Flanders Day 5: “Partir, c’est mourir un peu”

I’m sitting on the TGV watching the beautiful countryside pass me by as the sun slowly sets. The fields are emerald green and vibrant yellow and the trees are covered in leaves. Currently, I’m listening to Dr. Dog’s “Where’d All the Time Go” and reflecting on my adventures…

This morning Rik and I went for a walk by the lake and we were lucky enough to see lots of nesting birds with their followings of ducklings. I was so content not to go to another museum or see another old building. Though it’s wonderful seeing historic buildings and ancient artifacts, no man-made object can ever replace the beauty of nature.

After the walk and some lunch it was time to say goodbye. At the train station I ate my first (and hopefully not last) scrumptious Belgian waffle. Rik said I reminded him of Philine, his granddaughter, because that was the first and last thing she always did.

My observations on Belgium:

1. People are more willing to speak English than in France or Norway (Norwegians speak English well, but they’re just more shy about it).

2. Most people in Belgium speak about 3-4 languages: Flemish, Dutch (because it is almost the same as Flemish), French, English and German are the primary ones.

3. Each type of liquid (be it water or beer) is served in a different type of bottle and glass. There’s SO many varieties of beer which is astonishing because it means that for every single type there is a different bottle and different glass with that type of beer's name on it. Yikes.

4. Kriek is one of the most popular drinks, especially for girls. It’s a very sweet, fruity and delicious cherry beer.

5. There are lots of similarities between Flemish and English and I think it would be easier to pick up than Norwegian. For example, “dank u” is “thank you” and “goeiemorgen” is “good morning.”

6. I have never seen so many bicycles in one place in my entire life. If anyone has ever lost a bike or had one stolen...it's probably here.

Living with the Verbekes was like living with a French family. I went from speaking a ton of English and almost no Norwegian to speaking a ton of French and almost no English. This spring break was marvelous and I’m so grateful that I was able to stay with both the Brunvolls and the Verbekes.

Vaarwel! (for now)

Heidi

Sidenotes:

1. Made it to Lille-Flandres station and saw the cathedral there, but then almost missed my train from Paris to Angers because I thought I could walk from the Gare du Nord to the Gare Montparnasse in an hour and a half. (Yes, that was a dumb idea, but hey, I figured out why subways are such a good idea.) Word to the wise, don’t attempt it. Especially if you’re carrying 80 pounds on your back.

2. I was so happy to be back in Angers! It has really come to feel like home.

3. The quote at the top means: “To leave is to die a little.”

4. Dr Dog’s “Where’d All the Time Go”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0f5MHtm63k

Flanders Day 2: Mystery of the Mystic Lamb

Day 2 was just as busy as the first. We got an early start and took off for the 2010 Ghent Floralies (sorry I’m going to leave you with a cliff hanger and explain that in the next post.) After the Floralies, Rik and I climbed the Ghent belfry which was like a mini, vertical museum. Each level had something different: There was a collection of the old bells that were once used as well as the original dragon from the top of the spire, the watchmens’ room and the clock mechanism which looks like a gigantic music box. At the top was a magnificent view of the city. I learned that work was first started on the belfry in 1313 and that it uses 54 bells to chime out the time every fifteen minutes.

Afterwards we walked to the Gravensteen, or Ghent castle. Inside the donjon were a bunch of weapons and a torture chamber with devices like thumbscrews, brands, a stretcher and spiked collars. Very gruesome. The actual chateau was constructed in 1180 by Philippe of Alsace, but the first fortifications were started in the 9th century.
Rita met us for lunch and I got my first taste of Belgian fries. Did you know French fries actually originated in Belgium? Well, they do and naturally the originals are better. Hands down.

Following lunch I met Rik and Rita’s neighbor Hilde for her guided tour of Ghent. She told us (the French tourists and I) that at one point, the castle keep was taken over by University students in protest of the rising price of beer. One of the French guys joked that that was a worthy cause if there ever was one. We passed the old Poissonerie which definitely doesn’t look like a fish market with its statue of Neptune and the Boucherie (Butchery) with fake ham hanging from the ceiling and a colonnade with Napoleon’s eagle. Next was the impressive St Bavo’s cathedral. Inside was a painting by Peter Paul Reubens and the triptych “Adoration of the Mystic Lamb” by Jan Van Eyck.

