In lieu of singing kareoke at a disreputable student joint, Wim and Annelies took us to Gainsbar. Related to my other favorite bar in Gent, Pink Flamingoes, if only by the kitchy decor, this tiny bar is devoted to Serge Gainsbourg. It also seems to have a fair amount of Twin Peaks and Blue Velvet represented in its decorations, but somehow it all works together. From the twelve-year-old Charlotte Gainsbourg sulking over the door from her album cover of “Charlotte Forever” to the “yeh yeh” cocktail, this is the work of someone with vision. It’s also probably the only bar in Belgium where you can’t order beer, but no matter, the specialty drinks and decent wine is good enough.
Category Archives: Travel
Gent Again
Two hours on the Thaly’s rail and another hour on the commuter train (because we took the local train that goes by Aalst, despite Wim often warning us that it “leaves first and gets there last, remember the story of the tortoise and the hare?”) landed us in lovely Gent, Belgium. Gent also goes by Ghent or Gand, depending what language you are speaking (Flemish and French, respectively). In Belgium it matters very much what language you speak. For a little country with so much history the divisions between language groups and geographic areas can get pretty intense. However, one could say the same about Brooklyn. I described Gent to my friends in the US as similar to a cool college town, but with canals, a castle from the middle ages, a transfixing number of cobblestone allies and an important place in art history.
Unexpected Paris
I’ve been reading a book about travel writing and one thing that the author stresses that is important for travel writers is to be open to the unexpected and be willing to investigate. I felt this advice boded well for me when, thinking I would write some cute piece on “romantic Paris,” I tried to go to the Musee de la Vie Romantique, but it was closed during the installation of their new exhibition. However, I found something even better on the Rue Chaptal, near the museum. There was a small impasse coming off the street and I noticed the sign said “Bibliotheque.” Noting there was a garden, I decided to go in, because I love the gardens and courtyards in Paris hidden behind outer, street facing walls. I was not disappointed in the least. This, comfortable, renovated library with futuristic looking chairs, computers and newspapers available for browsing is snugly located in an 18th century hotel particular. They’ve kept the details like the fireplace, frescoed ceiling and moldings intact, and reading Le Monde in such a salon-like setting felt like a truly unique Paris experiences.
Paris Via Velib
After spending the quietest new years ever (laundry), on new years day we took a bike ride through eastern Paris, ending up at Notre Dame and then the Jadrin de Tuilleries. I love seeing Paris at the pace of a bike, it’s a great way to get to know the city and see how it all fits together. Velib is Paris’ new bike rental program where the bikes are everywhere. It’s not as straightforward as it should be to rent a bike (I couldn’t have done it because I have a US bank card without the chip that European bank cards have) and you have to go through several seemingly redundant steps, but once you get the bike, it’s pretty damn cool. And people really use them! I also feel like Paris has done a lot to become more bike friendly and I feel safer there than in NYC, but maybe this is just being naive.
Barcelona Beaches
One great thing about Barcelona was the weather! I loved sitting outside in cafes in December and walking on the beach looking at the Mediterranean.
Barcelona from Park Guell
As an escape from the tourist clogged streets we went to Gaudi’s Park Guell, which is probably the only thing I really liked that we saw by him. It was relaxing, a breath of fresh air, and I could actually feel the architecture, landscape design and nature in dialogue with each other. Plus, it afforded a wonderful view of the city and the sea in “magic hour” light. You can see the electric company building and the Sagrada Familia (a Gaudi creation I was “unimpressed” with, or rather, was impressed with its ugliness).
MACBA, Barcelona
Though the phrase I uttered most often in Barcelona was “unimpressed” (with Modernisme, with the tourists, with the rude bartenders…), I did like the MACBA and the CCCB (Center for Contemporary Culture, Barcelona). The CCCB especially had interesting and provacative exhibitis on Apartheid in South African and it’s ramifications for racism worldwide and on the end of Franco’s rule in Spain. Both the exhibits at the CCCB mixed politics, history and art in a way that I have never seen in an American museum (probably because they can’t get funding to do so) and I found that really exciting.
Holidays in Europe
For the first time ever I didn’t go to Maine for the holidays, but headed further afeild to Paris (and later Barcelona). It was a fantastic mix of walking around, taking in the sights and just hanging out. Like ever American who has ever been there, Paris never fails to move and inspire me with its city charm. I forget how much I love it and then when I come back I get so excited!
Schmapp Berlin!
I am so proud that I photo I took in Gorlitzer park in Berlin in summer 2006 is included in the new schmapp guide to Berlin. I’d never heard of these interactive map cityguides, but they seem like I really good idea. Rest assured I’ll be checking them out for the cities I plan to visit in the next year… Barcelona and Glasgow! See my contribution to the Berlin schmapp here:
Montreal
G. and I borrowed my mother’s car and took a road trip to Montreal to visit my Brooklyn neighbors Marty and EJ, who were living there for the summer. There we found amazing bike lanes, cold weather and this wonderful bike shop Revolution, which is run by Marty and EJ’s friends. The lady mechanics not only fixed my borrowed bike, which got a flat tire, but I got a $15 “lesbian haircut for anyone” which everyone says is great. There’s more photos on flickr, including Village de Valuers (Value Village) where we got yelled at, in French, for taking pictures and mocking the mardi gras beads with the Quebec flag attached. I also spent too much money at Preloved, a clothing store that fashions new clothes out of old clothes. Every piece is unique and they are so terribly cool, it’s one of those shops that makes me wish I had my own personal stylist who could put together many outfits for me from their clothes. Maybe when I’m a famous Museum Educator… the trip also featured drives through the backroads of Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont, where I got to see natural wonders I had not seen since childhood. I must say, I love New England and the eastern provinces.
Killerfemme 