Saturday, February 27, 2016

Belgium Travel Diary: Ghent


Our itinerary wouldn't have been the same without charismatic Ghent. I absolutely loved it! Smaller than Brussels, this Flemish city is a cocktail of students, (less) tourists, artists and ultracool locals. Cosy cafés, quirky shops, pretty buildings, a medieval heritage that would charm any History buff and plenty of free art and culture for every taste. It was love at first stroll and I would've literally spend an entire day chilling on St Michael's bridge if I could, admiring the surrounding architecture, the serenity of the river, the bright blue trams passing by and even the pathetic posers taking selfies in awkward positions (i.e. jumping, opening their arms so it would look like they were hugging a bell tower, etc.).

After our daily intake of Hoegaarden, we patrolled the streets of this old yet modern pedestrian paradise. It was windy and overcast but not too cold so we experienced Ghent properly, no need to hide indoors. Exploring the old town led us to discover many treasures, and we never thought we could spend so long inside churches and cathedrals (yes, plural). We also went to the weirdest sex shop ever (think Twin Peaks with a hint of Eyes Wide Shut, and also incredibly geriatric and dodgy), and then we got stalked by some pervy creep who ran away from us when we realised we got company. Go figure. Eventually we ended up in the Red Light District - by accident, I swear. I have never seen prostitutes that beautiful, I kid you not. It looked like a Victoria's Secret fashion show! Only the street art was more impressive than such lustful display.

Funny fact: we had to take turns to take a shit every now and then, as all the beer and chocolate intake was playing tricks on our digestive system. So, you can imagine our joy whenever we found a public toilet we didn't have to pay for.

Next stop: Why don't you take a guess?

13 comments:

  1. What a beautiful place! I love how unique and interesting all the architecture is xx

    www.britishmermaid.blogspot.co.uk

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  2. This place looks/sounds amazing - I would love to get lost there and just wander!

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  3. Such stunning architecture <3 Looks like such a lovely place to walk around & explore, and oh god that sex shop sure sounds interesting haha! Shame about the creep >.<

    Claire xx
    J'adore.

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  4. Wow all the photos are stunning! The sex shop definitely sounds like an interesting experiences, as does your encounter with the red light district, but that's what exploring is all about right?

    Issy | MissIsGoode xox

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  5. Belas fotos de uma cidade que merece ser fotografada.
    Fiquei a imaginar a quantidade de idiotas por m2 a perder
    tempo com selfies!
    Gostei muito, das fotos, e do texto.
    xx

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  6. Such stunning photos yet again! Seriously, your travel pics are among my favorites from any blog. :) Your outfit is super cute too - love the beret and amazing boots. xoxo

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  7. a arquitectura é de morrer!!!
    http://bloglairdutemps.blogspot.pt/

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  8. Utterly beautiful photos! Belgium has been on my list of places to revisit for a while and you've made me remember how much of a magical place it is. Thanks so much! x

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  9. Next stop has to be Brugges! I had the most amazing waffles ever in Ghent

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  10. awesome photos, would love to visit! x

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  11. Já devo ter dito isto, mas tu fazes belos diários de viagens, tiras fotos que importam e nos fazem perceber o sítio e o feeling desses locais por onde andaste.
    Adoro a tua honestidade a falar das viagens, então do dilema das casas de banho!

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  12. Que fotos bonitas. Fui a Ghent o ano passado e este ano, há umas semanas, calhou voltar lá um dia numa visita rápida que fiz a Bruxelas. É adorável! ^^

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