Swan (2)

The shepherders come visiting the newborn child Jesus

I stood here, this afternoon, taking photos. A few female students from Holland addressed me. They were holding a questionnaire. ."Do you know what animals are kept in here?" was one of the questions. Fortunately for them, I knew the answer : bats. Time ago, long before refrigerators and deep-freezers were invented, this was an ice-cellar, used to store huge blocks of ice

Inside the Magdalena church. Action for the "sans-papiers". Notice the broken English used.

... asylum-seekers, also called "paperless". Several churchleaders from Bruges rolled up their sleeves took action in order to help such people, here and in the neighbourhood of the St-Magdalena church.
I do not intend to take a stance,  but the reasons why these people should be helped are certainly reasonable ones. Friends of my sister are in the same boat. They were allowed to remain in this country for several years, they have two children and they became completely integrated. After eight years of living here, and their children now being 16 and 20 years old, this family still does not know whether they will be granted citizenship or will have to leave again. Having people  live for years and years with such uncertainty hanging above their heads, with the very real daily fear they might be told "Out, you have to leave" is inhuman.

"Bruges the jewel, after noon when the sun is shining. A background of gothic houses, towers and campaniles looking down on the still canals wherein, as clearly defined as if it were a painting, the beauty of the stones is reflected."

Felix Timmermans

This is the first time the path of the race goes through the Potterierei. I guess only habitual "cobblestone-grinders" just take them in stride...

And... the runners  are facing their first up-hill stretch. Under this watertower is a bunker, which is now being used as an archery, equipped with a four-lane shooting facility. The Derby Archers of Bruges has even installed a cafeteria on the premises.

Sixteen more days.
In the meantime, this sequence has now reached the New Testament. The Sacred Blood Procession is a depiction of three different periods :
1. The Old Testament
2. The New Testament
3. This Historical Part
Here, we have the beginning of the second part, the New Testament, which starts off with the birth of Christ.

 

Nobody expected yesterday morning's rainy weather to do a complete turnaround and, precisely at the start of the "Straight through Bruges" race in the afternoon, become really very warm. After ten kilometers of running in this heat, closing one's eyes probably helped concentrating on the intensity of the effort.

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.Straight through Bruges" is a running competition made to measure for young and old.

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Which one, do you think, has the better physique? This runner wearing a number or this boy gathering the sponges?

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Runners and joggers who hate cobblestones better abstain from the "Straight through Bruges" race. Such stretches are just too plenty in Bruges. Here, the runners enter the Westmeers. The street, of course. And the terrace of the "Dolle Dries" (Crazy Dries) was quite a nice observation spot.

Towards the Jan Van Eyck square, ambiance and public assistance were rather lacking. Typical Belgian behaviour. Compare this with the enthousiasm of the millions of people along the path of the New York Marathon, where all runners, from the first to the last, are greeted and applauded.

A few more snapshots of the .Straight through Bruges" race. The people frm Bruges did participate in great numbers.

Tableau of the Prophets. Yesterday, you saw Moses with his Ten Commandments. Today, here is King David and his harp. He expresses his confidence in God by means of playing songs on this instrument.

Competitions such as the .Straight through Bruges" race are for everybody, young and old, talented runners and slowpokes. For the lesser athletes, it's a good thing is to know that, even after 10 km, they won't be running alone and there will still be dozens of participants around them, running at a like pace. This is the Begijnenvest, a much steeper climb than the participants ever suspected.