Such an
interesting and varied day on Saturday last, in company with Michele,
my neighbour on the floor above. I call her The Oracle as She Knows
Everything, especially about life in Brugge and about Brugge!
The
weather blessed us as we wandered through empty, quiet streets
towards the Guido Gezelle Museum, itself a serious oasis of peace. I
think it has relatively few visitors, [most tourists don't find it
and don't, I suspect, even look for it or know that it is there.] But
G.G is a nationally important literary figure in Belgium and is
considered one of the most important poets in Dutch literature. Born
in Brugge [1830] and living most of his life in West Flanders, he
worked as a teacher and Roman Catholic priest in Roeselare for many
years before returning to Brugge, to the house where he was born,
close to the English Convent on Carmerstraat where he became its
official priest. As well as producing a huge canon of poetry and
other writing, he translated the poetry and prose of others, for
instance, Longfellow's Song of Hiawatha [1886]
His
house, with its huge and splendid garden, is now a modern museum
devoted to his memory with numerous photographs of the great man and
his family, and also artefacts, some furniture and beautiful engraved
window glass. There is also a striking extension constructed within
what seems to have been a long barn during his lifetime. This
provides a beautiful space for external exhibitions, presently one
called Passe Compose showing a small part of the extensive collection
of the Gruuthuse Museum. Gezelle had strong connections with that
museum; the town archivist, Felix D'Hoop, an English art historian,
James Weale who spent most of his life in Brugge, and G.G. set up the
Archaeological Society of Brugge in 1865 and in 1876 the city of
Brugge bought the Gruuthuse, an early mediaeval building constructed
at the start of the fifteenth century, to house the
rapidly-expanding collection of the Archaeological Society.
Passe
Compose [ there should be an accent on each final 'e'. It means, as we all know, Past Perfect, a beautiful title] shows a range of exhibits but my absolutely favourite exhibits were the
small stone figures, some mediaeval, some as late as the nineteenth
century, originally gracing churches or grand houses, and depicting,
predictably in this town of Mary, the Virgin, saints and including
one stunning statue of Tristan and Isolde.
The personification of the mediaeval legend of romantic love.
Between Tristan, the Cornish knight and Iseult, [Isolde] the Irish princess.
We went
for a coffee break which turned into a beer break at the Cafe
Vlissinghe, nearby, currently celebrating its unbroken 500 years of
commercial activity! We sat outside where there is now a stylish
terrace, a covered seating area and the updated but ever-present,
petanque alley. When Eric and I first discovered it, the outside area
was somewhat rougher! The interior remains the same however; old
Brugge writ large I think; dark, beamed, dark wooden tables,
chandelier. Really cosy and atmospheric in winter and now alas often
crowded with tourists who have read about it on Trip Advisor. I
remember Eric's oft-repeated cry, 'Bring back elitism darling', which
used to appal me but which always pops irresistibly to mind in the
Vlissinghe. When Michele and I went, however, it was blessedly almost
empty.
For
lunch we decided to grace 't Terrastje opposite the Carmerbrug at the
end of Genthof and tucked neatly into a sheltered corner. Ian,
English, and Patricia, Dutch, own it and though they work very hard,
often helped by Patricia's parents, they never seem to take it all
too seriously and often swan off on some holiday or other, leaving
the locals without a nearby terrace to sit on, should the rain ever
stop.
After which, more culture in the Volkskundemuseum which advertised a little exhibition on the Vlissinghe's 500 years, as well as its usual panoply of everyday life over the last hundred and fifty years. It is fascinating; schoolroom, apoteek, domestic interiors, grocery shop, saddlery; the list goes on. The Vlissinghe exhibition was unexpectedly small and disappointing and the man on the door, incredibly grumpy and disinterested but the saving grace was De Zwarte Kat, the little bar at one end of the museum, run by a hugely cheerful volunteer and popular with the punters. Until April, Aristide, the resident black cat, was an important part of the experience but sadly, Aristide has disappeared, now presumed to be strolling the meadows of the Elysian Fields as he contemplates his erstwhile fame. Down below there were several posters in the area pleading for his return. Only later did I discover that Aristide did a runner when news broke that the Museum was to close in the face of economic stringency. So the rather disillusioned chap on the door must have been a perhaps unwilling volunteer!
As we
began to stroll homewards, we decided on impulse to go to Sint
Jeruzalemkerk and to my delight, Veronique, whom I know, was the
volunteer on duty there [and she is the example, par excellence, of the committed, engaged volunteer] and she allowed us to climb the tower and
enjoy the marvellous view. It is my favourite church in Brugge, built
by Anselm Adornes, business man, diplomat, aristocrat, knight. The church, really a little family chapel was inspired by the St Sepulchre
Church in Jerusalem, and was consecrated in 1429. It is small and utterly
special. There is a mansion adjoining the church and an interesting
museum behind in low buildings which were originally twelve Godshuizen,
almshouses; six now remain. It is amazing that the whole complex is still owned by
the same family today, the present seventeenth generation being the
Count and Countess Maximilien de Limburg Stirum.
