I know I’ve been in Belgium for a while when I start recognizing the neighbors while walking home- and I don’t even need the calendar to tell me that I’ve been here for a month.
As you may have read, Belgium has overtaken Iraq as the world record holder for most days without a government! (There is still a functioning placeholder government, but it has no real power). This set off a wave of amusing protests in the last couple of days throughout the country. Some of the most notable:
· Students and seniors alike stripping down in Ghent to protest the “streak”
· A “frites” Revolution (French Fries) organized by students, invoking Belgium’s specialty
· Jokers gathering in front of the justice palace
· A famous actor has called for a shaving boycott until the government is seated
· A mock quiz show awarding the Prime Minister’s job to the winner
I have tried to get all of the different sides to put their differences aside and do what is best for Belgium, but for some reason I had very little effect.
Last weekend we visited 3 cities in 3 days – Leuven, Antwerp, and Ghent, which were coincidentally the sites of many of the protests this week because of their large college populations.
LEUVEN
The town hall was built around 1450 and is one of the trademarks of Leuven. You can see each one of the ledges has an incredibly detailed statue- these weren’t actually added until 1850 because there was an intense political debate in the 1400s on which historical figures should be represented.
The library of the Catholic University of Leuven was burned by the Germans in WWI, and then rebuilt with American university donations (not including American University).
Fly statue – I don’t have a good explanation for why this statue is in the middle of the town square.
ANTWERP
You may recognize the train station from the flashmob video of "Do Re Me" – Worth watching if you’ve never seen it!
It is said that Antwerp (“Antwerpen” in Flemish) gets its name from the word “handwerpren” which means handthrowing. In this statue of the mythical hero Brabo throwing the hand of the giant Antigoon, who was charging sailors high fees for use of the harbor. In the background is the Antwerp City Hall.
Peter Paul Rubens’ The Elevation of the Cross (1610) in the Cathedral of Our Lady.
The Steen – originally built in the 900s to protect the Holy Roman Empire. Only part of the original castle is still there.
GHENT
Gravensteen – This site has had a castle since the 1100s when it was built by the Count of Flanders, but it has been re-built several times. Inside was a museum of armor, swords, and torture instruments used under the Count of Flanders rule. And of course, the view from the top was really awesome.
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