Out And About in Belgium

Today was another wonderful day of Belgium exploration. I must admit, it started off a little rough. We literally drove in circles all over a nearby town, looking for a windmill that I am starting to think is one of those urban legends. We did run across this interesting sight, though. Parked in front of someone's house, it's all that remains of one serious Carnival parade. (I think I might have had a bad dream about this once.) This, my friends, is why you shouldn't mix alcohol and float design. The results are more than a little intimidating. To end on a more positive note, I made a return trip to one of my favorite windmills, the Keijersmolen. Not only is it a beautiful example of craftsmanship, it's open to the public for exploration. That's right, you can wander around the entire thing at your leisure. The Keijersmolen was built in 1869 by Joannes Keijer, and it's been in the Keijer's family ever since. Don't you just love tradition? It's currently owned and operated by Theo Keijers. He's been running the place since he took over in 1962. He doesn't speak any English, but he's very sweet. He welcomed us to his lighthouse and let us roam around, taking pictures of just about every inch of the place. He lives in a house beside the windmill, and was content to leave us to our tourist ways. If you've never been in a mill, you need to check one out. It really is fascinating how everything fits together. It was time for lunch, so we had to leave our lovely windmill. Imagine our surprise when we saw this just off the road. At first glance, we actually thought that they were moose, because they were so big. As soon as we stopped to check them out, they got very skittish and bounded off into the woods. So we loaded back up and took off once again in search of food. We found the perfect cafe, too. It's called De Toerist. See what I mean about perfect? It had interesting decorations, delicious food, and a relaxed atmosphere... everything that we needed after our earlier adventures. It was a perfect day. Hope yours was just as fabulous.

Sand Sculptures At Hoensbroek Castle and The Valkenburg Caves

Have you ever heard the phrase "hit the ground running"? Well, that's what Grandma and Nana did. We spent their first day in Europe in the Netherlands. Hoensbroek Castle hosts sand sculptures in the summer, so the timing was perfect. If you're in the area, the sculptures are on display from July 2 to November 6, 2011. We checked out all of the amazing sculptures, and then went inside to tour the castle. Hoensbroek Castle dates back to the 1200's, and is one of the largest in the Netherlands. Not only is the castle in great condition, it is furnished as well. It's one of our favorite castles, so we had to take the Moms over the see it. After the castle, we drove over to the Valkenburg Caves, also known as the Velvet Caves. The caves date back to the 11th and 12th century, and were formed by locals removing stones to make buildings (including the Valkenburg Castle). It's an interesting tour, because there are carvings and drawings on the walls inside.

A trip to Belgium would be complete without seeing a real windmill! So guess what we went to see the next day...

Grandma and Nana were a little jet lagged, so we let them relax before beginning the next adventure. This one's a biggie, so they need to get a little rest!

Stanley Sees More of Belgium...

We had a slight break in the rain yesterday morning, so Stanley and I took advantage of it. I drove him over to check out a few of my favorite spots in the local area. Remember when I said that each town has a church in their Centrum? This is Sint Ursulakerk in Kleine Brogel. In English, that's the Church of Saint Ursula. This church was built in 1908, with stones from the quarries in Valkenburg. (I blogged about the Valkenberg castle and caves a few months ago. For more details about it, check out that entry.) Our next stop was at the Wedelse Molen in Overpelt. Stanley was very excited to see a real water mill. This one is very old, dating back to 1259. It was originally a mill that local servants brought their grain to, so that it could be ground into flour. It was a fully functioning mill until 1974. It was turned into a Tavern in 1974. The water was directed around the water wheel when Stanley and I visited. The owner keeps the mill in excellent condition, and he will redirect the water to power the mill so you can see how it all works. It's very interesting to see all of the wheels turning together inside.

Down the road, just a few minutes from the Wedelse Molen, is De Windmolen Van Sevens. You can't visit Belgium without seeing a windmill. (I think it's the law!) It was built around 1745, and is a gristmill. If you want to learn more about it, then check out this site.

You can read a little bit about the windmill's history on this sign. Stanley found it quite helpful.

Random Friday...

I just wanted to share a few interesting things that we've seen while driving around Belgium lately. A windmill on a stormy day.

A thatched roof on a lovely old house. (Looks like something out of Hansel & Gretel, doesn't it?)

A construction worker robot, waving his arm to signal drivers to slow down. Uh.....what?????

U Bent Hier

Don't you wish everything in life came with a map, an arrow, and a little tag stating "You Are Here"? Think how much easier it would all be. Until that great day arrives, I'll have to be satisfied with the occasional signs that we seem to come across. We were on our way home from dinner at the Banana Split in Overpelt, and I was taking a couple of pictures through the windshield of the pretty fall leaves. Then Jess (in all her teenage wisdom) asks, "Uh, Mom, why are you taking pictures of a road when there is a windmill?" What? A windmill? There is no windmill on this road! "We just went right by it!" she said, clearly exasperated. (You can practically hear her thinking "Old people are SOOOO slow! Why do I even bother?" ) We turned around, and behold...the teenager was right! Apparently I've driven right by this beauty several times and never noticed it before! Maybe old people ARE slow!

According to the map, there are actually TWO windmills in Overpelt. I'll have to check the other one out as well. I'd also like to return to this one on a prettier day. It was a tad rainy and overcast. Still, any windmill is a glorious one.

In case you are wondering about the fall leaves, here is the picture I was taking as we passed the windmill. You have to admit, it's pretty distracting. Fall has come to Belgium, and it is beautiful. Even us OLD people can appreciate it.