1. Gravsteen

It was a lousy day when I went to Gent (also known as Ghent and Gand - many towns in Belgium have a French (Ghent, Gand) and a Flemish (Gent) name) but it was worth it. The Gravsteen, a castle (Steen) built by the counts (Gravs) of Flanders, was open. The view is from the parapets looking over the old city.

2. Cathedral

A view of the cathedral from down on the canal. Holland isn't the only country in Europe with canals and Venice isn't the only city with canals. Gent and many cities in Flanders have canals that are still in use, some industrially.

3. Canal

The canals in Gent (and everywhere else that I went) are flanked by impressive structures, like this parish church. The canals are, in effect, the main boulevards and important commercial areas of the towns. The roads on the sides of the canals are used by pedestrians and cafes but were originally built as docks where barges unloaded their wares.

4. Canal Shots

These six shots were taken along the same canal heading toward the Gravsteen (not on a canal. I didn't know about the Gravsteen until after I got off this street.) The most enigmatic building that I found in Belgium is shown in Picture 4. The building looks melted. I don't know why and no one that I asked did either.