Gorgeous Ghent - churches, canals and castles

We trained to the city of Ghent, about halfway between Bruges and Brussels.  It's a city of 250,000 people, with 70,000 university students.

This is the view from our room at the Ibis Central next to St. Bavo's Cathedral. It was noon on Sunday, and we were treated to a concert. It seemed as if all three of the churches were in a bell-ringing competition.

The hotel is right on the main square. We wandered down when we saw a commotion below us.

 

People in medieval costume, carrying falcons.

 

 

And others, demonstrating the birds' prowess.

 

 

 

 

 

It's a beautiful city of churches...

 

 

 

And more canals.

 

Our young canal boat

tour guide spoke seven languages fluently, and gave the tour in Flemish, German, English, and Spanish, based on nationalities aboard.

 

 

 

This castle was built by Philip of Alsace in 1130, not to defend, but to intimidate the independent minded residents into submission.

 

When we left the next morning, our cab driver asked us where we'd been and what had been our favorite places. We'll post the answers next.

 

In Bruges

A fairytale of a medieval city

 

St. Gilles church across from our B & B

 

 

 

 

Bruges is laced with canals.

 

 

 

 Fellow sightseers pass us.

 

 

 

 

A view from a canal.

Beautiful cobblestone hidden alleyways.

 

Ancient buildings where old combines with new - delicious lunch at Tom's Diner

 

 

Monet's Garden in Giverny

 

This is the chambre d'hote, B & B, L'Hermitage where we stayed near Giverny.

 The gardens and the lily ponds.

Our buddies

Our "port buddies," Rosie and Jamie, who moved to their own "fermette" in rural France.

 

 

 

 

Their farmhouse...

 

 

And the bucolic view of their garden and orchard.

 

It was great seeing them again after four years.

 

 

Dole France

We've always had a love/hate telling anyone about Dole. Part of us wants to keep it to ourselves--it's just our favorite mid-sized city in the world. Period.

But for you, we'll spill the haricorts: it's Beaune without the tourists, and a college town to boot. The people here have always been welcoming since they are not burned out by hordes of tourists.

 

The collegiate church - different from a cathedral since a bishop doesn't "sit" there.

 

 

 

Louis Pasteur was born here. His father was a tanner, the main industry that used the canals lacing the city.

 

 

We used to moor "Imagine" with a view of the church.

 

 

One of the most beautiful places to stay in France.

Burgundy Bliss

 

 

This is the "gite" where we stayed for two and a half weeks. We had a lovely wisteria-covered upper balcony...

 

Two bedrooms, 3 baths and good kitchen facilities in Noiron-sous-Givrey.

 

Lunch at L'Amiral in St. Jean de Losne.

 

Our friends Richard and Jo Ann along the Burgundy Canal where they were married aboard "Imagine."

 

 

We watched a large hotel barge, 'Fleur de Lys" cross over an aqueduct near Chez Bryony.  Not an inch to spare on either side.