We had a pretty lazy Saturday this weekend. We cleaned up the house a little, relaxed, checked out eh Hasselt Carrefour, ate some Pizza Hut, lazed about some more, chowed down on some Frites, and took a stroll through downtown Tongeren.
The more I learn about Tongeren, the more I love it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tongeren It's about a 7 to 10 minute drive from our house. It is home to the famous antique market every Sunday, and apparently it is the oldest town in Belgium. The streets are narrow, the buildings are right next to each other, three stories high, creating an interesting tunnel as you enter the city. Even from a great distance you can see the top of the Tongeren Basilica in the middle of the city, like a lighthouse that draws you toward it.
We drove around town for a while. The roads were so narrow, and the buildings so tall. It truly is beautiful. Then we parked the car and walked around the town square and the basilica a bit. We even got some candy from a little vendor. Here are a few photos of our visit:
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| The Basilica in the distance |
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| Like driving through a tunnel of buildings. |
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| Zachary having a good time riding atop his daddy's shoulders =) |
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| I love the streets |
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| Rick Steves says that everywhere in Europe old buildings are being refurbished. The Tongeren Basilica is no exception. |
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| Beautiful, Huh? |
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| Chocolate covered bananas at the candy cart =) |
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| Just inside the Basilica. Netting to keep the birds out. |
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| Inside the alcoves in the Basilica |
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| Wow, |
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| I never knew what it meant to truly be 'breathtaking.' Now, I know. My heart sped up, and I felt like I almost couldn't breathe. The whole building was so beautiful, so big. I felt very tiny, and quite humble. |
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| The pipe organ. Swoon! |
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| I love these four gargoyles. Each one is different. They are so fascinating! |
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| The nougat we got from the candy vendor |
I love Tongeren! Ta ta!
That is a very beautiful chapel.
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