Random roadtripping with Kabouter through Hagenland

On the last day of June, school was out at noon already. With Beertje going once again to a birthday party (aaah the social life of those boys...always busy), I took half a day off to keep Kabouter company. 

I had launched him an idea the week before to go for a road trip without plans...just turn left or right as we wished and stop wherever we'd like.  Partially I hope to work on my hate for long car drives, and partially I hoped to truly discover some cool places...those things you always drive by at some distance on the highway, and you never stop. 

He was amused by the idea and while I already doubted the idea, due to our time constraints during the birthday party, we went off anyhow.  In order to add to the fun of some road party, we first stopped to shop for some catering. 

And then we tried to zigzag through the towns south-east of Leuven...I wondered whether our meandering would lead to anything but some field roads...until he yelled "hey, I was on a scouting weekend here" in the centre of Boutersem. 

So we got out to relive a bit of the scouting weekend and he could show me around. 

Then we hunted a weird alien space ship / water tower that would make Beertje jealous as he's into spotting water towers. 

Then I cheated on our random driving and directed us to some vineyards in Holsbeek near Lindenbos to show Kabouter the wineries at the edge of Leuven. 

And then we already had to rush back to the city centre of Leuven to go and search Beertje.  We concluded that the idea was fun, but you need more time...time to actually stop at a random terrace for a drink, time to get a bit further away from the well-known territory around Leuven etc.   But also that there is so many national roads and urban neighbourhoods around that makes it harder to truly spot those little gems worth spotting.