The highlights of our visit
Being on a house exchange was certainly the beginning of our wonderful stay in Belgium. It allowed us to visit and do things at our own pace and to change our mind and do something spontaneous... We did that often as we waited for the rain to stop. It didn't and that meant, in the end, that we did not go to the coast as we ran out of time. However, we would not trade what we did for anything.
The guide of your favourite places was invaluable. We would look at it and took most of the suggestions. But first, to begin our visit we did run over to France as Paul was determined to visit Vimy Ridge. Althought it is a bitter-sweet site, we enjoyed our day out and we learned how easy it is to get around. Especially when you use a GPS. We wandered around the site, followed a tour and admired the countryside.
We began our visit in Belgium by going to Villers-la-Ville. The ruins of the abbey were lovely and it was a quiet day and we had the place almost all to ourselves. It was wonderful. I love this kind of place, which is perfect for a picnic even in a slight rain. We headed back via Waterloo which was also amazing. We knew the history, of course, but the wide open space for the battle still made it seem even more real. The view from the Lion's Mound allowed us to watch the storm approaching us and we got down and to the car before the downpour and thunder started. It was all very exhilarating.
Our first big city was Gent. It was again a bit wet so we thought we would save the boat trip for another visit. We had so much to see and enjoy walking about. I love following the cobblestones which usually takes you to fine old buildings and interesting shops. We visited a mustard shop and fancy delicatessen that caught our eye. The castle was also a good place to wander. The day was also memorable because we saw some of the wonderful art work by the Van Eycks in the cathedral. Adoration of the Lamb. The art we usually only see in books is so much better in reality. Our trip home also gave us a chance to see some Belgium horses and the countryside. We had a beer at the corner pub which was fun.
Sunday was a slow wonderful day watching the birds that were coming to the trees in huge flocks. We went into Leuven and wandered. We loved it and kept returning to it. We loved the youth, the Grote Markt and wandering. When our family visited, we came here.
One of our very favourite cities was Mechelen. We kept returning to it, too. To wander into the buildings and through the market. We lunched at the Lord Nelson and tried more local beer. We love the architecture in these cities and just love wandering amongst them. The history and the modern life blend so beautifully. We had a similar, yet different experience when we went to Tournai. There was a lot of construction going on there but we still loved it. By now, I understand the difference between a Trappist beer and an Abbaye beer. I also realize I love the dark beers a lot. When we were shopping for groceries, we had to buy some "Charlotte" potatoes. On that last city visit, we went to the Chateau Seneffe and had a lovely wander through the estate.
We spent a whole market day in Haacht and around our own home. It was relaxing and fun. We were getting ready for my brother, niece and her husband who were coming over from London. They stayed a couple of nights and we shared many of the sites I have mentioned. They were also there when the flock of parrots flew into the tree which got all of us excited. Everyone was so happy to have a home to share and it was another bonus for us.
We all went to Bruges and everyone loved it. Some went bicycling; some wandered. We were charmed by Michelangelo's Pieta. Again, seeing the old art is a treat for us. Bruges takes more than one visit... at least for us.
The final day with the family was spent wandering in the country and rambling around on foot. We could visit each other, enjoy the rural area and the restaurant we found turned out to be one on your list. We thought we had discovered it but that was ok.
Returning the family to Brussels gave us another opportunity to explore that city some more. It is big city to us and not as cozy as the other ones we enjoyed. Its art work makes it worth the visit for us. It takes time to see all the Bruegels, Rubens, etc. and it cannot be appreciated in one visit so we spread it out over a couple.
We went to Luxembourg. Hmmm. Not our best choice. But we loved our side trips which meant Bouillon on the way down and Orval Abbaye on the way back. Again we loved getting out in the country and seeing how different it is in such a small country.
As often happens when we travel, we did not see everything we had planned but we did not care. We enjoyed every minute of our stay. Sitting in the Grote Markts drinking beer and watching the people and admiring the beautiful buildings, was my favourite activity. I ended up buying five beer glasses! Getting them home was a challenge but we did it and now I use them all the time and it brings back the fondest of memories.
Haacht, and its lovely little brewery restaurant, was a great place for us to do all the things we wanted to do. We became really good at using the trains and could also drop in on our favourite cities. It was ideal.
Now we have a list of things to do when we get back to Belgium, which is how I like to leave a place... wanting to come back. Oh yes, and I cannot forget to mention that the beer was the best in Europe (Germany was such a disappointment after drinking beer in Belgium). We ate some wonderful classics: frites, mussels and, of course, waffles. All those things were done in several Grote Markts. No wonder we have such wonderful memories.
C.B & P.B
(autumn 2012)