We’re home!

Just back from a great week with our youngest daughter in Belgium. She works at the university in Leuven, so Ed and I hopped over via Eurostar, which was such a good experience. We took a bus from home to Norwich train station (free), a train from Norwich to Liverpool Street in London (vastly reduced with Crumbly passes), Underground from Liverpool Street to King’s Cross, walked through to St. Pancras (all the same station, really), then boarded Eurostar for Brussels. Becki met us in Brussels and shepherded us onto a train for Leuven, then it was a walk of maybe a mile and a half to her apartment. We only took backpacks, so it was all very easy. We left home at 9.30am and arrived in her apartment by 5.30pm. The train under the ocean, across part of France and into Brussels, took only two hours.

The weather was blazing hot the whole time, as I believe it was in the UK (our part of it, anyway) and across most of northern Europe.

My daughter insisted I should try a different Belgium beer each day, so there are all these compromising photos of me on Facebook with my face stuck in pint glasses of varying colours. Very good beer, but no, I’m not telling you where to view on Facebook!

A huge treat was Belgian waffles, covered with strawberries, cream and chocolate – to die for! At Becki’s insistence I tried Belgian stew. Doesn’t sound very exciting, but the flavour was out of this world. And naturally, when in Belgium you are required to eat chocolate. It’s mandatory since they make it – and superb! In case you’re thinking it was all food, let me disabuse you. We did walk as well. Becki lives about fifteen minutes walk from the centre of Leuven, and about the same distance from the university, so we did plenty of walking around.

One day we went to Brugges, and here is a photo of the clock tower in Brugges (apparently famous, although I didn’t know that):

Here’s one of part of Leuven university campus – an ancient water wheel with a beautiful medieval building in the background (can’t remember what it’s called) and Becki in the foreground:

This is the very elaborate pulpit in Leuven Cathedral, carved from wood and terrifically ornamental. Imagine preaching from here:

And finally, the very elaborate town hall, again medieval:

All in all, a wonderful week for Ed and me.