The weather was dreary with intermittent rains, but our spirits were undaunted. We began our free day in the medieval city of Brugge by enjoying a guided walking tour of some of the main sites, one of which was a Michelangelo statue of the Madonna and child (one of only three outside of Italy) in the Sint-Jacobskerk. We also toured another cloister, the Begijnhofwerk, near the city center. We had the rest of the day to explore on our own or in small groups, which was a great adventure for all. The Belgian chocolate, Belgian waffles, and the hand-made lace were the biggest attractions and almost all choir members returned to our meeting point in the city square with shopping bags. After all, it was our last chance to get rid of our Euros!

We walked to our bus in the late afternoon and said goodbye to another small group of eight members staying on in Europe and drove back to our hotel near the airport for an 8:00 p.m. dinner – a wonderful time of food, fellowship, thanksgiving to God, and friendship.