When we arrived at the hotel yesterday, we learned there was a regional power outage, so to all our loyal followers, you will see two posts today! We started our day at Park Abbey. Four Norbertines from Laon founded it in 1129. Park Abbey is known for its 17th century stained-glass windows depicting the life of Norbert, 41 in all. After the French Revolution, the Norbertines had to sell the windows to survive. They are in the process of purchasing them back from private collections and museums around the world. So far, 21 of them have been returned to Park. They are currently being studied and restored, but it was so exciting to be able to see five of them. As you can see in the photos, the abbey is currently undergoing major renovations, so it would be great to go back in four or five years to see it in its completed state.
A beautiful walk to the abbey. 
The abbey entrance. 
This building was once a stable. 
Prior Jozef welcomed us and was our tour guide.
The church was rebuilt in 1729. 
The acoustics are amazing. 
This is across from where the Abbots sit, as a reminder that they are human and all will die. 
Former Abbots are buried beneath this hatch in the floor. 
The wood carvings and paintings in the sacristy were exquisite.
Five of the famous stained-glass windows.
Norbertine books in their archive. 
A detail of the last supper on the ceiling. 
These sculptures are wooden carvings coated with a special type of chalk or plaster.
We hopped back on the bus and headed to Grimbergen for lunch at their restaurant and a tour. Founded in 1126, it’s best known in the U.S. for its beer, which is currently brewed by Carlsberg group. They recently found their original Norbertine recipe for beer, and are starting a microbrewery. The first beer should be ready in 2020. In addition to the restaurant, they have a guest house and retreat center on site. The church was spared during the French Revolution, but the Norbertines had to flee. In 1831 they resumed communal living, and in 1951 they founded a priory in Cape Town, South Africa. They currently have 17 members, 11 of whom live at Grimbergen.
This facade was meant to be a wall. The front of the church was never finished. 
This section is the old parish house. 
We ate here at their acclaimed restaurant, the Fenikshof. They also have the first public observatory, which you can see above the restaurant.
Abbot Erik de Sutter gave us our tour. 
This massive church was elevated to basilica status.
The wood in the sacristy is local, and the fresco on the ceiling depicts the life of Norbert. 
Behind these doors they discovered a tunnel with stairs to the roof. This stone was found in pieces, but the believe it belonged to the abbot from 1244.
The Neo-Roman style columns and ceilings in some sections are fake, as shown in this photo. 
The story of Norbert and the spider. 
The phoenix. 
This room is lined with paintings of the Abbots before the French Revolution. 
Beautiful photos, LT!
Thank you, loyal reader 🙂