It seems pretty amazing that we accidentally came to the Belgian city of Ghent when they were having their 3rd annual Light Festival! I had no idea it even existed – until I had to book the hotel, and it was a whole lot more expensive than usual! I’m glad we stumbled upon it though, because what we’ve seen of it so far is stunning! Apparently, it’s becoming a big tourist attraction, and I can see why. They have put a lot of effort into the 40+ exhibits. There are white globes of light that pulse and flash to catchy rhythms, a fantastic lights display across the front of a building, and heaps more light-based things. I’ve only seen a tiny portion of it all and plan on seeing it all tomorrow night! I’m looking forward to it!
We’ve spent the last couple of days in Belgium, catching up with my host family from when I did my exchange year here, back in 2009. It was awesome to see them again, especially seeing how much my little host sister had grown up! She’s still adorable though! 🙂
And of course, I can’t forget the divine chocolate that Belgium is so famous for! Mmmm… so delicious! I especially like one brand called Galak, which is a white chocolate. There is one particular version that has a local biscuit crushed up in it, called Speculoos (sounds bizarre, I know, but it’s yummy!). It was good to rediscover it and eat it all over again! The waffles they have here are pretty amazing too. Needless to say, I am taking a very full suitcase back to the UK… 😉
Today, before coming to Ghent, we stopped off at Brugge – basically the city of chocolate. It is literally a chocolate lover’s heaven, with a chocolate shop on every corner! I love going to Brugge. It’s such an old city, with beautiful cathedrals, canals, bridges and buildings. It also has small craftsman shops, where you can buy all sorts of beautiful, handmade things.
We passed through Germany on our way to Belgium, taking the train from Copenhagen, Denmark. It’s the second time I’ve been to Germany and it gives me a different feeling to a lot of the other European countries. Most of the towns I’ve been to or that the train passed through in Germany tended to be a lot of concrete and glass, unlike a lot of the other countries that have many ancient buildings. The smaller villages of Germany had more charm and reminded me a bit of English villages.
Only a few more days left, and I will be back in the UK, getting myself settled and sorted and finding a new job. I am looking forward to 2015 – I am going to make it my year and get my butt into gear, writing and publishing my books and connecting with readers as much as I can. I think it’s going to be a fantastic year and I plan to enjoy every moment!