Belgium's winter palette

gm10 · 8 november 2004, 21:28

Belgium's winter palette

UNDER GLOWING SKIES, VISITORS WILL FIND A BEGUILING BLEND OF ART AND ARCHITECTURE

[size=-1]By Anne Chalfant[/size]

[size=-1]Knight Ridder[/size]

BRUGES, Belgium - In Europe, the skies have it.

Changes in the overhead palette vary with latitude, slant of sun, limestone adrift in the air -- a variety of alchemies. The golden beams in France that fascinated Monet, the energizing orange tint of the Roman skies -- look up and take in the ambience.

But nowhere in Europe has a winter sky stopped me in my tracks as it did in Belgium. Back-lit with a glow, the gray sky calls up paintings by Dutch and Flemish painters whose winter scenes look not dismally cold at all but like a friendly winter scene you want to step into.

Here's an image that stays in memory: I was in the small city of Bruges, gazing at the river. Suddenly the river became a painting, shining darkly with an uncanny sheen, haloed with the light of the gray sky. A stark winter-bare tree looked like a dancer about to leap into the water.

I tried to catch that painting on my camera.

I don't know what causes the light that the painters and I love in Belgium, but one Belgian told me that the back-lit quality is created by a reflection of the nearby North Sea.

I continued my sky watch as we divided our time between Brussels and Bruges.

Brussels struck me as a city easily lived in, should I ever be called to a diplomatic post. It bustles with purpose, serving as political and business center for Europe, with NATO headquarters here and the parliament of the European Union. The place is aflood with foreigners, and shopkeepers handily assist customers in four languages -- French, Flemish, English and German.

Brussels is a breeze to get around. We bought a map and took to the clean, efficient metro system, following the sightseeing plan of our architecture student son, who characteristically tackles foreign cities by scoping out architecture. That set us up for an art nouveau tour of Brussels, a movement which both saw its roots and flourished in Brussels at the turn of the last century.

That was all news to me, but I soon found myself charmed with the lyrical, craftsman-based styles of this movement, including sinuously carved wooden door frames, elaborately twisted metal adornments, stained glass and curved lines.

The remnants of art nouveau can be seen all over Brussels, but you have to be looking.

The best place to get a feel is the Victor Horta museum. Horta is considered the founding father of the movement, and his home is charming with curved and carved wood, elaborate staircases, a cozy feeling and windows that beautifully frame that back-lit gray winter sky.

Several other art nouveau sites can be viewed on Avenue Louise, the high-fashion department store part of Brussels. We walked in the gray morning light to the Hotel Solvay, 224 avenue Louise, where we admired the curved wood front door and ornate wrought-iron balcony. Built in 1894 by Victor Horta, it is now privately owned. So, too, is the Hotel Max Hallet at No. 346 avenue Louise.

Our urban treasure hunt had an advantage over the traditional tourism approach. We found ourselves in residential neighborhoods, mingling with the people of Brussels. A Saturday morning here felt like a Saturday morning anywhere -- it was errand day, and get the baby out in the stroller day. Oh, yes -- and stop for a cappuccino day. We made like the locals on that one.

When the sun poked its face out about 10 a.m., we smiled at passersby, enjoying the gentle warmth of a gray sky giving way to thermal dynamics.

In the more central part of the city, we visited the Palais des Beaux Arts, then the Old England Department store adorned with twisted metal turrets. In an elegant neighborhood we saw a tall house with an almost Gothic feel -- Maison St. Cyr, No. 11 Square Ambiorix.

Our art nouveau scavenging took us all over the city, but fair warning -- there's a downside to taking a narrow view of a new city. We came upon Brussels' famous Grand Place only on our last evening. It would have been a big mistake not to see this huge cobblestone square of ornate 17th-century spired and palatial architecture -- king's palace turned museum and other civic buildings beautifully lit at night.

From there we stumbled into Galeries St.-Hubert, a shopping arcade covered by a beautiful 19th-century domed glass roof -- the world's first mall.

Our biggest bumble in Brussels, though, was to continue to be startled by high-priced restaurants. We had not yet discovered the Rue des Bouchers. The atmosphere on this lamp-lit, cobblestoned street is part carnival, part Sesame Street. Restaurants tempt you in with carts of charming displays of food -- carved fruits and vegetables, lobsters, delectable plates of goodies you can hardly pass up. To further lure you, a waiter is beckoning you in as though you are his awaited guest. He enumerates the night's special, which includes wine, salad, soup, dessert, everything -- for 12 euros. Twelve euros when we had been dishing up 30 euros for dinner?

