Update!

Woooooooooooooooooo!



Final Four here we come!

Go Blue!

Trey Burke....

Happy Easter!
I have been waiting for the right time to continue my summary of our European vacation. Next stop: La Trappe and our last night in Eindhoven.  Then, I thought why not post a nice, little blog about Easter. But, we've got a game to play today people!

Thanks in large part to Trey Burke and his supporting case, Michigan has reached the Elite Eight for the first time in nearly twenty years with today's match up against Florida looming large.  Friday night's game against Kansas was excellent on many levels.  For large stretches of the game KU dominated us inside.  They got to the rim with ease, and converted more than their fair share of fastbreaks.  Down 14 points, the game looked over.  However, we have Trey Burke.  The best player in the country willed  his team to victory.  He hit step back threes and a 28 footer to tie the game with 4 seconds left.  It was a shot that will go down in Michigan basketball history.  In overtime, Trey took control. He hit jumpshots and forced his way into the paint with ease.  It was the best performance by a Michigan basketball player since I have been watching (twenty years.)  Ultimately, it led to a two point win over last season's national runner-up.

It would be a shame to forget Mitch McGary.  He was our only force in the paint.  He kept us in the game for long stretches when the offense got stagnant.  Since the tournament started, Mitch has been on a mission. He looks like a freshman just starting to realize how good he can be.  We need Mitch if we want to keep advancing.

Friday night's game leads us to today against Florida.  Florida will be a big challenge.  They are probably more athletic than us.  They shoot plenty of threes, which should allow Trey, GR3, and Tim to push the tempo.  But, if they are making their shots at a decent rate, we need to keep up.  On paper, it looks like a tough matchup for us.  Friday night was a tough matchup as well.  However, we have the best player on the floor, and the best player in the country.  He should be able to drive the lane at will.  I expect him to get lots of open shots for the rest of the team.  We need the supporting cast to step up.  Tim, Nik and GR3 have to be able to capitalize when Florida inevitably helps out on Trey.

The stakes keep getting bigger with each game.  We have an opportunity to write the next great chapter in Michigan basketball history.  I feel like C and I have earned plenty of good karma from our time having to endure Tommy Amaker's teams.  We watched more than our fair share of bad basketball from 2003-2007. But this team is everything those teams weren't: smart, gritty and mentally tough.  All the credit goes to Coach Beilein for putting this squad together and placing them in positions to succeed.

Well, with only thirty minutes to tip-off, the blog is going to come to an end here.  Pictures of our visit to La Trappe will be posted soon.

Keep the faith.  This team can win, and win, and win. We On. Go Blue!

Bruges! Part 2

When we left off on our European Christmas recap, we had just got done eating a late lunch in Bruges after finish a tour of De Halve Maan brewery.  Figuring we needed a bit more culture in our lives, and a brief beer break, we decided to head to the historical town center of the city, the Markt.  The main attraction on the Markt is the belfry, which dates back to the 12th Century.  As I noted earlier, the belfry is prominently featured in the film "In Bruges."  The line to climb the 366 steps to the top was relatively long, but we braved the cold and rain with the rest of the tourists.  The staircase is very narrow and winding.  It reminded C and I of the climb to the top of Il Duomo in Florence.  C was obviously a trooper and carried our future little girl up the stairs with us, taking only a few breaks along the way.  The carillon bell is pretty impressive from inside.  There are currently 47 bells in use.  But, the view is really the main attraction.  From the top, we could see well beyond Bruges' city limits in all directions.  Unfortunately, it was a bit overcast like much of our trip, but we did get a few pictures.

After descending the belfry, we decided to head inside the Basilica of the Holy Blood located on the Markt as well.  As the name implies, this chapel claims to have a cloth with the blood of Jesus on it.  The chapel was built in the 12th century, and around that time, the story says that the cloth was brought there.  The chapel itself is small, but impressive.  Unfortunately, the blood had been packed up and put to bed for the day, so we didn't actually get to see it. Who knew that a piece of cloth could only be out for view during certain times of the day?  C and I lit a candle for some of the people in our lives that we knew would have enjoyed the adventure we were on.  Anyway, here are a few photos of the Basilica below.

