BIRTHDAY IN BRUGES

Despite my usual self-imposed lack of fanfare on my birthday, my dear wife felt a 30^th birthday merited something special. So about a month before, she told me we’re going on a “surprise” trip in October, and I have to admit, I was excited. As the weekend approached, she would drop the occasional hint which further piqued my curiosity – things like “you have never heard of this place” or “it will take two trains to get there” or “we’re staying in the top-rated B&B”. So my deductive reasoning led me to think perhaps of a small town somewhere in Belgium or Holland.