GENT, BELGIUM

I HAVE BEEN WANTING TO MAKE MY WAY TO GHENT FOR SOME TIME.   I HAVE AN "ILLEGAL" STARBUCKS MUG FROM GHENT SO I NEEDED TO MAKE SURE I VISITED THIS MIDEVIL CITY IN BELGIUM.  WE CONSIDERED OURSELVES LUCKY AS THE SUN WAS SHINING.  THEY HAD THEIR CHRISTMAS MARKET AS WELL!  WE TOOK SOME TIME TO LOOK INTO SAINT BAVO'S CATHEDRAL.  THE CURRENT CHURCH DATES BACK TO 1569.  IT IS HOME TO THE PRIZED BELGIAN MASTERPIECE, THE ADORATION OF THE MYSTIC LAMB.  PHOTOS WERE  NOT ALLOWED IN THE CATHEDRAL, ALTHOUGH I DID TAKE A FEW (OOPS!)   THE PHOTO OF THE FAMOUS PAINTING IS FROM THE INTERNET.  IT IS A MASSIVE CHURCH AND IT LOOKS LIKE IT HAS RECENTLY GONE UNDER A MAJOR RENOVATION.   EVERYTHING WAS SUPER BRIGHT AND CLEAN.  THEY WERE STILL WORKING ON THE EXTERIOR.   I HOPE TO RETURN TO GENT ONCE MORE BECAUSE THERE IS A CASTLE WHICH I HEAR IS A GREAT PLACE TO VISIT.  

 

ST. BAVO'S CATHEDRAL

ADORATION OF THE MYSTIC LAMB

CHRISTMAS MARKET - BELGIAN STYLE

"SPRING OF THE BEREAVED"    BY GENT ARTIST, GEORGE MINNE.   THIS STATUE WAS PLACED IN THIS PARK IN 1937 AND WAS QUITE CONTROVERSIAL OVER THE NUDE YOUNGSTERS LOOKING AT THEIR REFLECTIONS IN THE WATER OF THE FOUNTAIN.  LUCKILY NOWADAYS NO ONE BATS AN EYE AT THE NUDITY AND JUST CAN SEE A BEAUTIFUL SCULPTURE.  

AACHEN, GERMANY CHRISTMAS MARKET

I HAD HEARD A  LOT ABOUT THE CHRISTMAS MARKETS IN EUROPE.   LAST YEAR WE WENT TO THE ONE IN BRUSSELS.  IT WAS OKAY BUT I THINK WE WENT ON A WEEKEND AND THE CROWDS WERE JUST INSANE SO MY FIRST IMPRESSION WASN'T EXACTLY STELLAR.   THIS YEAR I THOUGHT MAYBE A SMALLER CHRISTMAS MARKET ON A WEEKDAY WOULD BE A BETTER BET.   I WAS ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.   MY FELLOW EXPAT, KATHY AND I HOPPED ON A TRAIN FROM BRUSSELS TO AACHEN, GERMANY.   AN HOUR AND 10 MINUTES LATER WE WERE STROLLING AROUND AACHEN, BIRTHPLACE OF CHARLEMAGNE, FIRST EMPEROR OF EUROPE (7TH CENTURY).     BUT ON TODAY'S VISIT IT WAS ALL ABOUT MULLED WINE, CHRISTMAS MUSIC, WOOL HATS, MULLED WINE, ARTISAN'S HANDIWORK, GERMAN BRATWURST, MULLED WINE.    DID I MENTION THEY HAD MULLED WINE?     OH, AND BY THE WAY....

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

5 MINUTES AFTER THIS PHOTO - YOU COULD HARDLY PASS BY THESE FOOD STALLS ON THE LEFT.   I GUESS EVERYONE REALIZED THEY WERE HUNGRY.

REALLY PRETTY WOODWORKING.   I JUST KNOW I'D ACCIDENTALLY PUT IT IN THE DISHWASHER AND RUIN IT.  

SOMEONE LOOKS LIKE A GRUMPY SANTA!!   GEE, HOPE HIS WIFE DOESN'T KNOW HE'S SO MISERABLE LOOKING FOR A GIFT FOR HER!   HAHA!

OKAY - SO MAYBE  NOT EVERYTHING WAS MADE BY AN "ARTISAN"   

CHOCOLATE TOOLS!   LOOKED LIKE A BIG SELLER.

HORTA MUSEUM

VICTOR HORTA WAS AN ARCHITECT FROM GENT, BELGIUM.  HE  WAS BORN IN 1861 AND HE IS CONSIDERED ONE OF THE CREATORS OF THE ART NOUVEAU STYLE.   THE HOUSE ON RUE AMERICAINE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF SAINT-GILLES IN BRUSSELS WAS WHERE VICTOR HORTA LIVED BETWEEN 1901 - 1919.   THE HOUSE CHANGED HANDS A FEW TIMES BUT THE HOUSE WAS BOUGHT BACK BY THE DISTRICT OF SAINT-GILLES IN 1963.   A BEAUTIFUL RESTORATION OF THE BUILDING HAS TAKEN PLACE SINCE 1992.  THEY DID NOT ALLOW PHOTOS TO BE TAKEN IN THE BUILDING SO I HAVE UPLOADED SOME FROM THE INTERNET.   

AFTER OUR VISIT TO THE MUSEUM WE TOOK A STROLL AROUND THE SURROUNDING NEIGHBORHOOD TO VISIT THE EXTERIOR OF SOME OTHER BUILDINGS THAT HE DESIGNED AND BUILT.  MOST OF THEM ARE PRIVATELY OWNED AND YOU NEED TO MAKE ARRANGEMENTS AHEAD OF TIME TO VISIT THE INTERIOR.   

NEXT DOOR TO THE HORTA MUSEUM....pretty funny

TOP LEFT SAYS "MORNING"    see next photo

"DAY"   "EVENING"  AND "NIGHT"

WELL THIS MIGHT  NOT BE ART NOUVEAU - BUT QUITE THE PLACE TO GET YOUR DOG COIFFED.  

ANOTHER NON-ART NOUVEAU BUILDING BUT IT IS THE BUILDING WHERE GEORGE REMI (also known as Herge) DREW HIS CARTOON SERIES THE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN.