Home

Magic in Lichtervelde

Leave a comment

We’ve been to Lichtervelde for international rum events (more than one, even…plus a spa day), but who knew it was such an incredible place for a wedding? Thanks for inviting us Madou!

I believe this weather was imported from California…or maybe smuggled in. I am pretty sure it is not allowed.

Blue tiki for the win!

The scene was set under a familiar tree. Romey and I are telling everyone that our wedding was an inspiration for Matias and Finn since we also wrote our own vows and ran our own ceremony. It may not be true, but it’s a good story.

Here they come!

After the ceremony, there was lots of time for cocktails and fun.

Oh and trampolining too!

Ancestors.

Look familiar?

My very own wife looking all put together and fabulous.

We need some more pictures of noses…for sure.

The best wedding present you can give in 2026 is sheep. Sheep are in again.

Or is it kids?

No it’s sheep for sure.

A minor bathroom selfie interlude. Romey snuck me in. This is secret.

Behind the scenes…also secret.

Somebody let in a Scot with weapons. What were they thinking?! Madou’s mom keeps his brothers in line with physical force.

Then it was dinner time.

Or maybe it was actually bouncy castle time.

The brothers know too much. And they are willing to dish…but only in some west flemish dutch dialect. You’re lucky, madou, because we were planning to take notes.

Even mom was learning some stuff.

We tried to laugh at the right times.

Dancing…and dessert

Australians?!

Dancing again.

And then it was back to Brugges to recover.

We had a blast!

Climbing the Tower in Bruges

Leave a comment

If you’ve seen In Bruges, you’ve seen this tower. And you’ve thought about falling off of it.

In fact, you need to see In Bruges before you come to town.

The climb up is 366 steps and was not design with American litigation lawyers in mind.

The carilon is loud.

And very mechanical

Yonder lichtervelde.

Yonder Leuven.

Formidable guards

Tourists crawling like ants high on sugar

A panorama

If you have a friend who lives in Lichtervelde and has never been up the tower you can drag him up.

A Boat in Bruges

2 Comments

Some of us have been to bruge 4 or 5 times. Others 10,000. Still others once. But we all got on the same boat, and it was great.

We found an opportunistic window of blue sky.

Swans

Churches are a thing. Were a thing.

Our hotel and the famous tower

Tourism is fun!

Pinball Wizard Lives in Lichtervelde

3 Comments

Chez Madou was a respite and a calm retreat after our Amsterdam extravaganza. Ahhh. No rum thing this time…which probably would have killed us anyway.

Sitting by the wood stove as Spring unfolds behind us. Talking and laughing and just being together.

There is pinball.

Views from the guestroom.

Did we mention pinball?

We can’t wait to return and walk again with the dogs.

Challenge Accepted: Make a Proper Japanese Waitress Belly Laugh at Yamazato

Leave a comment

Dinner at Yamazato is exceptional, even 15 years on from the first visit. Absolutely world class. And Japanese service to boot.

The question is, can you make a proper Kimono wearing Japanese waitress belly laugh? Well, yes…if you are us. We had so much fun.

I mean, maybe the martinis we started with at 23 had something to do with it?

Or maybe it was mr big nose? No one knows.

But wow.

Who us? Goof off?

Happy Birthday gem-san.

A Blast From the Software Security Past on 23

1 Comment

Who are these people? Madou? Florence? McGraw? Noelie? All together? No fucking way.

A nice way to turn 3C is to gather the geeks in Amsterdam for a photo shoot.