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Published: October 8th 2022
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The Postlllion Hotel
The view from our room this morning. How quickly the view changes. This morning was a crisp, early start, and after a few free coffees from the hotel we slept in, Natalia drove us to Kinderdyjk, a cluster of 19 traditional windmills that has been preserved for tourist and cultural reasons.
The complex offers a boat ride/ mill inspection guided tour for a small ransom, so we opted to walk along the tarred tracks that line the banks of the canal.
Once again we have been blessed with unseasonal sunshine, as we dodged speeding cyclists, broke through large groups of old, and I mean old old, tourists travelling on the super long Viking Cruises Barge docked nearby. It was like stepping back in time, and some of the windmills dated back to the early 15th century. Modern windmills are electric powered and while they don’t have the smooth flowing lines of the older mills, they are very beautiful. Three of the windmills are inhabited by staff who maintain and operate them. There is a comprehensive training program to become a windmill keeper, and it is said that they are as hard to control as a yacht in inclement weather. If they lose control in windy conditions, the mill can self destruct.
After a breakfast of coffee and an apple pastry, we were on the road to Brussels.
The traffic is always hectic, but Natalia navigated the swift lane changes and the confusing Google guidance, while still finding time to point out places of interest along the way.
Ed, a friend who lives in Brussels, was there to greet us with his fiancé, Anna Maria, and took us on an interesting tour of Brussels, beginning with the Victor Horta Museum, a house constructed in the Art Nouveau style. It reminded me of the old style French posters, with glamorous ladies framed in soft curved borders and floral designs. It is a four story house with original features and furniture, and is considered one of the best remaining examples of this period . You were stripped of any bags you were carrying, and photos are forbidden.
Ed then led us through the old district, highlighting places on interest, such as the highest regarded chocolate makers, buildings of importance, and we stood in awe, in the centre of the Grand-Place, surrounded by gold tipped buildings that Sue thought were like the main plaza in Nance, France, on steroids.
After slipping up a
dark narrow laneway to a dark, crowded bar for a cold drink, we went back to our hotel, had a break, and joined Tim, Natalia, Ed, and Anna Maria for dinner at a restaurant serving traditional Belgian food. Most of us had the slow cooked ox cheek stew, Natalia had the rabbit, while Tim braved the black pudding. It’s meant to be good for you, but I doubt I’ll ever know. Sue and I are staying at an older style hotel in the upper end of town, and it is again, very different from last night. It has an old world charm, and faces out to the tree lined peaceful road at the front.
We are all quite tired at this stage of the trip, and tomorrow we are going out for breakfast, and then winding up this epic jaunt through France, Switzerland, The Netherlands, and Brussels. By the time we land back in Luxembourg, we will have travelled over 5000 kilometres, seen more than you should in about 23 days, but it was worth every moment.
We have seen priceless artworks, visited a Bull Festival, seen pink flamingos on the Camargue, walked around the base of the Swiss Alps,
Kinderdyjk Windmill.
This one operated from 1440 until 1985. It still works but the uses for windmills are now electrified. tramped through the waterlogged ground of the Netherlands, and dropped in to its most stunning towns, and changed my opinion that Brussels is a mainly staid commercial city, into one where it should be high on a visit list.
And all this was made possible, and better, with the help of family and friends. There’s a bed in Australia whenever they need one, and I’m sure we can match the beauty that we have just enjoyed.
I’ll keep posting but the last two days in Luxembourg are winding down days, and then we’ll stop over in Paris to cap off this trip.
catch you tomorrow.
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Home and Away
Bob Carlsen
Thanks for the memories...
we lived in Brussels for 11 years and agree with you that it should be high on everyone's' must see list...best to visit in off season as Belgians have specialized in cold weather amenities like great restaurants and museums.