Ghent, Belgium - 6th June 2006 - 8th June 2006

Ghent was a truly amazing little university town and completely changed out views of Belgium (which up until then we had thought to be clean and rather dull). The centre of Ghent was full of beautiful old buildings around two main squares which between them contained two churches and an old municipal building of sorts which each boasted immense and imposing spires.

These three spires and ranged across the two squares and lead you down to the canal and the old town. In the summer evenings this area attracts a huge crowd of people of varying ages who sit around in groups chatting, drinking and enoying the sun and the long evenings. We had found a small hotel only a few minuites walk from the centre of town and which was actually on a boat - well more of a barge. The place was reasonably cheap, the people who ran it friendly and the town so laid back that we had no real inclination to leave and would certainly head back again. That said we were ready to leave when we eventually did and eager to get out of what we classed as being Western Europe and to get to Scandinavia.