 What a weekend we had! On Friday afternoon, we made the bus ride to Bruges. We got in around 8:00pm and ventured through the streets. It was absolutely beautiful! The buildings were old and majestic, built in a gothic style. Even at night, people leisurely rode their bikes through the winding streets. Although many of the stores were closed, we enjoyed taking in the sites as we wandered. It was strange to see a part of Belgium so different from Brussels. The streets were not nearly as dense and noisy. It was a much more peaceful and relaxing atmosphere. We felt much safer roaming about at night in Bruges than we do in our own neighborhood in Brussels. We stopped at a restaurant just outside of the main square. Next door, there was a lively little bar where some older folks were bopping to the rhythms of such sweet tunes as ABBA's "Dancing Queen" - we got a good chuckle out of that.
I especially enjoyed laying eyes on the famous Belfry Tower of Bruges that is featured in the film "In Bruges" starring Colin Farrell. My father and I watched the movie in preparation for my travels, and we were quite amused by the action-packed adventure through the beautiful Belgian town that is hailed as "the Venice of the North." The canals that run through the city were certainly gorgeous, but I will have to wait until my trip to the real Venice in a few weeks before I make the real comparison. We got lost on our way back from dinner, but it was more funny than frightening. We stopped in a snack shop for some guidance. Upon inquiring in French whether the man at a snack shop whether the man spoke English, he replied, "What?" It is hard to keep track of which parts of Belgium speak Dutch or French...Flanders is a Dutch area. Whoops!
Bright and early on Saturday morning, we headed out to Ypres to tour the historic sites of World War I. Our guide, Raoul, did a fantastic job of explaining the historical significance of the different sites along the way. After reading Winston Groom's "A Storm in Flanders," it was fascinating to see the places mentioned over and over on the pages as significant battle locations. Although the town looked as though it dated back to the medieval period, it was actually rebuilt in the 1920's after it was reduced to ruins in the warfare.
Moving on to the Menin Gate beyond the town center, the tribute to the soldiers put into perspective for me the staggering losses that accumulated in the brutal battles of World War I. It was eerie to think that less than 100 years ago, Haig was under attack on the very road on which the memorial stands, and that Plumer himself came to unveil the Memorial. The images of poppies and the list of names made these monumental sacrifices real in my eyes.The “In Flanders Fields” museum in the restored Cloth Hall provided a more interactive perspective of the World War I events in Flanders. Upon entering the museum, each of us received a card with the identity of a different person affected by the war as a soldier, nurse, etc. This was a unique way for all of us to feel personal investment in the war events. My historical figure, for instance, was a young French soldier who died in combat. The museum had an array of exhibits on topics ranging from weaponry to the Christmas truce that we read about in Groom’s book. One of the rooms focused on trench life, combining smoke and images to make the audience feel the panic and chaos of the situation. Raoul informed me that the museum has won numerous awards for its historical presentations, and I could clearly see why.
After touring Ypres, Raoul showed us the WWI cemeteries located through the Flanders countryside. We visited the Essex Farm memorial, for instance, where John McCrae wrote the famous poem, "In Flanders Fields." It was astounding to see rows and rows of graves, both marked and unmarked, for soldiers who lost their lives in "the Great War."
We also had the opportunity to explore the trenches that have been preserved out by Hill 62 at the Sanctuary Wood Museum just outside of the town of Ypres. It was insane to think that the soldiers cowered below the ground in those zigzagging tunnels in the freezing cold and rain. There were crater holes all throughout the trenches where huge shells had exploded. It was absolutely crazy to see with my own eyes the devastating effects of the battles I read about.
On Sunday, we had time to explore Bruges on our own. A few of us decided to climb the tower. The winding and narrow staircase was a bit scary, but we survived the climb and were rewarded with an incredible bird's eye view of the red-roofs scattered throughout the town. We then explored the streets and even saw a marching band perform in the main square. After a Haagen Dazs stop, we headed back to the hotel, exhausted from our adventures.
It was a strange feeling to return to Brussels and think, "Ah, it's good to be home." But that is, in fact, what it has become after living here for a month. And another week of my adventure begins...
|
RSS Feed