Birthday in Belgium!

The Grand Place in Brussels, Belgium

Mariott Hotel - Ghent, Belgium

View from Hotel - across the canal

One of the most wonderful advantages to living in Europe is the easy travel.  Whether it is a short plane ride to any other European country, a train, a metro, or a bus, there is a sense of travel that only belongs to Europe.   I have spent many wonderful birthdays (mostly due to the Labor Day weekend) in Europe at such fabulous places as Positano, Mallorca (Spain), Sorrento, Milan, and now I can add Belgium to the list!  Ghent may just be my new favorite European City!  The Marriott Hotel in Ghent lies right on the canal where ginger bread houses right out of a fairytale line both sides of the waterway.  Eateries and café’s also abound as do the beautiful boats that await tourists to sit and float down the river and view the city from an extraordinary location.  Since Belgium is also known for its beer, pubs abound and cobble stone streets lead to more cobble stone streets with more pubs, outdoor markets, flea market treasures, and benches to rest.  Every store is adorned with Belgian style brick or stonework that reaches up to the 6^th and 7^th stories because the taxes for the buildings only include the width and depth, not the height.  Storefronts are adorned with European products I had not seen as detailed anywhere else.  The Belgian waffle shops could be smelt before they were visible, and the best tasting carmelized waffles melted in your mouth when mixed with the crème and topping of your choice (I picked chocolate!) Belgian Chocolate stores were arrayed in enticing and beautiful layered and colorful displays of chocolate of every kind, shape, and size, and Belgian lace and linen wares were not outdone by the Belgian tapestry stores.  Along each street a major steeple or belfry could be seen through holes in the line of architecture of buildings - charm and enchantment, the kind from fairy tale lore, were everywhere.  My three favorite memories from the weekend:  1.  Standing in the Grand Plaza in Brussels as four trumpeteers, adorned in 15^th century costumes and plumes, belted out classical pieces to announce the Brussels Beer Fest.  The entire plaza, magnificent in architecture and ambience, was full of Europeans awaiting to taste the beers under the tents!  2.  Meandering on a boat down the canals of Ghent, absorbing the beauty and wonder of the town.   The best 6 Euro I believe I’ve ever spent!  3.  Walking into the Cathedral which houses the Altarpiece of Ghent by Jan Van Eyck, viewing the details of one of the greatest pieces of art and certainly of the 15^th century, while listening to a choir sing in the main church area, “Ave Maria” following by “Oh Death Where is Thy Sting”.  The sounds filled the church and I thought for a moment I must be in heaven.