Eating Dutch...., or is that Belgian

Today, April 16, Brussels and Antwerp: shopping for chocolate, lace, tapestry, waffles, Belgium fries, beer. Only some of this will make it home. Old guild halls, city halls, cathedrals decorated by Rubens masterpieces, glitz from the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries. All of it wonderful. Yesterday: Dutch countryside, canals everywhere, sheep grazing on the dikes, old windmills built in the 18th century to pump the water from the drainage canals up into the rivers. Polders – land below sea level, always a struggle, yet rich in grass for the cows who will produce the milk to make the cheese. The city of Dordrecht, oldest in Holland, maybe the most underrated. Beautiful church, canal harbors, great old architecture. We’re having a good time and making the most of every opportunity to break free of the tour groups and explore on our own. Happy Birthday to Irene. We’ll be looking forward to spending time looking at photos when we get home. Linda and Tom