Echoes of Lockdown in Brugge.

 

A dramatic handwave from a window
on the corner of Langerei 
and Goudenhandrei.

 Looking at my phone pictures I have realised that there are a number of images, never used, which amused, or entertained, or delighted me at the time of capture. A common  thread, generally, is that they were all taken during the early morning, or sometimes, The Very Early Morning, walks when I

One of the many delectable rewards 
of an early morning walk in Brugge!

plod onwards, pursuing the vague goal of reasonable health, with the image in the head of coffee and a compensatory read at the end. It virtually never fails. An early morning walk is not Quite The Same as the former early swim. The latter saw me happily, lazily, ensconced in tepid water, head below deck, joints moving slowly but rhythmically, for the half hour designated, while the mind wandered luxuriously and freely. The Walk is different. It involves more effort and much more concentration. I have to take a great deal of care over the gorgeous cobblestones which threaten to trip the unwary octogenarian, so my movements are generally slow and plodding accompanied with downcast eyes, scanning the ground ahead like searchlights. However, the aesthetic rewards of sun-dappled water; the canopy of trees above giving shade in summer and arboreal architecture in Winter, are many, There is a deep satisfaction to an early walk; a dearth of fellow walkers- cyclists though there are some; opportunities to discover little sights unnoticed before; the chance to take photographs when something small catches the eye; the never-ending pleasure of seeing familiar canals and cobblestones in different weathers and lights, and absorbing their beauties. There is the peace of the endeavour and the undoubted pleasure at the end when, almost exhausted, one happily acknowledges accomplishing a good deed in a naughty world.

My favourite photograph taken during these daily wanderings, is definitely of the words displayed
on a front door at one end of the Coupure: Attention. Chien de tres mauvaise humeur. This must be the most effective anti-burglar device ever and a similar deterrent for the door-to-door salesman if such still exist. It would be even better if the naughty dog turned out to be a peaceable Peke for example. A touch of bonne humeur goes a long way. It reminds me of a time when we had a Golden Labrador, an eminently good-natured breed of dog. Our Shandy was at the extreme end of the continuum, Mauvais\Bon; she was sweet and saintly. Once, long ago, a group of red-faced, apparently hungover, Irishmen looking for work drew up outside the gate to our rather isolated house and approached. Shandy raced to the gate to welcome them and I said, “Don’t open the gate till I’ve got her collar. She can’t be trusted.” [as my husband had suggested I do when I judged it necessary.] As they opened the gate, she broke free, such was her enthusiasm to meet and greet, and threw herself at their feet, on her back, paws raised, waiting for her tummy to be tickled. They looked both relieved and emboldened!! " Why, she's SOFT," accused the leader.

Moment of grace outside Sint Salvator

I also love the April photo taken during an early Lockdown walk; it is of a momentary shaft of light streaming through just one of the windows of Sint Salvator. It was stunning at the time, an illuminating moment of early sun and conveniently-angled stained glass in an unexpected conjunction of light and space. Dramatic and beautiful in the grey exterior.

Last week I noticed that the Coupure was full, presumably all boats parked up for the Winter when harbour fees in Brugge are more reasonable. I can’t now remember all the names though Esme was still there, for my sister, and Hilde, too, for my mother. There were others like Uit de Maelstrom and Grace a Dieu which spoke of stormy seas and safe harbours. I rather liked the regal Victoria, Victor and Imperial but loved the flirtatious, feminine Chouette! I didn’t know the meaning but it turns out to be great or very nice. Etre chouette a quelqu’un is to be really nice to someone. Think I will now remember that!!

And while being more of a dog person than a cat person, I enjoyed the notice in a window quite near

Chouette on the Coupure.

to where I live. “My cat is not a pet; my pet is family.”

Heartfelt. It is a long, long time since I had a dog but I do remember the strength of that feeling. My daughter in California and her family had a much-loved black Labrador, Charlie, who almost reached the splendid 14 years lifespan when, with so many things wrong with his system, he had to be put down. Family council decided to wait a while before replacing him but her nine year old daughter whose best friend had been Charlie for all of her life, remained sad and listless. Worried parents decided on action and the three of them went to an animal sanctuary and found Luna, a German Shepherd who is now, months later, pretty well in charge of the happy 

Part of that Forever Family.

household. I particularly liked the remark of the woman from the sanctuary who said, as they took Luna away, how delightful it was to see a lovely dog leave to go home with his Forever Family.

Not taken during the early morning walks, but  
 from the Carmerbrug in August, en route home
early evening.

Privilegie de Visscherie

Present Grand Hotel Casselbergh Brugge,
was the Court building for Charles Stuart
during his exile 1659 to 1600.
Commemorative plaque on side of hotel.

