skip to main |
skip to sidebar
I
have previously mentioned the favorable winds that from time to time send a fantastic picture my way. The winds have favored me once again. Here is Ambassador of Belgium in Kenya, Bart Ouvry, while he was visiting projects of "Vétérinaires sans Frontières-Belgium / Veeartsen zonder Grenzen- Belgium" in the Turkana area, located in Northern Kenya. He was honored by the locals, who presented him with this stunning Turkana elders' hat, which I personally find very becoming to him.
http://dierenartsenzondergrenzen.be/english
It is simply too hot to do anything, especially for us folks living in Belgium who are not used to temperatures of 35°C or more! We are probably experiencing the hottest day of the year today, and it certainly does not feel very comfortable to sit in front of the computer and blog.... Did you know that Grimbergen, which is the name of a town in Belgium, has the fist abbey beer museum in the world - and more importantly it has a room for tasting the beer. Lots of other interesting things to visit in Grimbergen...an abbey and basilica... Wish all of you wherever you are could taste this deliciously refreshing Grimbergen!
http://www.grimbergen.be/Beer-Museum.html
Oops, I got busy today... but here is what I promised yesterday.. a few pre-concert shots. Some fans, myself included, came way early. Me too, I absolutely wanted to make sure I could get to my place :)
To close this chapter, a picture of the master leaving the scene... it was past midnight...and as he said himself "clooooosing time".
Mister Leonard Cohen came to Ghent and I was one of x-thousand other lucky ones to get a ticket.
Glorious concert.
Tomorrow I plan to post some pre-concert people and street scenes photos in Ghent.
There are a zillion fashion blogs out there and when I started "This is Belgium" I thought it would be intelligent to leave anything fashion related up to those who are more qualified to talk about it than I am.
I do want to make an exception though for Essentiel, a Belgian clothing brand with shops in various cities over the country. The above pictures were taken in the shop on Brussels's fashionable Avenue Louise. The sales girls are and look fantastic. Another reason why I like this shop is that they decorate the store with books, photography books...
The real charm of Bruges lies in its medieval history as a center and hub of the wealthy cloth and tapestry making industry. Its ornate houses, charming and picturesque canals and medieval heroes are witnesses to this rich past.
Bruges became the birthplace of what is now known as the Flemish Primitives, of which Jan van Eyck (c. 1395 – 1441) and Hans Memling ( c.1430 − 11 August 1494) were key representatives. Their presence in Bruges encouraged the imigration of more artistic talent. Bruges produced new art, answer to the early Renaissance painting.
The statue of Jan Breydel, a butcher, and Pieter de Coninck, a weaver, faces the Belfry. These Bruges heroes led a popular uprising seeking more rights and freedom for the city and its inhabitants from the ruling overlords in France which culminated in the Battle of the Golden Spurs in 1302.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jan_Breydel
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hans_Memling
http://www.hansmemling.org/
http://www.casa-in-italia.com/artpx/flem/Bruges.htm
