A day in Ghent

Sunday is a day for markets in Ghent, so we had a pretty relaxed morning before going out to explore.

The weather had improved significantly, so there were teams of scullers on the canal.

We popped into a church by the antique market and they had installed a couple of these temporary, modular coal-burning stoves.  The bags of coal can be seen in the back.  Walking back to the flat we came upon this whimsical marching band of students or something, making a show in one the main squares and tormenting female passers-by.

Did make one Sunday-market purchase.  Hans found this poster among the wares of the booksellers along the canal nearest Elizabeth and David's.  For dinner we went to a local institution: Amadeus where they serve endless platters of ribs and baked potatoes.

And we walked by Gravensteen castle on the way home.

Belgian Championships at the Velodrome

We went back to the velodrome today to watch some events in the Belgian National Championships. There were junior pursuit races for Omnium points, and an elite race of 30km with a derny, a small moped used for drafting. The crowd seemed all to know each other, it was a friendly and festive atmosphere. 

Louvre Lens

The Louvre opened their first affiliate museum just a couple of weeks ago in the town of Lens outside of Lille.  Known for its enormous slag heaps and not much else, having a branch of one of the world's great museums will certainly add luster to this community.  Japanese firm Sanaa designed a light, understated building for the site.

Yeah, that's really Liberty Leading the People.  The "permanent exhibition" in this large hall is all on loan from  Paris, and will apparently rotate on a yearly basis.  The temporary exhibition on Renaissance art was sadly lacking in Northern painting (we are visiting from Flanders after all) but this sketch for David by Michelangelo was nice.

But this exercise in perspective realized in wood veneers was amazing.  The front of this cabinet is all in one plane.  The foreshortening on the violin in the bottom panel was exquisite.

Outside the museum.  The landscaping will be nice when it comes in.

Ghent in the rain and at night

We had another day in Ghent, visiting Gravensteen castle and snacking our way home while dodging raindrops.

After a dinner of chili and cornbread washed down by a variety of blondes it stopped raining, so we took a stroll through the city at night.

Vlaams Wielercentrum Eddy Merckx

Ghent is blessed with not just one but two velodromes.  Today we visited the indoor 250m one: the Wielercentrum Eddy Merckx.  The track is open to the public a few times a week, and bicycles can be rented at a reasonable rate.  Because it's the Christmas holiday and the weather's been bad, the place was packed and Hans had to wait an hour and a half before he got access to the track.

While we waited we watched the spectacle of 100 riders riding in circles, and played UNO.  Finally Hans got a place on the track, and picked up his rental bike.  An Eddy Merckx, of course.

He rode so fast that he couldn't get captured in a still picture.  But if you squint you can see him there at the back of the pack.

Ghent Altarpiece

We went in to see the Ghent Altarpiece today, a cornerstone of early Renaissance painting by Jan van Eyck today.  One can't take pictures inside, and some panels are missing for restoration, but you can explore the painting online here.

Out and about in Ghent

We've had a chance to explore Ghent the last couple of days.  It's a very charming little medieval city.  But it wasn't always so small!  For a period during the late middle ages it was the largest city in Europe!

The town is criss-crossed with canals that used to serve the cloth industries and markets that fueled the renaissance economy.

There was a Christmas market on the square in front of the cathedral that houses Jan van Eyck's altarpiece.

Elizabeth and David got lost in a labyrinth at a park while Bea played on a nearby construction...

Elizabeth outside her massive, centrally-located villa.

This new covered-market hall right in the center of town was completed just a week ago.

Hans bought this little metal cyclist at a model shop and hung him from some Beglian ribbon to serve as a Christmas ornament to remind us of our holidays in Ghent.

Merry Christmas!

It's been a full couple of days here in Ghent, what with Swedish Christmas on the Eve and American Christmas on the day.  Where to start?  Well how about the night before Christmas (Eve)?  That would be the 23rd.  Bea left Santa a glass of milk and cookies...

...and the stockings were hung by the chimney (for once!) with care.

In the morning Bea found a little stack of presents from Santa.  She got to open one right away...

...and spent the rest of the day filled with expectant excitement.

But first it was time for a julbord dinner with our hosts.

And then the packages could be opened!  Bea here with a coloring book from the Nowlins and a big Lego house from Santa.  We finished off the day with some rounds of games and Christmas-themed TV before heading to bed only to wake up to Christmas day, hot cinammon rolls, and more presents.

Bea loved her new top from Grandma and Grandpa.

But then came some serious lego building.

David with his motorcycle.

Bea's big house.