Next time, read the guidebook.

Next, we were off to Bruges, the medieval town that tourism keeps alive, and an easy two-hour train ride from Brussels.

We arrived during Christmas market season, when vendors set up their wares in the village square. I had always wanted to see Christmas markets in Europe, but these stalls sold mostly flea-market goods.

No matter. It was fun to mingle with the crowds, and what do they put in that Glühwein? Hot wine with spices, it is very tasty and it does makes you glow. Belgian waffles from the stands were also so delicious, they required more than one visit.

And then there was the chocolate -- with a shop about every 20 paces. Belgian chocolate is arguably the world's best, at least so said our friends who received boxes as gifts. And Belgian chocolate is far less expensive in Bruges than in Brussels.

Clothing is also less expensive here, we were told -- another reason why the French, Swiss, Dutch and Germans take the train here for the weekend. I followed the shopping hordes and snagged a handsome leather jacket.

Lace is also a local claim to fame, here and in Ghent as well. Another well-preserved medieval city, Ghent is midway between Brussels and Bruges but often overlooked by tourists. It is Belgium's flower capital and the historic heart of the country's textile industry.

But I wasn't in the market for lace. The handmade lace in the many shops is a beautiful, yet expensive, souvenir.

But lace curtains do look so right in Belgian windows. You can picture, can't you, a painting of a Flemish woman, sitting in a chair, as the ethereal light of the Belgian sky falls through the lace curtains upon her?

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercu...l/10121726.htm

Patriot! · 8 november 2004, 22:13

Das een goei land.

VlaamseBelg · 9 november 2004, 15:53

Amaai, die moet hier goed van 't grond geweest zijn me dunkt.

gm10 · 9 november 2004, 16:30

Citaat:

Oorspronkelijk geplaatst door VlaamseBelg

Amaai, die moet hier goed van 't grond geweest zijn me dunkt.

Leuk om eens de opinie van een buitenlander te horen over Belgie zonder enige vooroordelen.

Zeno! · 9 november 2004, 16:44

Citaat:

Oorspronkelijk geplaatst door gm10

Leuk om eens de opinie van een buitenlander te horen over Belgie zonder enige vooroordelen.

Dit is gewoon puur toeristisch. En inderdaad, op toeristisch gebied heeft Belgie veel te bieden. Ik vraag me af of een artikel over Belgie van een politiek journalist even positief zou zijn...

gm10 · 9 november 2004, 17:09

Citaat:

Oorspronkelijk geplaatst door Zeno!

Dit is gewoon puur toeristisch. En inderdaad, op toeristisch gebied heeft Belgie veel te bieden. Ik vraag me af of een artikel over Belgie van een politiek journalist even positief zou zijn...

who cares? alsof alles om politiek draait

Zeno! · 9 november 2004, 18:14

Citaat:

Oorspronkelijk geplaatst door gm10

who cares? alsof alles om politiek draait

Tja.... ik ben er zeker van dat je zo'n artikel ook zou kunnen schrijven over Roemenië.... Helaas zeggen de toeristische bezienswaardigheden bitter weinig over het bestuur van een land.

gm10 · 9 november 2004, 18:26

Citaat:

Oorspronkelijk geplaatst door Zeno!

Tja.... ik ben er zeker van dat je zo'n artikel ook zou kunnen schrijven over Roemenië.... Helaas zeggen de toeristische bezienswaardigheden bitter weinig over het bestuur van een land.

dat is ook niet waar he
als de armoede afstraalt van de mensen, ga je zoiets niet schrijven

Patriot! · 10 november 2004, 12:23

De Belgen hebben alle reden om gelukkig te zijn. En dat zijn ze dan ook. Buiten een paar eeuwige klagers en zagers, losers en frustrés die we flaminganten en rattachisten noemen. Maar die minderheid is nu eenmaal per definitie ongelukkig, wat je ook doet.

Vlaanderen Boven · 10 november 2004, 13:06

Citaat:

Oorspronkelijk geplaatst door gm10

Next, we were off to Bruges, the medieval town that tourism keeps alive,

Lol. Ze zullen het niet graag horen.

gm10 · 10 november 2004, 13:24

Citaat:

Oorspronkelijk geplaatst door Vlaanderen Boven

Lol. Ze zullen het niet graag horen.

