Entries about tongeren

FAVOURITE PHOTO.

TONGEREN

WE HADN'T PLANNED TO VISIT TONGEREN ON OUR ROAD TRIP THROUGH EUROPE.
WE WERE HEADED TO LIER FOR A SPECIAL VIRTUALTOURIST MEET AND WE HAD
ARRANGED TO PICK UP KSHEZZ (Kirsty) FROM HER HOME IN TONGEREN.

MY FIRST IMPRESSION OF TONGEREN WAS A SMALL TOWN THAT I IMMEDIATELY
FELT COMFORTABLE IN. THE PEOPLE HERE ARE WARM AND FRIENDLY AND THE
COUNTRYSIDE IS LOVELY.

FIRST TIME IN A NEW COUNTRY, YOU HAVE TO TRY A LOCAL BEER. THIS ONE
GRIMBERBEN WENT DOWN REAL WELL. A NICE INTRODUCTION TO BELGIUM
BEERS!

OK, NOW WE'VE HAD A NICE COLDIE.... LET'S START WITH AN AUSSIROSE STORY.
STOP GROANING!!!

WE WERE ON OUR WAY TO PICK UP KIRSTY FROM HER HOME IN TONGEREN
AND WE WERE DRIVING THROUGH SOME NICE COUNTRYSIDE AND INTO A
SMALL VILLAGE, THROUGH THE STREETS AND THEN HEADING OUT OF TOWN.

HEY... WAIT A MINUTE!!!!!!!
WE ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE HEADING OUT OF TOWN????!
WE CAME TO A SCREECHING HAULT!! .... DUST SURROUNDED THE CAR.

IS THERE SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE TOM TOM?... !! WE AGAIN PUNCHED
IN KIRSTY'S ADDRESS AND HEADED BACK INTO THE SMALL VILLAGE TO WHICH
WE HAD JUST COME FROM..... TONGEREN.

STORY TO BE CONTINUED...... LATER.

THE GREAT MEMORY A LOT OF US HAD WITH VIRTUALTOURIST (Closed in Feb 2017)
WAS OUR FABULOUS VT MEETS. I HOPE THAT TRADITION WILL CONTINUE ON TP.
SO HERE WE ARE AT KIRSTY'S PLACE IN TONGEREN EXCHANGING HUGS
IT'S LIKE MEETING UP WITH AN OLD FRIEND AND SHARING NEW EXPERIENCES.
AWESOME!!
IT WAS A REAL PLEASURE MEETING YOU KIRSTY! xx NEVER A DULL MOMENT!
YOU ARE A LIVELY FUN LOVING PERSON AND SO EASY TO GET ALONG WITH

WE ALL ENJOYED A WALK AROUND TOWN WITH THE BASILICA OF OUR LADY AND
LEARNING ABOUR THE STORY BEHIND THE AMAZING STATUE AMBIORIX IN THE
CENTRE SQUARE.

KIRSTY ALSO HAD SOME PRESENTS FOR US. MY FIRST TASTE OF BELGIUM
CHOCOLATES!! AND A KEY RING FOR HOWIE OF THE FAMOUS AMBIORIX.

LIER

OUR FIRST CANAL EXPERIENCE! WE HAD A LOT OF FIRSTS THIS TRIP
WE HAD ALREADY EXPERIENCED, CLOCKS, TUDOR HOUSES, COBBLESTONE STREETS,
CASTLES AND A GRAND PALACE. NOW THE CANALS!! HOW BEAUTIFUL!!

WHEN PLANNING OUR BIG TRIP THROUGH EUROPE I HAD GOOGLE MAPS UP
AND GOOGLE IMAGES AND OF COURST VT AS MY TRUSTY SOURCE OF INFO.
WE WERE DRIVING FROM BRAUBACH TO BRUGGE - TOO LONG TO DO IN 1 DAY.
I DISCOVERED LIER.

