Bruges

This place made me happy. I was so taken with its quaint charm that I was smiling the entire time I was there. Bruge is a little town outside of Brussels. I don't know much of its history, but I will say this. It felt like we were stepping back in time about 500 years. Of course, the buildings were old, just as they are in all of Europe. Some buildings were built as early as the 1300s. But it wasn't the age of the buildings. The town felt sort of undisturbed, less commercial than perhaps other places. I can't quite explain it, but it is my one of my new favorite places in Europe, one I highly recommend to all.  

The first picture is of the main town square. Very quaint!

The city is on the river. I love how the houses and buildings are right next to its bank.
This is what always blows me away.  Look at the height of that tower (part of a cathedral, I believe, but don't quote me!). Amazing. And they built it without all of our modern technology. That is what I call dedication to a cause.

The view of the river as you walk into town from the train station. It was so peaceful. 

This is me with Crystal (I hope I'm spelling her name right). She's one of my fellow students at Seton Hall. We are standing in the town square, enjoying the scenery. 
Hope all is well with everyone. I'm in Ireland right now. I have some updating to do on other places and sites, but this is the first time I've had reliable internet service for about a week. We left Leuven last Thursday and stayed in Luxembourg. I'll post some pictures from Luxembourg soon. Then we got on a plane on Sunday and flew into Dublin. We are now in Galway, and school has gotten a little more serious. So I'm not out and about as much, just because I have reading and studying to work on. More on that later. Miss you all lots!