By this time, everyone was cold, hungry and thirsty.  So we left the Markt  and made a short walk down a little aisle to one of the absolute must-sees in Bruges, De Garre.  De Garre is an old-world bar that serves delicious beer and provides a glimpse of true belgian beer culture.  If you blink, you might miss the alley.  But, the four of us were able to find it, and Megan was even able to work on her budding modeling career before we entered...

For good reason, the place was nearly full.  Luckily, there was a nice pair of Americans who gave up their corner four top table to us and moved to a small table; so we basically sat right away.  Any visit to De Garre requires a order of the house tripel, which we received almost immediately.  As you can see in the picture below, the De Garre tripel is served in this amazing glass that really enhances the flavor and appearance of the beer.  The head slowly subsided as I drank the beer, but it clings to the glass in a unique way.  At 11.5%, this tripel means business.  However, the alcohol is not overpowering.  The three of us that were drinking all enjoyed it immensely.  Without a doubt, one of the best tripels I have ever had.  A truly world-class experience.  To make it even better, an order of the tripel comes with a plate of cheese, which compliments the beer in every way.
Once we finished the the house tripel, we decided to stay a bit longer.  Being the end of December, the bar had plenty of Christmas beers available.  At the recommendation of the server, I ordered the Bush de Noel, and I could not have been happier.  This beer was super rich and creamy with a hint of holiday spice in the finish.  If I ever have the occasion to drink this beer again, I will definitely do so.  Below are a few pictures of our night at De Garre.

After leaving the bar, we wandered around the city and took in the lights.  We quickly found out that nearly every restaurant in the city requires reservations.  Eventually, we made our way to De Hobbit for all you can eat spare ribs and pasta; the spare ribs were not exactly the best, but to be honest, I wasn't all that picky at that point.  One last picture from Bruges at night is posted below.  Like I said, Bruges was one of my favorites stops during the trip.  I could probably use another three or four days there in order to really appreciate the people and culture.  But, we had more places to visit and only so much time.  Early the next morning we headed back to Eindhoven for our last day with Megan and Todd.

Bruges! Part 1

Hello again! After leaving Ghent, the four of us made the short drive to Bruges. Bruges is an incredible city. It is the largest city in the Belgian province of West Flanders. The city's population is only about 120,000 people; so it is not very large. At one time, the city was a major European trading center. This allowed the city to create plenty of wealth, much of which is still visible today. It is easy to see why Bruges has become a popular tourist destination recently. One of the best features is its walkability. Every turn features a new canal or cathedral, and the all of the sights are located within walking distance. The town also features a few really nice European squares with restaurants, cafes and shops lining the outside. Our bed and breakfast was an old three story home from the 1500s just a few blocks from the Markt. The Markt is one of the town's main squares and is featured prominently in the film "In Bruges." It also features the picturesque Belfry, which we climbed later in the day. Passing through the Markt in the morning, our first stop in the morning was the Church of Our Lady. The church is famous for its Michelangelo from the 16th century. Unfortunately, the sculpture was off limits because a section of the church was under construction. The inside, however, is impressive nonetheless. A few photos can be seen below. To the rear of the church, the four of us found a great garden area with impressive bridges and canals. We did not see any canal tours presumably due to the winter temperature, but they would definitely be a great way to see the city.  Here are some photos of our morning:

