After one last, quick hot chocolate and croissant breakfast, Kelsey and Lindsey headed to the airport to return to the U.S. They travelled on the same flight back to Atlanta and then Lindsey went on to Chicago. Thankfully both of them had a relatively easy trip back and were back in their apartments by evening.
After the girls departed, Karen and I enjoyed a quiet breakfast of our own. Now that it was just the two of us we were able to sit French style at a local cafe with both of us on the same side of a small table facing the street, which is wonderful for people watching. Our plan from here was to spend a few days in Belgium before heading home. We headed to Gare du Nord, a different Paris train station, for a 90 minute trip to Brussels then a quick train change for the final 30 minute ride to Ghent, Belgium.
After checking in at our hotel, we headed out for lunch in one of the many town squares (Ghent has over 50!). We finished in time to catch a 2-hour free walking tour to get familiar with the city and see many of the main sites in Ghent. Our tour was very informative and included lots of history. It turns out that in medieval times Ghent was a very large and wealthy city (second only to Paris). Like Lyon, France, it is situated at the confluence of two rivers and built its fortune on cloth production and trade. During the 16th century Emperor Charles V taxed Ghent to such an extent that he destroyed the city’s economy. Ghent did not regain any of its former glory for hundreds of years. In fact, most of the medieval structures were torn down or left in ruins. It was not until the city prepared for the 1913 World Exposition to be held in Ghent that there was a resurgence of rebuilding and repairs. In preparation for the Expo, Ghent built several 20th century reproductions of buildings that existed centuries ago along the Leie riverfront. You can find some very modern buildings and interiors hidden behind the beautiful old facades.
One stop on our walking tour was GraffitiStraat, a narrow street in Ghent dedicated to street art. Anyone can paint something on the walls along this street. There is just one rule: do not spray paint over a painting better than yours. This street continues to change and evolve. It has some amazing artwork.
Our tour ended with a quick visit to the cathedral. We were able to take a few photos before being ushered out as it closed for the evening.
After our tour we ducked into a chocolate shop recommended by our tour guide to pick up a small box of our first Belgian chocolates. Although tempted to eat them on the spot, we saved them for dessert later that night in our hotel room.
In addition to being known for its chocolate, Belgium has a long history of brewing beer. Dating back to the 1500s, it was healthier to drink beer than water due to the lack of a sanitation system. Some of the first brewers were trappist monks. Today there are only 13 trappist monk abbeys in the world that brew beer. 6 of them are in Belgium.
With this rich history, it only made sense that our next stop would be at a local beer hall, Het Waterhuis aan de Bierkant. This establishment is well known for serving beer from 5 of the 6 trappist breweries along with many other Belgian beers. Next door to this beer hall is a hole-in-the-wall bar that looks like it has been there for hundreds of years (as did the gentleman working at the bar). Here they serve jenever – a local juniper based liquor (the ancestor of gin) – in 25 different flavors. As the saying goes, when in Rome… so we had to try a couple!
After hour happy hour, we had dinner at a restaurant recommended by our tour guide. On a Rick Steeves podcast we listened to he recommended trying “waterzooi,” a Ghent specialty. Waterzooi translates to “water mess.” It is a thin soup filled with meat, potatoes and vegetables. I enjoyed one with chicken and Karen had one with fish. We really enjoyed our first afternoon in Belgium!
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