Servas Visit from Latvia
Rita & Luc enjoyed the visit of Alexey & Liza.
It was great to see Alexey again, a good friend from Latvia whom I had previously met at international Servas meetings on four different continents and who was our guest in 2011.
He traveled to Belgium with his 11-year-old daughter for a special purpose. Liza, avid fan of the Flemish fantasy youth series ‘Nachtwacht’, couldn’t have been happier. Both the show and the new ‘Nachtwacht’ movie were an unforgettable experience, and a visit with a warm welcome to the fictional, mysterious village of ‘Schemermeer’ was awesome. What an enthusiasm!
Father and daughter felt at home and many memories were shared around the table.
Servas at its best!
*****
My name is Alexey Tereshchenko.
I am a Servas host in Riga, Latvia.
I have been to Belgium twice, both times with Servas, but over twenty years ago.
For my daughter, Belgium was a dream. She is 11, and she is a fan of the Flemish TV show Nachtwacht. When we found out that a new Nachtwacht film and a new Nachtwacht live show were coming out in February 2026, I understood we needed to go despite my financial difficulties. It is important to get your dreams fulfilled in time.
And it was a good decision. Not only have we seen both the film and the live show but we also went to the places where the series was filmed, in a historical farm near Geraardsbergen and in the Begijnhof of Lier. When in Geraardsbergen, she told me it was the happiest day of her life.
But our trip to Belgium was not limited to Nachtwacht. We also saw beautiful historical centres of Brussels, Antwerp, Bruges and Audenaarde. And, of course, we spent time with Servas people. My daughter and I often host Servas people but rarely travel. This was an occasion to make her meet wonderful Servas hosts. And I cannot express enough my admiration and my gratitude.
Rita and Luc, my old friends, hosted us for three nights in their beautiful house, full of treasures for an 11-year-old, from an African drum to an antique sabre. Rita also gave me lots of invaluable advice that helped me find my way and save money. Luc showed me a genealogical study of his family which inspires me to do similar research.
Another Luc, a Servas host in Bruges, came to pick us on the station and gave me a detailed instruction which allowed us to see so much in Bruges. I was impressed by how neatly organized his guest room is, with everything that can be necessary for a Servas traveller. If one day I can afford a separate guest room, I’ll try to do the same.
Sylvia. The wonderful host from Antwerp. I visited her only once, and it was 23 years ago, exactly half of my life ago. She went with us everywhere in the city, showing beautiful places I would have never found on my own. And she seemed to be acquainted with everyone. Antwerp with Sylvia really felt like home.
Finally, Guy, the day host from Lier. He brought us to Hemiksem and Lier, two places where Nachtwacht was filmed, and patiently waited when my daughter was running beside herself with joy through the streets of Begijnhof and watched on her smartphone the passages where the heroine of the film does the same.
And I don’t mention food that these people generously cooked for us (Rita having made a raclette, usually only made for Christmas), and lots of interesting conversations we had on all the topics, and simply the pleasure I had to meet old friends, to make new friends and to make them meet my daughter.