ITEMS THAT ARE HARD TO FIND IN BELGIUM (TO NAME A FEW)

OKAY - WELL, WE MISS A LOT OF THINGS THAT ARE AVAILABLE IN THE U.S. THAT WE CAN'T GET HERE.   PANCAKE MIX, BREAD CRUMBS, TUMS, ETC.    SOMETIMES YOU CAN FIND THINGS THAT YOU MISS IN THE AMERICAN SECTION OF THE SUPERMARKET....A PATHETICALLY SMALL SECTION OF AN AISLE.   IT'S ALSO INTERESTING TO SEE WHAT KIND OF FOOD THEY THINK WE AMERICANS WANT.  FOR EXAMPLE - BEEF JERKY, POP TARTS, CAKE MIXES, JACK DANIELS BBQ SAUCE AND GRAPE NUTS!  

NOW DON'T FORGET - TODAY, THANKSGIVING DAY, WAS A WORKDAY AND A SCHOOL DAY FOR US!       RANDY IS NOT HAPPY ABOUT MISSING HIS FAVORITE HOLIDAY TRADITION OF WATCHING FOOTBALL AND SNACKING ON YUMMY FOOD ALL DAY.  SO I'VE BEEN ON THE HUNT FOR A TURKEY.  NOT AN EASY TASK.  TODAY I WENT TO THE STORE RESOLVED TO BUY TURKEY PARTS.....A COUPLE OF BONELESS TURKEY BREASTS, A COUPLE OF LEGS & THIGHS AND MAYBE SOME GIBLETS.  I FIGURED I'D PATCH THEM TOGETHER IN A ROASTING PAN AND HOPEFULLY WOULD HAVE SOMETHING EDIBLE.   (BY THE WAY - THIS HOLIDAY MEAL IS TAKING PLACE ON SATURDAY FOR US.)       I WAS PLEASANTLY SURPRISED TO FIND SMALL TURKEYS AT THE STORE!!    


SO HERE'S JUST TWO PICTURES OF TODAY'S ACCOMPLISHMENTS AT THE GROCERY STORE.

6 POUND BELGIAN TURKEY = $28.20

 VERY SMALL PEANUT BUTTER = $6.20
FRENCH'S MUSTARD = $5.52
BAKING SODA = $4.00

AND ALTHOUGH I DIDN'T BUY ONE, THEY HAD A BOX OF DUNCAN HINES BROWNIE MIX......$7.10!    

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

ANTWERP

We finally got out and visited Antwerp - the diamond capital of Europe!!  No sparkling purchase this time but I'll be sure to return.   I also want to return at another time so I can see more of the city.   Little did we know that the day we visited was also the day St. Nicholas was paying a visit!   Needless to say there were hoards of families and kids and lots of special activities geared toward welcoming Santa.   Plus it was a really grey day and the pictures came out very flat.   I know these old buildings would look so much better with a little more blue in the sky.

Antwerpen Central Train Station - built between 1895-1905;  

IT WAS RENOVATED IN 2007;

THE TRAIN STATION WAS THE SIGHT OF A VIRAL FLASH MOB TO THE SOUND OF MUSIC SONG, DO-RE-MI IN 2009;

REALLY IMPRESSIVE TRAINSHED

NEVER SAW A STREET MUSICIAN WITH AN UPRIGHT PIANO!

THE STEEPLE OF THE CATHEDRAL OF OUR LADY.  IT IS 404 FEET HIGH.

CONSTRUCTED BETWEEN 1350-1520;  

THE CHURCH WAS DESIGNED TO HAVE TWO MATCHING TOWERS HOWEVER THE 2ND TOWER WAS NEVER BUILT AFTER THE CHURCH WAS RAVAGED BY FIRE IN 1533

MORE DAMAGE WAS INFLICTED ON THE CATHEDRAL DURING THE FRENCH REVOLUTION WHEN ANTWERP FELL 

IT TOOK MOST OF THE 19TH CENTURY BUT THE CHURCH WAS RESTORED AND  SEVERAL ORIGINAL MASTERPIECES BY PAUL PETER REUBENS WERE RETURNED FROM PARIS TO THEIR RIGHTFUL HOME, THE CATHEDRAL OF OUR LADY 

SOME OF THE CURRENT RESTORATION WORK

THE 19TH CENTURY SCHYVEN ORGAN HAS 90 REGISTERS AND 5,770 PIPESs

MAINTENANCE OF THIS CATHEDRAL IS 1.5 MILLION EURO A YEAR

THIS PHOTO IS A LITTLE BLURRY.  THE DARK WOOD BEAUTIFULLY RESTORED AND THE ORNATE GOTHIC STYLE IS INCREDIBLE TO SEE

ANOTHER VIEW OF THE CHOIR

TOWN HALL BUILDING

SOME GREAT MODERN APARTMENTS JUST OFF THE GROTE MARKT.  PROBABLY HARD TO OWN A CAR AND LIVE IN THE PART - BUT IT WAS NICE AND QUIET IN THIS AREA AND JUST A BLOCK AWAY FROM THE SCHELDT RIVER

A LARGE MARKET AREA IS SET UP IN THIS AREA.   VEGETABLES, CHEESE, BREAD, FLOWERS, CRAFTS  -  YOU NAME IT!

YUM!!!

THE GROTE MARKT - FILLED WITH FAMILIES WAITING FOR ST. NICHOLAS

MOST OF THE CITADEL WHICH MADE UP THE FORTIFICATION OF ANTWERP IS LONG GONE EXCEPT FOR THE "STEEN" WHICH HAS BEEN RECENTLY RESTORD.  

DINANT, BELGIUM

Today I took a drive with my mother-in-law, Penny, to Dinant.  This is in the Province of Namur which is south of where we live.   Driving south we first go through the flat landscape of central Belgium and then you start to see the rolling hills and ridges that form the Ardennes mountain range.   We drove down into the valley where Dinant is located right along the Meuse River.  A beautiful location.  The town was much bigger than I expected.  

First thing we saw as we came into town was this great rock formation.   

This is the Collegiate Church of Notre Dame (know known as the Collegiate Church of Our Lady).   It is located at the base of a huge cliff in the city of Dinant, Belgium.  This isn't the first church to be built on this site.  The first church was built here in 934.  In 1228 that church was destroyed when the cliff behind it collapsed, leaving just the front door standing.  The church was then rebuilt in 1472.  The bulbous roof was added in 1566.

The church was again destroyed in August of 1914 when the Germans invaded the city in a horrible bloody massacre which killed 10% of the population; including women and children.  More damage was inflicted on the church during World War II.

1914

At the top of the cliff behind the church is the Dinant Citadel.  It was built in the 11th century to keep control of the Meuse Valley.  It was destroyed by Charles the Bold (French) in 1466.  The Citadel was rebuilt between 1675-1698.  It was again destroyed in the 1800s and rebuilt by the Dutch.  It had great advantage of height but it was quite vulnerable at the rear.   Although it was demilitarized in 1878 the fighting in the corridors was quite fierce in 1914 with 58 French and 12 Germans dying by bayonet.  You can take 408 steps to the top or you can take a quick 2 minute ride on a cable car.