Concertgebouw

This is one of three candidates for the title of smallest window in Bruges. Curiously enough, all three have the same form. This one is on the corner of the Smedenstraat (the Blacksmith street) and the Zeven Sterrenstraat (the Seven Stars street), barely a few steps away from the Vrijdagmarkt (the Friday Market) and 't Zand (the Sand).

Without love, warm love

The light, the dark light reigns

And the sand scours my land

My flat land, My Flandersland

Ay, Marieke, Marieke

I loved you so much

Between the towers

Of Bruges and Ghent

Ay, Marieke, Marieke

So long ago

Between the towers

Of Bruges and Ghent

In 1988, between the towers of Bruges and Ghent, but really quite near the towers of Bruges (namely near the Coupure) a statue of Marieke was unveiled. The Brel fan and expert Johan Antierens who was then still among the living, gave a speech at the ceremony. Jacques Brel wil eternally be linked with Belgium, and even with his "flatland", even though he spit on Flanders and the Flemish now and again, the Flemish being - in his opinion - a rather narrowminded lot. This mitigated love was - and still is - quite reciprocal.. Last year, while the Walloons elected Brel as the all-time great Belgian personality, the Flemish left him in 7th position. The girl Marieke of the song really did exist. It seems he knew her, somewhere in West-Flanders, when he was still a young boy. "Marieke" is probably still around, a glorious unknown, living in a small appartment in Knokke.

The bearing of the Cross.
The Cross... symbol of the suffering and of the eternal life Jesus brought his followers.
During his symbolic calvary-walk through Bruges, Jesus receives some help from Simon of Cyrene. A bit further up (but outside the scope of this picture)   Veronica, will wipe the sweat and blood from the face of Jesus, and there is also the mother of Jesus, leaning on John the Apostle.

All who know about Bruges, do, of course, know the hotel Duc de Bourgogne. Sitting right in the fold between the Rozenhoedkaai and the Groenerei, the hotel is reached by way of the Huidevettersplein (the Tanners square) and this photo has been taken from the Wollestraat (the Wool street). What most people do not know is that, between 1799 and 1800, during the French Régime, a great many church possessions were seized, some churches were demolished, and even parts of them sold and transported to France and elsewhere. The most flagrant example was the demolition of the gigantic Sint-Donaat Cathedral, which used to stand on the Burg. The small marble columns you see here (the restaurant of the hotel Duc de Bourgogne) are from this famous Sint-Donaat cathedral..

Contemporary art, alongside the Dijver.

Let's have a peek over this gentleman"s shoulder, to see what he makes of it.

The small square that made - and still does - Bruges famous. The cobblestones of the Rozenhoedkaai are worn by the hundred of tourists who come here daily, camera at the ready. And some do bring their sketchbook, too.

... was the name of the brewery. The "Gouden Boom" lies between the Lange street and the Nieuw Verband Land (New Burnt Land). This building and its installations were under provisional protection from demolition, under an ordinance signed by the Flemish Minister of Culture Dirk Vanmechelen (VLD) This protective measure ended last May 6th, then was prolonged for another six months, but now... the gloves are off and the demise of this piece of Bruges' heritage has been signed. A real estate company from Vilvoorde, operating under the ludicrous name of "NV Caesar Real Estate" is the new owner and all they have to do before going in for the kill is... wait a mere six months.
 

Hey, it was just yesterday that we saw this statue being loaded and brought to the starting locale of the procession. From there, surrounded by a troop of Roman soldiers, it will be part of the procession's itinerary, through the streets of Bruges. It symbolizes the torturing and suffering of Christ.

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.

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.

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.

"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.

... 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.

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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.)

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.

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.

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..."