Hotel Recommendation - Ghent, Belgium

 When I travel, I absolutely must have a cute place to stay each night! I know what you're thinking...why bother? You don't even spend that much time in your room when on vacation! 

BUT, I DISAGREE!

I believe having a cozy place to return to after a long day of sightseeing is crucial to staying relaxed and ready to go for the next day without feeling completely out of your element and home sick. This is even more important if you do a lot of solo travel like myself! 

ON MY RECENT TRIP TO BELGIUM & THE NETHERLANDS, I FOUND SUCH AMAZING PLACES TO STAY!

Everyone's budget is different, but I found lodging to be less expensive than in the states by far! For what I spent on most of my stays, you could only get a Hampton Inn or something similar. Nothing as quaint and boutique as what I was able to find. I did splurge on a few nights, but offset it other nights by finding a deal. 

BELOW IS WHERE I LAID MY HEAD MY FIRST NIGHT IN BELGIUM!

I flew into Brussels and hopped on the train straight to Ghent. 1898 The Post was a bit hard to find coming off of the tram as the entrance is on the backside of the building down by the river. But, it was such an incredible hotel for my first night in Belgium! 

Sloped ceilings, old wooden floors, exposed riveted beams, and moody decor and period furniture pay homage to the post office that was housed in this building prior. 

The hotel was opened in 2017. And, has since been voted one of the top 500 hotels in THE WORLD by readers of Travel and Leisure magazine! 

 

With its location in the city center, it is a great central location for walking. Although, I was so tired from my flight that I most appreciated the generous sized fluffy bed and blinds that closed out the light!

I found most restaurants to stop their service around 7pm. So, head out early for dinner. Or, take advantage of the restaurant and bar in the hotel. 

 

Either way, definitely don't miss the breakfast! The most delicious array of waffles, croissants, meats, cheeses, omelettes, and on and on, fresh cooked in front of you! This is an add-on to your room that I would 100% recommend. And if you end up staying at a different hotel, then still come by The Post for breakfast as non-guests are also welcome if there are seats available. 

 

Prices for 1898 The Post can really vary. I stayed in "The Stamp" room, which has a king size bed and was around $175 including the breakfast. However, the same room can be close to $400 for just the room at other times of the year. They also have lofts and suites if you are traveling with others, or just want something a little fancier. Book directly on their site or any major hotel booking site.

STAY TUNED FOR WHERE I STAYED ON THE REST OF MY TRIP!

And, pin this post if you want to remember this hotel while planning a future trip!

BYRON BEACH ABODES

FOR LONG STRETCHES OF TIME, I AM CONTENT AS CAN BE STAYING CLOSE TO HOME.

However, I did renew my passport right before the safer at home guidelines were issued.  And, am itching to get some stamps on it.  I'd be willing to go anywhere at this point whether it be across the ocean or a little road trip to a nearby town.  

HEADING TO AUSTRALIA OR NEW ZEALAND HAS BEEN TOP ON MY LIST SINCE AT LEAST MY EARLY 20'S.

Should I make a trip happen, any of the rentals from Byron Beach Abodes would be suitable for an amazing stay on the Eastern side of Australia.  But, out of all the offerings, "the Cabin" is most certainly calling my name.  The rustic meets modern pairing with all of the black and raw wood is right up my alley.  The large windows in every room would surely create a spacious, peaceful feel.  And, I am dying to take a dip in the backyard pool.  Rooms are even complete with Bemboka luxury Turkish robes and towels.

 

WALKING IN PORTLAND

I ran across some photos from my trip to Portland taken while walking through the city...

I love the colors this empty storefront is painted. I can just see fort & field inside...


There were paint by numbers covering the walls in the display window of this building. There was no name of a store or office or anything out front so I have no idea what was housed here. Does anyone know?...




Hotel Fifty is close to the above two buildings. I loved the modern architecture...



I saw this huge brick high school while walking from Knittn' Kitten to Yarnia. I have never seen a high school so large and estate like. After some internet research, I discovered it is Franklin High School (5405 SE Woodward)...


artwork somewhere in my travels...


a building across from the Central Library

HEADING HOME

So, that was my trip to Portland! There were plenty more shops and places of interest on my list which I didn't get to, but I am (for the most part) not disappointed as I think I fit a ton in to the eight days seven nights I stayed in Portland. While I did get to experience much of the handmade scene in Portland, I would be sure to visit the Portland Saturday Market next time around. The market is the "largest continuously operating outdoor arts and crafts market in the nation." The name "Portland Saturday Market" is deceiving as it is actually held on both Saturday and Sunday. I discovered that the market was open on Sundays while speaking to one of the vendors at Crafty Wonderland, however, didn't have time to run back in time before everyone closed up shop. And, Saturday I flew out to early in the morning to run by for even a little bit. Ah well...there's always next time! Another thing I might do next time is to rent a car for a few days and check out some of the sites a little ways out from the city like the Multnomah Falls and Columbia River Gorge. Overall, I had a fantastic time and would love to go back!

