Music & Friendship

Another blog gap I fear; my trip to England and since then, a steady minor flow of visitors plus the MA [Musica Antica] Festival from July 31 to August 9 for which I had bought tickets for every concert. In fact, my elder daughter and husband, four year old Genevieve and Charlie the black Labrador all arrived on the opening day of the Festival so I was too busy to go to the first two evening concerts. Later in the week I ducked out of two more because I was too tired. Obviously too much excitement for the old girl! In spite of which, it was a wonderful Festival with several

memorable concerts.

A week after they left, I can't remember everything we did that last day of July and the first August weekend but we certainly made the most of the terrace which I have, at last, started to populate with a plant or two and some furniture. Sian and Rob marvelled at the tranquillity on the terrace and at the beauty of the soaring roof-scape and enjoyed sneaking looks at the outdoor Jacuzzi party a few doors along Genthof and in plain view from the terrace. I had bought a splendid bright green metal chair/settee arrangement with Cait, my younger daughter, plus a super plant, a Japanese evergreen in a Cloud Tree formation, according to my knowledgeable sister, to add to the wisteria with climbing clematis already in situ. Here they are:

I know we went several times to Astrid Park for the delectation of Genevieve and Charlie; indeed it is also one of my favourite spots in Brugge, almost a grand estate in parts, and tranquil too when there isn't yet another of those free rock concerts happening!

 Here are two young women in search of the children's playground:

Think that was the occasion when Sian and I went shopping leaving Rob I/c the other two. The excuse, duly executed, was to buy each other's birthday present, but we also enjoyed rather more, including a visit to my Total Favourite Shop, Sarah Pacini, the object of desire for about ten years. It never fails and the end of the July sale month meant clothes were almost affordable!

At the MA Festival, generally for the first nine days or so of August, I meet people who have become old friends through our devotion to concert-going over the years. There is a large group of German 'boys', occasionally with German girls, with a core of regulars and others who appear one year and then not for another couple of years. This year, Anke, a lovely nurse and music lover, stayed with me which was a bonus as she was The Perfect Guest! The whole group meets up before each concert for a chat and then at the end for a drink and more conversation. This year, Thomas who runs the Graz Festival, brought two friends from Graz, and Carsten, one of the Cologne mafia as it were, an art historian who works for an art auctioneer, was here for a short time; he normally manages to appear, as does Matthias, a friend of Joachim's from infants school! There are also the stalwarts Greet and Wim from Holland and Patrick from Brugge, plus, for the last two years, the handsome Dutch conservationist, Edmond. Should mention the most important trio, Joachim, Michael and Christoph who never miss and who visit Brugge at least three times a year for the Flea Market in 't Zand. It is they who urge friends from Cologne to sample the Festival and join the fun. In addition to these special friends, there are faces I have seen annually for many years; I started to attend what is now the MA Festival and which was then the Festival van Vlanderen, in 1989 with Eric, a devotee of about twenty years' standing, so I now at least nod to familiar but unknown people and often chat. It really is the most sociable and gregarious event as festivals generally are and a fixed star in my annual firmament.

En route home from the final wonderful concert on Saturday evening, at about 11.30 pm, or 23.30 as I am learning to say, I came across Benenwerk, a Groot Gratis Festijn, in the Markt and the Burg. There were serious crowds in a slightly chaotic free-for-all all presumably having sampled dancing from the list of Latino, Modern Stage [Beauty Boudoir and Tattoo Parlour!], Folk, Ballroom, Clubbin, Burlesque, Tango and more. The music was loud but almost drowned by the noise of humans Having A Good Time. Quite intoxicating though, after a three hour concert opera, I was tired and my relatively recent acquisition, my arthritic club foot, which swells with the effort of walking when fatigued, kept me resolutely on the homeward path. In seconds after turning left in the Burg, and nearly home, the streets were blessedly dark, quiet and empty!

Today, Thursday 13^th August, I walked to my three-weekly nail appointment [oh yes, have learned to acquire extra, self-indulgent habits here] and en route, met Bob, sitting outside his lovely shop, Gouts et Couleurs, on Ezelstraat. He sells interesting and stylish things for the home and I have bought two of my favourite bits of furniture on my terrace from him. Had a quick chat because of the appointment with Sofie the manicurist, if that is the right word. She is brisk and efficient, full of energy and good humour and I do look forward to seeing her. She has just returned from her annual holiday in Spain, at her parents' place and when I enquired how it had gone, she almost exploded with pleasure. She had talked earlier, about her almost perfect life; one lovely partner, two lovely little ones, ditto house, successful own business, super parents and close siblings, but had confessed, to my surprise, that the one thing she wanted to achieve before she was 30 [Oct this year!] was a proposal of marriage from Thomas, her partner. She thought that perhaps, privately, he wasn't too interested in marriage in spite of their perfect little nuclear family.

Her explosion of delight this morning heralded an ecstatic account of what Thomas had planned meticulously, and then achieved, in Spain, after phone consultations with the organisers in Spain, in April. They had gone out with friends, to their favourite entertainment, a huge presentation with different styles of dancing and dances. She had gone to the Ladies and when she returned, Thomas was, untypically, On Stage; he called her up too, on the microphone, and then proceeded to go on one knee and propose to her in front of the hundreds of people in the audience. Her friends, apprised already, recorded the whole thing on their I-Phones and on hers. He had a beautiful and elegant ring all ready [proudly shown this morning] to place upon her finger; applause all round and joyful tears from Sofie.

It was such a delight to hear her story and to witness her huge pleasure; Sofie is already at the Making Lists stage and rather demonstrates that for many, in spite of contentedly living without, Marriage is still important, both as a public pronouncement, and in her case especially, as a private fulfillment.