Christmas at the abbey

The week before Christmas, there was Christmas festivities at the abbey.  The boys had been making crafts in the weeks before that the school would sell at the abbey Christmas market for charity.  So we wanted to go and see what they had made.  But also our Texan Dutch friends returned once again to Leuven to join us as we always enjoy snooping around the market ourselves and taste some beers.

It was a bit of a hectic day when we had already visited my mother in the other side of the country in the morning and then rushed back to make it when the Christmas market opened because both boys were expected at Scouts an hour later.  But we made it.

Beertje was hilarious, rushing down the hill towards the abbey, rushing to the market that was just opening up to go and search the star he had crafted since he wanted to buy back his own art before anyone else potentially would have bought it.  Also, Kabouter searched for an angel that he potentially made.   From the other people that came by later, I can tell a lot of children had sold back their art :p.  That's a good charity business model ;). 

When that task was ticked off we had time to start snooping around the stands in ease.  Unlike the much bigger and well-known version downtown, this Christmas market , despite its quite small size, feels much more authentic and nice with artisans displaying their own work , neighboured by peace organisations and charities.  No commercial stuff.  It was quite nice to look around. 

Then we sat down with the abbey's Christmas beer and snacks. 

In the abbey church there was a gorgeous a-capella concert going on that unfortunately we only found out by the end of it. The church was completely packed and we could hardly squeeze in in the back anymore. 

We walked back home while the sun set under the tunes of the carillon's concert that started.   I sat down on a bench in the distance with our friend and we enjoyed the music floating over the field and down towards us and it was just magical. 

Merry Christmas from the Park Abbey