Today began at 6:50 am, when my mobile phone buzzed me awake. I had a horrid night of half sleep and felt exhausted which was worrisome considering the fact that we were being picked up around 8:15 for a day trip to shoot some photos. Because I was using the Lesser Canon (but still 1000 times cooler than my trusty point and shoot) and I was going to try out shooting in RAW, I tried my best to be a good sport and keep myself together despite my low energy levels ( I think I did a good job Di, don't you?)
Anyway, we drove a little over an hour away, to the village of Mesen where we were granted access to an old abandoned brick factory. We paid, but we were given permission to shoot all day long (although he was adamant that nude photography wasn't allowed... of course we were sorely disappointed by this fact, since were were looking forward to being naked in the rotten old building, but we rallied and persevered despite the set back). The factory was everything you'd want as a first time abandoned building photo op, as it was full of ragged old furniture and relics of the past. We were only permitted to see a small area of the vast series of buildings, and I can only assume that it had something to do with safety because this place is over a hundred years old and it hasn't been touched in over 40. Every nook and cranny held treasures... old decomposing Dutch clogs, a super cool ancient radio, milk jugs, tools, plates, equipment, tea pots and a stove, and there was even an old German bunker in the basement and some creepy old bombs, oh, and stinky sheep too.
We wandered from the factory over to the "city center" (it's a village of 3.5 square km so I don't know if this really qualifies as a center, but basically the place where all the stuff is) for lunch at a tea room and then a visit to the church and through some gorgeous fields to the Island of Ireland Peace Park, which was established as a memorial to fallen Irish soldiers during WWI. Ironically, Mesen is the smallest village in all of Belgium, and yet the Battle of Messines was fought here, which was a precursor to the Battle of Ypres in 1917. Some 19 mines were blown up across the area in order to halt the Germans and I don't know if it's true, but Ive been told that the sound of the explosion was so loud that it was heard as far away as Dublin!
I can't say how I felt exactly upon seeing the rolling hills of Belgian farmland before me, but it was so familiar to me and I could have walked around aimlessly all day long taking it in. I miss Belgium so much. It really is such a stunning country... sigh.
OK, back to the story, so after we wrapped up at the Peace Tower and had some drinks, we hopped back in the car and went to Ypres. I've heard a lot about the city, but I had no idea how beautiful it was going to be! I was bombarded from all angles by the gorgeous buildings surrounding the Lakenhalle and couldn't take 10 steps without seeing something that I wanted to get a shot of. Ypres was pretty much destroyed in 1917 during the Battle of Passchendaele and apparently it's is one of the first cities where chemical warfare was used, which helps to escalate the fact that this particular region of Belgium hosted some of the most gruesome and deadly battles in the first World War. As a result, it is a city fiercely dedicated to the memory of the thousands of fallen soldiers who fought against the Germans. There's a beautiful memorial in the city called "The Menin Gate" which lists the names of fallen soldiers with no known grave. What is amazing to me is that since 1928, The Last Post has been played every single night by buglers to commemorate the British soldiers that were lost at the Battle of Ypres (except the 4 years that the city was occupied by the Germans during WWII.) This weekend the crowd was larger than normal because of the anniversary of the Invasion of Normandy so I couldn't see too much, but it was nice to experience the ceremony.
I should also mention that the day began cool with overcast skies. On the way to Mesen, it rained a bit and when we arrived at the factory the sun was poking through in patches. While Di and I were at the Peace Tower, the sun was warm and the sky was blue as ever with huge fluffy clouds everywhere. After we arrived in Ypres, it poured like mad for a bit, sending patio diners running in all directions seeking cover and then as quickly as it came, the clouds dispersed leaving behind deep blue skies and a lovely end to the day. In Belgium I would have expected nothing less.
Before today, I had visited spots along the Maginot Line in France and some bunkers in Ostend, but I'd never really taken the time to think about the impact that the war had on life in those regions. As an American, you learn about the war in school, but it's so far away from everything that you know that it's hard to feel astrong connection to it all and certainly not in the way that people do when huge areas of their country have been destroyed by it. Writing this tonight though, I feel a new found interest in the subject and I want to spend more time wandering and learning about the history of places that I visit. This entire day was such an enriching experience and I feel privileged to have been invited along with 3 truly amazing photographers (and lovely people.) Thank you!
Photos to follow, but now, I am dead, and I need to sleep.
since I just posted that other terribly indulgent and overly ornate, yet inviting and sinful bed... I thought I would add this one. I can honestly say that I love this bed. I'm attracted to the almost luxurious yet shabby look of it... (although the duvet they're using is fugly.)
Today was a flurry of obstacles (rolling barrels, man eating plants, and even a fire world) in my path to finding a job, however, I did manage to make both of my appointments and by the end of the business day, I have my CV going forward for 3 positions and a 4th on hold until the position is officially posted. Sooo... let's see how it goes. In the meantime, I'll be playing minesweeper.
I'm sat here typing this before I wander off to my bed. In truth, my bed is about 4 feet away from me- so I guess I'll stand up, turn around, and I'll be on the bed and under the blankets in just 2 steps. There's no wandering in that, is there?
It's always those days when I have heaps to accomplish that I stall at the laptop blogging. 
Ohhh.... I don't know. I like the sofa and the record player. I can imagine lying there on a Sunday afternoon with a book, listening to Miles Davis. But the cat? I don't think I would want him looking over my shoulder.
call me what you want, old, lame, out of touch, uptight, or on the flip side, informative, thoughtful, insightful... your choice (there's also full of crap, boring, and other rude things, again, up to you) but I happen to think that there is something so completely wrong with Hello Kitty as a wine. There are soooo many reasons that I think this idea sucks eggs. One, it's tacky, not clever, and not even cute. This looks like something Gwen Stefani would come up with...
I've mentioned my disappointment with the fact that the Netherlands isn't as forward thinking about recycling as it is about other hot topics. I've managed to set a no excuses standard in this house that we recycle every piece of paper and glass that we can but when it comes to aluminum and plastic, there's nothing more that I can do. I've contacted the local garbage people to find out if there is a location for bringing these types of items, but haven't found anything promising. With that in mind, I have tried to minimize the food items that I purchase that are in those materials, such as plastic trays for pre-chopped veg and I choose glass jars of food product instead of aluminum.
There are a few things that I do enjoy in life, and if the recipe is right, I like it even more. In this case, the recipe is equal parts: affordability, style, innovation, practicality
donuts... mmmh. Admittedly, I don't go out of my way to eat donuts, but there's a bit of me that will always have a soft side for them. I think in America they're a lot more popular, so it could be a cultural thing although I did see some crazy orange donuts here in the Netherlands around Queen's Day, so who knows really. You'll have to check back in the future for my follow up post,"The Origin of the Donut"
