The monastery photo was enticing and the reviews highly encouraging. We were ecstatic about our experience. Ruth, Etienne, their children and dogs are warm, caring but unobtrusive hosts. The monastery is the family home, filled with art and folk collections from around the world, and evolving as they continue to make it more and more uniquely home. The room was very spacious with artistic touches, the bed very comfortable, lots of storage, plenty of personal space for reading, surfing or writing, and equipped with a spacious private bathroom and wonderful shower. Ruth's breakfasts are healthy, delicious and plentiful. The monastery is a 10 - 15 minute walk from the town center, but the tram is handy if you don't want to walk. Ghent itself was a revelation. It is much less touristy than Brugge, Brussels and Antwerp, our day trips from Ghent. Yes the highlights are there with the churches, cathedral, monuments, town squares, canals, chocolate shops but somehow, it is less aggressively globalized commercially. I suppose it won't be too long before the major international shops are there but for now, enjoy Ghent and visit Ruth and her family.