Bruges in Autumn Hues.

Me and Jesse taking in the beauty of Autumn in Bruges. 

This is my amazing, encouraging, consistent and beautiful friend, Jesse! She came to Belgium! Jesse really came to see us in Belgium!! Yippie! 

Jesse and I met (almost) ten years ago in the small college town of Wilmore, KY. It was in that small, Kentucky town that five impressionable, freshman girls - from very different places and very different stories - found in each other a family away from home. To this day, they are still my best friends; as a group, we've gone through ups and down, great joy and deep sorrow, boyfriend interviews and wedding proposals, bachelorette parties and bridesmaid dresses, new careers and huge life changes. Each of them have impacted my story. Jesse is one of those girls, and she showed me that it is far better to invest in a few deep friendships rather than spread yourself thin trying to "know" everyone. She is one of the most loyal friends that I have, and for that reason, I figured Jesse wasn't paying me lip service when she mentioned she wanted to hop on over to Europe.

Then again, Chris and I were not the only ones she wanted to see while in Europe. Jesse's boyfriend lives in Europe and if you read this blog, you probably know who he is! How fun is it that Jesse is dating my husband's best friend, Reece, who is doing the expat thing in Germany!? Of course the boyfriend was her number one reason for coming to Europe, but I came in close second! 

We spent an afternoon enjoying the crisp air and Autumn colors in Bruges. It doesn't matter how many times we visit this city, it seems there's always something new to discover. In this season, Fall colors blanket the ground, tourists bundle up and opt for covered horse-drawn-carriage-rides, surprise rain showers force people into cozy beer bars (check out my pictures of De Garre), and everyone seems to be sipping on a steaming cup of Belgian hot chocolate while taking in the sights. I took a lot of people pictures this trip since I wanted to capture Jesse's visit to Bruges, but you can still get a sense of the magic of the city in this season. Enjoy!

Wijngaardstraat bathed on Autumn colors in Bruges, Belgium. 

Patio seating is still available in October  - if you're sitting close to a heater.  

The cute couple posing for a picture opportunity.  

An Autumn stroll in Bruges.  

Jesse's first street food in Europe - Frietjes (fries) with pepper sauce in Bruges' Grote Markt.

The Bruges Belfry. 

Taking a rest and eating Frietjes. 

With a wedding party behind us we decided it was the perfect spot for Jesse's first jumping picture! 

It's hard to find, but this cozy beer bar (De Garre) is worth the search. 

De Garre also serves wine - like this! How cute!

More street food - Belgian waffles at Laurenzino. 

I asked her is if the waffle was good. . . . this was her expression. 

We all had a wonderful afternoon taking in the sights (and tastes) of Bruges.

Next stop with Jesse and Reece - Cologne, Germany!

Stay tuned and thanks for reading!