Postcards from Emily and Gloria
Heart of Belgium and Holland in 11 Days
Lori, myself, and Mom getting a little windswept by the canal
Ghent
After our flight into Brussels, Mom and I took the train from the airport to Gint-Sint-Pieters station. There we boarded the local tram, and we were just around the corner from our first hotel a few moments later. Following the directions provided in our pre-tour information made navigating easy; except for a brief bit of confusion at the train station until we realized we'd simply gone out the wrong door. Whoops! What's travel without a little adventure, right? We always arrive the day before the start of the tour because it's so nice to be able to explore on your own for a while at your own pace - and then crash when the jetlag sets in. Get a good night's rest, and you're fresh for the next day, on European time instead of that pesky EST.
After checking in at the Hotel Harmony, we went back out to explore and meet up our friend Lori. We met Lori during a previous Rick Steves tour in Ireland pre-Covid, and had been looking forward to seeing her again. And almost immediately, we found a shop where we could buy a handful of chocolates to sate our sweet tooths. I'm really proud of us for NOT eating the entire box in one sitting - not that we weren't tempted!
As you can see, I was clearly inspired by just how good this chocolate was. From inside near the counter, there was even a small clear panel on the floor that looked down into the area where they were making fresh chocolates.
If you're interesting in making postcards of your own, I've gathered a list of the supplies that are my personal favorites. Just my opinions, in case you need some suggestions!
It didn't take long for us to locate some waffles, either! We enjoyed this one in a tiny cafe with a cup of coffee to warm ourselves up from the chilly weather.
Our first sighting of the much-anticipated tulips - these are beautiful, but they do not hold a candle to the ones we saw at the Keukenhof just a few days after this. They surely brought a bit of color to a gray-skied day, though.
Dodging a few wayward raindrops, we strolled the streets and admired the intricate architecture of the historical center of the city. I have a collection of miniature ceramic houses that I began in Ireland, and I managed to find one in this style to add to the group!
After exploring the historic center on our own, we found a tiny, tucked away stand selling fries - "frites" - that was recommended to us as the best in the area. Mom had hers with regular tomato ketchup, and I tried the curry sauce. We also had a few different croquettes. Full of frites, we were pretty tired and decided to head back to the Hotel Harmony to get a good night's rest before the start of the tour tomorrow. We had a beautiful room overlooking the canal (as you can see on the right), so we spent a little while relaxing by the windows to work on our journals before bed. I painted the page below!
I loved the rainbow umbrellas the people on this boat tour had - they were so cheerful looking! We would go on a canal cruise of our own the next day, after our introduction meeting.
TRAVEL TIP
Don't be afraid to explore down side-streets and try out the smallest restaurants and food stalls! Some of the best views and meals are around corners you might not otherwise have looked around.
Day One: Today was the official start of the tour!
After a nice breakfast at the hotel, we had a lot of the day free until the tour started in the afternoon. We decided to go find the famous "Graffittistraat", which was packed full of street art; there were so many colors and styles of art that I wished I had some spray paint with me so that I could add to the wall!
The entrance to the street is fairly hidden until you get close and spot the fellow visitors admiring the art. Once you go inside, prepare for sensory overload! There's so much to see you almost can't possibly take it all in (but I sure did try).
I love when art can be displayed and celebrated in such an easy-to-access fashion. And check out those colors! I loved the vibrancy and the symbolism of many of the artworks.
By this point, we were ready for a little break and some people-watching. And in Europe, as Rick will tell you in his TV series, there's no better place to take in the atmosphere of a city than in one of the central city squares. Before we even realized that we'd be seeing this square on our guided walking tours, Mom and I fell in love with "Sint-Baafsplein" or Saint Bavo's Square. Sandwiched between the St. Bavo's Cathedral, the Belfry of Ghent, and a performing arts theatre, this square was full of people dining and enjoying the pleasant weather just like us. We found it was a wonderful place to find a bench, enjoy a chocolate from the nearby shop, and gather another burst of energy.
We also went inside of St. Bavo's, admiring the architecture, and taking a moment to light a candle. Despite the number of visitors, the cathedral still felt peaceful. And outside of the cathedral we found a statue of the brothers Van Eyck, who painted the famous altarpiece of the cathedral - "The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb". Perhaps the most interesting thing about the Mystic Lamb to me was that it is the world's most stolen painting!
