Because.... Spring is coming

Let's leave the English convent for now and have a look ouside. It's nice to see that Bruges, after the long winter, is finally getting some colours again.

As is shown by this photo, there was considerable interest for the English convent. Notice the organ, at the right, which dates back to 1895 and was a gift to the convent by the family of one of the nuns of that time. Straight in front of us you see the chancel, which is no longer being used. Lay persons are allowed to come to mass here, and are now sharing the ground floor with the nuns. Previously, that is, intul the Vatican II Synod, the nuns had to remain separated from the public. Which they did by sitting in the chancel. 

This is the illustration of the godly virtues faith, hope and love, and the triumphant lamb as symbol of Christ who, by sacrificing himself, achieved the gift of absolute love.

Today, you can expect several photos taken at the English Convent. Yesterday, Heritage Day, the nuns of the Nazareth Monasterium opened their convent, from 1:45 till 6:00 p.m., to the public. The monastery is called "the English Convent" because, during the French Revolution, the nuns had to flee to England, from where they came back eight years after that episode. They are canonesses of Saint Augustine. Looking at the cupola, there is Saint Augustine, being symbolically taken up into the glory of Heaven. Churches with cupolas are exceptions. The guides do like to explain that this cupola-structure was chosen because it created superior accoustics. All the wall-paintings were done by Emile Hirsch, in 1870. (A note for movie-fans : no, it is definitely not the actor of the same name.) A bit further on we find an illustration of the three godly virtues Faith, Hope and Love. The triumphant lamb is the symbol of Christ who achieved the gift of absolute love through his sacrifice.

The daily "Sacred Blood Procession" photo. No, the Procession is not here yet. On the Market, the grandstands have been installed. Slowly but surely, people are trying to find the spot where they will be. On this side, they are waiting behind the bariers. Notice the scale model of the Belfort and the flat area specially prepared for the blind.

Even though I visited quite a number of Heritage Day events, I still found time today to have a walk, with my wife, along the Langestraat (the Long street). Flea-market, jumble-sale, food-stalls, terraces, fanfares, children's faces bright with colourful madekup. In a word : there was atmosphere. Maybe you did see us : we were the only ones walking up and down the left side of the street. Everybody else was on the right side. We were "ghostriders". You probably had to step aside to give us the right of way.
Bruges is a bicycle-city. When something is ado here, masses and masses of bicycles are left any which way in the neighborhood. Well, using your bicycle to come into the city is the right way to do things. Bruges is a very small, compact city and when something special is going on, it is quite difficult to... find a spot where to leave your car.

This hall, about 30 meters distant from the Blacksmiths' Gate, is now being used as an exhibition hall. An exhibition of paintings by Pieter Vermeersch was planned, as well as a conference by the artist, but the event had to be cancelled because the painter was ill.

Phew - I am done with the city's "Heritage Day". It was not easy. Although I had planned well in advance where I wanted to go and what I wanted to see, I had somehow forgotten to look at...opening and closing times. So, this morning, even though I started at 10:00 a.m., twice I happened to be too early. And once, at the end of the afternoon, I was too late! Then here, I just happened to find a locked door. The artist, whose works were exhibited here, was ill. Nevertheless, I did see plenty and I learned a lot.

This is the entrance gate, at the Langerei, to the Land Survey and Registry. In the 13th century, there used to be a Pawnhouse (Pandjeshuis)here,  where one could borrow money against a pawn. The interest to be paid on such a loan was incredibly steep until, in 1629, the Pawnhouse was replaced by something different, a "real mount of charity" where money was lent without interest. And now, it is the entrance to the Land Survey and Registry.

So that's that. On our way to another Heritage destination.

My fascination with maps began when I was a child. My godfather was a land-tax collector and he regularly brought me maps. Maps of France, Switzerland, Europa, Belgium, as well as detailed Michelin city-maps . And sometimes there would be very old maps. I do remember one, an old plan of the city of Bruges and its environs, on which the railway and the train station of "Het Zand" were still indicated, as they were until 1940. Thus, from an early age on, I managed to acquire a good bit of knowledge as to the meaning of the colours and symbols on maps.
Today, the theme of Heritage Day is "colour" and here, at the Land Survey and Registry, the use of colours, then as now, and their different meanings, was explained to visitors. Notwithstanding everything I already knew about "map reading", I still learned quite a bit more. Of course, there is a big difference between commercial maps and tourist maps, and the thousands of kilos of maps stored here at the Land Survey and Registry offices. The purpose is to chart every parcel of land and every building in order to... levy taxes, of course!  

 
Another sight, prior to the Procession.  All the cheap (free) seats along the wall of the Dijver quai are already taken up. But, for now, a different priority is on the agenda. 
Today will be an especially busy one : it is "Heritage Day" and, from 10:00 a.m., it will be "open house" in many places which are otherwise wholly inaccessible, and thus impossible to visit.  Have no fear : Blog from Bruges is on the trail, camera at the ready.

Vessels could still be seen here at The Langerei till the beginning of the twentieth century. Somtimes, the ships would even anchor quite farther up, deep inside the city, as far as the Jan Van Eyck square.  However, since then, a few more recent bridges have been built across the Langerei. This one, the Snaggaard bridge, is one of those. It was named after the Snaggaard family, who had a house near the actual site of the bridge, as far back as the years 1100-1200.  

