Ghent

Belgium is a country that never really inspired me. So it came down to someone else to persuade me to go there. The destination was Ghent somewhere I knew very little about.

I'd been to Antwerp before and Brussels very briefly and caught the train from Brussels to Luxembourg but that was it.

We flew into Brussels and it was a nice short flight from the UK. Brussels Airlines did a good job and the plane was comfortable, with decent leg room and no issues with baggage space running out in the cabin.

From Brussels Airport we caught a direct train to Ghent. There was a quicker train but it involved changing in Antwerp. The direct train seemed simpler and we got the quicker train back with a tightish connection in Antwerp.

Once in Ghent, a short train hop across the city to Dampoort station, our hotel was close to that and we found it with no trouble.

It had been quite a long travel day, but we headed out for some food and beers anyhow.

First we got Belgian fries with mayonaisse. They were massive portions and we didn't need to eat again after that. We had some difficulty with the machine to pay with, where you fed the notes into it, but the fries were really good.

Then beer! There was torrential rain and we got soaked on our pub crawl. We did 3 bars, then went back to the first one for a nightcap. The beer was strong - 8% being common. One bartender told us anything less was 'what they gave to children.'

The next morning, everyone arrived downstairs at a reasonable time, and we headed out into the city to explore.

There is plenty to do in Ghent for a weekend. We did a canal boat tour, looked round the castle, browsed markets, visited cathedrals, ate waffles and chocolate, and visited a couple of museums. There were plenty to choose from. Some of the guys went to watch Ghent play footy. They won 4-0.

For food I tried Ghentish Stew with Croquettes and French coffee with cognac. It was really good. The next day I had meatballs, which was also good, but not as good as the stew.

Then more beer. Sunday night was quieter than Saturday night, still busy in our favourite bar.

We had a full day in Ghent before flying out, and again there was plenty to do. Another museum, a fun tram ride and walking around the city sightseeing, then buying gifts for those back home.

Ghent had surprised me. It's a beautiful city and well worth a look.