Liege, Belgium

Last year I returned to Belgium for the first time in nearly thirty years. The day and a half was not nearly long enough. It was a whirlwind of visiting two out of three host families, with no time to relax and recover from jet lag before taking a TGV to Paris to meet up with Don and Ashley and run a half marathon. This year I allowed four and a half days, and learned quickly it was too much time. When I return to Liege, I will probably be with Don and Ashley and we'll stay in town together. This was not that trip.

I was able to see all three host families.

Family #3: Jacqueline, Leopold, and Florence

Family #1: Sarah, Christophe, and Sophie

Family #2: Renee and Andre

I wish I was able to connect with others. I felt at the mercy of everyone's schedules. My French, though while very good, still has many gaps in it. Still it is better than anyone else's English. I spoke French the whole time and, as a result, slept very well.

Some things I did get to do on this trip included climbing the famous staircase -- all 374 stairs.

Went to lunch with Andre and Renee at their favorite splurge restaurant.

THIS is what I mean when I say I want a side dish of vegetables.

Simply walking around Liege was magical. It has changed, and yet not changed. It has retained its Medieval flair, while also becoming a tourist destination. A quick google search showed they offer daily walking tours (no, I did not go on one, next time).

We skipped dessert, which was a good thing since I was stuffed. Twenty minutes later we were having decadent pastries. 

Absolutely love that tea comes with a piece of chocolate,
even though I was already having dessert.

All 374 stairs. Quite a work out!

L'Ecole Benedictine de Notre Dame de Pays
My experience going to an all-girls Catholic school

The library where I spent a lot of time as a student.

 

I really enjoyed my walk in the park behind Sophie and Christophe's house. I played with the black and white settings because some of the places looked untouched by time.

A Little Free Library!

Sophie and Christophe took me to the famous L'As Ouhes restaurant. They serve food from Liege. I should have ordered pottee Liegiouse, the first Liege dish I ate that I fell in love with. I was afraid it would not measure up to my memories, so I ordered the endive, ham, and cheese dish instead. The owner, a friend of Christophe's, came to our table to visit. Small town.

Then we took a lovely walk in a part of Liege I had never been to before.

Though I was here for relaxing four days, they were filled with games of Qwirkle and simply relaxing while watching TV in French. Probably what I needed most. My biggest wish is that I had packed warmer clothes (there was a sudden shift from summer to fall), and that I wore nicer clothes to the fancy restaurants. I never thought to pack clothes for Michelin starred restaurants.