Frederiek Van Pamel

 Frederiek Van Pamel
in artistic repose!

 A corner in the Van Pamel shop

 Ijspiste, skating rink of artificial ice, on Minnewater this year.

Oh dear, this is late, late, late and I go back to England tomorrow. Not quite sure why I haven’t found time to blog since December 6th, but having guests may have taken up time!

Walking round Brugge this year is quite the loveliest, sparkliest thing.! The lights have surpassed their usual standard and removing the skating rink to Minnewater was a brainwave. There, situated as it is on the water decorated lavishly in lights, it is quite magical and the extra room provided on the Markt for additional chalets and lots of tables and benches for drinkers, diners and chatterers, works so well. There is a guided illuminated walk through Brugge to enable everyone to witness what is in effect, a festival of light.

Perhaps the most lavish Christmas decoration in town, adorns the facade of the shop of Frederiek Van

 Damme en fleur, 2019

Pamel on Ezelstraat; it is suspended apparently from the edge of the roof and hangs luxuriantly down, embellished more liberally than diamonds on a Queen, with greenery and fulgent baubles jostling to be seen. It will cause Santa Claus to lose his way in bedazzlement!!

Because of this display I discovered that there is an amazing exhibition by Frederick Van Pamel over Christmas, in Sint Janshospitaal in Damme of his floral art, entitled Wintersfeer in Damme. Unbelievably, it is rumoured that he and his staff have used around 10,000 blooms! I have discovered very little about him except that an admirer describes him as a mood-maker through floral art. He is, in fact, an internationally known floral artist, noted for his superb sense of colour and texture but working chiefly with flowers and natural products, taking floral decor to a whole new level. His lifestyle shop on Ezelstraat [so much more than a shop!] selling, of course, flowers, but also highly individual artistic pieces of furniture and decorative objects, is a magnet for artistically-inclined visitors and locals alike. He is a local boy, aged 44, and one would love to know more of his training and artistic/cultural background. 

 Wintersfeer in Damme 2019