Well, it was not exactly the Return of the Jedi but when I arrived in Leuven before Christmas I found lots of lights at 3 different Advent/Christmas markets.

In European countries with a Christian focus, December marks the beginning of the Advent season which starts four weeks before Christmas. This markets are such a festive way to celebrate the holiday season and it is clear that families and friends enjoy this time to gather and socializing. The many places with food and drink seems to outweigh the booths with Christmas ornaments, candles and hats and mittens.

In Belgium and Germany, gluhwein (hot spiced wine) and beer seem to be the preferred drink. The food ranges from bratwurst to crepes with various fillings to frites to other local specialties. One of my German favorites - just kidding - is lard on rye bread. I ordered this item once not knowing the German word for lard and thought it was a cheese spread. One bite and I knew I was wrong!

In Leuven, the square in front of city hall is decorated with a very large nativity scene, including real sheep. They also bring in dirt, sod and small trees to create a more intimate landscaped setting.

The second market is located in the square in front of the university library with a winter ice theme which includes an outdoor skating rink, an ice slide, ferris wheel and large Christmas tree with ornaments that serve as an amusement ride for small children. And of course, between these attractions are lots of food and drink.

The third location is in the city park with a winding trail of small huts filled with food, drink and gift items. This Christmas market has a stage with an evening entertainment schedule. And on Saturday's and Sunday’s, there can be as many as four different groups performing throughout the day and evening. At night all these places are magical with lights and happy crowds wandering around the paths.

In Belgium and Germany, the last day of the markets is December 23. In Northern Italy and Croatia, they run until Epiphany, January 6. So during December, if you want to meet family or friends for a drink or a quick meal, these Advent/Christmas markets are the place to go!

The University library is to the left of the ferris wheel.

In the picture on the right is the City Hall and to the left the ferris wheel with the University library in the back.

A selfie from the top of the ferris wheel with the library in the background, a picture of the ice skating rink and the Christmas market below and the library and ferris wheel.

Finally, I would be remiss if I did not note the 10 year anniversary of the bike I bought in September 2007 when I started my graduate work in Leuven. A friend stores the bike for me and every year when I return, I put air in the tires and off I go. My 7 speed bike is now a one speed but it still gets me around during my visits.

What a glorious event, the reunion with my bike! On the evening of January 1, 2014, I returned to Leuven by train from Munich. I arrived in the evening and took the bus to a friend's flat who was out of town for the holidays. The next day, I walked to the place where I had parked and locked my bike 6 1/2 months earlier. Would my trusty steed still be there? Or would there be a gaping hole where someone had broken the lock, picked up my bike and taken her away.

As I crossed the small bridge over a stream, I could see the bike rack had been moved from the covered location to outside the small building. I peeked around the corner and there she was in all her glory. My grey and black bike with bright pink flowered saddle bags. She was a little dirty and of course wet, it is Belgium after all, but she was there and I could tell anxious to be on the road again.

I should stop here and explain how important a bike is to the life of a person in Leuven. Without a bike in Leuven, you are a walker and probably a tourist because everyone has bikes here. It is like being a cowboy without a horse.

The University has 43,000 students and I bet at least 75% of them have bikes and this does not include every person under the age of 18 and adults in the community. We have bike parking for 2,500 bikes at the Leuven train station and I can never find a parking place - that's how many bikes we have here.

And of course, there is the history that I have with my bike. I bought her in late September 2007 when I came to the University. I took the bus to a bike shop 15 minutes outside of town, because it was the only one I knew of at the time and picked up my freedom machine for about 450 dollars. Of course, like many businesses here, he would only take cash. So I had to walk a half a mile to a cash machine that did not work and then find a second to withdraw the money that I needed. But in no time, with a pair of saddle bags, I was on my way and the world around Leuven was mine to discover.

A picture of my bike in front of a holiday high heel (I guess this is art) with St. Pieter's Church in the background.

My first major adventure was when I bought a large wooden horse collar with hand wrought iron hinges at the flea market. This is a horse collar made for a draft horse and was a steal at 30 Euros ($40). It also weighed about 30 lbs. So I balanced the horse collar on the stem and seat of my bike and walked the mile back to my flat. The horse collar was part of my life the 5 years I was in Leuven and it now resides in the basement of a friend's home as I try to figure out how to get it back to the U.S.

My bike carried me through driving rain storms, stayed upright as I skidded on snow covered cobblestones and carried me along the canals and trails around Leuven.The saddle bags carried groceries, wine and picnic items and the various treasures I found at the flea markets.

I wore out the peddles, the kick stand, one pair of saddle bags, two dynamo headlights and two tires. I have added a bike bell and tire reflectors that I salvaged from abandoned bikes. The seat is held together with duct tape but she runs like a dream. And when I get on her during my visits to Leuven, I feel like a 10 year old flying through the streets and alleys of the city.

My first couple of days back, I had to work the moisture out of the seat. I think the bike had been sitting outside for a couple of months based on the water that kept oozing out of the seat as I rode which is why I tried to find covered parking. Though a wet rear end in the shape of a bike saddle is actually a badge of honor in Leuven as it shows that you are not a fair weather rider but will brave all the elements.

So, as I wrap up my time in Leuven, I have been scoping out a safe place to leave my bike. I have found a new covered bike parking location and decided to purchase a second lock to deter any would be thieves. She is not the prettiest girl in the bike rack but is reliable and with so many good memories, I cannot imagine a visit to Leuven without her to share the adventures.