Tongeren and Orval! A Perfect Saturday Pair!

A long time ago in a country far far away......I had a blog.  I was really good about keeping that blog current.  Then, Caterpillar uprooted us from our happy place, moved us back across the ocean, forced us to navigate US life once again, and the blog was put on hold.  But now, here I sit ready to make a decent effort at finishing our European adventure.  There is still so much to tell.  One more visitor to share, several "lasts" around Europe, and not "goodbyes" but "until we see you again" with our amazing expat family.  So, let's pretend it is August, and we are still living in Belgium.  Today, I would like to tell you about Tongeren and a trip to the Orval Abbey on a beautiful summer day! Chris had just returned from his trip back to the US to find our house.  Knowing where we would live, it was time to find a few more special things for our new home.  The Tongeren Flea Market was a must.  This market is HUGE.  In fact, not only is it the biggest market in Belgium, I think it is one of the biggest in Europe.  And, it is set up every Sunday morning!

Treasures! (That we didn't buy)

We never seem to leave without a sack of Belgium beer glasses, and I bought a wooden bowl that now holds fruit on our island.  Love it!

Since it was a rare rain-free day, we decided to head to the Orval Abbey.  This had been on Chris's bucket list for a long time!

Enroute, we passed a French cemetery from WWI!

The first stop at the Abbey was lunch at the onsite restaurant.  This is the only place you can order the special "green" Orval.

Cheers!

My beer was cheaper than Allison's water...which is usually the case.

Images of the Abbey

Courtyard entrance

Monk spotting!

The ruins of the medieval abbey in the foreground.

"Heavenly Nectar"

A bird's eye view of the medieval ruins and the monastery of today.

That is one very happy man!

The drive around Belgium is always full of surprises.  I love all of the small towns.  The flowers in August are unreal.  I have flower box envy!

Beautiful countryside

And...there is always traffic at some point.  Here we are stopped on the motorway.  I'm not going to lie....I don't miss that!

Thanks for sticking with me!

Until next time,
Wendy

Mom and Nicole's Last Visit!

Just two days after returning home from our cruise, Chris was off to the US to look for a new house for our family.  And on the same day, my mom and Nicole boarded their plane to visit us in Belgium.  I am so thankful their trip to visit us was planned long before we knew we were moving home.  It was a blessing to have six days together in Belgium (and France) before it was time for us to say "Au Revoir" to Europe!

I love arrivals!  It is the happiest place on earth!

Our first day together, we were off to Gent.  We stopped in St. Bavo Cathedral and strolled around town.  It was a beautiful day in Belgium.

A replica of the Ghent Altarpiece.

While shopping, I found a drawing of this scene.  It will look perfect in our home!

Nicole surprised me with a Disney charm for my bracelet and this AWESOME necklace. These are the coordinates for Hoeilaart, Belgium….our home for the last 3+ years. 

On Saturday, we stayed in our pajamas and talked nearly all day.  Feeling guilty, we decided we should probably get dressed and go do something.  We headed up to Antwerp, ate my favorite pizza, and mom bought a diamond ring.  Typical Saturday. ;)

Delicious treats!

On Sunday, we were off to Paris!!!  

Why would I post a pic of a toilet??  Because this toilet is brilliant!  Do you have a small space?  If so, this is the toilet for you!!

Nicole loves the Eiffel Tower as much as I do…maybe.

The Williams girls!

Just a mid street stop for a pic!

Rain Rain Go Away!  At least she found a cute umbrella!

My favorite bridge….Pont Alexandre III.  Even in the rain, it is beautiful!

We found our way over to the Champs Élysées and watched a bit of Le Tour de France.  The weather was so miserable that we did not hang around to watch the men finish.

That shot where my sister-in-law thought we were actually standing in front of the Eiffel Tower.  That would be the umbrella.  So funny!

Notre Dame!

Lighting a candle for his grandpas.

We had a cool view from our hotel!

This trip, we stayed at Hôtel des Comédies.  It was perfect for the five of us.  There was an upstairs loft with this terrific view of the Sacre Cœur.  The loft had a double bed and single bed.  The first floor had a large double bed and TWO bathrooms.  It was terrific!

It just doesn't get any more beautiful than that…..

Monday morning, we were off to Disneyland Paris!  

Sooooo…..we might know where all of the cameras are located.  LOL!

Hollywood Studios

I ADORE him!

Ready for "Disney Dreams!"

One last pic for us!  Thanks for the memories Disneyland Paris.  You have given us countless moments of happiness and a little bit of home in the middle of France!

I sure hope so!

Skipping to Wednesday (I'll come back to Tuesday,) we stopped at the Neuhaus Outlet (bought way too much chocolate) and stopped by Gravensteen Castle.

We made a last minute decision to head to Brugge.  I had a little shopping I had to do, so off we went!

Since we were in Brugge, we might as well stop by Thielt (Tielt.)  This is where my Great Grandpa was born.

And while we were in Tielt, we might as well stop by Ypres.  I thought Mom and Nicole would enjoy seeing The Last Post ceremony.

Hard to believe, but it was already Thursday and time for them to head home.  Our goodbyes were not as sad since we would be home in just over a month. I will forever be thankful for this time the three of us had in Belgium…the country our ancestors also called home.  What a blessing it has been to share my home with them.  

Until next time,

Wendy