A (photo-) blog about the beautiful Belgian town Bruges as seen through the very two eyes of an inhabitant. Sharp, witty, and... always admiring.
15-05-2006
A last picture of the Burg
A last picture of the Burg for today. It is not immediately obvious that this is in the centre of the city and yet, there it is. Our city administration recently started promoting the "petanque" game, as a means to strengthen companionship and fraternity amongst the population of Bruges. Thus, suddenly, last year, new "pétanque" lanes (the French game of bowling, if you prefer) were installed here and there, as, for example, in the Minnewater Park, near the small castle. But, for now, besides those who were already practitioners of this particular sport, merely onlookers seem to be attracted to the game.
15-05-2006, 00:00 geschreven door Blog from Bruges
One more as seen from the Burg
Detail of the pedestal upon which rests the sculpture "The lovers" by the artists-duo Depuydt-Canestraro, who like to leave their signature on their work. Notice the frog : Kikker is a synonym for Depuydt, and a kikker is a frog, of course. Yes, you got it.
15-05-2006, 00:00 geschreven door Blog from Bruges
Toyo Ito
While I was on the Burg this afternoon, I took the opportunity to show you a view of Bruges as Japanese artist Toyo Ito tried to show us how to look at it. That is, through the honeycomb-glass windows of his carwash business.
15-05-2006, 00:00 geschreven door Blog from Bruges
Sybilla of Anjou
"Sybilla of Anjou?" I hear you wonder over this worldwide web. Yes, Sybilla of Anjou. She was the spouse of Diederik van den Elzes (Diederik of Alsatia) and together, sometime after 1134, they had a most remarkable chapel built, in Bruges, to honour Maria and Saint Baselius. This chapel we know know as The Sacred Blood Chapel and Sybilla of Anjou is represented here, among the other personalities depicted in the upper right of the façade of the chapel. It is a rare instance to see her in close proximity with Jesus "on the cold stone" by the hands of Michiel D'Hondt, a work he did in 1900, as well as with the Mary of the pieta. Under normal circumstances these sculptures are inside the Sacred Blood Chapel and their closeness as seen here was not brought about by hours of Photoshop trickery. It was really a chance happening, as you see it here, around half past three this afternoon.
15-05-2006, 00:00 geschreven door Blog from Bruges
Loading
... and leaving. No, this is not a bold daytime artwork robbery and neither is it a filming session for a new television detective series. These statues will be promenaded in the Sacred Blood procession ten days from now, and were taken from their assigned spot in the Sacred Blood Chapel this afternoon, around half past three. So, cautiously loading, safely securing and then... driving towards - I think - the Beurshalle, from where the procession is to start its walk through the city.
15-05-2006, 00:00 geschreven door Blog from Bruges
De Zomere (The Summer)
. This is actually the only house in the Oude Zomer street. What you see in the rest of the street are the backsides of the houses in the Oude Burg street and garage doors. The name of this house is "De Zomere" (The Summer) and I surmise that it is also the name of a previous owner. In any event, there were families in Bruges bearing the name De Zomere. This was built in the late-gothic style in 1479. With the exception of the groundfloor, this is still the authentic old façade. I was lucky enough to visit the house a few years ago, during an "Open House" day. (But, I did not have a camera with me.)
15-05-2006, 00:00 geschreven door Blog from Bruges
Oude Zomerstraat (the Old Summer street)
The city's administration has decided to install 300 additional streetname panels in the surrounding municipalities so that, at whatever corner where two streets are meeting you might find yourself, you will always know exactly where you are. The new panels will be in the familiar green background with white lettering format. Here, in the inner city, we are at a small, dead-end street, the "Oude Zomerstraat", where such a name-panel is hanging. But the inhabitants of the street did not find that one sufficient and placed another one, right across from it. And theirs is ... calligraphy, beautifully cut in stone.
