Yesterday, Bill and I got home from our latest trip. This journey was different from our usual trips, because most of it involved a conference Bill attended in Mons, Belgium. Some weeks ago, Bill told me about this trip and asked me if I wanted to go with him, since it was happening just before our 22nd wedding anniversary. I said yes, because I enjoy Belgium very much. I love most things about it– the chocolate, the beer, the frites, and the irreverent humor, especially!

After the conference, Bill agreed that we would go somewhere more luxurious to celebrate our marriage. He got permission to drive our personal vehicle so we could make that happen. Normally, when Bill goes on work trips, he has to rent a car or fly. Fortunately, his bosses were fine with letting him drive our Volvo.

We didn’t have much choice over where we would spend our days in Belgium. I think Bill had a choice of several hotels that fell within the rates allowed by his company. By the time he was ready to book, a lot of the hotels were already full. Consequently, we ended up at the B&B Hotel Mons Centre, along with a lot of other military types from around Europe.

It was a Facebook ad that led me to book our wonderful accommodations in Nistelrode, Holland (The Netherlands). I wanted a place that was quiet, luxurious, and comfortable, and when I saw The Duke Suites showcased on my Facebook feed, I was immediately curious. The only thing that gave me a moment’s pause was the fact that the place is part of a golf club. Bill and I are not golfers, nor do we aspire to become golfers. However, I did used to work at a country club when I lived in South Carolina, so I am familiar with golfing. Even though the nightly rate was pretty steep, I decided to book it.

With our plans set and Noyzi and Charlie safely boarded at their usual Hundepension, we headed west on November 11th. The drive to Belgium was fairly uneventful. We did stop at a McDonald’s for lunch. That was a regrettable decision, especially since their toilets were closed. They did have port-a-lets outside of the restaurant, but we decided to hold on until we encountered the next Autohof.

When we arrived in Mons, it was already dark. The hotel has a good location, within walking distance of the Grand Place in Mons. However, Bill was challenged by parking, as the hotel has a parking garage, but it’s easy to miss and has a very narrow opening. We didn’t check it out for ourselves, but the parking garage is also reportedly deep, making it a challenge to get in and out of. Someone also parked in front of the door on the first morning and got their car towed! Fortunately, after some repeated circling around the block, Bill managed to find some free street parking. He left our Volvo unbothered in that spot all week.

When we checked in, we were initially given room 156, which was supposedly a “boutique room”. Indeed, it was a large room with chairs and a table, as well as the usual bed. But then when we went into the bathroom, which had a shower stall, I noticed that the toilet seat was not fully connected to the seat. Since I’ve had my share of dealings with half-assed toilet seats, I asked Bill to see if he could get us a room with a better toilet seat. He was successful, and we were moved to room 358.

Below are some photos from room 156…

Below are some photos from our second room. It was smaller, but in better condition. At least the backdrop was less depressing.

Once we checked in, Bill and I decided to hunt for some food. As I mentioned up post, the best thing about the B&B Mons Centre Hotel is that it’s very close to the heart of the city. It takes about ten minutes to get to the action on foot. It’s also very close to a large grocery store, which came in handy for us a couple of times.

We didn’t realize it when we arrived in Mons, but there was some kind of carnival going on. It was kind of surreal walking downtown and being confronted by bright rides, games, and street food in the Grand Place. The weather was cool and misty– probably unseasonably warm by local standards. Lots of people were out and about, enjoying the November festivities. This carnival was going on the whole time we were in Mons. No, we didn’t get on any of the rides!

We ended up having dinner at a restaurant called La Grillade, which is a Greek place. They were fairly busy, but they had room for us in the back room. This turned out to be a good choice for dinner, as the back room was nice and quiet, and the food was delicious. I especially appreciated the excellent frites! I had salmon filet, and it was cooked perfectly. Bill had a lamb skewer that he said was most satisfactory. We split a bottle of wine and enjoyed watching a group of men at a nearby table bonding over friendship and good food. The food was good enough that we even had dessert.

After dinner, we headed back to our hotel. Bill had work in the morning, and I was tentatively planning my first day of exploration around Mons… I know some Americans live there because of SHAPE Headquarters. I don’t think I’d mind living there myself. It’s a very nice town.

So ends the first installment of this series. I’ll be back soon with the next part.