I posted even more photos on my flickr account, so check it out if you like…
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Secondhand Market, Gent
Today featured quite a huge second hand market in Gent. Though we didn’t end up buying anything, besides a CD in W.’s case, we spent about 2 hours looking at all the fabulous jumbles of junk covering an entire neighborhood in Gent. What I loved best were the juxtopositions of things, the lack of order and usefulness, the social function of the secondhand market (it doesn’t matter if you sell, it more the epxerience). It was what I imagined, but didn’t find, at the marche au puces in Paris, so I felt lucky to find this kind of ambiance in Gent.
Tintin’s Rocket
The comics museum was less than exciting and W. detected much outdated information and bad translations… but here we are with Tintin’s rocket! I remember everyone in my elementary school classes being crazy for Tintin and I never could quite grasp it, but later in life it seems old fashioned (espeically racial and political stereotypes) but still intriguing in some way. I am interested to check out hte documentary “Tintin et Moi”about the creator, Herge, which recently aired on P.O.V. upon my return to the US.
Grand Mark Brussels
Though I was a little less than impressed with Brussels, less so than I hoped to be, it did seem to roll out the red carpet for me with flowers covering the grand square, which only happens once every two years for a few days in August and the opening of the royal palace, which happens with about the same frequency. Even though the concept of royalty is totaly scary to me I enjoyed getting to look in the palace.
Manneke Pis
Translated as “the little pisser”this statue has been replicated all over the world, but this, in Brussels, is the the original. Swarmed with tourists, A. and I look dubious… according to my Lonely Planet guidebook this is one of Belgium’s national symblos, though I am not sure if Belgians would aggree…
Wim in Brugges
This is my favorite photo of W…. you can hear more from him (in Dutch) at http://hilversum-gent.blogspot.com (and can you beleive we have been pen-pals since we were about 18? It seems crazy to me…)
Begijnhof Brugges
The Begijnhof is a community of nuns living together cooperatively and the one in Brugges has been named a UNESCO world heritage site. The umbrella gives you and idea of the Belgian weather as W. and I explored Brugges tiny mideval streets and sights. It is breath takingly beautfiul, classic and interesting, but also overrun with tourists. Fortunately for us none of them seem to bother with the side streets and we spent an afternoon not only seeing the sights but taking in this town.
Detail at S.M.A.K.
A visit to S.M.A.K. (Stedelijk Museum voor Actuele Kunst. Gent) proved a little disapointing and frustrating, with W. and A. informing me that many of the exhibitions had not changed since the last time they had been there several years ago and the focus being so much on really typical, if ai dare say, modern art. Personally the highlight was the Coming People exhibition, a show of student artwork picked from graduating students of Gent’s art schools. My favorite was Frauke Plaetevoet, pictured here, whose drawings and installations created a kind of fantastic vision that was also grounded in the real and used bic pens, 3-D installations and drawing on the wall. It was engaging and imaginative and I loved it.
Candles in the Canal, Gent
As a peace action and to remember the anniversary of the dropping ofthe atomic bomb on Nagasaki a group lit paper lanterns and floated them in the canal near the house. It seemed especially relevent given the war in Lebanon.
Gent at night
Gent at night is also amazing…
Killerfemme 