Dogged Determination This is the famous Groenendael breed. As background, Belgium has been the world’s leading exporter of milk chocolate for a very long time. It is a very important contributor to the national economy. Belgian farmers in the olden times were predominantly dairy farmers, and needed to herd their cows as expertly as possible. They took to breeding of dogs for the task. Did you know there were once eight types of shepherd dogs unique to Belgium? The name Groenendael (or Chien de Berger Belge) was given to this long-haired black variety, today’s Belgian Sheepdog. By the end of the 18th century, the versatility and energy of Belgian sheepdogs were becoming known far beyond the borders of Belgium. Paris and New York used Belgian sheepdogs to aid the police and customs agents. During World War I and World War II, the dogs played a vital part, acting as messengers, ambulance dogs and haulers of heavy gunnery.
@ Dogged Determination Samantha begins her tour of the Belgian city of Ghent.
While touring Belgium, you meet Serena.
Samantha shook paws with Serena the Blue Beautiful Unicorn. They both received one silver mole!
Serena gave you 15 "Chocolate-Lime Candy Delight" FULL SIZE
Rabot Gate, Ghent The Rabot Gate, Ghent, Belgium was built on the Lieve Canal in the late 1890s. Two towers had the locksman's house built between them.
@ Rabot Gate, Ghent
Purple Flower Power Egg My pets are in awe of these beautiful eggs—they would love to try to paint their own one year. Easter and spring are times of joy as the earth awakens, plants are pushing forth from the soil, and the days are becoming warmer. Many baby animals are born in the spring, and life is burgeoning. May these eggs bring you joy and be a reminder of the earth renewing itself.
While touring Belgium, you meet Daisy Lee.
Samantha shook paws with Daisy Lee the Brown Lovable Labrador. They both received one silver mole!
Daisy Lee gave you 1 "Purple Flower Power Egg" FULL SIZE
Belgian Bicycle We don't know whether this old-fashioned pushbike is really used to make deliveries or if it's been painted to match the establishment and set up as a nice piece of advertising, but either way, it's a striking piece of street art!
@ Belgian Bicycle Canal cruises offer a unique way of discovering the different perspectives of Ghent.
While touring Belgium, you meet Cookie.
Samantha shook paws with Cookie the Tabby Cat. They both received one silver mole!
Historic Graslei Harbour, Ghent Historical old houses on the Graslei Harbor, Ghent.
@ Historic Graslei Harbour, Ghent The War of 1812 between the US and Great Britain was officially ended here, in neutral territory, with the Treaty of Ghent.
While touring Belgium, you meet Pony Pony.
Samantha shook paws with Pony Pony the Yellow Maned Pony. They both received one silver mole!
River Leie, Ghent Ghent is a port city in northwest Belgium, at the confluence of the Leie and Scheldt rivers. This scene depicts St Michael's Bridge over the River Leie.
@ River Leie, Ghent Ghent calls itself “festival city” with annual celebrations of food, jazz, film, bicycles and beer, as well as international events like the World Choir Games, the largest choral competition in the world.
While touring Belgium, you meet Hoot.
Samantha shook paws with Hoot the Brown Owl. They both received one silver mole!
Mediaeval Castle Gravensteen It is a must to visit the mysterious ‘Castle of the Counts’ on your visit to Ghent. This castle has a very stormy past, closely linked with the city's complex political and social history of the city. It is the only remaining mediaeval castle with a moat and largely intact defence system in Flanders. Your visit to the Castle of the Counts furnish you with a complete picture of 12th century culture . The gatehouse, ramparts, keep, Count’s residence and stables are open to visitors.
@ Mediaeval Castle Gravensteen The official currency in Ghent, as in the rest of Belgium, is the euro.
While touring Belgium, you meet Tommy.
Samantha shook paws with Tommy the Grey Playful Kitten. They both received one silver mole!
Ghent Tramway Ghent has had a tramway system, starting with horse-drawn trams, since 1874. There was a fleet of 100 horses. After a short-lived experiment using battery power, the system was converted to overhead electric wires from 1904. During the process of electrification, the track gauge was reduced from 1,435 mm (4 ft 8½ in) standard gauge to 1,000 mm (3 ft 33?8 in) metre gauge. The service is efficient and speedy, running from 05:30 until 23:30 with only five-minute gaps at peak times.
@ Ghent Tramway Ghent is a beer city, with centuries of beer-making history, and 250 breweries still operating.
