Ghent Again

Looks like showers to light rain for me tomorrow, so just as well I ventured out today.  Of course it cannot compare to the trouble Isaac is threatening.  My plan is to fly back on Thursday, so knock wood for the folks at home and then one more for me. 

Ghent was lovely.  The tourist map is a piece of rubbish.  If you are headed this way go ahead and buy a better map.  I spent alot of time trying to orient with a map that didn't include the little streets and there are indeed quite a few of them.  I eventually found all the places I wanted generally by asking for assistance, and narrowing it down, but it took too much time and effort. 

That being said, the tram was easy, but the ticket for the tram was not.  No tourist info in the train station and I could find nowhere to buy a tram ticket.  When I got to the main square the tourist office there was closed.  I am not exactly what you would call an early arriver, so I assume it is closed on Saturday.  After all, who needs a tourist office on the weekends, right!  It does happen that the transit authority office is just around the corner, so after getting an illegal ride to the center city, I bought a day pass for 5 euro to cover my sins and get me back to the station. 

It threatened to rain all day and indeed sprinkled from time to time.  Occasionally the sun broke through.  I was headed to the design museum, but stopped for a waffle and tea (the here).  There were no more waffles, so I had to opt for a pain chocolat-will of the Goddess I guess.  Luckily Jasmine the was available.  On the way to the design museum was a canal boat ride, so, thinking it could pour at any minute I opted for the boat ride.  Photos to follow.  It was a good plan, but not because of rain.  I got into the design museum thanks to a detour and the help of the boat ticket seller. 

The design museum was quite fun and my art noveau heart beat double time several times.  Not just from climbing the stairs either.  You'll see the photos.  By the time I was done with the museum I was proper hungry.  I used my Lonely Planet to pick out a restaurant treat and spent the next 30 minutes finding the restaurant.  Along the way I met a bloke who left his car running by the big map near St Michael's bridge while he tried to read the map.  He was at more of a loss than I was.  He had to navigate one way cobblestones streets. 

To those of you who have suffered from my lack of map reading skills I will inform you that I did find the restaurant and it was well worth the effort.  It had also begun to rain enough to take out the umbrella-never an enhancement to map reading.  The restaurant was Pakhuis.  I've been to their website and you should just wait for my photos.  It is a large high glass ceiling steel and glass building that is fabulous.  The kitchen was closed so I had choices from a limited menu-probably all I needed anyway.  I cannot rave about the food, but the little shrimp croquettes I had were fine and accompanied by a peppery tasting greens and the wine was good.  I'm sure with a proper map one could find the restaurant in time to get a good meal. 

Speaking of a good meal (and digressing a bit), I have grown quite fond of a BBC program aired daily around 6 pm called Hairy Bikers.  These two guy chefs bike around GB ferreting out the local ingredients of each area and cooking with a local chef.  It's the dark haired guy that's the charmer.  I believe he is from Newcastle area and has that Georgie accent and turn of phrase that is almost irristable if you can understand it.  The featured food makes me ravenous.  They even make haggis look good.  Today, as I type, they are looking at Hampshire pork.  See if you can find these guys on the internet.  I'm too busy eating my own dinner.

Tonight's dinner is a salad of rocket, ugly tomatoes, a farmer's cheese consistency sheep cheese and a dressing of oil, vinegar and herbs (it's bottled but good enough to sop up with the bread).  The main course is cassoulet canard confit which I got from my new favorite store, the Champigros, rue Sainte-Catherine 36 or Sint-Kateijinestraat 36, SVP.  My bread is from the Charli bakery next door.  So, even though I had to "make do" with architecture for lunch, I'm having a fine dinner.

I called it a day in Ghent after lunch and caught the train about 4pm.  I was back in Brusels in time to get my culinary dessert habit before the store closed.  It is a little tub of Total Face strained Greek yogurt (the kind with no % marks on the label) with a generous helping of Cerises Griottes Confites drizzled over it.  Ohhhhh-la-la.  It whups ice cream's butt anyday.  I have just enough for tonight and tomorrow. 

Tomorrow looks like a day of rest for me.  That generally includes some photo editing, so check the photo blog. 

Bon Soir

KG