My Other Netherlands Picture

 The other day I was discussing my utter mystification at my lack of pictures from the Netherlands. I went back through my phone - and my camera - and Facebook - and nothing. I know that I shared pictures of Amsterdam with people, but I can't imagine digging back through the thousands of texts that I've sent Janet or Mike or Cyndi or Kevin or Marcelle to track them down. Bizarre. Anyway, this is the other one I found. We're sitting in a two hour security line at the Amsterdam airport, caused by some computer glitch and made worse by lingering work shortages caused by COVID. 

This is it? Weird. I know I should have more pictures from the Netherlands, but I simply don't. It's like someone tapped into my camera and phone and deleted them - or hypnotized me and made me delete them. I'm blaming the Belgians.

Place du Petit Sablou

It's funny the places that will speak to you when you're travelling. On my last day in Belgium, 5 July (the day after my trip to Bruges), I had plans for another big trip but just couldn't seem to rally. Part of it related to the fact that it was a rainy and even somewhat cold day, but also I felt unnaturally tired. I had this dreadful sense that I had suddenly grown old and this lack of energy was the new normal, but then it also occurred to me that, factoring in India, I had been running for two straight weeks. So, instead I decided to just hang around Brussels for the day, and ended up having a lovely time. I visited a couple beautiful cathedrals, which I'll post on later, and spent a couple delightful hours in a little chocolate shop drinking hot cocoa and writing in my journal. While out I came across a truly delightful little park, which was a bit out of the way but which only added to its charm. It was across the street from the Eglise Notre-Dame du Sablou (Church of Our Lady of the Sablou). The Place du Petit Sablou is tucked away in between the church and a row of apartment buildings (and what I wouldn't give to live in one of those apartments for a year). It featured forty-eight bronze statues representing the medieval guilds, as well as a fountain and statue of the Catholic Counts Egmont and Hornes, who were beheaded in 1568 for protesting the cruelties of the Spanish Inquisition. My best friend David and I always talk about having enough money to travel around and get apartments in various locations for six months or a year at a time - to fully immerse yourself into an area, as compared to just passing through. I think I've found my apartment in Belgium.

In Bruges - Church of Our Lady

Back in time once more to the 4th of July. The Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekerk (Church of our Lady) is another beautiful church I had the great pleasure to visit. It is the one I focused in on as I tried to find downtown after getting off the train - it dominates the skyline. Currently it is underdoing some pretty substantial renovations - about 3/4 of the steeple is wrapped cocoon-like. In the end I probably spent around an hour here and really enjoyed the experience. The church construction began in the 13th century and, as was typical for the age, took around two hundred years to complete. It is famous for having an actual Michelangelo sculpture (Madonna and Child), one of the few of his works that made its way outside of Italy. The statue was sculpted in 1504 and some Bruges merchant purchased it. You can also pay an additional 2 euro to visit the museum, which I did, to see some more paintings. I really enjoyed two bronze statues, placed side by side, which served to mark the final resting place of Charles the Bold, who died in 1477, and his daughter Mary of Burgundy, who died in 1482 at the tender age of twenty-five after falling off a horse. While there I also visited the Gruuthuse Museum, based on a building constructed for Lodewijk von Gruuthuse - my favorite part being the room that he had constructed that looked out into the church. The room was really basic, but I loved the idea behind it and the view of the interior of the church was pretty amazing.

In Bruges - Climbing the Belfort

OK, back to the 4th of July, which suddenly seems like a million years ago, but is really barely a month removed (this six credit class I've been teaching has been pretty all-consuming and time is flying by). Anyone who has seen the movie In Bruges (and you really should see it) is familar with the Belfry (Belfort). You enter it from the Markt, the larger of the two squares that lie at the center of Bruges. The lower section dates back to the early 13th century, and the upper area (the tower is 272 feet high) was added in the 14th and 15th centuries. The climb up is pretty cramped and it helps to be in shape - still, it's not too bad (and it was a hot day). Unfortunately, they were doing some construction at the top so half of the spectacular view was cut off - although they made up for it by giving out free passes to one of the multiple museums that are spread around town. I never pass up the opportunity to take these extra climbs (Villach, Paris, Barcelona, Vienna) and they never disappoint. So, if you're in Bruges - and even though it may seem terribly touristy - definitely climb up the 366 steps to the top.

Bascilica of the Holy Blood

OK, more Bruges (with more to come). One of my favorite spots was the Basilica of the Holy Blood (Basiliek van het Heilig-Bloed) which is located in the Burg (one of the two fraternal twin squares, along with the Markt, at the heart of Bruges - the Markt is much bigger but I think I actually like the Burg better). It took a little effort to finally get in here. My first attempt at a visit was during morning mass (I was in Burges on Sunday 4 July) so I decided to return - and when I returned it was closed for a midday break. As with most things, ice cream was the answer, and after a break I returned at 2:00, and was really glad I did. Not only is it a lovely Romanesque church with a touch of Gothic thrown in, but it's also famous, as the name would suggest, for a very famous holy relic - a fragment of cloth, embedded in a rock-crystal vial inside a glass cylinder, that is supposed to be stained with the blood of Jesus - wiped from the body after the crucifixion by Joseph of Arimathea. Yes, and I know that there are enough piedes of the "true cross" floating around to construct the "true Ark," but I find these things cool and meaningful nevertheless. What really pushed this over the top was that it was out on display today. It was behind an altar, and you could walk up, leave a donation, touch the vial, and meditate - many people actually kissed it. I paid my 2 euro, laid my hands on it for a couple moments, closed my eyes and meditated - don't know if I found God or reached an existential epiphany, but it was a unique experience that I would have kicked myself for not doing it. Anyway, the older I get I increasingly have deeply moving experiences in churches, so maybe I am moving towards some greater spiritual awakening. The bottom picture, from a respectful distance, is of the area where you could touch the holy relic.

Canals of Bruges

In Bruges

I really need to devote several postings to Bruges, which was every bit as amazing as I had been led to believe that it would be. Anyone who has seen the film In Bruges will have some sense of what a magical place it is. It ended up being one of those little side trips that makes the entire trip wonderful (although I loved Brussels itself, and have more to say about my time spent there as well). To start off, it is ridiculously easy to get to from Brussels - a train runs from the Central Station every half-hour all day long, and it ended up only costing me around 14 euro for the round-trip, although I went on a Sunday and that made it a little cheaper. As is seemingly my wont, I ended up going there on the 4th of July, and I may now start planning annual trips to foreign sites for every 4th of July - they always turn out well, and it probably adds to my ex-pat resume. I'll add a lot more text when I post on the central squares, the cathedrals, the canals, and the belfry. At this point I just want to post some pictures to give some sense of my initial emotional responses to Bruges. I spent the entire day walking around, stopping only a couple times for snack breaks, and just fell in love with the place - and can't wait to go back. It was crowded (as you can tell from the first picture - I had to stand in the compartment between the cars, and I got an early start, although, to be fair, it was a Sunday) but not uncomfortably so, and very touristy but even that had a quirky feel (note the museums dedicated to chocolate and Belgian fries, respectively). Much more in a few days.