Bruges, Belgium: 2014 Christmas Market

Moving right along...and finally getting to the day for which we actually drove to Belgium, that last weekend of November!

I'm totally going backwards from when this all happened.  I started with Veere, NL, which we stopped to see as we drove home.  Then I showed you what happened on the day of our coastal tram ride.

Today is when we took the train to Bruges from our hotel in Ostend, a 15-minute no-brainer, no-hassle ride to the outskirts of city center.  And we weren't the only ones visiting Bruges that first weekend of their Christmas market, Saturday, November 29.  (We first stopped at the ice festival outside the train station, but that's another post, coming up.)

Immediately, walking into city center, we noticed how autumny it still was on a gorgeous day.

And of course, I started snapping away at all the architecture that still enthralls me.

That meant also noticing all the niches everywhere.

Remember that Belgium is Roman Catholic (while Holland is mostly Protestant).

 Speaking of Roman Catholic, here's Bruges' city church, St. Salvator's Cathedral.
In the 10th century it began as a parish church, becoming a cathedral in the 19th century.
It wasn't open as we entered city center...but it was as we left (see end of post).

The gable stones even in Belgium never disappoint.

As I mentioned on FaceBook, the bottom-right one is a typical "gaper head" (literally:  yawner) 

depicting the place as a pharmacy (see the pill?). They always make me laugh.

 Don't forget the weathervanes and manhole covers....

 ...and the roof toppers/ornamentals, very special to Bruges, and surely meaning something.

 When we see the organ grinders, we always want to take pictures,

so we toss in some coins and snap away.

Sometimes I even remember to take a video.  Short but sweet.
(You can even see the perforated scroll like for player pianos, which I always loved.)

 Once at the market square, we took our bearings...to remember what we both had seen previously,
even if separately, in our past lives.  Yes, this is Bruges.

But first, we took a side street to find this café for lunch:  Beethoven.
What a quaint little place, serving French cuisine for up to 20 patrons.  Delightful.

Every time we go to Belgium, Astrid tries to get mussels...and these were the BEST, she said.
Since I'm not a mussels nut, I chose something I rarely have these days:  beef stew.
(Notice that my "stew" wasn't stewed with veggies but it still melted in my mouth.)

After lunch, we were on a mission!
We walked on the outskirts of the Christmas market in the square, to save it for late afternoon.
This Provincial Court building from 1294, on the square, is a masterpiece.

We wanted to get to the canal for a boat ride before it was too late.
But see that long line (top right)?

We decided to just hoof it around (on foot, that is) and get the main points,
always with the 12th century Belfry tower from the square looming overhead/behind.

When we wound our way back to the Christmas market, we window-shopped along the way.
Surely you know Belgium is known for its lace....

 ...and did someone say BELGIUM CHOCOLATE???
(just like the Dutch, the Belgiums can take a joke!)

By now, late afternoon, it was time to pay attention to the Christmas market.

After all, this is what we had come for.

HO-HO-HO

Fun, irreverent, Christmassy Belgium.  How can you resist it!
Half a moon (as we left) was better than no moon at all.

And as we walked back to the train station, St. Salvator's Cathedral was open for Vespers.
Half a peek was better than no peek at all.

As we neared the train station, the morning's ferris wheel was all lit up.
It seemed an appropriate Good-Bye for what had been a delightful, sunshiny day.

A Week's Mish-Mash

First of all, today is my turn at Vision and Verb again....

...and it's about coloring outside the lines.

This is my second time in 3 years to pick up the 12 books I brought with me

when I moved here to the Netherlands, collected from 10 years ago.

I feel like I have found a much-neglected friend!

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Secondly, Astrid and I went to see Les Miserables yesterday, Sunday, at our nearby theater's 11a showing.  We were the only ones there!  It was our own private presentation...and meant I could cry unabashedly every time I wanted to.  OMG!  I don't care what anyone else says, it was W O N D E R F U L.  

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Thirdly, my laptop was in for its manual maintenance for 4 days last week.  OUCH!  I do NOT like being without my friend day in and day out.  Sure, I was able to use Astrid's and did, thanks to her gracious generosity.  But as you know, it's not the same.  For one thing, I didn't have access to PhotoShop and therefore did no processing of images.  HEAVENS!

BTW, I had never heard of an annual maintenance for a laptop, but I've faithfully done it now for 3 years...and it appears to be paying off.  And the reason why it took 4 days instead of one is because they found a virus that by-passed our Norman security.  That little bugger!

