Streets of Louvain-la-Neuve

I’ve been back in Bordeaux for three weeks and while it is nice to be back in the city I love, I’ve gotta admit that I kinda miss Louvain-la-Neuve.

Hmm, how did this happen? Louvain-la-Neuve, not just a campus, but barely a real city. I didn’t like it much when I first stepped into Louvain-la-Neuve, that much was certain. The place felt more like a trap than a comfortable place to live.

It took a while to discover the charm hidden within, a process that required living there for a few months at a time and frequent absence. Gradually I found myself starting to like Louvain-la-Neuve more and more as I found ways to enjoy the “city”, as I took delight in the small, unique things that surprise me.

So, after having written about the streets of Bordeaux, I feel that it is only fair to dedicate a post to the streets of Louvain-la-Neuve 😉

On an unsuspecting Saturday afternoon, if I am not out and about travelling to nearby cities, I like to take slow strolls around Louvain-la-Neuve. Although the area of the place itself is not big, there are so many hidden corners that I seem to have missed during my walks that I slowly discover one by one. It’s always fun to get lost, then find my way again.

Random guy sitting outside the Esplanade, apparently reading or just chilling. I remember that it started raining after I got home from my walk that day, and hoping that the rain on didn’t soak him…

…and here is another fella that seems to enjoy chillin’ around…? Only, he seemed a little rigid and pensive. Hmm, doesn’t he look familiar somehow? I hope the Manneken Pis didn’t get too tired of peeing in Brussels and decide to travel to Louvain-la-Neuve for a visit. Could this be the next big attraction in Belgium?

A boy plays with his two dogs near la Parc de la Source in Louvain-la-Neuve.

Cats. There are lots of cats on the streets in Louvain-la-Neuve. I wonder whether they are stray cats or domesticated ones that just move around comfortably everywhere. I think I started to like cats a lot after seeing a lot of them in Louvain-la-Neuve. There is something about their eyes, the way they stare into your soul…that badassery!

On the subject of whether the cats are stray or not, a friend commented, “Cats always know where they are, it’s everything else what is lost.” I like this, my friend. Very well played.

A lonely, empty beer bottle leans against a basketball pole.

The orange globe sends a luminous glow that saturates the sky while it bids goodbye for the day. Oh, Louvain-la-Neuve, it won’t be another few months till I see you again, but I will be back at least one more time. Until then, I don’t have to say goodbye yet. Not yet.