Ascona Ghent

... city. Awesome architecture and canals winding around the city, as I took tons of pictures as always and just enjoyed the city.

Apparently Brugges had a movie made recently with it as a location; I'll have to check it out sometime. The main "art" piece I saw was a Madonna with Child from -the- Michaelangelo from Italy. It was quit nice, as were the countless other paintings and sculptures I saw in that ...

Today I said goodbye to rainy, rainy Bruxelles, and took the half hour train (8 euros) to Gent/Ghent, where I met up with my first host ever, Johanna. She was the first couchsurfer to welcome me into her home back in 2007, after I had finished my year in South Korea, in Beijing.

- Before going to Ghent, I actually made a stop in the Musical Instruments Museum in Bruxelles ...

... the market and the shops and then went on a boat ride which was fantastic, after which we went to a tea-room which claimed to have the best hot chocolate in town, and it was really good! It was incredibly sickly though and gave both Erin and I a headache for the ride home!

Altogether a really fun day out in Bruges, truffles bought, Belgian food eaten and Belgian alcohol drunk, and Belgian chocolate drunk! This is another place where we will definitely be returning!!

... again. Ghent is beautiful and unexpectedly so; we extended our stay here because of the facilities and fantastic bike tracks they have. It helps the beer is very strong and remarkably inexpensive so we are staying well under budget being here. We even managed a game of squash...the knee just held up. Antwerp was not as beautiful as Ghent but amazing buildings all the same. Our campsite here was only 2km from the town centre. The lady at ...

... various attractions and mapping out a walking circuit for us. I had read online about a flea market that I thought would be interesting and she showed us how to get there. We caught the train to Brussels-Zuid to visit the daily flea market on Jeu de Balle. We found a sprawling mess of stall holders displaying their wares mainly on tarpaulins or rugs on the ground. There was furniture, clothes, picture frames, ceramics, old coins and badges, jewellery; anything and ...

... help the reader if we ever get to Germany or Italy.). All was well, until we came to a screeching halt on the highway. For about an hour. We traveled 10 km in1 hour. Oy. But, we got to Bruxelles okay, if a little later than we'd hoped. If only I'd remembered to bring the directions to the hotel with me, we might not have wandered cluelessly about the tunnels that ring the city. We did ...

I feel as though I have been culturally deprived, in a way, for the past twenty years of my life! Coming to Belgium made me realize how much STUFF is actually from here! Who knew?! For example: 1) Frites, or French Fries as we know them, were developed here! Don't try to tell me that you've never had them. 2) Belgium is a top producer of beer, especially STRONG beer (we've had some that was as high as 12 percent alcohol!) 3 ...

... First stop after unloading my pack was Gravensteen. This is exactly what you think of when you think of a medieval castle - moat, ramparts, tower, dungeons, executions, torture. Yes, they very much got "medieval" on peoples' hineys there. Many of the exhibits were of instruments of execution and torture - guiottines, thumb screws, the rack, spiked collars, they had it all. Some of it was quite gruesome really, but what was really gruesome was the fact that it ...

... fine and warm enough, obviously not winter. We walked around town, in the old district, Begijnhof and Beurs before heading to 'Little Kinshasa' (Matonge) as I call the place where the African minority gather in Brussels. We stopped there for a beer and talking and showing pictures of the last time in Prague. It was a great time, absolutely and with such a sweet girl. I had a lot of fun. Then I walked her back to the station by the evening so that she would go back to Gent ...

... downtown. The meal was expensive so we shared one me and Marie and it was lekker! After that we finally got to meet with Mike and Maida and kept touring in Brussels with Jurgen joining us. We went 'till the european district and the Royale square area. Finally time flew by and it was time to be at Beurs for the HC first meeting point... we arrived just a little late and I saw with lots of great old friend! James was there, Katelijne, Patrick too... and I also met some other members ...