers had to endure before losing their lives in battle. Ryan quietly explained to the kids the significance of the cemetery and the thousands of headstones lining the field. He explained the writing on the headstones and why some of them didn't list the persons name. We're grateful for the opportunity that we had to stop and pay our respects to the many men who sacrificed so much for the freedom of others.

Stop 16 - Luxmbourg, Luxembourg: Our final stop of the day was in the beautiful country of Luxembourg. Upon entering the city were instantly impressed by the grandeur of it all. The entire city was immaculately clean and everything was very large and majestic. We went to the Christmas market and experienced our favorite market of the trip. After exploring the market and listening to some of the Christmas performances, we took a ride on the ferris wheel. The kids laughed through the ride and enjoyed looking down on the lights of the city. As we continued to explore the market, the kids were able to ride the merry go-round and drink some German kinderpunsch. It was definitely a magical night to remember.

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A Christmas In Europe - Day 3

Stop 9 - The next morning we headed back to Grote Markt square to get a quick breakfast of waffles. After breakfast we came across the horse-drawn carriages and decided a carriage ride would be a fun way to entertain the kids while seeing the city.

Stop 10 - Kerstduik (Christmas Dip): During the carriage ride the driver told us about an event going on that morning that consisted of members of the local swim club jumping into the freezing cold canal water. We knew we couldn't pass up a chance to see it for ourselves and headed over to the Rozenhoedkaai to witness the event. We couldn't believe how many of the swimmers were just hanging out in the cold in their swimsuits before and after the dive. We agreed that they obviously have a greater tolerance for the cold than us Arizonans.

Stop 11 - Antwerpen Centraal Station: After leaving Bruges we headed to the city of Antwerp. After getting checked into our hotel and unloading our gear, we headed to the Antwerpen Centraal railway station. The architecture of the station was stunning with trains going right through the main building on multiple levels. The kids loved watching the trains as we ate a quick lunch in the main terminal.

Stop 12 - Disney Dreams Ice Festival: After the train station we headed to one of the most anticipated events of our trip, the Disney Dreams Ice Festival. The kids were super excited about the festival as it featured Disney themed ice sculptures. The pieces were amazing but unfortunately, we didn't anticipate the 20 degree temperature that was required to maintain the sculptures. Due to the intense cold, the kids were eager to leave the festival and warm up. It was amazing how the 50 degree weather outside almost felt warm compared to the freezing cold temperatures in the festival.

Stop 13 - Antwerp, Belgium: After the ice festival we headed over to the Antwerp Christmas market. When we saw the dreamy ice rink at the market we knew it was time to put on some skates and hit the ice. Maeli did really well on the ice with the help of a large penguin that helps kids maintain their balance. She loved going around the rink holding onto the penguin with me pushing her. I'm pretty sure she would've skated all night long had the boys not be freezing cold on the sidelines. Milo was happy going around the rink a few times in my arms. Between the kids' smiling faces, the vintage wood fence, and the lights sparkling on the trees scattered through the rink, it truly was an experience to remember.

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