While touring Belgium, you meet Kaycee.
Samantha shook paws with Kaycee the Majestic Monarch Butterfly. They both received one silver mole!
I Am the Captain of My Ship Look upwards on your meanderings through Ghent at dusk and you might spot this fabulous piece of roof architecture. Such detail has gone into the fashioning of this iron weather-vane in the form of a three-master ship! You can picture it ploughing through the waves when the wind changes!
@ I Am the Captain of My Ship The Festival of Flanders and the Ghent Jazz festival have earned UNESCO recognition. Film stars and lovers flock to the city in October for the Ghent Film Festival. Other events in the port city include the Gent Festival van Vlaanderen and the Gentse Feesten.
While touring Belgium, you meet Pingu.
Samantha shook paws with Pingu the Playful Penguin. They both received one silver mole!
Pingu gave you 15 "Chocolate-Toffee Candy Delight" FULL SIZE
Kleine Vismarkt, Ghent "The Small Fish Market" is the location of these beautiful buildings, based on the River Leie in Ghent.
@ Kleine Vismarkt, Ghent No army has ever managed to conquer the mediaeval castle of Gravensteen with its deterrent moat, thick walls and watchtowers but a group of students marched in on 16 November 1949. The only guard on duty was locked up and the students barricaded the door with a large cart full of rotten fruit. Banners were hung from its towers: they demanded that the price of beer, that had just been raised to 4 franks a glass was to be lowered back to 3 franks. Two police officers cycling past got hit with some rotten fruit. More police and firefighters were sent to the scene and suffered the same fate! The occupation only lasted for a few hours, until the firefighters put a ladder up and entered the castle. Each year, students from Ghent commemorate this day by marching into the castle and drinking a lot of beer while dancing on its walls!
While touring Belgium, you meet Daba.
Samantha shook paws with Daba the Dauntless Dolphin. They both received one silver mole!
Quai aux Herbes, Ghent The Maison Den Enghel (on the far right) is located at No. 8 Quai aux Herbes (Graslei), a quay located along the Leie (tributary of the Scheldt) which is one of the most beautiful complexes in Belgium, bordered by the old houses of the guilds, including the Romanesque House of Ghent, the De Beerie House, the House of the Grain Measurers and the House of the Freeboatmen.
@ Quai aux Herbes, Ghent Gravensteen, also called the Castle of the Counts, is a mediaeval castle built in 1180. It is an incredible structure that today hosts the Museum of Judicial Objects and the Arms Museum. It displays different weapons and gadgets used for torture and punishment in the mediaeval era.
While touring Belgium, you meet Joe.
Samantha shook paws with Joe the Silver Fox. They both received one silver mole!
Oh, I do like to stroll along the prom, prom, prom ... ... while the brass band plays tiddly-om-pom-pom —well, we can't promise you the brass band but you can enjoy a splendid promenade beside the River Lys in Ghent!
@ Oh, I do like to stroll along the prom, prom, prom ... No army has ever managed to conquer the mediaeval castle of Gravensteen with its deterrent moat, thick walls and watchtowers but a group of students marched in on 16 November 1949. The only guard on duty was locked up and the students barricaded the door with a large cart full of rotten fruit. Banners were hung from its towers: they demanded that the price of beer, that had just been raised to 4 franks a glass was to be lowered back to 3 franks. Two police officers cycling past got hit with some rotten fruit. More police and firefighters were sent to the scene and suffered the same fate! The occupation only lasted for a few hours, until the firefighters put a ladder up and entered the castle. Each year, students from Ghent commemorate this day by marching into the castle and drinking a lot of beer while dancing on its walls!
While touring Belgium, you meet Kitty Boo.
Samantha shook paws with Kitty Boo the Grey Playful Kitten. They both received one silver mole!
Starfish and Shells You'll be unlikely to find these delicious looking shells on the beach! Belgium is said to produce the best chocolate in the world, so pop into a chocolatier on your Belgian trip to see if you agree!
@ Starfish and Shells FACTS is Belgium’s one and only Comic Con and is celebrating its 30th anniversary at Flanders Expo in Ghent in October 2023. Discover more than 200 sales booths selling the geeky gadgets you’ve always wanted, participate in dozens of free activities for people of all ages, learn how to draw from national and international cartoonists, try your hand at virtual go-karting, put on your favourite superhero costume and take a picture with international stars from Vikings, Harry Potter, Star Wars, Vampire Diaries and so much more.