LOL

Vond ik ook redelijk grappig.

sebby · 10 november 2004, 15:56

Die zeveraar zegt niks over Antwerpen

Raf C · 10 november 2004, 16:01

Inderdaad, die zeveraar zegt niks over Antwerpen...

gm10 · 10 november 2004, 16:39

Citaat:

Oorspronkelijk geplaatst door Raf C

Inderdaad, die zeveraar zegt niks over Antwerpen...

Die journalist was hier allicht maar voor korte tijd en wou dan ook vooral de belangrijkste en mooiste dingen zien.

8 november 2004, 21:28	#1
gm10 Eur. Commissievoorzitter Geregistreerd: 13 januari 2004 Locatie: London Berichten: 8.988	Belgium's winter palette Belgium's winter palette UNDER GLOWING SKIES, VISITORS WILL FIND A BEGUILING BLEND OF ART AND ARCHITECTURE [size=-1]By Anne Chalfant[/size] [size=-1]Knight Ridder[/size] BRUGES, Belgium - In Europe, the skies have it. Changes in the overhead palette vary with latitude, slant of sun, limestone adrift in the air -- a variety of alchemies. The golden beams in France that fascinated Monet, the energizing orange tint of the Roman skies -- look up and take in the ambience. But nowhere in Europe has a winter sky stopped me in my tracks as it did in Belgium. Back-lit with a glow, the gray sky calls up paintings by Dutch and Flemish painters whose winter scenes look not dismally cold at all but like a friendly winter scene you want to step into. Here's an image that stays in memory: I was in the small city of Bruges, gazing at the river. Suddenly the river became a painting, shining darkly with an uncanny sheen, haloed with the light of the gray sky. A stark winter-bare tree looked like a dancer about to leap into the water. I tried to catch that painting on my camera. I don't know what causes the light that the painters and I love in Belgium, but one Belgian told me that the back-lit quality is created by a reflection of the nearby North Sea. I continued my sky watch as we divided our time between Brussels and Bruges. Brussels struck me as a city easily lived in, should I ever be called to a diplomatic post. It bustles with purpose, serving as political and business center for Europe, with NATO headquarters here and the parliament of the European Union. The place is aflood with foreigners, and shopkeepers handily assist customers in four languages -- French, Flemish, English and German. Brussels is a breeze to get around. We bought a map and took to the clean, efficient metro system, following the sightseeing plan of our architecture student son, who characteristically tackles foreign cities by scoping out architecture. That set us up for an art nouveau tour of Brussels, a movement which both saw its roots and flourished in Brussels at the turn of the last century. That was all news to me, but I soon found myself charmed with the lyrical, craftsman-based styles of this movement, including sinuously carved wooden door frames, elaborately twisted metal adornments, stained glass and curved lines. The remnants of art nouveau can be seen all over Brussels, but you have to be looking. The best place to get a feel is the Victor Horta museum. Horta is considered the founding father of the movement, and his home is charming with curved and carved wood, elaborate staircases, a cozy feeling and windows that beautifully frame that back-lit gray winter sky. Several other art nouveau sites can be viewed on Avenue Louise, the high-fashion department store part of Brussels. We walked in the gray morning light to the Hotel Solvay, 224 avenue Louise, where we admired the curved wood front door and ornate wrought-iron balcony. Built in 1894 by Victor Horta, it is now privately owned. So, too, is the Hotel Max Hallet at No. 346 avenue Louise. Our urban treasure hunt had an advantage over the traditional tourism approach. We found ourselves in residential neighborhoods, mingling with the people of Brussels. A Saturday morning here felt like a Saturday morning anywhere -- it was errand day, and get the baby out in the stroller day. Oh, yes -- and stop for a cappuccino day. We made like the locals on that one. When the sun poked its face out about 10 a.m., we smiled at passersby, enjoying the gentle warmth of a gray sky giving way to thermal dynamics. In the more central part of the city, we visited the Palais des Beaux Arts, then the Old England Department store adorned with twisted metal turrets. In an elegant neighborhood we saw a tall house with an almost Gothic feel -- Maison St. Cyr, No. 11 Square Ambiorix. Our art nouveau scavenging took us all over the city, but fair warning -- there's a downside to taking a narrow view of a new city. We came upon Brussels' famous Grand Place only on our last evening. It would have been a big mistake not to see this huge cobblestone square of ornate 17th-century spired and palatial architecture -- king's palace turned museum and other civic buildings beautifully lit at night. From there we stumbled into Galeries St.-Hubert, a shopping arcade covered by a beautiful 19th-century domed glass roof -- the world's first mall. Our biggest bumble in Brussels, though, was to continue to be startled by high-priced restaurants. We had not yet discovered the Rue des Bouchers. The atmosphere on this lamp-lit, cobblestoned street is part carnival, part Sesame Street. Restaurants tempt you in with carts of charming displays of food -- carved fruits and vegetables, lobsters, delectable plates of goodies you can hardly pass up. To further lure you, a waiter is beckoning you in as though you are his awaited guest. He enumerates the night's special, which includes wine, salad, soup, dessert, everything -- for 12 euros. Twelve euros when we had been dishing up 30 euros for dinner? Next time, read the guidebook. Next, we were off to Bruges, the medieval town that tourism keeps alive, and an easy two-hour train ride from Brussels. We arrived during Christmas market season, when vendors set up their wares in the village square. I had always wanted to see Christmas markets in Europe, but these stalls sold mostly flea-market goods. No matter. It was fun to mingle with the crowds, and what do they put in that Glühwein? Hot wine with spices, it is very tasty and it does makes you glow. Belgian waffles from the stands were also so delicious, they required more than one visit. And then there was the chocolate -- with a shop about every 20 paces. Belgian chocolate is arguably the world's best, at least so said our friends who received boxes as gifts. And Belgian chocolate is far less expensive in Bruges than in Brussels. Clothing is also less expensive here, we were told -- another reason why the French, Swiss, Dutch and Germans take the train here for the weekend. I followed the shopping hordes and snagged a handsome leather jacket. Lace is also a local claim to fame, here and in Ghent as well. Another well-preserved medieval city, Ghent is midway between Brussels and Bruges but often overlooked by tourists. It is Belgium's flower capital and the historic heart of the country's textile industry. But I wasn't in the market for lace. The handmade lace in the many shops is a beautiful, yet expensive, souvenir. But lace curtains do look so right in Belgian windows. You can picture, can't you, a painting of a Flemish woman, sitting in a chair, as the ethereal light of the Belgian sky falls through the lace curtains upon her? http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercu...l/10121726.htm __________________ Toen de Antwerpenaar Hendrik Conscience in de negentiende eeuw zijn beklag maakte over ‘vreemdelingen’, bedoelde hij daarmee West-Vlaanderen.

