På konferens i Gent i Belgien

I am currently at a conference in Ghent, Belgium. Ghent is a small city with about 250,000 inhabitants. I would probably never have thought of coming here, if it wasn't for the fact that we came here for a conference with my work. Now that I'm here, I have to say that this is a very nice city, which I would definitely consider visiting privately as well.

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Ghent - small city with a long history

A missionary monastery was founded in Ghent in 631, a castle in 861 and another castle in 1180: the mighty Gravensteen in the centre of the city. And you can tell that this city is old! Many people visit Bruges in Belgium, which is said to be a very charming and beautiful city.

But why not also come to Ghent? The whole city is filled with charming and beautiful old houses, but there are hardly as many tourists as in Bruges. Here's a little taste of what the city looks like.

READ MORE: 10 things to see and do in Ghent, Belgium
READ MORE: Restaurants in Ghent - Belgium for foodies

Beautiful conference facilities

The conference is the annual International Society of Behavioural Nutrition and Physical Activity (ISBNPA) conference. The conference venue, an auditorium and a building called Het Pand, is also impressive. It's fantastic to be in such a place when you're at a conference!

Conference food at a food conference

It's a hectic programme with lectures from 8am every morning to 7pm every evening. So what do you get for conference food at a conference about food? Well, lots of fruit, I can promise you, and the occasional energy bar with nuts or dried fruit. For lunch we get salads or sandwiches ... and wine!

It feels slightly uncomfortable (or at least unfamiliar) for a Swede, but maybe it's quite normal in these latitudes? And perhaps as normal as paying for wine per centilitre in a pub? There are many good restaurants in Ghent and it is easy to find good food.

Borrowing Tombstone

Gravensteen is a powerful medieval castle located in the centre of Ghent. The castle was built by Count Philip of Alsace in 1180. The castle was used by counts until the 15th century, and has since served as both a courthouse and a prison. Today, the castle is a museum of medieval torture methods and has been used as a location for various films.

We had an evening conference dinner here. Really cool environment, although it was a little too cold to hang out at the grill in the courtyard. Inside the castle, a typical "Swedish" smorgasbord was served with everything from herring salad and salmon to sausages and ribs.

We munched on herring and salmon, while the Americans at our table stuck to the comfort of meat and chips. The wine and beer flowed, but I left early. After all, I had to present my research results the next morning at 08:15 ...