This blog continues the previous Part 29,
https://gerdiwanninger.blogspot.com/2018/10/fighting-cobbles-my-trip-to-belgium-in_29.html
https://gerdiwanninger.blogspot.com/2018/10/fighting-cobbles-my-trip-to-belgium-in_29.html
Thursday, June 28, 2018
“Traveling
– it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller.”
Ibn Battuta, Maroccan Muslim Scholar and Traveller
Leaving the Ferrari dealer I passed a
boring Volkswagen dealer until I came to a roundabout, an obviously very popular road design in Belgium. After it the Chaussée de Namur merges with the N25 (National Road
25), a wide road built similar to a highway and both names appear on the
official map.
Again I have to praise the Belgians for their road design.
I was walking beside the right lane on the road with separated four lanes, two
in every direction. On my side the
walkway did not stop but lead me to a pedestrian and cyclist tunnel which lead
me to the left side of the road! Here I passed some houses and walked through to a small forest which
separated me and the busy car traffic. But not much later I returned to the
road and walked directly beside it on a nice path. After a while I passed a young hitchhiker who tried to
stop a car for the opposite direction. He was so friendly to pose for a 'bit
shaken photo'. |
Young
Hitchhiker
|
Step after step I came closer to the city
of Ottignies-Louvain-la-Neuve,
with a population of around 30.000
citizens a large city by Belgian standards. For me,
as a foreigner, the French name is not only
complicated but also difficult to pronounce. One reason for this might be that
this municipality consists of the following
sub-municipalities: Ottignies, Louvain-la-Neuve, Céroux-Mousty and Limelette.
The city features the Louvain-la-Neuve Science Park which was
the first of its kind in Belgium. It was created in 1971 and covers 231
hectares (570 acres) of land.
When I approached another roundabout I've noticed many road signs giving
directions to many different destinations. I did not come to Belgium to visit
Science Parks but choose to turn right onto the Boulevard de Wallonie direction Louvain-la-Neuve (or 'LLN'). This town was developed
from 1968 to provide a home for the Université Catholique de Louvain
(Catholic University of Louvain). It is the largest French-speaking University
in Belgium and has its roots in 1425 when
the Duke of Brabant created the 'University of Louva'.
This road seemed endless and only sometimes appeared the black letters on
white ground of the road sign to my actual destination, the Hergé
Museum. Georges Prosper Remi, or better known under his pen name Hergé
([ɛʁʒe]),
was a Belgian cartoonist best known for creating 'The Adventures of
Tintin', a series of popular European comics in the
20th century.
Finally I turned left and entered almost immediately the grounds of the Université Catholique de Louvain which seems to be sized like a town by itself and the reason for this long road I just traveled. It educates more than 27,000 students (!) from 127 nationalities in all areas on its different campuses. The university has educated large part of Belgium's elite and is still considered excellent in many fields.
 |
Impressions
of the Université Catholique de Louvain
|
Because of its huge grounds, I have to admit that I got lost. But a kind person gave me
a minute and tried to listen to my explanation that I was looking for the
museum. Of course I pronounced the French
name of the cartoonist wrong but he corrected and taught me, understood and
explained the way with a generous smile.
After leaving the campus I turned right, followed a small road, passed a
kindergarten and stood in front of the museum. All the pictures I have seen of the museum showed the signature part very
clearly but since then some plants grew and gave me only a partial view...
 |
| Musee Hergé or Hergé Museum |
(to be continued@https://gerdiwanninger.blogspot.com/2018/11/fighting-cobbles-my-trip-to-belgium-in_19.html)
Disclaimer: I traveled Belgium by myself, I am not sponsored by anyone. Interested subscribers and/or followers in traveling an in this small but beautiful country are more than welcome!
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