LIER HAS 3 BIG THINGS GOING FOR IT - AN INTERESTING CLOCK, SOME OLD
BUILDINGS IN A PLACE CALLED THE BEGUINAGE AND CANALS!!
LIER IS CALLED "LITTLE BRUGGES"

THE CLOCK WAS AMAZING!! I HAVE A THING FOR CLOCKS
MY PRIDE AND JOY AT HOME IS MY GRANDFATHER CLOCK.
THIS UNIQUE CLOCK IN LIER WAS A MASTERPIECE!!
CALLED THE ZIMMER TOWER, IT WAS ACTUALLY PART OF THE OLD TOWN WALLS
AND THEN MADE INTO A CLOCK IN 1930 BY A VERY INGENIOUS FELLA CALLED
LOUISE ZIMMER.

VT MASCOT AUSSIEBARNEY JUST LOVED LIER! BET YOU CAN GUESS WHY! LOL.
WHAT THE HECK HAVE SHEEP AND LIER GOT IN COMMON?.. I'LL EXPLAIN LATER....

FIRST THINGS FIRST. THIS WAS A SPECIAL VT MEET. IT WAS MY 51st BIRTHDAY.
I WAS GOING TO SPEND MY BIRTHDAY IN A LITTLE VILLAGE IN EUROPE THAT I
KNEW NOTHING ABOUT..... WELL EXCEPT FOR THE LOVELY CANALS AND CLOCK.

TURNS OUT THAT I COUD NOT HAVE PICKED A BETTER PLACE!! AND THAT WAS
BECAUSE OF SOME FANTASTIC VT MEMBERS!! WHO MADE THIS A DAY TO
REMEMBER AND THE WEALTH OF INFORMATION THEY HAD TO SHARE WITH ME!

THANKS TO KSHEZZ (Kirsty), IRISBE (Dannie) AND EDDYMARIO (Eddy).
YOU GUYS ROCK!!! xxx

Eddie, his lovely wife, good friend Birgit who was travelling with us,
aussirose, Kirsty and Dannie.

EXCHANGED HUGS ALL ROUND AND A COUPLE OF DRINKS AS US VT'ERS ARE
ACCUSTOMED TO.... AND WE WENT FOR A WANDER AROUND TOWN.

I HAD READ ALL ABOUT THE BEGUINAGE AND WAS EXCITED TO SEE IT.
A BEGUINAGE IS LIKE A CONVENT. IN THE OLD TIMES THERE WAS A SURPLUS
OF WOMEN AS A RESULT OF WAR WHICH TOOK THE LIVES OF MANY MEN.
THESE WOMEN FORMED COMMUNITIES WHERE THEY BECAME RELIGIOUS AND
TOOK ON THE LIVES OF NUNS. YOU COULD SAY THAT A BEGUINAGE IS
COMPARED TO A MONESTERY EXCEPT THE BEGUINES DID NOT MAKE VOWS
LIKE NUNS DO. THIS WAS TURNING OUT TO BE A MOST ENJOYABLE DAY!!

BEER O'CLOCK AND PARTY TIME!!

EDDY AND DANNIE CHOSE A FABULOUS RESTAURANT FOR OUR PARTY!!
WE HAD A LOVELY VIEW OVER NICE GREENERY AND THE FAMOUS SHEEP STATUES.
THANK YOU FOR ORGANISING GUYS!!! YOU ARE AMAZING FRIENDS! xx
WE HAD AN AWESOME PARTY!!!

STREETS OF LIER

EARLY NEXT MORNING WE TOOK A WANDER AROUND THE STREETS. IT'S A NICE
THING TO DO WHEN THE AIR IS COOL AND THERE'S NO ONE AROUND

OPPOSITE THE RESTAURANT WE HAD PARTIED THE NIGHT BEFORE WAS A LOVELY
PAINTING PORTRAYING THE LIFE OF THE WOMEN IN THE OLD BEGUINAGE.
I AM BY FAR A HISTORY JUNKIE.... BUT I WAS ACTUALLY QUITE LIKING WHAT
I WAS LEARNING. LIER HAS A VERY INTERESTING HISTORY....