While touring Belgium, you meet Fala.
Samantha shook paws with Fala the Grey Playful Kitten. They both received one silver mole!
Gravensteen Castle, Ghent Be transported back to the Middle Ages with this view of the fine Castle of Gravensteen in Ghent, Belgium!
@ Gravensteen Castle, Ghent None of the Low Countries has ever actually spelled Ghent with an H; it is Gent in the Netherlands, Gand in Luxembourg, and both in Belgium.
While touring Belgium, you meet Marmite.
Samantha shook paws with Marmite the Brown Owl. They both received one silver mole!
Marmite gave you 15 "Chocolate-Caramel Candy Delight" FULL SIZE
Castle of the Counts, Ghent In the Middle Ages, this would have been a state-of-the-art security device to keep marauders out of your stronghold! It's to be found in Castle Gravensteen in Ghent.
@ Castle of the Counts, Ghent Ghent has two rival mustard companies, Tierenteyn-Verlent (est. 1790) and Tierenteyn (est. 1818). The two families had a feud so long that their families had reportedly not spoken to each other for two hundred years.
While touring Belgium, you meet Avalanche.
Samantha shook paws with Avalanche the Grey Playful Kitten. They both received one silver mole!
View of City of Ghent The Belgian flag proudly flying above the mediaeval castle Gravensteen (Castle of the Counts) in Ghent on a beautiful summer's day.
@ View of City of Ghent Oh look ... you got a little gift!
While touring Belgium, you meet Spark.
Samantha shook paws with Spark the Arctic Feisty Fox. They both received one silver mole!
Spark gave you 1 "Snow Globe, Ghent, Belgium" size 7
World-Class Waffles If you are accustomed to American waffles, you will find that Belgian waffles are a made with a lighter batter, and have larger squares and deeper pockets. Belgian waffles used to be made leavened with yeast, but nowadays baking powder is often used. They can be served up as a breakfast food; perhaps topped with whipped cream, icing sugar and soft fruit or and chocolate spread, or syrup or butter. They are often served with ice cream and fresh fruit as a pudding.
@ World-Class Waffles The Festival of Flanders and the Ghent Jazz festival have earned UNESCO recognition. Film stars and lovers flock to the city in October for the Ghent Film Festival. Other events in the port city include the Gent Festival van Vlaanderen and the Gentse Feesten.
While touring Belgium, you meet schrute.
Samantha shook paws with schrute the Red Feisty Fox. They both received one silver mole!
Intent in Ghent This landmark bronze sculpture found in a park in Ghent depicts an enigmatic male figure apparently lost in sombre thought.
@ Intent in Ghent Enter the magic world of comic books in a former school building next to the monastery of the Augustine monks, the Comic Art Hotel! Asterix and Obelix welcome you at the reception desk, and the theme of comic book characters and their adventures is visible all over the 36-room hotel.
While touring Belgium, you meet Choose a name.
Samantha shook paws with Choose a name the Tabby Cat. They both received one silver mole!
Aerial view of Ghent St Nicholas Church (Sint-Niklaaskerk in Flemish) is in the foreground of this image of the Old City of Ghent, taken from the Belfry tower. Ghent has many beautiful mediaeval buildings.
@ Aerial view of Ghent People in Ghent speak “Flemish,” which is similar to Dutch but pronounced slightly differently. It is a low Franconian dialect of the Dutch language and is often referred to as Belgian or Flemish Dutch. The two main languages are Dutch and French. Most signs on public transport and streets are in the two languages. English and German are also widely spoken. The residents are amiable and will switch to another language if they notice you don’t speak Dutch.
While touring Belgium, you meet Cocoa.
Samantha shook paws with Cocoa the Brown Rustic Rabbit. They both received one silver mole!
Cocoa gave you 15 "Chocolate-Lime Candy Delight" FULL SIZE
Side Street Architecture, Ghent These beautiful architectural features are to be found in Biezekapelstraat, a side street near St Bavo's Cathedral. The street name is a reference to the Biezekapelletje J.B. De Rodoan, Lord of Bieze and alderman of the Keure had erected against the façade of his house in 1608, at the beginning of the 17th century. This chapel is part of the background of the Refugestraat coming from the Hoogpoort. Already in the XVIth century there was a statue of the Blessed Virgin in a niche, which was highly revered by passers-by.
