Keukenhof

We went to the Netherlands yesterday to visit the flower gardens at Keukenhof. Not all of the flowers had bloomed yet because it is still early in the season, but it was still beautiful there.

Emma Dancing

Antwerp Zoo

We went the zoo in Antwerp this past Thursday. Emma seemed to enjoy it... she was a little afraid of the giraffes though. This zoo is the oldest animal park in Belgium and one of the oldest in the world. It was established in 1843.

Out and About

We haven't been doing too much lately, but we do try to get out when we can. We took Emma to a park last weekend and she enjoyed playing on the little train that was there. The other pictures of the swan and the ducks were taken at the canal near our house. I went there with Emma while Matt was at work. We brought some bread to give to them. The swan was so pretty that I couldn't resist taking a few pictures of him. What made it even more special was that he was the only swan there.

Bath Time!

Ghent

We went to Ghent for the day this past week. It is one of the larger cities in Belgium. During the Middle Ages, Ghent became one of the largest and richest cities of northern Europe. While we were there, we explored the Gravensteen Castle. The history of this castle is rather interesting, so I wanted to share it with you. The castle was built in 1180. The castle was used as the seat of the Counts of Flanders until they abandoned it in the 14th century. The castle was then used as a courthouse, a prison, and eventually decayed. Houses were then built against the walls and even on the courtyard and the stones of the walls were used to erect other buildings. At one point, the castle was even a factory. At the end of the 19th century, the castle was going to be demolished, but the city of Ghent decided to buy it and restore it. The castle has been restored enough that we were able to climb all the way to the top! It was quite a view!

Afternoon at the Canal

It was a beautiful day here in Belgium today. The sun was out, the air was crisp, and the snow was gone... perfect day for a walk! Emma and I went for a walk to the canal which is right down the road from our house. Emma loved watching the ducks! Next time I will bring some bread. ;)