my non-vacation to Ghent

Last January, I was so thrilled when we planned our big summer trip to Europe. I grew up in Denmark, Germany, and the Netherlands, and it's been four years since I've been back – we were way overdue for another visit to see my Oma!

While we would in part be crossing the Big Pond to attend a family reunion, we knew we wanted to spend some just-us time in Belgium – time to relax and roam the streets in search of good food, excellent beer, and amazing ambience (okay, and chocolate!)

Sadly, we've had to cancel our trip but I thought I'd share some of our intended stops here, just in case any of you find yourselves in Ghent with nothing to do.

We were going to stay at this amazing bed & breakfast called De Waterzooi. We are huge fans of Belgian B&Bs – for some reason, they all far surpass most American versions and they're often cheaper than hotels.

Check out "our" little apartment – complete with sitting room and indoor window peeking into the bedroom:

Love the painted brick wall – instant character, no need for artwork!

And the bathroom left me speechless...

One of the things I was really looking forward to was to scour antique and flea markets for European little trash and trinkets for my assemblage art. The Prondelmarkt in Ghent was on the top of my list:

Then there's the shopping... ah, the shopping... One of my favorite finds during our last trip was Dille & Kamille, a chain of kitchen/home stores that's a nice mix of modern-meets-vintage with a dash of organic and eco-friendly thrown in for good measure:


And finally, for some colorful fun kitsch, I was planning to visit Zsa Zsa:

So there you have it: my non-vacation to Ghent, Belgium! Maybe next year...