Spa

24 May 2015:  We felt refreshed this morning after our rest day in Liège.  Our airbnb host, Joseph, welcomed us at breakfast with a local cheese that I remembered from my time living here, Herve.  Thus fortified, we set off for... the train station.

Yes, we chose again to skip the tedious city walking.  We took a train to Fraipont, a village east of Liège where we could re-join the GR5.  Unfortunately, the marking of the GR5 around Fraipont is ambiguous, and we found ourselves hiking on the wrong trail (the GR576).  It took more than an hour – consulting maps, GPS and local residents – to correct that error.  

Once on the right trail, we enjoyed walking through forests during this hot, sunny day.  (Indeed, the GR576 was also quite pleasant.)  We are in rolling countryside now, which offers beautiful views.  

We fell behind schedule today, thanks especially to our extended tour of Fraipont in the morning.  So we decided in the afternoon to stop hiking in La Reid and to hitchhike from there to Spa (where we had a reservation at a B&B).  That brought us to a café in Spa at just the right moment:  We met Omar, an American who is hiking the GR5.  We greatly enjoyed getting acquainted with Omar and talking about the GR5 over drinks at the café and later dinner in a nearby restaurant.

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Departure from Gare des Guillemins:

This place is quite a change from the Gare des Guillemins when Carroll lived in Liège!

Arrival at Fraipont:

This turned out to be the wrong trail, but it was still pleasant:

Beautiful views of the rolling countryside along the GR5:

A gnu within an enclosure along the trail:

A very Belgian lunch: beer, frites and a sandwich. 

We were very impressed by the stone architecture of the homes in Becco. 

Omar and Carroll at a café in Spa:

Our B&B in Spa: