Adventure is calling, and I must go. #travellingbear #yearH

New year, new adventures - Happy 2026! 🎉 Happy New Year! #happynewyear

Hello? No, I´m sorry. The office is closed. Try again on monday. #happynewyear ✨️

There's not much to see in St. Lenaarts. But there is a pub for a post-walk lubrication. #bearinBelgium #walkingisfun #smallbearsneedbeer

In St. Lenaarts there is a nativity scene with two real donkeys. I haven't decided yet whether I find that cute or sad. #bearinBelgium #walkingisfun

The village centre of Humelgem is dominated by the Romanesque St. Catherine's Church. In the churchyard, there is a tombstone of Roelant Martyn, Lord of the feudal court of Wyckhuysen, dating from 1554. #bearinBelgium #walkingisfun

The Duifhuis or Vleug in the hamlet of Humelgem was probably built between 1495 and 1508 and served as an observation post for the castle "Ter Ham". From the tower, messages could be sent to the castle at the slightest sign of danger. #bearinBelgium #walkingisfun

The castle "Ter Ham" is a late medieval moated castle. It was the residence of the Austrian Empress Zita during the years 1929-1940. #bearinBelgium #walkingisfun

Steenokkerzeel is what is known as a 'street village'. It is literally cut in two by the provincial road 'Mechelen-Waterloo'. Here, we will do the Ter Ham walk. #bearinBelgium #walkingisfun

Back in Ostend. Altar by Kris Martin is an empty frame set up on the beach that invites visitors to look through the 'window' at the sea. #bearinBelgium #walkingisfun

Freezing my bum off in the polder landscape during the walk in Stene. #bearinBelgium #walkingisfun

Stene is a village within the city. It is located in the historic polders of Ostend, a landscape of dykes, creeks and waterways. The town centre with St. Anne's Church is a protected heritage site. #BearinBelgium #walkingisfun

A gigantic turkey, sage and onion pasty as Christmas Eve dinner. A recipe from Dame Mary Berry. Merry Christmas everyone.🎄✨️

The Penguin Sessions was a charming film. Wonderful performance by Steve Coogan. In preparation we visited the penguins in the Zoo.

This is not a stuffie. #Magritte

Marcelleke is a little early for the Magritte exhibition at KMSKA. A cappuccino while waiting. Getting into the Christmas spirit.

We find globes fascinating. And Marcelleke thinks one would be perfect for Boeleke.

Marcelleke visits the newly reopened Mercator Museum in Sint-Niklaas. Everything about the famous cartographer.

The Christmas decorations are up. Time for the festive jumper too. #Christmasiscoming #xmas2026

Fascinated by the many ships on the busy Ghent-Terneuzen Canal. It connects the port of Ghent with the sea. #bearinHolland

We know Sas van Gent from a beautiful but sad song about a girl who was going to become famous but failed. However, she cannot return home because her mother has convinced everyone otherwise. #bearinHolland

We are in Sas van Gent. The history of this village in Zeeland is linked to Ghent's search for a connection to the sea. The Bolwerk Generaliteit was built in the 16th century during the 80 Years' War, a period in which the Netherlands fought for independence from Spanish rule. #bearinHolland

In the Middle Ages Sluis had 10 windmills. The only remaining is called 'de Brak', named after a French breed of hunting dog (Braque) that sticks its nose in the wind while hunting. Built in 1739 and the first stone mill in the region. It is a 'top-sail mill with a platform'. #bearinHolland

The only belfry in the Netherlands is located in Sluis. It is a symbol of the town's freedom and was also an ideal vantage point for the town guards. The council chamber contains an 18th-century wrought-iron fence. #bearinHolland

Watchman Jantje saved Sluis from a Spanish invasion in 1606. Because he had drunk too much beer at the village fair, he was late and failed to ring the bell. The Spanish troops, who were waiting for the bell to ring in order to attack, were thus deceived. #smallbearsneedbeer

Our train was delayed, so we had to wait a while for the next bus to Sluis. But we're here now. This is Van Dale, the namesake of the Groot woordenboek der Nederlandse taal (Great Dictionary of the Dutch Language), better known as the Dikke Van Dale. #bearinHolland

My calender has arrived. Time to plan new adventures. #travellingbear

Albert Van Dyck also designed posters. #bearinBelgium

When Van Dyck started out Flemish expressionism was the dominant movement. He found it too excessive. He had a luminist and pictorial style and painted children and the barren landscape of the Kempen region. Critics described this type of art as animism. #bearinBelgium

We are at the Albert Van Dyck Museum in Schilde. We are the only visitors. #bearinBelgium

My vote goes to Paddington Bear. (And Amber & Nikita). #strictly

Although the Christmas cards are already up, Saint Nicholas still dropped by last night. #Sinterklaas

Small bears need beer. @hungarianbear.bsky.social

Great time in Brugs beertje with @hungarianbear.bsky.social @campievanbears.bsky.social @beerbear21.bsky.social and Larry and Beamic.

To me this a normal episode of Masterchef because I do not know any of these celebrities. #celebritymasterchef

Our 2026 calendar has been ordered...

We are shouting the Jane Austen answers at the televion. #onlyconnect

The museum was chaotic but awesome. After that, we followed a trail of Snoopys in London. #bearinLondon

The museum is open barely 5 minutes and there is a queue already... Sir John Soames museum. #bearinLondon

We also saw Roman mosaics in Verulamium Park. Not as impressive as the ones we saw in Sicily, but still beautiful. There was a lovely view of the cathedral from the park. Fortunately, it stopped raining. #bearinEngland

At 85 metres, the cathedral of St Albans has the longest nave in England. Saint Alban is known as Britain’s first saint and was buried on the site 1700 years ago. #bearinEngland

We´ve had a lovely time in St Albans. In the museum there was an interesting exhibition on inns and alehouses. Towards the end of the 19th century St Albans boasted 92 commercial drinking establishments. There was a man who listed them all. Who does that remind me off? #smallbearsneedbear

It's colder and it's raining. We escaped busy London and took the train to St Albans. We're going to visit the museum and then walk to the cathedral (it's supposed to stop raining this afternoon). But first, a Christmassy coffee: a Caramel Nutcracker Latte. #bearinEngland #stalbans

Back in London. Street art in Leake Street. Across Westminster Bridge to St James's Park. Pelicans and squirrels. Then on to St James's Palace. Then to the Christmas window displays at Fortnum & Mason (adorable mice). Now in a pub near the British Museum to catch our breath. #bearinLondon

Chimney pieces, doors and ceilings were based on gothic vaulting, medieval tombs and rose windows: ‘all Gothicism, gold and looking glass’ as the poet Thomas Gray described it. #strawberryhillhouse #bearinLondon

On our way to Strawberry Hill House. #swr #bearinLondon

Marcelleke is at the Noel Coward Theatre to see The Importance of being earnest. #bearinLondon

In the afternoon, we checked out the huge buildings on The Strand. It was really busy everywhere, so no selfies. Time to rest our feet now. #bearinLondon #smallbearsneedbeer

Carrot cake. #smallbearsneedcake #bearinLondon

Neo-Impressionists painted in small dots of pure colour. Viewed from a distance, the colours blend to create nuanced tones and an illusion of light. We like it. #nationalgallery