Ghent, Belgium

August 2019 -- The American Consortium for Small Ruminant Parasite Control held a joint meeting with COMBAR: Combating Anthelmintic Resistance in Ruminants (our European counterparts). The meeting was held in Ghent (Gent), Belgium. I had two presentations: one oral and one poster. 

I had little knowledge of Belgium and Ghent before I went. Belgium is best known for being the headquarters for the EU and NATO. The Treaty of Ghent ended the War of 1812 between the United States and Great Britain. The capitol is Brussels. Jean-Claude Van Damme is the "Muscles from Brussels." I flew into Brussels. It took a long time to get through the airport. I waited for my colleagues (friends) before traveling to Ghent via public transportation.

Ghent, while important during the Middle Ages (second only to Paris), is now mostly a college town. We toured the castle, did a walking tour, took a canal ride, and went kayaking. We did a lot of walking.  It is a very walkable city. The historic district was closed off to cars. Throughout my stay in Belgium, my travel companions were Joan, Linda, Jim, and Carole. I roomed with Joan, as we have many times in the past at professional meetings. 

Ghent is built on canals and rivers.

Watching the boats go by.

We went kayaking.

Ghent is a college town.

Ghent has many historical buildings.

Clock tower, St. Nicholas church, and Belfry

Panoramic views

Ghent Landmarks
Belgium has a big cannon (33,000 pounds of cast-iron). It has never been fired. Nowadays, it is used a a rubbish bin. Sometimes people sleep in it. The Friday market is one of the oldest market squares in Ghent. It gets its name from the weekly tradition to hold a market on Friday mornings. The centerpiece of the plaza is the statue of Jacob van Artevelde (a Flemish leader and statesman) who was murdered on the site in 1345. One of the most unique buildings in Ghent is the "sheep shed (or barn)." The city pavilion was built in 2012 and provoked controversy because its design did not fit the historical landscape of Ghent.

Sasha, a resident of Ghent

Ghent has a graffiti street. Here, artists can create spray-can art to their heart's delight. The art is constantly changing. Graffiti street is car-free. Ghent has a sculpture of a giant roll of toilet paper. The Ghent Design Museum put the sculpture there when the city denied their expansion plans.

Who knew that Belgium, and specifically Ghent, would be such a wonderful place to visit. I highly recommend it to travelers. It is a hidden gem of Europe.