OK.... NOW FOR A SHEEPISH STORY

DID YOU KNOW THAT THE INHABITANTS OF LIER ARE NICNAMED
"SHEEP'S HEADS"? THIS IS THE STORY BEHIND THE SHEEP STATUES THAT
YOU FIND AROUND TOWN.

WAY BACK IN THE OLDEN TIMES THEY WERE ASKED WHAT THEY WISHED FOR -
A CATTLE MARKET OR A UNI?

YEP..... YOU GUESSED IT ................. AND LEUVEN, A PLACE DOWN THE ROAD
GOT THE UNIVERSITY.

THIS STORY DIDN'T MATTER TO AUSSIBARNEY. HE WAS JUST HAPPY TO MEET
SOME OF HIS FELLOW MATES. HE PICKED THE BLACK SHEEP TO SIT ON FOR A
RIDE NO HIDDEN SECRET THERE...... LOL.

SO WHILST AUSSIEBARNEY WAS BEING LED ASTRAY BY THE BLACK SHEEP.....
I GOT A LITTLE DISTRACTED MYSELF.....

WHOAA??.... HELL YEH!!!
THE CHIPPENDALES WERE IN TOWN!!!..... HOW COULD I HAVE MISSED THEM??!!!
HEY DANNIE !!!!!! GEE!!!

DESPITE MISSING THE CHIPPENDALES OUR VISIT TO LIER WILL DEFINITELY BE
ANOTHER GREAT TRAVEL MEMORY!! MADE ALL THE BETTER BY FANTASTIC
FRIENDS!! THANKS GUYS!!

PURE HOTEL LIER

WE STAYED AT THE PURE BED AND BREAKFAST. THIS PLACE IS THE MOST
CLINICAL HOTEL I HAVE EVER STAYED IN. EVERYTHING WAS NEW AND 'WHITE'
WITH LOTS OF CHROME FITTINGS. THERE WAS NO ATMOSPHERE HERE.
IT WAS AS CLEAN AS A HOSPITAL WITHOUT THE SMELL
MIGHT HAVE HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH CATERING MAILY FOR THOSE
THAT COME OUT OF THE SLEEZY DISCO IN FRONT OF THE HOTEL LOL.
BREAKFAST WAS GOOD THOUGH. DON'T THINK I'D STAY HERE AGAIN.

GENT

WELL WHAT AN AMAZING SURPRISE!! WE WERE NOT SURE WHAT TO EXPECT.
I HAD DONE NO RESEARCH AT ALL ON GENT. WE MADE A QUICK STOP IN GENT ON
THE WAY TO BRUGGES PURELY TO MEET A VERY OLD FRIEND OF MINE ON VT ERWIN.

ERWIN (Joeplaboam) HAD KINDLY OFFERED TO SHOW US AROUND HIS HOMETOWN
AND WHO WOULDN'T ACCEPT AN INVITATION LIKE THAT FROM A FRIEND I HAD KNOWN
FOR 13 YEARS ON VT

WE MET ERWIN AT A CAR PARK JUST OFF THE HIGHWAY AT THE HOLIDAY IN EXPRESS.
THAT'S A STORY IN ITSELF..... IN A MINUTE ----

WELL AS I SAID, GENT WAS A TOTAL SURPRISE AND HAS HEAPS TO OFFER!
MY FRIEND ERWIN WAS A FANTASTIC HOST AND MADE OUR SHORT STOP IN
GENT A TOTAL PLEASURE AND FANTASTIC MEMORY

THE HIGHLIGHT FOR ME IN GENT WAS OUR FIRST EUROPE CANAL EXPERIENCE.
IT WAS ALSO MY BEST CANAL TOUR OF OUR WHOLE EUROPE TRIP!!!
THIS WAS NOT ONLY DUE TO ERWIN'S COMPANY BUT ALSO BECAUSE OUR TOUR
GUIDE WAS SO ENTERTAINING AND FUNNY.

