Mechelen Man

In the run up to the ill-fated referendum I was lucky enough to make a trip across the channel. It did have the feel of potentially a “Last visit as a European”. I was determined not to let it spoil my trip but there was an air of impending doom before I packed the bag and set off for St Pancras International.

Eurostar has made such a difference to continental travel and traveling Business Premier made it even better. The journey was better than comfortable and the on board breakfast excellent.
Before long I arrived at the city of Mechelen. Never heard of it? Nor had I, something of an sign of our attitude to Belgium.
Mechelen is a fine city, small and very manageable on foot. I checked into the Hotel Martin’s Petershof and very striking it is as it sits inside a church. The effect is stunning, a bar and restaurant in the main body of the building with rooms above. Mine was large and boasted a vaulted ceiling, gothic stained glass window and a bed the size of a tennis court.

After lunch, great tapas, I departed for an extraordinary convent school. And wealthy they needed to be too as the place is an opulent palace boasting the most beautiful art nouveau winter garden with a fabulous barrel vaulted stained glass roof. Not of course for the use of the girls, but for their visiting parents. It was only one of a suite of rooms created for that express purpose and it was fascinating to listen and hear how modern and commercially sassy those nuns were.

After a short nap it was time to tackle the evening’s activity and to the main square where amazingly I climbed the bell tower of the cathedral and looked down onto the beautiful city centre, beer in hand! After that it was a fine dinner with matched beers at The Wool Sack restaurant…