Hi all! I’m Niki.

I drove from Germany to Belgium this morning to meet Herman and Niki. Herman and I have been following each other since 2013. You can find Herman’s blog at https://hopedog.wordpress.com. Laurie and I were planning on meeting Herman and Bowie in 2020 when we were scheduled to go to Antwerp to give papers at an international linguistics conference, but the conference was cancelled because of COVID. Six years, two cats later (Jimi was in between Mr. Bowie and Niki), I finally met Herman and lovely Niki. Herman is a wonderful and gracious host. We spent the afternoon visiting two abbies, both built in the early 12th centuries, and then we happened upon the War Cemetery (WWII) on the way home. Herman said he’d lived in Geel all his life and had never been to the War Cemetery. Most of the soldiers buried there were in their teens and 20s when they were killed in battle.

Dawn in Germany

Niki is very friendly and inquisitive

Espresso and the best cake in Belgium by popular vote. It was wonderful.

Niki liked il paparazzo’s hair.

Gate the the first abby we visited

The church has a painting of The Last Supper started by Leonardo da Vinci and finished by his students.

A Eurasian Moorhen in the moat around the abbey

The Last Supper

While we were in this building that has a reproduction of The Last Supper at eye level, a couple of women were counting the hands of all the people in the painting and couldn’t get a match. There are 13 people (Christ and 12 disciples) in The Last Supper, but the women were only coming up with 22 hands instead of 26. We all got involved in counting hands, and we were all coming up with different numbers. Then I asked about the feet, but the women were heading to the church.

Display that names Christ and the disciples, and the button turns lights on to illuminate the painting.

White pigeon

The new bridge over the canal that Herman’s great-grandfather helped dig around 1901.

Buildings that are part of the second abby we visited.

The old pipe organ

The new pipe organ with a rearview mirror. Hmmm. What might the organist need a rearview mirror for?

A modern monk

Herman treated me to a tradritional Blegium Fries lunch. It was great.

After we returned from visiting abbies and the war cemetery, Niki was more curious about camera.

I checked into the Corbie Hotel in Geel. I will have this lovely lady watching over me tonight.