15-05-2006, 00:00 geschreven door Blog from Bruges
Angela Puype
Back to the small store in the Peper street, and its owner, the courageous Angela Puype. I am not the first one to take photos here. Angèle and her small store are to be found in several books about the city of Bruges. Here, during a short respite between serving customers, she is sunning herself in her small courtyard.
15-05-2006, 00:00 geschreven door Blog from Bruges
The Sacred Blood procession
The Last Supper. This scene shows Jesus and his twelve disciples sitting at the table. An evening meal filled with symbolism. "Take this cup and drink because this is my blood..."
15-05-2006, 00:00 geschreven door Blog from Bruges
14-05-2006
Neighbourhood store in the Peper street
This small neighbourhood store and the lady who owns it are something to be prized. This courageous woman has been keeping her small store ever since 1950. She started it with her husband but now that he is deceased, she is running it all on her own. I went in there this afternoon. Yes, although it is Sunday, she was open for business. It is her whole life, her only livelihood and the whole neighbourhood has a special fondness for this woman and her small store.
14-05-2006, 00:00 geschreven door Blog from Bruges
Opus Latino
In a covered lane between the Burg and the Wollestreet, named Ter Steeghere, there is, about halfway in the lane, a restaurant-tearoom. You can only reach it by walking down the stairs. Here, seen from Ter Steeghere, is the terrace of the restaurant, which operates under the name "Opus Latino". In the background you can see the street coming left from the Rozenhoedkaai (Rose Hat Quai) and which used to veer right beneath the Waterhalls, along the Market and towards the Kraanrei and the Spinolarei.
14-05-2006, 00:00 geschreven door Blog from Bruges
Airbag
Where the accordeon player of day before yesterday was doing what he does normally, that is play his instrument, these two gentlemen are participants in the "Airbag" festival. And, in contrast to the first player, who knew the music he was playing, these two are having a constant look at their music sheets.
14-05-2006, 00:00 geschreven door Blog from Bruges
Brugse Metten Pie
. Not "Matten Pie" (a specialty of the Geeraardsbergen area, as all pastry lovers know), but the original Bruges Metten Pie can be savoured here, on this "Bruges Metten Walk" commemoration day. Yes, French-speaking people can have a bite too, since we are all a lot less violent than we were 704 years ago. It is no longer necessary to be so : the French have stopp4ed bothering us and our Lion of Flanders is now as tame as a lamb.
14-05-2006, 00:00 geschreven door Blog from Bruges
The "Mettenwalk"
This if the fifth edition of the "Mettenwalk" organized by the July 11th Committee of Bruges City. Actually, you can do the walk on foot or you can use your bicycle, as the length of the walk varies between 6 and 42 kilometers. You can even choose at what time you want to start your walk as departures are scheduled anywhere from 8 in the morning till 3 in the afternoon. The walk is a commemoration of the famous "Brugse Metten" a rebellion which started in the morning of May 18, 1302. On that day, under the commandment of Jacques de Chatillon, the French were set to invade Bruges. However, rebels who, very early that same morning, had managed to slip out of the city, paid the French army a surprise visit and got them out of their beds in a most disagreeable manner (at the precise hour of the "Metten", that is, the first part of the daily breviary prayer, which was divided into three nocturnes, being mostly psalms and lessons, and the first past of the night office.) All who failed to pronounce "Schild en Vriend" properly - and this, the French could not - was sure to find no pity and was massacred. The "Brugse Metten" rang, in fact, the beginning of the "Guldensporenslag" (The Battle of the Golden Spurs). Which is why it is so fitting that the start- and arrival points of the walk should be here, at the city halls in the centre of Old Bruges.
