Maredsous Abbey

Early Saturday afternoon, we drove about an hour away to the Maredsous Abbey.  The Maredsous monastery has been home to Benedictine monks since the 19th century.  On the grounds, you can visit the beautiful church, take a guided tour (in Dutch which we did not do), and relax at the visitor's center complete with a playground for the kids.  On the day we visited, Belgium saw temperatures in the mid 80s and it was a beautiful day.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

St. Joseph Visitor's Center where everyone was relaxing under umbrellas

 

 

 

The kids quickly found the playground.   They loved this kid-version of a zipline.  

 

 

 

Doesn't look like it here, but Colin was flying! 

Our new camera worked well to capture him in fast mode zipping by.  :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Maredsous Abbey 

Belgium's National Day was the next day. 

 

 

 

Abbey

 

 

 

My boys!

 

 

 

 

Beautiful Abbey

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A stunning, yet simple interior 

 

 

 

This stained glass portraying the monks at the abbey is quite pretty.

 

 

 

Monks in the making...!?!  ;)

 

 

 

 

 

 

The abbey was built in neo-gothic style.  It is surrounded by woodlands with trails for hiking and biking.  It truly is a relaxing and peaceful setting. 

 

 

  colonnade

 

 

 

  love the stone arches and wood trusses of this colonnade

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Back at the zipline!

 

 

 Whoo hooo, Aidan!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now that's the face of a happy kid!

 

 

 

Finding our spot under one of the umbrellas

 

 

 

Delicious vanilla bean ice cream for the boys 

 

 

 

Colin wanted me to capture him licking the ice cream.  GOTCHA, buddy!

 

 

 

 

 

Mike and I both enjoyed a Maredsous beer (blonde) as well as some of the bread and cheese made at the abbey.   Delicious!  I know this JUST looks like a cheese sandwich, BUT the bread was incredibly flavorful...hints of honey.  And since I am a cheese-monger, I pretty much love it all! 

 

Le fromage est fantastique! 

 

 

 

 

We were driving to our next destination and saw these ruins on top of the cliff.  Beautiful!  We tried to take the kids to a nearby place to ride pumper carts on an old railroad track, but it had closed for the night by the time we got there.  Oh well, I guess we'll have to make the trek back!