From Resurrection: The Heresy of a Jesuit:
“John Dee loved the city of Leuven; He loved the quality of the evening light. He loved the grand buildings and the tolerant population. He loved the Catholic university with its hundreds of students. Here he felt important and useful, more so than he ever did in dreary Cambridge. Cambridge: he shivered at the memory of the sleet-laden wind scouring across the fens from the North Sea. Yes, it had even more glorious buildings, but the students were mostly impoverished, as indeed was he. In Leuven, he could almost feel the energy of new discoveries in the air. There were hundreds of students researching theology, law, mathematics, astronomy, and so much more. It was the very centre of modern learning; he had no doubt. In June, however, the city was a comparative oasis of tranquility. Many undergraduates returned home for the summer, leaving just the resident clergy, professors, and the post-graduate research students, like himself. He had spent a dull day studying civil law in the library, and felt he truly deserved an evening of good company and golden beer. He ambled through the Oude Markt. As he weaved between partially dismantled stalls, he recognised where his subconscious was leading him; to his favourite café, Engele’s. At Engele’s, the beer was strong, the company was boisterous, and the staff were attractive. Particularly Odriana, Engele’s eldest daughter, who often served in the bar. The last time I visited Engele’s I’m sure Odriana had been flirting with me, hadn’t she?”