Haacht, Belgium

We're both retired; our three children have their own families, not too far away. We love open natural beauty and old and new architecture, modern and classical art, so both city exploration and walks in nature, along rivers, lakes and sea, in plain fields and woods and in mountains. We love talking to local people and exchange cultural experiences. We've both been working in foreign language education (teaching and teacher training) and are members of several organizations of international hospitality. Our house has a modern but rural architecture (1979) with building materials uncovered inside (see pictures), wooden floors and ceilings in all rooms except in the bathrooms and kitchen. Living-room, kitchen, office, reading and open-fire areas are one large open space. The garden, some 80 m deep and 16 m wide is mainly a walking park with trees, bushes and lawns, a large (coverable) sandpit and slide, and bikes for children. We live in a quiet, rural, young neighbourhood, only 7 and 9 km away from access points to different motorways, some 500 m from a railway station and bus-stops; 15 km to Brussels international airport (with an easy direct bus connection from our village), halfway between two beautiful medieval towns, Leuven (university town) and Mechelen, and 25 km from Brussels capital area.