Leuven (in French - Louvain), Belgium

This is turning out to be 'Belgium Week' with regards to day trips as well as to blips. This shot is of the 'Grote Markt', translated as 'Large Market', or 'Main Market', which, as the name suggests, used to be the area where market stalls were set up, usually once a week, occasionally twice, depending on the time of year. The 'Grote Markt' is not the same as the 'Oude Markt', or 'Old Market', which is just as splended although not as wide. 'Splendid' meant in the present tense because it is lined with even more cafés, terraces and coffee corners; what the Dutch call 'gezellig', which might loosely be translated as 'cozy'. Yes, Leuven is a 'cozy' city almost a thousand years old with an untainted university tradition (we're talking about universities established in the 1300s, 1400s, 1500s and 1600s and still operating today) that would rival and outshine many of the venerable institutions elsewhere.

That fancy building on the left is the Town Hall, which will really catch and hold your attention the moment you spot it.

A good sunny day again. I am thankful for days like this when I can just hop into the car and scoot off somewhere where I've never been and do some sightseeing. Shopping, too? No.