The triptych, painted in 1432, was wayyy larger than I thought and incredibly detailed. It also features prominently in Nazi conspiracy theory. Bought by the King of Prussia in the early 1800s, it was exhibited in Germany until the Germans had to give it back to Belgium as part of the World War I war reparations. Apparently the Germans greatly resented this because in 1942, Hitler ordered that the altarpiece be taken back to Germany. It was stolen by the SS and stored in a salt mine until recovered by the Americans who gave it back to Belgium in a special ceremony. (No French officials were invited to the ceremony because Belgium was still mad at France for allowing the painting to be taken.) But before it became a German hostage there was an earlier attempt to steal the altarpiece that was partially successful. In 1934, one of the panels “Just Judges” was stolen and it has never been recovered. (Forget Detective Poirot, where’s Indiana Jones?) And that is the true mystery of the mystic lamb.

The last item on our agenda was a canal ride accompanied by coffee and biscuits. I’ve always loved boat rides and this one was so very relaxing. I enjoyed looking at the colorful buildings on either side of the canal and the chess players on the quay.

Right after getting back from the tour, the Verbeke’s and I went to meet Rik's sister, Nicole, and her husband, Hugo, who live maybe 15 minutes away. Hugo is a sculptor and he showed me his workshop, his gallery, the different sculpting tools, and even explained the difference between stone and marble (marble is far more difficult to work with because it’s more crystallized). It was SO cool. I’d never seen anything like it and the smoothness of the stone compared to what it was like before being sculpted was unbelievable.

For dinner we went to the Flemish castle of Ooidonk and ate in the carriage house next door, but not before seeing the Lys river. Dinner was magnificent: filet mignon with mushrooms accompanied with a white wine. And the conversation was even better. What an unforgettable day!

Tot ziens!

Heidi

P.S. The Treaty of Ghent between the US and Great Britain for the War of 1812 happened here. And there’s a LEGAL graffiti wall.

Flanders Day 1: Ghent

Ghent is Amazing (notice the capital “A”). The city is located in the heart of Flanders which is the north part of Belgium and includes cities like Brussels, Bruges and Antwerp. Some of the most famous Flemish painters are Peter Paul Reubens, Jan Van Eyck and both Breughels. I really had no idea what to expect, but right from the bat things went well. First, it was lovely having trains that went where they were supposed to, when they were supposed to. Secondly, I was again visiting some close friends, Rik and Rita Verbeke, and it was wonderful going somewhere I already knew people. (The Verbeke’s daughter and granddaughter live right next door to me back home so I’ve met them multiple times in the US.)

It was go, go, go from the minute I arrived (very necessary in order to fit everything in to my slightly shortened stay.) Rik met me at the train station in the late evening and we walked the ten minutes back to his and Rita’s apartment.
After dinner Rik dropped Anne, Astrid and me off in centre-ville (Anne is their granddaughter and she studies at the University in Ghent. Astrid is Anne’s friend) so we could meet up with their university friends. The sun was just setting as we walked past an old church onto a bridge spanning the canal. Hordes of students were just hanging out on the river. I couldn’t believe how magical everything looked as night drew nearer. More incredible was the liveliness of this ancient city—both sides of the river were full of people just enjoying the nice weather. When it got colder we found a bar nearby and upstairs there were these old history buffs who had taken up half the room with a reenactment of a battle in the American Civil War. (I should have asked them why the American Civil War of all things, but unfortunately, I don’t speak Flemish.) It was a long day of traveling, but I will never forget the beauty of the canals at night.

Catch ya later, alligator,

Heidi

P.S. The Verbekes were just in the States and my parents gave them some Skippy and Jif peanut butter to give to me! I think I’m in heaven.

P.S.S. I'm a bit behind with posting so these next few dates won't actually match when I was in Belgium.