WONDER BALLROOM - THE WALLFLOWERS AND THE PICTURE

There are quite a few intimate venues to see a show while in Portland including the Crystal Ballroom, the Doug Fir Lounge", the LaurelThirst Public House", and Kelly's Olympian among many others. I made it to one of these special venues, Wonder Ballroom, while in Portland. I saw the Wallflowers, which was an absolutely amazing show! A group from Brooklyn, The Picture opened up for the Wallflowers. They had a really great sound...and weren't too bad to look at either :) On their myspace page, you can listen to some of their songs, and their album, Bluebirds, can also be purchased on itunes. ("Devious" is a great tune.) Because the venue was so small, I was within 10 feet of the stage, and had an amazing time. Here are some images from the Wonder Ballroom site...

View of the stage


View to the back balcony where there is seats and another bar


Wonder Ballroom
128 NE Russell
503-284-8686

SCRAP AND THE UNION ROSE

I had some time to spare before the Wallflowers show, so I walked about a mile or so down to Martin Luther King Blvd., which runs perpindicular to Russell St. (the street my hotel was on. If you take a left on Martin Luther King and walk down I am guessing 6 or 7 blocks, you reach Scrap. They are a non-profit that sells arts, craft, school, and office supplies. I think it is a great concept, and I can see educators finding a lot of great uses for the offerings here. However, the average crafter probably needs to come to Scrap with a project in mind....alas, I walked away empty handed.


After leavings Scrap, I headed back the way I came on Martin Luther King and crossed over Russell St. going the opposite direction a couple of blocks. I stopped in at Union Rose, a lovely store selling locally made goods. I chatted with the shop owner while I shopped and really had an enjoyable time. I picked up...

A packages of gift hang tags that have lovely images from books on one side and "to:" and "from:" stamped on the other side. Each 15 count package has a theme - flower/fauna, birds, people, transport. The tags are made by Attic Journals.

I am always traveling for work and while I could pick my suitcase out from a mile away even though it is all black like everyone else's, I couldn't pass up this luggage tag by Mugwump.


This business card holder is also by Mugwump.



These sweet hair ties are tiny and won't fit in my hair, but will be a perfect add-on gift or present topper for one of my neices.


I typically wear chunky jewelry, however, was looking for something smaller that I could wear everyday. I thought this handmade "J" initial charm was perfect. Now all I need is a delicate silver chain to hang it on.


Scrap
2915 NE MLK Jr. Blvd.
Portland, OR 97212
503-294-0769
www.scrapaction.org

Union Rose
2023 NE MLK Jr. Blvd.
Portland, OR 97212
503-287-4242
www.unionrose.pdx.com
www.unionrose.etsy.com

WHITE EAGLE HOTEL

The night before I left Portland, I stayed at one of the McMenamins properties, the White Eagle Hotel. It was very easy to get to the White Eagle from downtown where I was staying the rest of the week. I simply hopped on the yellow MAX train towards the EXPO center, got off at the Albina/Mississippi MAX station, and walked a block up to the hotel. I chose the White Eagle because I wanted to stay at one of the McMenamins hotels while in Portland, but the Kennedy School was booked. The White Eagle looked just as fun as it sits above a bar and restaurant, it was cheap as I could get a bunk bed room for $45, and it was within walking distance from the Wonder Ballroom where I had tickets to see The Wallflowers that night. It was difficult to get good shots of the hotel since the hallway and my room were tight quarters. Where noted, the pictures are from the photo gallery on the White Eagle's website.

The outside of the white Eagle (The double doors lead upstairs to where the hotel rooms are located. The door and windows to the left are the entrance into the restaurant and bar where they also have live music.)...

Inside the bar/restaurant...

(photo courtesy of the White Eagle website)

(photo courtesy of the White Eagle website)

stairs leading up to the hotel rooms...


the hallway...

(photo courtesy of the White Eagle website)

bunk bed room...

(photo courtesy of the White Eagle website)


shared showers and shared bathroom...


I would definitely stay at the White Eagle again. The staff was very friendly and the bar and live music was fun. However in the future, I would probably get one of the queen bed rooms rather than a bunk bed room -The bunk beds combined with the small room was claustrophobic.

White Eagle Hotel
836 N. Russell St.
Portland, OR 97227
503-282-6810