Leuven Newcomers

Our inaugural post! This is Megan authoring, although Kyle and I plan on taking turns writing posts as we go along. So, here we go: Since arriving in Leuven on September 1st, 2015, the gracious and hospitable Professor Barbara Bordalejo has been kind enough to let us stay at her lovely townhouse until we three (Kyle, Brendan, and I) find a place to call home. It has been a frightfully busy time trying to get registered for our programs and of course we have been perambulating the city looking at houses and apartments to rent. We currently have our eyes on a place in a very quiet area of town, near the Grand Beguinage and bordering the canal that flows through the city. We are under a bit of a time constraint since our goal was to have a place to live before Kyle and I leave to go on our honeymoon (SOUTHERN FRANCE NEXT WEDNESDAY!). Despite the huff and worry of getting settled in due course, everyday we find ourselves more delighted to be in little Leuven. The markets are held in the historic squares of the city and are absolutely charming. There are stalls dedicated to selling flowers, fruits, vegetables, cheese, sausages, handmade chocolate, antiques, and clothing. The fruit is absolutely divine. Apparently I had to go to Belgium of all places to buy the largest, juiciest, sweetest mango I have ever tasted. Anyways, our days have consisted of plenty of walking, sightseeing, property-searching, as well as Belgian-bureacracy-unraveling. The pictures below are quite representative of our first couple days!  

So far the weather has been very mercurial, with bouts of both shine and rain throughout the day. Perfect for rainbows.  

Radagast has been spending his days lounging around and rearranging the bed-linens in the sublime, sun-lit attic room in Barbara's house. 

Brendan this morning, next to Barbara's according-to-colour organized bookshelf. 

Meet Bronxino, one of two Bengal cats belonging to Barbara. Since both of these felines have seen 'Monty Python and the Holy Grail', they are extremely apprehensive of Radagast despite his attempts at befriending them. 

Flower market! 

The Saturday market in the Oude Markt! Beautiful morning. 

FRUIT. Just noticed the fellow in the back posing. He totally sold me some passionfruit later! What a chum! 

lunch. 

Belgium grows perfect strawberries. They all taste like garden strawberries. Like candy. Faith Wall, you need to get over here and eat all the strawberries with me.  

Brendan looking very displeased about how touristy I'm being taking pictures of everything. 

gawking in the window of the tweedehand bookhuis

Naamesestraat! Where many of the university buildings are located, most of them date back to the 16th century! KU Leuven was founded in 1425! 

KU Leuven Library. Where Megan will live. 

St. Donatuus Park (I think). We strolled beneath a lovely canopy of maple trees. 

This one goes out to Grandpa John, who asked me if there were palm trees in Belgium to which I promptly replied, 'No!' Grandpa, there ARE palm trees in Belgium! 

The flower petal tapestry in the Oude Markt! 

Gorgeous Gothic carving of the old city hall. 

The canal! 

Me, loaded with fruit-filled bags peering through the window at 'Te Huur' advertisements. 

Darling Tessa, Barbara's 7-year old bundle of energy. 

my precious.

Sorry that this post isn't very long or exciting. I feel like I just talked about fruit the whole time... I guess that's to be expected. Anyways, we'll try to include how things are going and what we have been up to every few weeks.  Any fancy trips we take will definitely earn a post! We are still trying to figure out how to work everything on the blog, but if you have questions about anything at all, please leave a comment! We would love to read and reply to them.

With much love and a deluge of blessings,


Megan & Kyle