@ Side Street Architecture, Ghent The Festival of Flanders and the Ghent Jazz festival have earned UNESCO recognition. Film stars and lovers flock to the city in October for the Ghent Film Festival. Other events in the port city include the Gent Festival van Vlaanderen and the Gentse Feesten.
While touring Belgium, you meet Minnie the Moo-cher.
Samantha shook paws with Minnie the Moo-cher the Holstein Friesian Calf. They both received one silver mole!
Minnie the Moo-cher and you found 5 Travel Tokens!
Port on River Leie, Ghent A commercial port developed on the River Leie called Tusschen Brugghen. Most of the houses, with neo-Gothic facades, that stand along this, the Quai aux Herbes had something to do with port activities.
@ Port on River Leie, Ghent In the Middle Ages, Ghent became so renowned for its quality wool that its reputation exceeded its supply, and it had to import wool to export out again under its name.
While touring Belgium, you meet Hera.
Samantha shook paws with Hera the Yellow Lovable Labrador. They both received one silver mole!
Stone Windmill in Ghent Windmill enthusiasts can have a rare old time exploring the 150-odd old windmills around Belgium! Some are still working mills; others have been converted into Airbnb accommodation. What better way to explore the Belgian countryside than to hire bicycles and make a tour from one windmill to the next!
@ Stone Windmill in Ghent St. Bavo’s Cathedral is a 292 ft (89-metre) tall Gothic building and Ghent’s Catholic Cathedral. It also contains the famous Altarpiece of Ghent, also known as the Adoration of the Mystic Lamb. Apart from the altarpiece, the Cathedral has three other masterpieces: the pulpit constructed with gilded wood and marble, a painting by Peter Paul Rubens and a Baroque high altar.
While touring Belgium, you meet Teeka.
Samantha shook paws with Teeka the Black Feisty Fox. They both received one silver mole!
St Bavo's Cathedral, Ghent There has been a place of worship on this site for over 1000 years. Ghent, one of the most powerful cities in Western Europe in the Middle Ages, could always afford to build bigger and richer churches.
@ St Bavo's Cathedral, Ghent FACTS is Belgium’s one and only Comic Con and is celebrating its 30th anniversary at Flanders Expo in Ghent in October 2023. Discover more than 200 sales booths selling the geeky gadgets you’ve always wanted, participate in dozens of free activities for people of all ages, learn how to draw from national and international cartoonists, try your hand at virtual go-karting, put on your favourite superhero costume and take a picture with international stars from Vikings, Harry Potter, Star Wars, Vampire Diaries and so much more.
While touring Belgium, you meet Enterbeauty a name for this pet.
Samantha shook paws with Enterbeauty a name for this pet the Green Beautiful Unicorn. They both received one silver mole!
Enterbeauty a name for this pet and you found 15 Travel Tokens!
Street-Smart Wall Art With its mixed hues of mauve, dusky pink, blue and highlights in vibrant orange, this wall of graffiti in Ghent, Belgium, warrants deeper inspection. Its cartoon-type animal figures are surrounded by weird futuristic creatures, aquatic scenery and seaweedy extrusions.
@ Street-Smart Wall Art A fire-spitting dragon has been protecting Ghent from the top of its belfry since 1377. It does spit fire, but only for big occasions! It started in 1500 during the baptism of the Ghent-born Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, then in 1626 for the birth of a princess, later in 1700 when Philip V ascended the throne of Spain that was controlling the region, and in 1819 when the King of the Netherlands William II visited. In 2018 the dragon spat fire again to commemorate the 175th anniversary of the Gentse Feesten (a popular summer festival in Ghent).
While touring Belgium, you meet grey.
Samantha shook paws with grey the Ragdoll Kitten. They both received one silver mole!
Bridge over the River Liei St Michael's Bridge spans the River Liei, Ghent. It provides a strategic position that makes it the most appealing spot for taking photos in Ghent. There are great views down the street toward St Nicholas Church, the Belfort, and St Bavo's Cathedral on one axis and the historic Graslei and Korenlei waterfronts on the other. Don't miss this canal trip when visiting Ghent!
@ Bridge over the River Liei Samantha has now completed her tour of the Belgian city of Ghent. As she prepares to go home, she receives a wonderful gift!
Samantha has enjoyed her tour of the Belgian city of Ghent, but it is time to go home now! This Travel Game is over now, but there will be more events in PnF soon!
While touring Belgium, you meet Mittens.
Samantha shook paws with Mittens the Ragdoll Kitten. They both received one silver mole!
Samantha has completed the quest of
