I checked out of my Brussels Airbnb on Monday morning (31 July) and headed to Brussels Centraal to catch the train to Bilzen. I was lucky that I didn't have to transfer (I still had too much luggage with me!).
The weather so far on the trip has been ideal as far as temperature is concerned (seldom above 20-25C (68-77F), but every day has had sporadic rain showers. Some more than showers! In any case, it was raining as the train pulled in, and I was very grateful that my friend Inge had come to meet me at the train station and take me to my hotel.
We there before check-in, so I left my luggage and we went to get some lunch (for me) and a snack (for Inge). After, she took me back to her apartment and then we explored woods and nature areas behind where she lived. It was so great to get out into the country again. Here are some pictures. Again, there were a few showers as we walked. And it almost felt medieval in the darkest parts of where we walked. I only managed a few pictures ....
On Tuesday, I spent the morning at Alden Biesen Castle - just a few minute walk from my hotel. Alden Biesen is a 16th-century castle in the small village of Rijkhoven (part of the Bilzen municipality). Today it is a cultural and conference center. Much of the castle itself burned in 1971, was acquired by the government and restored. I was able to get into the church and the formal gardens, and really enjoyed just wandering around the grounds - the castle also has a moat!
From the outside:
In the church:
In the gardens (formal and not):
In the afternoon, Inge picked me up again and we drove to Banneux Notre-Dame. It was originally a poor area grouped around a church. In 1933 a local girl named Mariette Beco said that she witnessed eight apparitions of the Virgin Mary. In one of the apparitions, Mariette was led to a spring and was told “Dip your hands in this water. This source is reserved for me. Goodnight. See you soon." There was apparently a church investigation of the sightings and they were 'approved' in 1949.
Of course, none of this resonates with me from a religious or belief perspective. But the site is beautiful, and it had a particular feeling that made me somewhat reluctant to take pictures. Perhaps it was Inge; she is a believer. In any case, we enjoyed wandering around again, the rain came and went. Here are just a few pictures from one of the chapels on the grounds.
Tomorrow I head to Rotterdam for EMAG!
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