Sunday in Ghent

Sunday, October 19

Happy birthday to our dear Kevin!

This morning's was warm and sunny, and a slight breeze was blowing autumnal leaves into the canal nearby as we set out.  Our little street and the surrounding area were part of the route of a foot race, and we enjoyed seeing the runners pass by, right through the Fish Market, and over the bridge crossing the canal.  Then, we were off on a day trip to Ghent, just 45 minutes away. 

Once the second largest city (after Paris) north of the Alps, Ghent was a center of the wool trade and textile industry.  Because of its size, rather than one central square, Ghent has several squares, most centered on a specific trade, product or guild.  Guild houses are scattered throughout the city's old center.  Three of Ghent's most important buildings are near each other, extending from the Korenmarkt, or Corn Market Square.  St. Nicholas Church is massive, solid, and soaring.  The nearby Belfry, constructed beginning in the 14th century, houses a clock tower, carillon, and -- most importantly -- an elevator.  We rode up, walked around the exterior gallery, and stopped at a couple of lower levels to wander around the bells and try to understand the workings of a carillon -- sort of like a music box, and that's as far as we got.

Back at ground level, we walked across St. Bravo Square to the Cathedral of St. Bravo, Ghent's patron saint.  Here, and also in the church of St. Nicholas, there were monuments honoring St. Peter Damien, a Flemish priest who cared for lepers in Hawaii during the 19th century.  The cathedral has an ornate rococo pulpit and an altarpiece painted by Rubens.  The cathedral's artistic treasure is the Van Eyck masterpiece, The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb, which we actually returned to see later in the day, when its special viewing gallery opened.  The altarpiece is so popular that a replica is kept in the chapel for which it was originally painted, and where guides provide commentary on the work.  In the room where the original work is displayed, an audio guide explanation runs 50 minutes;we did not stay that long!  The 12-panel triptych is richly colored and detailed, the "wings" can be closed; their paintings are less colorful, perhaps to heighten the drama when the interior was revealed, originally just on Sundays and feast days.  At any rate, the altarpiece has been treasured for six centuries; it has also been endangered.  In order to prevent its destruction during the Reformation, it was hidden in the cathedral tower, in the early 20th century two panels were stolen (one never recovered), and during World War II, the altarpiece was stolen by the Nazis and eventually recovered in a salt mine.  Viewers of The Monuments Men may recall that the ultimate prize was the discovery and return of  "the Ghent altarpiece." (No photos were allowed)

We wandered through more of the old city center, past the town hall and down the narrow "Graffiti Street," where the city's spray paint artists can legally let loose before heading for the "Vegetable Market Square", where we lined up at what looked like a popular vendor's stall.  After a hungry policeman waiting for his order translated the menu for us (and recommended a few favorites), we had a lunch of Flemish beef stew -- on fries, of course!  

As the day turned cloudy and cooled, we returned to the cathedral to view the altarpiece before driving back to Bruges.

We'd deliberately planned to take our day trips to Antwerp and Ghent on the weekend to avoid an expected crush of tourists here in Bruges.  Upon our return this afternoon, we realized just how good an idea that had been.  There were mobs, throngs, hordes, crowds of people all over the center of town.  Between people, bikes, and horse-drawn carriages, our car just crawled down the streets!  We parked the car in our spot and then walked toward the outer perimeter of the old town and along the lined with parks and windmills; nobody out there but locals enjoying late Sunday afternoon strolls, bike rides, soccer games, and park benches.  

We wound our way through a quiet residential neighborhood and back to a small street off the Markt to visit a family-run chocolatier as part of our commitment to eating local.  A few last photos of the Belfort towering above the Markt, and it was time to call it a day.

We're so happy that we decided to return to Bruges and use it as our base of operations for a few days.  Now, we're ready to return to the 21st century!