GENT IS A POPULAR PACE FOR WEDDINGS. WE SAW 4 IN THE SHORT SPACE OF TIME
THAT WE WERE HERE. AND NO WONDER! THE BACKDROP WITH GORGEOUS OLD
BUILDINGS AND COBBLESTONE STREETS. WOW! WHO WOULDN'T WANT TO GET
MARRIED HERE!!

OUT AND ABOUT WANDERING AROUND GENT WITH IT'S AMAZING BUILDINGS, ARCHITECTURE,
GREAT CATHEDERAL AND EVEN A CASTLE!! - GRAVENSTEEN! STUNNING!!

AND THEN..... JUST WHEN WE THOUGHT IT COULDN'T GET ANY BETTER..... ERWIN TOOK US TO
THE AMAZING WERREGARENSTRAAT - GRAFFITI STREET!!!!

OK.... BACK TO THE FUNNY AUSSIROSE STORY....
DONT!!! *** aussirose making stop hand signal ***
KEEP YOUR THOUGHTS TO YOURSELF!!!

WAS OUR TRUSTY GPS PLAYING TRICKS ON US?....
TOM TOM HAD HELPED US NAVIGATE BUSTLING CITIES, WINDY ROADS,
SMALL COBBLEDSTONE STREETS WITHIN OLD FORTRESS WALLS AND
WIDE OPEN COUNTRYSIDE. WE COULD NOT HAVE DONE THIS TRIP WITHOUT IT.
..... WELL EXCEPT FOR A COUPLE OF HICKUPS.

WE HAD TRAVELLED THROUGH THE GORGEOUS BELGIUM COUNTRYSIDE THE
PREVIOUS DAY TO PICK UP KIRSTY FROM TONGEREN AND TAKE HER WITH US
TO LIER FOR MY BIRTHDAY BASH. TOM TOM TOOK US RIGHT PAST KIRSTY'S
HOUSE AND OUT OF TOWN. WE THOUGHT AT THE TIME THAT IT WAS STRANGE.
BUT DIDN'T THINK ANYTHING MORE BECAUSE WE WERE EXCITED TO SEE KIRSTY.

SO HERE WE ARE DRIVING FROM LIER TO BRUGGES VIA GENT TO SEE ERWIN.
WELL GUESS WHAT?.... WE TOOK THE EXIT OFF THE HIGHWAY TO GENT....
THEN DID A LOOP AND RE-ENTERED THE HIGHWAY TOWARDS BRUGGES.

HUH??? WTF??!!!..............

THEN IT CLICKED!!! TOM TOM DIDN'T KNOW THAT WE ACTUALLY WANTED TO
STOP IN GENT!! STUPID GPS!!! LOL

BY PUTTING IN 'VIA' - GPS WAS DOING JUST THAT..... TAKING US VIA.
HAHA.

BEER TIME!

ERWIN TOOK US TO THIS PUB CALLED DULLO GRIET BAR WHEN THEY SERVE
OVER 250 BEERS!! HOOLEYDOOLEY !!!! CHEERS!!

WESTMALLE WAS OUR FAVOURITE.

DE KONICK - A NICE FULL BODIED BEER WITH A GOOD WHEATY TASTE.

PECHERESSE, A BEER MADE OUT OF 30% PEACH JUICE. DIFFERENT... BUT STILL VERY TASTY.

AS YOU CAN SEE HERE.... I AM TOTALLY HAPPY AFTER A COUPLE OF HOURS
SPENT IN GENT WITH OUR WONDERFUL HOST ERWIN

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SHOWING US AROUND MATE. GENT WAS AMAZING!
AND YOU ARE THE BEST!! xx
I WOULD LOVE TO COME BACK AND EXPLORE SOME MORE.

NEXT STOP THE STUNNING AND ROMATIC BRUGGES.