Leuven and Waterloo, Belgium

The last daytrip Liz and I took had two parts. We spent the first part in Leuven which is a university town with good shopping. Next we went out to Waterloo where Napoleon, the French dictator, was defeated. Both places were very close to Brussels and we enjoyed seeing another part of Belgium.

Leuven
This building is very ornate. It looks like something out of Harry Potter.
We found a cute lunch place in Leuven.

Liz has found a friend!
Next we went out to Waterloo:
This is where Napoleon, the French dictator, was defeated in the Battle of Waterloo.
This map shows who fought in the battle in 1815.
It was a steep climb to get to the top!

Waterloo was interesting but ended up being a little funny. The battle site has turned into a tourist attraction and in addition to walking up to the top of the hill and seeing the battlefield, there is a wax museum and a 360 rotunda complete with battle scene mural. From where you stand to the wall there are fake horses and soldiers you have clearly been killed in battle. Hmm.. maybe a little too much!