It was our last day in Belgium and it dawned VERY cold and foggy. We had wanted to get out into nature in the Ardennes as there are tons of hiking and biking trails. We’d learned of a hike – more of a walk really – from the tourist information shop when we arrived. It started right from our hotel so after a hearty breakfast of – yes, more bread – we were on our way.

The views weren’t phenomenal because of the fog but what a lovely and peaceful walk. It started through the town of Dinant and past some wonderful old, well-kept houses, some of which were decorated for Halloween. Then we found ourselves in more of a forest surrounded on either side by trees. Eventually we made our way along some open fields and quite near to a motorway. We ended up right back at our sweet hotel where the sun was beginning to shine and the skies beginning to clear. It was a great way to begin our last day.

Here goes….I consider myself a pretty savvy traveler. I do a ton of research on places before we even book and then I do more research before we travel. To that end, I knew that while we were in Dinant I wanted to travel to the nearby town of Durbuy. Legend has it that Durbuy is the smallest town in the world – not true – but it was supposed to be lovely with cobblestone streets and stone houses and cafes and boutiques. Also, the town was hosting a light and sound show for Halloween and I thought it would be a great way to see the small town in a unique way. Well, come to find out, Durbuy is not so easy to get to from Dinant by train. In fact, the town that is 30 minutes away by car is over 4 hours away by train! In my defense, I had researched whether or not we needed a car and had convinced myself we did not. So…no Durbuy or Halloween show for me. Note to readers…do your research! I have learned my lesson on this one. I’m not going to say I wasn’t disappointed but – with John’s help – I’d make the best of it.

Instead we decided to take a quick trip to the capital of the Wallonia region – Namur. This city had been on my list as a potential place to stay so it was intriguing. Also, it was a quick 30 minute train ride. We could literally go in for lunch! Which is kind of what we did.

It’s worth noting that the train ride from Dinant to Namur is lovely. The train winds down the Meuse river and you’ll see all of the cute little towns and larger cities along the way. On a beautiful sunny day, it was a nice way to spend 30 minutes.

Namur – well, I felt a bit like I was back in Antwerp but with a little bit more of a personality. This was definitely another big city. And tourism is big here. We made our way directly to the tourist information office as we really had no idea about the city. It is such a tourist destination – and a day trip really – that for 1 euro you can buy a city map that will walk you through the city’s famous sites. So we bought the map and began the walking tour.

I still don’t know much about Namur but I now know that if you want to shop – for clothing or shoes – go to this city! Almost immediately upon leaving the train station, on Rue de Fer, you’ll be hit with store upon store – from jewelry to lingerie to all types of shoes. Your mainstream European chain stores are also on this street – H&M, Zara, you get the gist.

Considering the way we pack for our European travels, we really couldn’t buy much but I did get some sweet boots! According to the French shop keeper, they were in the style of Louis Vuitton. I felt tres chic! And the sweet shop keeper’s son recommended a nice spot for lunch where we had a wonderful Croque Monsieur – my favorite….

We did end up walking around the city and it was nice – especially the river – but we weren’t too into it and headed back to Dinant after just a couple of hours.

Back in sleepy little Dinant we spent some time lounging and then headed our for our last beers – I mean meal of course! A little bar-hopping was in order on our last night. We started at Le Cafe Ardennais which is a cafe across from the train station and right on the river Muese. John and I both really knew which beer we wanted that night – for me Leffe Ruby and for John Cornet which is the beer we had in Ghent. So we walked up to the bar and John asked for a beer list. Well, the sulky bartender looked at him like he had three heads! And he waved his arms around like….there’s beer everywhere….ok then. No Cornet for John. He settled on the Leffe Blonde which was an easy choice because it was on tap. Note to readers here…in Belgium bartenders and waiters make a living wage. Meaning they do not rely on tips. This is both a good and bad thing right? 🙂

We wandered the town in search of more beer – I mean food of course! We finally settled on Le Saxophone. Sounds so touristy, right? And it really was touristy and right in the middle of the small town square. But it was also really nice. We had a waiter who spoke broken English but was able to describe the food and beer. I stuck with my Leffe Ruby but John went all in – trying 2 different beers! One was a Chimay Blonde and the other was a local Dinant beer called Le Croisette de Dinant.

It was a very nice way to end our wonderful trip to Belgium. If you’re still reading (please tell me who you are!!!) then I will write another post about an amateur’s guide to Belgian beer. Then, more on our next trip in the spring. Off to Bilbao spain. I’ll be starting my research now 🙂