Ghent … so picturesque a place that there can be no bad photos.
<<beware numerous adverbs and adjectives>>
<to see the full sizes click on the photos to enlarge>
I was there in January some years back – the weather was cold, overcast and somewhat gray. It didn’t detract from the beauty of Ghent nor deter me from exploring this gorgeous city. It’s a melange of ancient churches and historic buildings co-existing alongside the newer architectural styles – a historic city etched by canals and waterways.
![A to Z challenge Ghent](https://i2.wp.com/reginamartins.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/ghent-city-scape.jpg?resize=474%2C356&ssl=1)
My keen eye picked out the many chocolate shops.
![A to Z challenge Ghent](https://i2.wp.com/reginamartins.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/ghent-chocolate-shop.jpg?resize=474%2C632&ssl=1)
Christmas decorations and attractions were still up; I love the changing lights of the ferris wheel reflecting off the facade of St Niklaas church.
At night the beauty of the city is doubled.
Ghent is also the home of a torture museum housed in the medieval Gravensteen Castle dating back to 1180.
![A to Z challenge Ghent](https://i0.wp.com/reginamartins.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/ghent-gravensteen-castle.jpg?resize=474%2C632&ssl=1)
A typical street.
![A to Z challenge Ghent](https://i1.wp.com/reginamartins.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/ghent-street-scene_001.jpg?resize=474%2C632&ssl=1)
Canals etch their way through the city, important avenues of connection. Ghent, though an inland city, has the third busiest port in Belgium. It connects to the North Sea via the Scheldt Estuary.
![A to Z challenge Ghent](https://i0.wp.com/reginamartins.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Ghent-canal.jpg?resize=474%2C356&ssl=1)
Below is the graffiti alley.
![A to Z challenge Ghent](https://i1.wp.com/reginamartins.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/ghent-graffitti-alley.jpg?resize=474%2C356&ssl=1)
And finally, the stunning St Niklaas church.
![A to Z challenge Ghent](https://i2.wp.com/reginamartins.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Ghent-St-Niklaas-Kerk.jpg?resize=474%2C632&ssl=1)
More interesting places I've visited: F is for Flic en Flac E is for Erawan Falls D is for Durban (Memories) C is for Chiang Mai B is Bangkok A is for Ayutthaya