I enjoyed wonderful hospitality and fascinating conversations with my host, Jet, who is F's housemate. He also gave me lots of useful info for parts of Ghent I would have missed, including a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and how to find what is arguably the most extraordinary chocolate shop in Bruges, as well as tips on some of the incredible churches in Bruges.
The house is being redecorated beautifully in parts in art nouveau style. When I was there it had some typical "old house" issues going on, like a couple of sticking doors and some temperamental plumbing. There are also lots of stairs. That said, however, I could not have been better looked after during my stay, and if you love discussing art and history, then that's a bonus.