Delightful Dalham

Iris and her parents planned a trip for us to see some of the "off the main tourist tracks" in the Netherlands and Belgium.  Our first stop was Frits and Carolien's home in Dalhem, Belgium where Taylor and I were totally charmed. 

This is the kind of structure that I always wonder about when passing by.  I felt so lucky that I got to stay overnight here. The red shutters belong to the next door neighbor.

This house is built into part of the of original town wall.  It was probably the gatekeeper's house.  From the side of the house you can see the wall.

Here are the remains of the town wall. Up the street, past the white house, are the remains of the original castle.

Castle wall with what looks like a blue door.

Looking up the street toward the castle wall from the front door.

You enter the house through it's basement.  Deeper into the cellar are remains that date back to the 5th century.  The rest of the house has been built on these ruins and is newer - I believe Frits told me 16th century.  Anyway, it's really old.  From the entry you climb up a narrow spiral stair, and here you are - in the dining room.

The dining room seems to be the hub of this 16th century home.

This partial wall divides the dining room from the living room.

Frits and Carolien built this fireplace in the living room.  The columns were originally on a fireplace on the entry floor.

Iris and Syvart relaxing in the living room. Can you see how thick the walls are by looking at the window sills?

Syvart and Taylor toasting our time together.

Frits starting the meal with a toast.

As we left the house in the morning we walked by these buildings. There is a bakery in town where we bought our croissant.

Typical Dalham house.

What I didn't take photos of are the lovely gardens on the side and back of the house.  You will have to trust me and imagine the hilly garden filled with sunshine and perennial beds.

As much as I loved the house and town, part of what made it so special was spending time with Syvart, Iris and Iris' parents.  This was definitely a highlight on our European tour.