Zeebrugge to Ghent

A good night's sleep after a very queasy day yesterday at sea.It reminded me I would not be a sailor in a storm.It was not really rough on board but I think the rolling motion got to me by tea time and I could not face the menu.
However the seas calmed and I slept well so we are off to explore the sights following a lovely breakfast downstairs in the Meridian.We have two hours before our trip to Ghent is called so we decided to do a mile on the promanade deck.Rather a different view from my usual walk around the harbour.
We set off about 11.00am for Ghent, about an hour from the harbour.The drive was very pleasant,along the coast towards Brussels,passed Bruges and Flanders along the way.The countryside is very pastoral,along do well tended.More animals and farming than anywhere else we have driven. Potatoes are a big cash crop for export and we passed many paddocks in flower for the market.
Neat red brick houses with tiled rooves mark the farms with similar styled  barns.Our guide said that a Belgium is born with a brick in his stomach.I wonder if Elsa would agree?
He explained that Belgiums like home ownership but costs are rising as in other countries and it is hard to buy a house today. Orderly is a word I would describe the countryside,houses are well cared for too and I saw people out iworking n  their gardens.
Ghent has a significant history in Europe, it was considered the most powerful next to Paris in the 16th Century,noted for its art and culture.National Geographic rates it as the most authentic historic city in the world.
We arrived at 11.45am and we were immediately struck by its charm and vitality as we walked with our guide over St Michael's Bridge which overlooks the old river  port and is buzzing with river cruise boats of all descriptions.One went by with the table set with glasses of champagne and buckets of ice. Tempting!!!
We visited what we could in three hours interesting little squares and cul-de-sacs,very distinctive house styles reminiscent of Amsterdam and the Bruges Mark Square,canals and bridges and an old cannon called Mad Max who had rested there for four hundred years without firing a shot.(Not sure I have the name right).
We found the old castle and walked up through the ancient entrance,too nice a day to waste time inside but interesting to see.We also were in an old, square with a fishmarket, or it was the gate into one in earlier times. It was notable because of its ornate carvings and a statue of Neptune aloft.