Last time I went beer sampling in Belgium, Brussels to be exact, we drank so many that I actually had to stop taking pictures of them due to lack of space on my memory card.

You see, there are simply so many beers here that visiting Ghent felt like a Golden age theme park for beer lovers. Yes, I'd say we were pleased.

If you missed the other parts of our adventure read Ghent Part I (we ate speculoos cupcakes!) and Ghent Part II (the medieval castle!)

This time around, we kept it simple. After eating cupcakes and tour of Gravensteeg castle we headed down the street to Het Waterhuis aan de Bier Krant. It was a delicious afternoon break complete with sunshine, views of the canal and a chilled Delirium blond beer.

In between rounds of beers we explored the cobblestone streets, poked around little shops

and couldn't stop admiring the sun soaked buildings...

Apparently yarn bombing has hit Ghent, but it looks like they missed a few spots.

We stopped to sample the traditional candy of Ghent, neuzen. This was probably a tourist trap but the (nose shaped?) soft candies weren't so bad. I hate to say it but I actually preferred the licorice flavor... does that mean I've been in Holland too long?

Then we continued to wander more... and spotted cute gabled buildings here, there and everywhere.

A very leisurely afternoon indeed...

Much like the disappointing postcard selection, we had a hard time finding decent frites in Ghent. So, we quickly headed away from the snack bar and walked along the river bank where everyone was relaxing and soaking up the sunshine. While strolling along we set out for some retail therapy at one of my favorite shops, Dille & Kamille. I picked up a jar of biological jam and Ellen found a miniature plant.

We headed back to Amsterdam at sunset and I cycled back home in time to enjoy popcorn and a movie. Little road trips are so much fun, our trip to Ghent made for a perfectly lovely day.

I'd love to know if you have any recommendations for other day trips around this area!