14-05-2006, 00:00 geschreven door Blog from Bruges
New Territories
Yesterday, I went to the "New Territories" exhibition, in the upper halls of the Belfort. I had no idea what the exhibition realy was about. I saw the entrance was free and the exhibition would be open till May 29th. I discovered the exhibition was the work of video-artists who tackled the Palestine-Israel question and learned that right at the opening ceremony there was an incident because, in the printed program, there was an Israeli logo to be seen (the Israeli administration had given two air-travel tickets) and several Palestinian participants wanted to take their work away from the exhibition. In any event, the exhibition is going on and it is well worth a visit. Most of the videos, I find, might be compared to the movie Powaqqatsi and its two sequels, the difference being that while Powaqqatsi did not really have a message to convey, these videos did. In one instance, for example, Donna Conlon from Panama shows a movie showing ants busily dragging tree-leaves over the ground but here and there, those leaves are really leaf-sized pieces of cardboard depicting the flag of several countries and of the peace logo. In another instance, Lisa Abdul from Afghanistan shows a video wherein people are painting what remains standing of their destroyed houses, just so to put a bit of colour in their lives. In the last one of the exhibition halls I found photos such as those we get to see in the newspapers and on television : heart-rending scenes in war-torn areas, photos which are usually found on the "Photo of the Year" lists.
14-05-2006, 00:00 geschreven door Blog from Bruges
The Sacred Blood procession
Eleven more days. This scene depicts a few of Jesus' pupils who, seeing how tired he is, try to keep the children away from him. However, Jesus told them "Let the children come to me!" and he picked up one of them. Here is the photo foto.
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14-05-2006, 00:00 geschreven door Blog from Bruges
13-05-2006
Lacemaker
I started my blog about Bruges a little more than two months ago and I have not shown you a photo of a lacemaker yet. Here is a nice one. Most all lace-boutiques have a lacemaker, working either on the sidewalk, in front of the store, or inside, to attract buyers. One could compare them with the Indians on some Reserve, who will don their traditional garb and execute a Rain dance to attract tourists and their money. However, contrary to so many traditions, as well as traditional occupations, lacemaking is still widely practised in Flanders, albeit often as a very popular hobby, with positively superb results. Have a look here Claudette or here Gisela. It still is mainly women's work. There are boys and men who do lacework, but they are a minority.
In the past, lacemaking in Flanders, and certainly in Bruges, was synonymous with earning one's daily bread. It meant an additional income, needed so families would not go hungry. The work was boring because it was generally an endless repetition of the same pattern. Most people actually would work 10 to 12 hours a day.
There were several Bruges lacemaker songs, named "tellers", because, as well as telling a story, they would also be a means of counting the movements of the bobbins, as well as setting a working rythm. In the lacemaking schools and workshops, the fastest lacemaker would be the one in charge of singing and, in this manner, impose a working rythm. Here is one such song, which gives a slight idea of the difficult life people had :
"Wandering towards a poor cottage I have to go through streets where there are knives and swords. I have to cross a bridge of glass And ring a bell of flame and fire. There is a witch who opens the door And asks what I am looking for. 'T is here that I have to live."
The same words were repeated ten times.
13-05-2006, 00:00 geschreven door Blog from Bruges
Minnewater park
Here, at one of the entrances to the Minnewater Park, another one of those decorative posts with the elegant letter "B" and the small crown.
13-05-2006, 00:00 geschreven door Blog from Bruges
Wijngaard square (Vineyard square)
Bruges is a paradise for artists. Whether it's painting or drawing, artists love to work in the numerous picturesque spots in this city. Sometimes, you see a whole group of them working in the same spot. It's too bad, though, that most artists seem to prefer the Rozenhoedkaai (the Rose-hat quai) and the Wijngaard square. Of course, here is where the greatest number of tourists will spend some time and thus, where the artists multiply their chances of selling their work. Which, after all, isone of their aims.
13-05-2006, 00:00 geschreven door Blog from Bruges
Art or kitsch?
It does not matter, it is beautiful. Cynical but funny. Notice the details. Five to twelve, long live grandpa, the bawling child, etc...
13-05-2006, 00:00 geschreven door Blog from Bruges
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