We Got to Ghent

Ghent is a beautiful historical city in Belgium.  It sits at the confluence of 2 rivers and its buildings show off their antique flemish architecture including the iconic medieval stepped gables.  Above is the Graslei area which has become the largest pedestrian shopping zone in Europe.  We took a really good self-guided walking tour of the historic center with 24 designated stops along the way.  It was a great way to get to know the city on our own terms. We also took a boat ride through the many canals in the city.  The oarsman was bilingual and described the historical sites as we motored slowly through the canals. 

We had just spent 2 days in Antwerp while Pete was doing business.  I was busy with Pete's associate's wife Pascal and her best friend Jill, from Philadelphia.  They picked me up at the hotel, took me to lunch, and we spent the afternoon shopping!  How fun to have local women who know their way around to visit the best boutiques in town. 

Our trip to Ghent was not planned but Pascal found us a hotel right in the center of town, so we left Antwerp on Friday and spent the rest of the weekend in Ghent.  Our hotel was located right on one of the canals.  After check-in, we decided to take the walking tour... but only after tasting one of the many locally-brewed Belgium beers. 

This is where we started - a famous beer distribution warehouse turned into a great bar.  Where the boat is parked are holding chambers for beer kegs from the old days.

The tour started here at the old Fish Market which opened this door in 1689.  Just beyond me is the Castle of the Counts.



This is the gorgeous entrance to the Fish Market with Neptune high above keeping watch. 

Inside the Castle of the Counts.  Nowhere else in the world can you visit such a massive castle right in the heart of the city.  It was built in 1180 and still has its guillotine intact.




These two little buildings with beautiful architecture form the entrance to the medeival city with windy, narrow streets.



Pete loved this window with a sample of the many beers produced in this small country. 

A picture from the bridge of the Graslei and the Korenlei which together formed the first trading port back in the 11th century.

Another portion of the pedestrian shopping zone:  Emilia Braun Plein.

The Belfry forms part of the well-known skyline of Ghent.  This is the 2nd tallest tower there and is topped by a dragon who oversees the population of the city.  From 1180 to 1869, bells would chime from here to warn of invaders or fires.

St. Baafs Cathedral houses all types of artwork...

...including this amazing pulpit.

Sunday morning on the Graslei. 

On St. Michael's Bridge overlooking the Graslei area of the inner city.

Coinciding with our visit was a famous art exhibit called "Track" with many pieces of art displayed throughout the city.  This is one of the outdoor pieces.  In large channel letters the words describe what US soldiers in Vietnam were instructed to do:  Search and Destroy.

This a view from our balcony at our hotel. 

Pete saw the moon peaking out one night and captured the stepped gabled facades in the evening.

Tschus!!

Ireland....Springsteen, Guinness, Jameson, and a Terrible Beauty

This picture comes close to visualizing the "Terrible Beauty" that Leon Uris used to describe Ireland.  These are the Cliffs of Moher in County Clare near Galway Bay.  These cliffs rise to over 700 feet above the Atlantic Ocean.  The walkways are so close to the edge of the cliffs that some visitors have plunged to their deaths when they got too close.

The other reason to visit Ireland...

An even better reason to visit Ireland...

And, our excuse for visiting Ireland - to see the Boss in concert in Dublin!

This was the start of our journey.  In Dublin at the historic O'Connell bridge built in 1734.

Mary next to the statue of Molly Malone, who as the anthem and legend goes, sold "Cockles and Mussels" on the streets of Dublin.  But that's not all...as her dress implies, she was a part-time prostitute at night.

Here's our gang of American expats living in Wiesbaden at the Guiness Brewery, founded in 1759.  The bar at the end of the tour is about 200 feet above ground with 360 degree views of the city.

This caption was written on the glass window in the direction of the Wicklow Mountains where the water comes from to make Guiness so special.  Thank God it's not from the River Liffey that runs through Dublin.

The harp in the logo is facing the opposite way of the Government's use of the harp logo - it was a calculated slam on the "Man" by Mr. Guiness.