St. Bavo's Cathedral as seen from the square. You can also see here what the cathedral looks like on the inside, and how beautiful this statue of Mary was. Although not Catholic myself, I always find myself admiring the depictions of Mary - and I really love the lit halo.
The Belfry or "Belfort" of Ghent is one of three medieval towers that overlook the historic city center - the other two are the towers of St. Bavo's Cathedral and St. Nicholas' Church. But the Belfry is topped by a dragon instead of a cross, symbolic of the power and independence of Ghent.
The statue in honor of the Brothers Van Eyck, with St. Bavo's and the Belfry in the background.
A close up view of the dragon from the top of the Belfry. Don't tell HIM, but I think he's a little cuter than he is fierce.
Finally, the moment we'd been waiting for since arriving in Ghent - meeting our guide and our fellow tour members! On every Rick Steves tour, at this meeting you will pick another member of the tour (not the person you came with!) to be your "buddy". Whenever you leave a place, your guide will ask for a "buddy check", and all you have to do is make sure that your buddy is there. This eliminates the hassle of doing head counts, and makes things so much faster and easier! It also gives you the opportunity to immediately make a new friend - my buddy was a wonderful lady named Tina, and Mom's buddy was Margie from Canada. At our meeting, our guide Nico greeted us, and we had our first taste of true Belgian beer.
After our meeting, Nico led us on a walking tour of the area that led us to the canal where we'd board a boat for a canal tour. Mom and I always enjoy boat tours, because cities that relied on water for transportation were historically built around these waterways, and you can find the best views from the canals themselves.
This was one of my favorite views in the whole city! The bridges, the architecture of the buildings, and calm water were just perfect. You can see Mom was having a great time too!
Welcome aboard! Last stop - Brasserie Savarin for dinner!
Our first dinner together was at a restaurant called the Brasserie Savarin. They specialize in local dishes, so we had a traditional Flemish Stew, and Mom and I each tried a different kind of beer. I don't remember their exact names, but I preferred the darker variety, and Mom preferred the lighter. For dessert, what else but chocolate? Everyone had a chocolate lava cake that was as tasty as it looked.
You already know I had to add the group to my journal! Nico is our second guide now to take pictures of the group so everyone can more easily learn to associate names and faces, and it really does help! You think when you begin the tour you'll never remember who is who, but by the third day or so, you'll pretty much remember everyone.
It's always a good idea to try the local specialties!
TRAVEL TIP
Wherever you are, try the food or drink that the area is known for! It will usually be made locally, be fresh, and you never know: you might discover a new favorite thing!
Day two began with a walking tour of the Patershol neighborhood of Ghent with local guide Mieke. She took us to the Industry Museum and taught us the history of the area; including how the city originally became prosperous due to the production of textiles. It was the wool industry of the Middle Ages that created the first European industrial zone here in Ghent. On our way from the Industry Museum to our visit to St. Bavo's Cathedral to view the Adoration of the Mystic Lamb, Nico and Mieke treated us to a sample of "cuberdons" or "Ghent candy noses". I thought they tasted like a softer version of a gumdrop. Not to my taste, but they're very pretty!
Mieke told us that the cuberdons were created by a pharmacist who was inspired to make the candy when some medical syrup that was sweetened with sugar hardened on the outside.
After our candy break, we arrived at St. Bavo's Cathedral for our visit to see the Mystic Lamb. Mieke had several stories for us here: she told us about the story of St. Bavo himself, who was a knight who pledged to fight for the church in order to atone for having lived a sinful life. St. Bavo was known for hunting with a falcon, and apparently the cathedral is still home to a peregrine falcon that hunts the pigeons in the square. She also told us that the Mystic Lamb altar piece partially inspired the famous movie The Monuments Men.
Nico had discovered my journaling by now, and gave me a spare postcard that depicted the altar piece to add to my page: At least THIS version of it won't be stolen!
Our second day in Ghent ended with an optional group activity at the hotel: Nico had been shopping for us, and held a "raffle" of beer and chocolate where every member of the group had their name dropped in a hat. He would tell us about different types of beers and chocolates, then pull someone's name, and they would receive that item. Mom won a cherry-flavored beer, and I won a beer that Nico had explained was a variety known for being the closest commercially available beer to the exclusive kind made by Trappist monks. Even if you don't drink alcohol, it was still very interesting because Nico has so many engaging stories to tell! If you ever meet him, his favorite beer is called Duvel, which you can see on the bar right in front of him.
