We return to Rabelo for a third season. 2014

Wow!  You’d think since this is the beginning of our third season on Rabelo packing would be easy.  HA!  Every year has its challenges.  This year we decided to go with the Rubicon Theatre Group to New York for 5 nights of sight seeing and going to plays.  This is our second season traveling with this group and they are fabulous.  Everything is taken care of.  After 4 plays, browsing thru art galleries in Chelsea, sight seeing in the Bronx which included a tour of the New York Botanical Garden, eating wonderful food, walking the Skyline…we said goodbye to our Rubicon friends and went to Virginia.  There we stayed with dear friends Jim and Randy.  We were lucky enough to relax at their lake house for two nights.  After the craziness of preparing for 6 months away and then running around New York, being at their beautiful home was an amazing treat.  From there it was one night at their Charlottesville home and then a short flight across the pond to Belgium.  Hence the packing dilemma.  Yes, there are clothes on the barge, but we needed clothing for the time in NY and Virginia. Tom and I each had a suitcase of clothes and then we had an extra suitcase of boat things.

Will we ever get caught up I wonder.  Arriving back on Rabelo was both amazing and frustrating.  We love being on Rabelo and the time we spend cruising is wonderful.  The boat is extremely comfortable.  What is frustrating is all the work that wasn’t completed!  Or wasn’t done properly!  Or was done in a frustratingly sloppy fashion!  Or wasn’t done at all!  Or the things that disappeared off the boat.  You should be able to hear me screaming from wherever you are.

Our new captain Julian greeted us at the Brussels airport early in the morning.  What a gem.  We found beautiful tulips on the table and some food in the refrigerator.  First thing we did was dump our bags, climb into the rental car and go to Ikea!  Yes, what is a trip to Europe without Ikea?!?  There were items we needed immediately.  My new induction cooktop doesn’t use regular pots and pans.  The cooking utensils that were supposed to come with my new kitchen didn’t.  After Ikea we pulled in the lines and left for Brugge without having a chance to market.  I went into our cabin to make up our bed.  What I found was that the dirty bedding from 6 months ago had been rolled up and thrown into a cabinet.  NO CLEAN BEDDING!  Time to do laundry.  And then put together a simple dinner.  By close to midnight we were ready to drop.  Which we did into our now clean bed.

Happy Cows

German Bunker from WWII

Entry to Brugge

The bridge goes up and traffic stops as we sail  by.

Medieval Crane

Beautiful Architecture

Charming town center.  Brugge was not damaged by the bombs of WWII hence original buildings.

Repaving the streets by hand placing cobbled stones in the sand and then filling the gaps with more sand.

This display of chocolate in the store window attracted quite a bit of attention.

Cathedral in Brugge

We were treated to an inpromptu organ concert.    

We were also able to attend a free harp concert by Luc Vanlaere.  He played two types of harps as well as a selection of unusual instruments I had never seen before.  A special treat.

The famous Madonna and child by Michelangelo.  We had seen it 12 years ago.  It meant even more to us after seeing the movie Monuments Men with George Clooney.  Last time we were able to get closer.

Many of you have asked how the new kitchen turned out.  It's fabulous!  Wonderful!  We LOVE it!  I have so much more storage than before.  We're figuring out how to use the new appliances.  The counter is easy to wipe down.  Not all of the appliances came with instructions in English.  Dutch doesn't work for us.  Still, the kitchen is a great success!

I look forward to hearing from everyone so please write to me via my email address.