Ghent

Ted. We had never visited the beautifully preserved Flemish city of Ghent so one day Judy and I took the 30 minute train trip to see what all the fuss was about. Our first stop was at St Bevo’s Cathedral which was known for several magnificent works of art.

Now that is some pulpit!

The Conversion of St Bevo by Peter Paul Rubens

We were especially looking forward to a famous Medieval piece known to many as the Ghent Altarpiece and officially entitled the Adoration of the Mystic Lamb. I was blown away and can see why everyone plundered it including Napoleon and the Germans in both World Wars. The last heist was featured in the film Monument Men. 

Completed in 1432 by Hubert & Jan van Eyck

Main panel

Ghent, like Bruges has a network of canals and we joined lots of other tourists for the popular boat tour. 

For lunch, we had to try the popular local stew called Waterzooi. It can be made with seafood or chicken but always features a cream and broth base richened with egg yolks. 

It’s hard to believe that one can travel less than 30 miles in Europe and discover another world, but we seem to do just that, time and again.