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After our cultural morning, we were thirsty.  Megan had been kind enough to book a brewery tour for us at the only active family-operated brewery in Bruges, De Halve Maan.  In English, the name is The Half Moon. Our tour guide told us that the name most likely comes from the area of town where the brewery resides.  In the old days, different areas of the city were noted on maps with symbols because many residents could not read.  This specific area was represented by a picture of the moon, and thus, the brewery drew inspiration from that symbol when selecting its name.  De Halve Maan is actually located down a short alley.  At the end, the alley opens up to a big beer garden with tables.  Being winter, we did not have an opportunity to see the beer garden in full effect, but I can imagine it is the place to be during the spring and summer.
The tour began in the extremely modern and sleek current brewery.  The guide then took us upstairs, which houses some of the breweries old equipment (copper kettles) and plenty of Belgian beer memorabilia.  We even climbed all the way to the roof.  From up there, you get quite a view of Bruges, with its many cathedrals poking out above the buildings.
The shear size of the brewery is actually quite impressive.  De Halve Maan must own an entire city block right in the midst of the old city.  They even moved their bottling and packaging 3 kilometers offsite due to the need for more space.  The tour ended with a visit to the taproom.  Much like the other parts of the brewery, the taproom is a great mix of vintage and modern.  It has plenty of communal seating at large wooden tables.  In addition to beer, the menu also features sandwiches and appetizers.  Every visitor receives a glass of the Brugse Zot, the brewery's bestseller.  My powers of deduction tell me that Zot must mean "jester" in English due to the picture on the glasses and bottles.  The Zot is a Belgian pale, but a bit different from other pale ales we tried on our trip. De Halve Maan taproom serves the Zot unfiltered and claims to be the only spot in the world to do so.  It likely goes without saying, but it pours a cloudy straw color.  The yeast is prevalent both in aroma and taste.  There is a spicy banana and clove flavor, but nothing overpowering.  The Zot is a refreshing and easy-drinking pale ale by Belgian standards.  I enjoyed mine, but nothing groundbreaking.  Since we had a bit of time to relax, I then ordered the brewery's Quad, and it was a great choice.  The coffee, caramel and dark fruit are easily identified.  The yeast is nearly entirely hidden by the other flavors, but it works extremely well.  It was a great Quad that I would drink again if I ever get the chance.  And, at 11% abv, it was a nice way to start my lunch.  Below are a few photos from the brewery.  I would highly recommend a visit for any tourist in Bruges.

By this time, we were all getting hungry, so we wandered around looking for a little cafe.  We found one a short walk away that seemed to have some of the simple lunch items we were craving, although I have no idea what it was called.  After putting up with all of us (especially me) all trip, C finally got some drinks for herself.  As you can see below, she got a trio of hot chocolates, milk, dark and white.  The little item on the side was almost like a mini-cheesecake in a cup.  It was tasty.  C had a grilled ham and cheese.  Actually, two of them came in one order.  She also enjoyed some vegetable soup.  I ordered a smoke salmon quiche, which was quite good as well.  Todd and I both ordered the Steenbrugge Tripel.  It was a good, not great tripel.  We will soon encounter a great tripel. (stay tuned)  It has a bit of pepper along with tart apples and bananas.  A really solid tripel to be enjoying on a rainy afternoon in a Bruges' cafe.  Here are some photos of our lunch.

Our visit to Bruges was just getting started, but I have a feeling this edition of the blog is coming to an end.  I will save more for a later date.  Many more sights to be seen and brews to be enjoyed. Until next time...

Ghent

Good afternoon everyone, The last blog finished with Christina and I exploring Brussels. We then made the short 45 minute drive to Ghent, which is slightly northwest of Brussels. This will likely be a short blog because we only spent one night in Ghent, but we were both extremely impressed without short stay. Ghent has the feel of a medieval city complete with canals and cathedrals. First, we stopped to get some drinks and a few pre-dinner snacks at a brewpub that Megan and Todd enjoyed on their previous visit. Gruut, the brewery, is quite a contrast to the old bars and breweries located throughout Belgium. The inside is completely renovated and modern. Surprisingly, Gruut is the only brewery in operation in Ghent. After our trip to the brewery, I learned that Gruut is actually a medieval term for plants and herbs that were used to flavor and preserve beer before hops were utilized. Obviously, hops won that battle, and gruut fell by the wayside. The brewery Gruut claims to use the old flavor technique, and no hops are used in its beers. Gruut currently brews five varieties: amber, white, inferno, brown and blonde. The beers we sampled did not taste dramatically different from what might be expected, but they did have a more subtle spicy taste than what we found during the remainder of our trip. Overall, it was a great brewery to sit and chat with friends. I would highly recommend a visit. Below is a photo of my beer, the amber, and some chips that C enjoyed.

After leaving the brewery, we walked to the old city center. The river running through the city is called the Leie and provides some of the best scenery we enjoyed during our vacation. A quick walking tour of the city center provides great views of the belfry, Saint-Nicholas church and the cathedral. The Gravensteen is an old castle that sits in the midst of the canals. Unfortunately, it was closed when we were there, but you can see how impressive it looks at night. It is really easy to walk and explore the canals. Nearly every turn provides another picture-taking opportunity. Various pictures are posted below.

Too bad we would not spend more time in Ghent, but we had to get back on the road to Bruges, which is a short trip west of Ghent. I would definitely like to return to Ghent at some point in our lives. We spent the next two nights in Bruges, which was fantastic. I have plenty of photos to share and beers to explain. Until next time....