A day in Blankenberge

When we asked the boys what they wanted to do at the coast, "ride the tram" was the first answer that came out.  Cool...that can be arranged. 

 

We had googled to visit an aquarium and chose Sealife as our destination.   I had seen it was not too far a ride but had not checked in detail and Jan guided us on the tram.   That one got loaded and loaded until we were total sardines not allowing anyone on anymore in Wenduine, yet more people pressed themselves in. It was crazy and uncomfortable so I just listened to Jan's voice a bit further telling us x more stops.  

Fortunately most people got out in Blankenberge where at the market square there were apparently Havenfeesten.   Phewww time to breathe and sit down comfortably at the tram. 
We got off in Zeebrugge, much to my surprise, close to our stay of previous time at the Ibis Zeebrugge and the port area.  How odd that Sealife is there and I didn't know...
...

we walk and Jan checks google maps how we should walk and "discovers" he's directed back on the tram to return to Blankenberge. Yes of course, I say, Sealife is in Blankenberge, why did you tell us to only get off in Zeebrugge.  Well turns out, Jan was totally convinced there is an aquarium in the port of Zeebrugge and assumed it was Sealife and simply looked up the itinerary for the port, not for Sealife.


Oh well, we sure got our tram ride...we walked back and waited for the tram in the opposite way to return to Blankenberge, where I had spotted a lot of Sealife flags before.  In the mean time I have now learnt that Zeebrugge was the last spot in Belgium liberarted by the Canadian army in 1944.  I guess that also explains why Wenduine has a quarter named Manitoba.  

A little later we successfully arrived at Sealife where we were just in time for the talk on pinguins and later on the seals where we learned about the seal clinic at the Belgian coast. 

After our boys monkey'd a bit on the playground, we went through the indoor aquaria and then headed to the beach to look for a late lunch there. 

We braved the cold wind to walk the flood line and observe what had been washed ashore. 

A nice image of the uber ugly coastline in Belgium and all that there is to hate about it.

After a lunch at the Pier and some more strolling, we sat down at one of the many beach bars in Blankenberge to hide out against the cold wind while the children could jump a bouncing castle.  And then it was time to walk back to the Havenfeesten and catch a tram back to our hotel for some more relaxing time there until we went out for dinner.