The Baileys enter the Convent at Ghent

On Thursday we nursed our hangovers after a night with the Clinckspoors and way way too much beer. I slept in a bit, but Bailey was up at 6:30 working. This would later be his undoing as he was throwing up on our shake down spin later in the morning.

So our buddy Bart took a half day of va-k and swung back by the Clinckspoor ranch, picked us up, and took us Gent for the day. Gent is old. Real old. We mostly meandered the narrow, cobbled streets, soaking up the oldness. We eventually went into Saint Bavo Cathedral whose first phase was built around 1038, with the original wood structure dating 942 . . . yea, 942--like full on chainmail-knights and dragons 'n stuff. I've never been anywhere so old, nor in a big cathedral, although I studied more than I can remember in college. Anyway, we walked in and I said--and this is totally true--"Holy shit!" I was totally shocked at how immense and old it was. Although we were not permitted to take photos, I still snuck a few with the iPhone. Saint Bavo Cathedral is most known for housing Van Eyck's The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb, but you have to pay and go as a group to see that and we were too late. There is painting by Peter Paul Rubens that was quite impressive.

The 'holy shit' Saint Bavo Catherdral:

I've always been interested in historic places and things, but I'm just awed by the three, four, or five hundred-year-old buildings that might be housing a little cafe or smart little eatery; just as if it were nothing, like just a pub or sandwich shop or something. I love just soaking it in.

These were some especially old ones, that appeared to be simple cafes, but were quite beautiful:

My pirated photo of the Rubens painting, Saint Bavo enters the Convent at Ghente:

There was also I castle, which I had never seen before either:

Cool old places across the canal: