Locals about the abbey: Chantale
“Both the architecture and the nature are breath-taking”
Amateur photographer Chantale comes to the Abbey site. “The way the light falls on the Park Abbey is particularly beautiful. When you go for a walk there, you constantly have something different in your line of view.”
Chantale Coun (48) came to Leuven because her daughter dances at the Hilde Goyens Dance Studio. “I take her to dance school, which means I have a few hours to kill while she’s there. So, I look for places to relax. Preferably surrounded by nature, away from all the noise,” she specifies.
This is what lead Chantale to the Abbey site. “I searched the internet for a nature reserve close to Leuven. When I found the Park Abbey, I was instantly in love. It’s a beautiful combination of culture and nature. You can’t find that very often in Belgium anymore; definitely not so close to the city. Both the architecture and the nature are breath-taking.”
Amateur photographer
Chantale is a professional engineer, But she delves into photography in her free time. “I really love taking photographs. You learn to look at things in a different way. You have more eye for detail, and you can see things that you might not have seen otherwise... For example, the way the light falls on the Park Abbey is particularly beautiful. Like when you’re standing in front of the Norbert Gate, facing the tower, for instance,” she adds.
Chantale also returned with her husband Johnny. “We always try to go for walks together in the weekend. He thought it was beautiful. You’ll also run into other likeminded people. It’s a short walk, but you constantly have something different in your line of view. I’ve already seen several beautiful birds at the ponds and along the paths, but I don’t have a telephoto lens. Well, not yet,” she chuckles.