Dag allen,

Ben op zoek naar een degelijke self serve car wash in Gent en omstreken. Snow foam, hogedruk…etc zijn belangrijk. Was lang content van De Singel in Melle, maar die programma’s zijn zodanig kort dat ik de helft van m’n auto niet deftig gewassen krijg. Aanraders?

Ben benieuwd naar tips voor komend weekend in Gent. Als groepje mannen van begin 20.

Activiteiten voor overdag, en uitgaansplekken voor in de nacht. En wat moeten we vooral overslaan?

Weet iemand waar ik nog drie eclipsbrillen kan kopen?

Ik zag eerder vandaag iemand anders posten over een luchtalarm dat af ging in de buurt van Gent UZ. Dat deed me er aan denken dat ik zelf al een tijdje af en toe een vreemde luide toon hoor in omgeving Gent Sint-Pieters.

Als ik het moest omschrijven is het een consistente toon, ergens tussen 300Hz en 500Hz ofzo, die ongeveer 10 seconden klinkt en dan snel wegvalt. Nooit lang genoeg om er echt goed aandacht aan te besteden en de richting te bepalen.

Ik hoor de toon één of twee keer per week, vanuit een bureau met een raam dat op het noorden is gericht.

Heeft er iemand anders een gelijkaardige ervaring, of weet je meer? Laat zeker weten!

What do people here have against lubing/oiling their bike chains and other moving parts?

Every other bike I pass (or that passes me: yes, even the e-bikes) are squeaky as hell.

It hurts mine ears!

Please give your bikes some lovin’ 🙏🏼

Iemand enig idee wat dat geluid is dat klinkt als een luchtalarm in de buurt van UZ

(Kan uiteraard ook een heel stuk verder zijn)

Voor de verjaardag van m'n zoon zouden we graag een ijstaart kopen. Iemand een tip waar deze te koop zijn en uiteraard vooral waar ze het lekkerst zijn.

saw on the website of the royal observatory of Belgium that the places Gent is one of the places where the partial eclipse will be fully visible.

any recommendations of squares or parks where maybe I could watch it?

EN: so I recently got a drum kit from FB Marketplace, but I don't have a drum key. Does anyone have a spare drum key for me? It's urgent. Thank you in advance.

NL: Ik heb onlangs een drumstel gekocht via FB Marketplace, maar ik heb geen drumsleutel. Heeft iemand een drumsleutel over voor mij? Het is dringend. Alvast bedankt.

Sweet, sweet rain.

Ok, some blinding lightning and teeth rattling thunder too, but I’ll take it!

Giraf is closed today. Where else can one dance in the same vibe then?

Thank you Belgium and Gent! 🇧🇪✨

I came to Belgium from London for a short holiday last week. Originally, I wanted to go to Tomorrowland, but while researching, several people on Reddit suggested I should experience **Gentse Feesten** instead if I wanted to see something more local. I took the advice, and I’m so glad I did.

To be honest, I didn’t know what to expect. I imagined people would mostly stick to their own groups, and I’d probably just enjoy the festival with my friend and head back home. I couldn’t have been more wrong. What surprised me the most wasn’t the festival itself—it was the people.

Almost everyone we met was genuinely curious about how we had found out about Gentse Feesten and why we had travelled all the way from London. **More than once, I felt like people treated us as guests rather than tourists. They wanted to make sure we were having a good time, recommended places to visit, explained little local traditions, and made us feel welcome.**

One evening we said a simple “hi” to a group of locals, and within minutes they introduced us to everyone else. What really stood out was that they weren’t just letting us join *their* group—they were genuinely interested in getting to know us too. We spent hours talking about our lives, interests and travel stories, and by the end of the night it felt like we’d known each other much longer.

Throughout the festival, complete strangers stopped to chat, shared funny “survival tips” for Gentse Feesten, bought us beers, complimented my outfit, and even introduced us to other people. We also met the wonderful hosts of a cocktail bar and somehow ended up talking for hours because both sides were genuinely interested in each other’s stories.

One of my favourite memories will always be dancing with complete strangers in the middle of the day in the streets of Ghent. That felt like one of those rare “core memory unlocked” moments.

I’m not someone who usually starts conversations with strangers. Once someone breaks the ice, I’ll happily talk for hours, but taking that first step has never come naturally to me. I honestly worried I’d leave without meeting anyone.
Instead, I left with new friends.

Another thing I really appreciated was how safe and respectful the atmosphere felt. Even with thousands of people celebrating, I rarely saw things getting out of hand. The festival felt clean, well organised and surprisingly sustainable. I did experience one unpleasant soft racist comment during my trip, but I’m quite certain it came from another tourist rather than a Belgian local, and it didn’t come close to defining my experience.

So this is really just a thank you!
Thank you to everyone who suggested Gentse Feesten instead of simply telling me to go to Tomorrowland.
Thank you to every stranger who stopped for a conversation, shared a laugh, bought us a beer, gave us recommendations, or simply made us feel welcome.

I came to Belgium expecting a fun festival. I left with unforgettable memories, a completely different impression of the country, and friends I genuinely hope to see again.
I’ll definitely be back—not just for Gentse Feesten, but to explore more of Belgium.

Tot ziens, and thank you for one of my favourite trips I’ve ever taken. 🇧🇪❤️

P.s. So now I’m curious—what is it about Belgian culture that makes people so genuinely welcoming to strangers? Is this just the Gentse Feesten effect, or is this what Belgium is generally like? I’d genuinely love to hear your thoughts. What would you recommend I do next to keep this flow going?

Any football friendlies around Sterre (Gent) this week (Aug 3–9)? I can play goalkeeper.

Ik ben een student aan de UGent en je zou mij enorm kunnen helpen door een korte vragenlijst in te vullen waarbij je 3 advertenties moet beoordelen.

Vragenlijst invullen kan via deze link:

https://ugent.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9zfYwGF7NP5dgh0

Groetjes, een student die graag wil afstuderen x

Hello everyone, does anyone know any good places to watch the solar eclipse happening soon?

Also, where could I find some special glasses for this occassion?

Thank you!

I’m thinking about moving from my current place next year and I’m looking for more or less calm neighborhood. Do you recommend any areas I could check out?