Ghent: Tue 27- Thurs 29 Aug: Accommodation
Tues 27 Aug
It was our first and last morning of waking in Breda and luckily the weather was fine and sunny so Mark set off for a ride in the Forrest and I went for a walk. We had planned to meet up for a coffee afterwards but there was not a single place open, even at 7.30 am. For people who are keen to wine and dine into the late hours they clearly seem to like to sleep in. There was hardly a soul out and about as I went on my way through the town.
We got away from the apartment in Breda by around 10 am and took a drive for about an hour south to Antwerp where we stopped off to do a bit of exploring before driving onto our next accommodation and 3 pm check-in at Ghent. Antwerp is a rather large city but we focussed on the historic Old Town and used a self-guided walking tour from GPSmyCity to help us explore for a couple of hours. Antwerp was like a bigger Breda, with a Grote Markt and Cathedral dominating the centre of the Old Town. It was very beautiful and, even though we only go to experience the city for a couple of hours, I would recommend a visit here if you’re ever in this part of the world.
It was close to 1.30 pm before we were back on the road and heading to Ghent for our next two-night stay. I had previously told myself I would never book an apartment in the middle of an Old Town again but, here again, I found that is exactly what I had booked for Ghent! It meant parking a few hundred metres away, which wasn’t too bad, but then dragging all of our bags, and Dagwood, over cobblestone to the apartment. Anyway, we survived. Our apartment was on the fourth floor, and had a lift which was great, and was a nice big space with lots of natural light and had the bonus of a little balcony with a bistro table and chairs, which was nice for meals.
Ghent was super busy with loads of people; many more than we had experienced in Breda and even Antwerp, and had a most energizing buzz. It’s half the size of Antwerp but much more picturesque, which was probably why there were so much more activity and excitement about the place. We were very glad to be here and highly suggest this as a place to put on your ‘to do’ list!
Wed 28 Aug
It was a beautiful sunny morning so we set out early to have a walk around the Old Town in the peace and quiet of the early morning. Without the hoards of people it becomes quickly apparent just how absolutely beautiful the city is. This may seem like a big call but I consider Ghent to be the most beautiful city I’ve ever seen; there is architectural splendour everywhere you look. It’s jaw-roppingly, amazingly beautiful. So, apologies in advance for all the scenery photos from our morning walk. We stopped off for a coffee at Merveilleux on our way back to the apartment and this place just dazzled, literally, with the most enormous glittering chandelier hovering over a spectacular variety of pastries. This is another must-visit place if you’re ever in Ghent and we had the joy of this place being essentially right below our apartment, just a few steps along. I would have been happy to sit here all day but we had to head back to the apartment to get ready for our walking tour.
We had a walking tour booked for 10.30 am with Freetour.com and this was excellent. Our guide for the 2 hours was Julian, a native of Ghent, and he had an extensive knowledge about the city and its place within European history and he brought the city to life for our group. He explained to us that the huge crowds in Ghent are not due to tourists. He went on to say that most of them are locals and that Ghent is a thriving living city with a huge student population and that when your sitting in one of the many cafes, bars or restaurants, the people next to you are most likely to be natives of Ghent. That was somewhat comforting to hear. I would highly recommend this tour if you’re ever in Ghent, and I would suggest you ask for Julian.
Our walking tour finished up just after 12:30, and right next to our apartment, so we decided to go back there to have a sandwich for lunch as the view from our balcony, and dining area, was rather beautiful.
It was near 2:30 pm before we set off again and we headed to the Castle of the Counts to take a 90 minute self guided audio guide tour. This was quite interesting and well worth doing if you’re ever in Ghent. After that, we took a boat ride along the canals and then visited a popular beer house, Dulle Griet, for Mark to try some beer. The place was packed and they had this weird system that if you ordered a yard glass of beer, you had to offer up one of your shoes that they then placed in a basket that was lowered from the ceiling, a process accomplished with great ceremony, bell ringing and cheers. It was all rather amusing. From there it was off to dinner at Pakhuis which I had found recommended on this blog. This was a great suggestion as the setting in the converted warehouse was spectacular and the food was excellent. This is a must visit restaurant if you’re ever in Ghent.
We had loved our short visit to Ghent and probably could have stayed another night. Our apartment was fantastic and in an ideal location so book-mark this place to stay if you’re ever in the area. Just FYI: We had the one bedroom Penthouse apartment but the hosts also have a two bedroom Deluxe apartment in the same building. Tomorrow we head to Namur.