The small sign here refers to the earlier name of this house, which fronts on the Fishmarket while its backside is on the Huidevettersplein (The Tanners' square). Ihe sign reads "In Sint Jacob 1626".

This is the other side of "The Golden Carp" house, on the Fishmarket. It is now indeed a fishmonger, where previously it was the café "In the Jacob", which belonged to the De Meulemeester family. François De Meulemeester did also business on the fishmarket proper. In order to help the fishmongers in keeping the market clean, as was their duty, the city made some improvements, in 1900,  to the ancient waterpump, which had been there since 1859. Contrary to the other waterpumps of Bruges, which were all simple handpumps in those times, this one was equipped with a pressure-system. And thus, De Meulemeester could spray the market clean himself.
During the years that followed this "improvement", the pump, which was dismantled during the war, became a bone of contention between the Market Master and the technical services of the city. Now it was holes, then it was obstructions, and the waterhose was quite often out of commission and it took its glorious time before agreeing to replace it. Rather than considering that the Reie, from where the water was pumped, was fouled up, the city's technicians said that De Meulemeester didn't know how to use the pump properly, that he did not hang the hose on its hooks but left it lying any which way on the ground, that he...François De Meulemeester, who did not want to sweep the dirt away before spraying the market, argumented that the pressure was inadequate, that the inspector "had it in for him...", that... And so on, and so on...In 1913 the city settled the problem by simply appointing a new Market Master, a certain Schaeverbeke. But... the problem of the waterpump did not go away.
The pump was eventually replaced with the one that used to be on the Rozenhoedkaai (the Rosehat quay), but with world war 2, this pump disappeared as well.

The situation now is as follows : de "Kleine Vismarkt" (the Small Fishmarket) has become the "Huidevettersplein" (the Tanners' Square) and the fishwives have disappeared.. A painter has replaced them and, when the weather allows, you can find him there, painting scenes and sites of Bruges in watercolours, and, naturally, selling them. The old cafés have become tea-rooms and restaurants where, from Easter till October, you can sit on the terrace. The café "in de Jacob" (in the Jacob) is now "den gouden karpel" (the Golden Carp).

Laat ik het eens hebben over een \'petite histoire\' uit het begin van de twintigste eeuw.  De grote geschiedenis van koningen, opstanden en oorlogen is belangrijk om weten, maar minstens zo belangrijk is de geschiedenis van de kleine man en zijn kleine voorvallen.
Wat nu het Huidevettersplein noemt was vroeger gekend onder de benaming \'Kleine Vismarkt\'.  Daar werd, zoals de benaming laat vermoeden, de kleine vis verhandeld door de visvrouwen.  De marktuitbating vroeger werd, zoals nu nog altijd gebeurt op markten, in huur gegeven aan marktmeesters.  Die pachters van de markt moesten, als de markt gedaan was, die schoonmaken.  Waarschijnlijk eerder ook al, maar zeker tussen 1900 en 1913 was de marktmeester van dienst een zekere François De Meulemeester.  Ik ben op die geschiedenis gestoten omdat ik vroeger eens de stamboom van mijn vrouw uitgeplozen heb.  Tot dertien generaties voor haar (ik spreek dan van de jaren 1650) woonde haar familie al in Brugge.  Die François de Meulemeester, afkomstig van Houtave, niet zo ver van Brugge, was de oom van de grootvader van mijn vrouw.
Deze foto van Flori Van Acker is genomen in 1905 en misschien is die manspersoon op de foto wel François De Meulemeester.  Deze foto is op metersgroot formaat tentoongesteld in de Volkskundig Museum.  Let op de benaming van het café \'in de Jacob estaminet\'.  De Meulemeester hield dit café open, samen met zijn vrouw en zijn vele kinderen.

With this photo,  I will be giving you a short historical side light. We are at the beginning of the 20th century. While it is important to know the grand historical involving concerning kings, revolts and wars, now and again, happenings on a smaller scale and concerning the ordinary man, prove to be just as important... within the overall scheme of everyday life.
What is now known as the Huidevettersplein (Tanners\' Square) was previously named \"de Kleine Vismarkt\" (the Small Fishmarket.) There,  as the name indicates, fish was being sold to the people of Bruges. The stalls were mainly operated by fishwives. Then, just as is still the practice now, the general administration, as well as the right to rent out space on the market was handled by a Market Master. At the closing of the market-day, the fishmongers had to clean the market. Between 1900 and 1913, and maybe even before that, the Market Masterer was a certain François De Meulemeester. I happened on the story while, some time ago, I did some research for my wife\'s family tree. Indeed, her ancestors have lived in Bruges as long as thirteen generations ago (read : the year 1650). This François De Meulemeester, who was from Houtave, not so far away from Bruges, was the uncle of my wife\'s grandfather. This is a photo of Flori Van Acker, taken in 1905, and the man in the picture is thought to be François De Meulemeester. A meter-sized reproduction of this photo hangs in the Volkskundig Museum. Check the name of the café \"in the Jacob estaminet\" : François De Meulemeester was the owner of the café and this is where he and his wife, and their numerous children, worked and lived.