8 november 2004, 22:13	#2
Patriot! Secretaris-Generaal VN Geregistreerd: 6 oktober 2002 Locatie: België - Belgique - Belgien - Belgium Berichten: 21.353	Das een goei land. __________________ CD&V's strijd tegen de horeca (lees meer)

9 november 2004, 15:53	#3
VlaamseBelg Parlementslid Geregistreerd: 14 mei 2003 Locatie: Vilvoorde Berichten: 1.828	Amaai, die moet hier goed van 't grond geweest zijn me dunkt. __________________ Tis nepis potentis negro te!

10 november 2004, 12:23	#9
Patriot! Secretaris-Generaal VN Geregistreerd: 6 oktober 2002 Locatie: België - Belgique - Belgien - Belgium Berichten: 21.353	De Belgen hebben alle reden om gelukkig te zijn. En dat zijn ze dan ook. Buiten een paar eeuwige klagers en zagers, losers en frustrés die we flaminganten en rattachisten noemen. Maar die minderheid is nu eenmaal per definitie ongelukkig, wat je ook doet. __________________ CD&V's strijd tegen de horeca (lees meer)

10 november 2004, 15:56	#12
sebby Burgemeester Geregistreerd: 25 november 2002 Locatie: Antwerpen Berichten: 549	Die zeveraar zegt niks over Antwerpen __________________ Global warming is caused by Republicans...Along with loss of jobs, lack of middle class economy and war with just about any country that looks at you wrong..

10 november 2004, 16:01	#13
Raf C Partijlid Geregistreerd: 19 maart 2004 Locatie: Antwerpen Berichten: 249	Inderdaad, die zeveraar zegt niks over Antwerpen...