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Published: January 12th 2008
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Basilica of Our Lady
A church first stood on this site as early as the 4th century! Today we went to nearby Tongeren. We had plans to meet friends for dinner in Leuven but we thought we deserved/needed/craved one last little trip. We were going to bike to the station as usual but Jonathan had (another) flat tire. Even the bikes know it is time for us to hand in our gear, pack up our stuff and bust out of here. So, the bus to the train and a peaceful hour long ride to Tongeren. The kids did their usual coloring, reading and eating routine on the train. Jonathan and I have been amazed to think back to our first day trip via train back in June; the kids hardly knew what to do with themselves and now they are seasoned little travelers.
We arrived in Tongeren with no real agenda. The town which is halfway between Hasselt and Leige is on the linguistic divide. Additionally, Tongeren has the honor of being Belgium's oldest town. When the area was invaded by Romans in 54 BC the original locals (known as Eburones) successfully ambushed the Romans under the leadership of Ambiorix, a local chieftain. We believe that this historical figure served as inspiration for one of the girls
Carving of a Knight
(Emma's photo) The girls took quite a few pictures of these carvings that we found in the hallway of the cloister. favorite Belgian comic book heroes: Asterix. The town continued to do battle with the Romans but eventually became a thriving settlement with massive walls to protect it. It was about a five minute walk from the train station into town. The other thing Tongeren is famous for is antiques and on Sunday mornings all of the main streets are flooded with shoppers and sellers bartering over goods. The Grote Markt was nothing to speak of, but the Basilica of Our Lady loomed large. Though covered in part for construction we managed to sneak inside and find a cloister that is being worked on. I stood watching the girls take pictures of ancient stone carvings and began to wonder what it will be at home that will inspire their photography further. A church has stood on this site for at least 1200 years! Historians believe a place of worship existed here as early as the 4th century and that it was the first church north of the Alps to be dedicated to the Virgin. Due to this there are massive reconstruction, renovation, excavation projects throughout and around the basilica.
Immediately outside of the basilica is a small open air pit
containing a small section of the 4th century second Roman wall that once encircled the town, as well as the foundations for several medieval buildings. Walking through the stone work you are able to see how towns have been "layered on top of each other, like a lasagna, throughout history". The girls thought this was a fun place to run around. Apparently Tongeren's Gallo-Roman museum is supposed to be amazing, but we wouldn't know since it looked as though the place was completely demolished for renovations. The temperature was fairly mild but the wind was strong and it spit on us all day long. On we marched toward the Begijnhof. Sure, you may think, 'you've seen one Begijnhof, you've seen them all'. But that simply isn't true. The one in Tongeren, though no longer a separate community like ours in Leuven, is quite lovely. Part of it was once a brewery, and another part was a large infirmary. One building had been turned into a lovely youth hostel (I know first hand because Eliza had to use their facilities). We still maintain that the Begijnhof in Diest is by far the nicest we have been to, with Leuven perhaps in
second and Tongeren in third. Late in the afternoon we decided to hit the playground nearby. It was a fantastic find (though, of course, no Provinciaal Park) and the kids had a blast running around. We spoke to our friends and found out that they weren't feeling well which canceled our dinner plans. We decided to stick to our original schedule however and so after playtime we walked back towards the train station (via a pastry shop, of course).
We had a smooth ride back to Leuven on a double decker (perhaps our last!) train which the kids always think is the best way to travel. We got into town and treated ourselves to a late meal. We have a weekend of lasts up ahead. The last waffle. The last cheese from the cheese guy. The last family bike ride. The last good beer. The last , the last, the last....
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