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Now, with what was left of the weekend, I was able to process images from a couple weekends ago when we drove out into the polder...after getting more snow.

 I suspect one day I will sing "I left my heart in the Polder!"

That's how much I love it.

 Astrid took a slight detour from the way we ususally drive home after the pannenkoeken restaurant. 

Lucky for us, we found a small stretch on one of the canals where skating actually was good.

Most of the canals this year have had slushy ice because the snow fell while it was freezing.

Astrid can give you the whole science behind it.  Trust me.

 But it was the sheep...always the sheep...that stole my heart.

How can you resist them!

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Did I ever mention that Astrid has a green thumb?  As second nature as it is for her to bike-ride and ice-skate, she thoroughly enjoys growing flowers and plants on our window sill.  So, I got out my macro lens while my laptop was gone.

 She bought 3 amaryllis bulbs...one pink...

 ... and two red.

Oh yes, I also got out my oculus, as you see.

Those plants totally blow my mind.  Have you ever watched them grow??!!

And seen how strong their stems are to grow so tall and hold so much weight!

 But THIS blows my mind even more!

Astrid buys hyacinths throughout the winter but this first one is, as you see...in water.

I had never seen this done in my life, with a vase made for it.

Not only did she never add water after the initial fill, it never turned cloudy or dirty.

You all know by now it doesn't take much to make me happy!  Which reminds me to remind you about my coloring post today at Vision and Verb! 

Ice Skating the Dutch Way

Before February's Winter flies off the map and gives way to the month of Spring, here's a post on Holland's ice skating as I know it...the first winter they've had it in three years.

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But first, some shameless advertising for my Vision and Verb post today:


What's in a Name?

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Okay, back to ice skating. By now you probably know we had a very small window of opportunity here in the Netherlands this winter season. Winter itself, with sub-freezing temps, lasted only two weeks. By the time the canals froze, you're talking about only 10 days of ice skating. Remember that as you picture Astrid's enthusiasm in the following images!

We first went to Kinderdijk (19 windmills, remember?) to try out the ice there on February 5 (the Sunday of our anniversary weekend). We always start with our favorite place if possible.

First, the skates get put on...DUH...
right there at the side of the canal with everyone else.
And no one takes your shoes, no matter where you do or do not hide them.

But after 5 minutes, the verdict was out: there was too much snow on the ice.
Astrid couldn't see the cracks and said it was too dangerous.
If you can't see the cracks, your blades can get stuck and flip you over!
But at least we saw the wonderful windmills, right?


And even had time to eat some erwtensoep (the Dutch pea soup I love).
While inside the café, I saw a photo on the wall of a burning windmill.
I sat there shocked...having never thought of such a horror.

But...on we went to see what skating we could find elsewhere....


...and found it in Bleskensgraaf, one of the villages on the way back home.
Talk about hitting the jackpot!
Not only the Hofwegensemolen windmill but a bridge for ambiance.


I love watching families sharing their past-times!


Memories for these kids!


Memories for Astrid and me!


And another chance to eat, there on the ice!
What's not to love about this way of life!
The Dutch live for this when winter comes
and are so disappointed if/when they don't have ice!

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The following weekend, after a week of work for Astrid, and with predictions the temps would rise above freezing, it was then or never for any last-minute skating. Almost on the spot, that Saturday the 11th of February, Astrid decided to skate the Molentocht (mill tour)...or at least part of it.

Instead of explaining what the Molentocht is, this YouTube of the very same day says it all.

It's not a race per se, but is a chance to get a medal for what you accomplish from between 25 - 75 km on a prescribed route, from village to village.

ALL THE FOLLOWING IMAGES IN THIS SECTION ARE FROM ASTRID.
(I only processed and collaged them for her.)


Each participant starts out at a booth on the route and pays a fee: €7,50/adult.
At that point you get your Molentocht card (below) that has to be stamped at consecutive booths.
Without the stamps, you can't get your medal.

If you looked at even part of the above YouTube, you can see how Astrid saw the same thing!


She got enough stamps on her card (above left) to get her 25 km (15.5 miles) medal.


This is her second Molentocht medal of 25 km,
the last one being from 2 February 1985 (27 years ago!).
[click image to enlarge]

I mentioned last post that Astrid wrote about this on her guest Vision and Verb,
in case you missed it. It really was a big deal!
However, it's her last time, she says.
It's not worth the possibility of breaking bones while she still has to work for a living.
That day alone there were almost 100 hospitalizations.

