Francis was a great host and the cabin on his barge makes a really different, but enjoyable place to stay. The cabin is open plan, well fitted out with a large and comfortable bed, a bathroom area and a kitchenette. The rest of the boat is office space - which is not used at the weekends, so is therefore very peaceful and we could sit out on the front deck which was nice. The boat is located about a 10 minute stroll to a tram - which then takes about another 10 minutes to get to the centre of Gent. The trams are really frequent and easy to navigate. We bought a 14 Euro pass which got us lots of trips - the tourist office can tell you where to buy this from. We also used our bikes - for an easy cycle into town from the boat. There are a few shops about 5 minutes from the boat for essentials and also a bar, which we did not try. Francis was charming and very helpful giving us maps and plenty of tips. The area where the boat is located is 'up and coming' - so may not look the smartest, but felt safe and everyone was very friendly. We could also park our car right next to the boat. We loved Gent and the boat was a lovely haven to return to to relax away from the tourists!