When we first arrived, his family invited us into their home. What a historical wonder! I can't imagine living in a home that was built so long ago. Everywhere we looked there was evidence of the period - like their fireplaces, and the ceilings, etc. Luc's family had bought several tarts and pies for us to sample from their local bakery and after eating we let the kids play in his immaculate garden for awhile.
Here is Jeff, Emily, and Blake playing with one of the daughters in front of their home:
Clark playing badminton with another daughter:
Katie learning the wrong way to go down stairs!
Next, Luc and his wife showed us around the little church next door.
The chapel:
The alter:
A very old painting of the church's patron saint on wooden slabs:
Then we all got into our cars and went to the nearby town of Oudenaard. There, Luc had arranged for a guided private tour of the town hall, a large cathedral, and the famous Flemish tapestry.
On our way to meet the guide, we walked past an archaeological site. The city had wanted to expand a parking lot and uncovered these ruins:
Town Hall:
Blake sitting inside the Town Hall:
Our family in front of a fountain in front of the Town Hall:
Then we went over to a large cathedral that was temporarily housing a huge collection of the locally made tapestries, for the 1700s.
After our tour we went back to Luc's house where they made us dinner. It was such a fabulous experience. The Belgians can be amazing hosts - we could really learn a lot from them. They made us so comfortable and were so accommodating of the children. It will be a highlight of our time here in Belgium.
Katie was pretty tired by the time we headed home in the evening:
No comments:
Post a Comment