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That was Saturday morning, when Astrid went off by herself to skate the Molentocht. Why didn't I go with her, you ask?

1. I grew up on figure skates which are NOT the same as Dutch speed skates.
2. I skated on smooth, "artificial" ice, not on canal (bumpy-with-cracks) ice.
3. I would have slowed Astrid down, who was on a mission.
   
4. I'm too old for this sh**.

But that afternoon, as we drove out through the polder to our favorite pannenkoeken restaurant, I got my fill again:

It's like every family has its own skating rink in front of their house!
And did you notice the chairs?
They're not only for changing skates/shoes but aiding kids in learning to skate.

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Now, one last thing for this ice-skating saga: sharpening the blades and putting them away for the next time (which may not necessarily be next year, you understand).

Astrid bought her skates 27 years ago for €150 ($200).
This Viking brand has made many Dutch[wo]man famous in races everywhere
(that's basically what the box is explaining, top left!).
BELANGRIJK (Important): you buy one size smaller than your shoe size
because you do NOT wear thick socks, if any at all. Many pros go barefoot in them!


Add to everything else Astrid can do: sharpening skates!
She bought the skate holders for a discounted €9 during one of her window-dressing jobs eons ago.


She sharpens the skates with a whet stone, using the rough and fine sides each.
Within a minute or so, it seemed, she could cut paper like a knife.


Then she did the greese job, to keep the blades from rusting.
Don't you love the leather blade guards?
The skates are now put away for...the next time.

Is it too much to hope for next year?

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Congratulations if you made it to the end of this. Congratulations, too, if you still remember it's my turn at Vision and Verb today: What's in a Name?

This, That and the Other

Is it really possible this much has happened in the first week of the New Year! It's a mish-mash but it all happened.

First, it was watching the clean-up of all the fireworks while out on my daily walk:

Every year the receptacles with openings have to be boarded up or locked
to keep firecrackers from being tossed in by the New Year's revelers.
This one apparently got missed by the lock-down!
Astrid had told me about it but this was the first time I saw it.

During the week, between Sunday to Saturday, we finished another of the Jan van Haasteren jigsaw puzzels we absolutely love:

This is the 1500-pc. puzzle called Neighbours (De Buren).
Actually, this one is a loaner from one of Astrid's co-workers who's also addicted.
The cool thing about Jan and his whole operation is that if you ever lose a piece,
you can get a replacement from him. How cool is that!

This is the time of the year when make-overs and clean-ups seem to be on everyone's mind. I love to see how the Dutch do it:

This particular farmer is cleaning the moss off his thatched roof.
How many ladders does it take to clean moss off your roof?

Good thing I have Astrid nearby to always explain what's happening, things that are old-hat for her!
The Dutch canals have to be dredged every year or so, depending on how big they are.
The silt from the bottom gets siphoned off and dumped on the farmland nearby.
It allows for cleaner water and better water flow, especially when there's lots of rain.

Here's a YouTube to show how it's done:

While they're at it, they also break up the roots of the water plants
to keep the canal cleaner and less impeded:


See the shell on the bottom-left? That's a fresh-water swan mussel the size of a grapefruit.
The muskrats dig them up in the canals and eat them.
Now you know why the canals need continual maintenance!
Too many rats, building their tunnels near the canals, would collapse the farmland.

Talk about getting my education...almost every day!

Besides all that, since our New Year's community party we've had another New Year's party (by the property association) and 2 birthday celebrations, all at our community center. We're feeling partied out!

One last thing, ruminating all week, relates to a New Year's resolution I plan to share next week about Giving Back. I want to "donate" images to Wiki and have begun the process of registration and uploading. It's been a complicated learning curve for me. Tomorrow, 4 days after registration, I'll find out if I'm up and running.

But more on that next week, also with exciting news that Mart Martorell, the glass blower from the Düsseldorf Christmas market, wants me to be the photographer for his new website. In return, he will teach Astrid how to blow glass! But like I said, more on that next week.

If this is how 2012 is starting, don't you wonder what the rest of the year will look like??!!

Now, something fun for those of you who enjoy Dr. Seuss!
This was worth every minute...looking ahead to the rest of this new year.

Happy New Year, again!