Next stop in Dublin was the hallowed grounds of the Jameson Museum.  This is a chandelier made entirelyof Jameson bottles.  Mr. John Jameson's motto was "Sine Metu" - meaning "without fear." 

Ed and Pete after graduating from a whiskey tasting lesson.... Jameson won!

Pete in front of the distillery on Bow Street, founded in 1780.  Jameson was produced on this Dublin site for nearly 200 years, until 1971.

The Temple Bar area is home to most of the Irish music pubs - this one is the namesake bar.

The gang at Temple Bar.



The interior of St. Patrick's Cathedral, the largest church in Ireland.  The interior is 295 feet long, it acts as a tribute to Irish soldiers who died in the 2 world wars.  Ireland was neutral in WWII but over 50,000 Irish soldiers died fighting with the British.  Writer Jonathan Swift (author of Gulliver's Travels) is buried here. 



I have seen so many churches and stained glass windows in Europe, but this one is my favorite.  It's dedicated to feeding the children of Ireland.

This is Christ Church Cathedral known mostly because it's close by...

... Leo Burdock's famous fish and chips.  This hole in the wall, take-out only chipper, has been a Dublin favorite since 1913.  People wait in line for fish bought fresh that day along with good ole Irish potatoes.

And, our final act in Dublin was to see Bruce Springsteen at a local soccer field.  It threatened rain early but turned into a beautiful evening with a lot of sing-alongs. 



The six of us rented a vehicle and took off for the west coast near Galway.  We stayed in a small town called Ballyvaughn.  This picture is a classic view from that area looking over a stone fence towards Galway bay.



Nearby Ballyvaughn are the Cliffs of Moher.  Here I am in contemplation.

Everywhere you looked was an breathtaking scene.  It's difficult for pictures to capture the depth and size of these cliffs.



Another stunning view from near O'Brien's tower.



O'Brien's tower was built in 1835 for tourists to view the cliffs.




Walking home after dinner at a local fish restaurant near Ballyvaughn, this was the scene on Galway Bay.



This is Ireland's own mini-Stonehenge - an ancient Druid burial ground with impossibly huge stones sitting precariously on top of each other.  This is located in the Burren - a large area dominated by stone in the soil.

Here we stand in front of the Blarney castle just after kissing the stone.  We now have the gift of gab or blarney or better known as chatter.

A view from atop Blarney Castle

Our final stop in Ireland was at the House of Waterford Crystal where each piece is still hand made.  This beautiful piece was presented to the rescue workers of NYC in memory of "those who lost their lives trying to save others."

"It's only Castles Burning" - Neil Young

Ok, couldn't resist the temptation to throw in the Neil Young lyric - but today, no castles were burning.  My sister Lisa visited us in early July and we managed to bring her to two castles and attend two festivals - Schierstein Harbor Fest and the Mainz Beer Fest - while she was here for a week.  This beautiful castle on the Rhine - Schoenberg Castle in Oberwesel - is just up the Rhine from Wiesbaden.  Schoenberg, like many castles along this part of the "romantic" Rhine river, are situated on a hilltop overlooking the river.  This is because these landowners charged tolls to any traffic along the river back in the day.

View from the top of Schoenberg Castle looking North

The absolutely charming restaurant within the castle walls with many alfresco dining areas and views of the Rhine

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Another charming spot to dine on a less rainy day!

A patio inside the castle but open to the air.

Mary and Lisa enjoying the view in between cloud bursts.

View along the east bank of the Rhine with another castle looming over the river.

The river is still used for barge traffic but also for tourism.

This stunning view of the Eltz Castle is seen only after a hike down into this beautful valley.  The Eltz family controlled a section of the Mosel River which enters the Rhine at Koblenz.  It was built in the 12th century and has the same charm as King Ludwig's 3 castles in Bavaria.  It's so well preserved because it never got destroyed by enemies or allied bombing.  Where it's situated in the valley protected it from barbarians with fire-throwing catapults.

This charming couple posed for pictures for us.

You get a better idea of the size of the castle from this view.

Inside the castle grounds where the multiple Eltz families were safe from intruders.