An interesting tiny subset of the Brexit negotiations reveals a link back to the days of Charles 11, before he became King of England. In 1651 he was driven from Britain by Oliver Cromwell and initially 

Charles in exile, 1653, painted  by
Peter Lely.

sought refuge in Paris and then Cologne but when he attempted to reach Brussels, he was barred by Philip of Spain who wished to avoid war with Cromwell. However, Charles and Philip secretly agreed to collaborate to win back Charles’s throne and Charles was allowed to settle in Bruges ‘anonymously’. During his three years in Brugge, Charles became an active member of civil society and a member of the Sint Joris Guild through which he was able to make useful strategic friendships. After Cromwell’s death with his son Richard as Protector, Charles was able to regain his throne, returning in June 1660. In 1666 Charles’s guide and friend while he lived in Bruges, the aristocrat, Arrazola de Onate, was appointed exceptional ambassador to Charles by Philip of Spain with the intention of negotiating a trade treaty. The treaty itself has disappeared but the City of Brugge still retains an associated charter granting “eternal rights” to the fishermen of Bruges to fish in the coastal waters of Britain. In fact, there are two Privilegie, one of England and one for Scotland.

Jan d'Hondt, Chief Archivist of Bruges,
holding a Privilegie, Oct. 13th 2020

Sylvain Van de Weyer 

The charter was never really tested until 1851. In 1849 Britain initiated the first negotiation with the newly-founded Kingdom of Belgium. The aim for Britain was to keep exclusive fishing rights fos-a-vis its fishermen for up to three nautical miles from the coast. Belgium sent ex-prime minister Sylvain Van de Weyer as special envoy to London with the aim of preserving Belgium’s status quo vis-a-vis the Privilegie. The strength of the Belgian case was reinforced by the head of the Bruges Chamber of Commerce who introduced to London the Fisheries Privilege of 1666, the existence of which the British Government had been totally unaware. H.J.Temple, the British Foreign Minister replied suggesting that the Belgian Government pursue a legal route in the Law Courts of England and Scotland [ there being, in fact, two documents conferring the privileges on each of the two countries’ fishermen.] The Belgian Government decided not to take matters to the British courts but prioritised a fishing convention covering all Belgian fishermen and proceeded with establishing a treaty with the U.K. [March 1852] but making clear that the Fishing Privilege of 1666 was not affected by any subsequent treaty.

“ ..[la convention] attribue aux pecheurs des deux Etats le traitement de la nation la plus favorisee pour l’exercise de la peche sur les cotes de chaque pays, sans prejudice de droits que les pecheurs belge pourraient tirer des chartes du roi Charles 11.”

Victor dePaepe 1963 [centre]

It looks likely that no firm conclusion was reached and the matter lay dormant until 1963 when a Belgian owner of a fishing fleet, Victor dePaepe, wrote to Harold MacMillan the Prime Minister, and to the Queen, saying that he wished to avail himself of the rights conferred under the 1666 Charter. He informed them of his sailing date so that he could be arrested at sea and thus, he believed, empowered to press his claim in the British courts. He was duly arrested on his re-named boat, King Charles the Second, on July 8^th, by the Royal Navy off the coast of East Sussex, near Seaford. The case never came to court but it was revealed in papers released in 1993 that the British legal team had advised the Agriculture Minister to avoid a court case because if was possible that the Charter was still legally 

enforceable.

Hilde Crevits, Minister of Economy
and Agriculture.

This year, 2020, under the never-ending Brexit negotiations, the Belgian Ambassador Extraordinaire to the E.U. Willem Van De Voorde cited the treaty and the Privilegie during a discussion of the future access of E.U. fishing fleets to British coastal waters. The Minister of Economy and Agriculture, Hilde Crevits, confirmed during a Radio One interview that a legal team was looking into the treaty as a back-up plan although the E..U. would prefer an agreement between the United Kingdom and the European Union.

This is a most entertaining story which shows how a 1666 comet can have a Very Long Tail. Let us hope that the generosity of Charles 11 can be seen to be effective for the Belgians today during Brexit negotiations.

Post Script

Below is a current announcement of a lecture by Paul dePaepe, son of Victor:

Lectures are currently free. Reservation and wearing of a mouth mask is mandatory. Best to arrive 15 minutes earlier. The entrance for the lecture is on the playground of GBS Het Anker. 

Lecture on Sunday November 22, 2020 by Paul Depaepe

Unfortunately the 10 o'clock lecture is fully booked.

A second session was organized at 1.30 pm on the same day. Reservation is mandatory, reserve your place on 050 530 730.

AND here is the man who effectively started this whole saga.

The famous 1653 portrait of Oliver Cromwell
by Peter Lely who was instructed by the sitter
to paint a true likeness, "warts and all".

Simon Stevin: A Life.

 I had lived in Brugge for some time before I learned that the statue in Simon Stevinplein commemorated a person of great distinction. I discovered more today when I visited a small exhibition in the Stadsarchief in the Burg which includes a detailed and excellent introductory video giving lots of information on Simon Stevin.

Simon Stevin
1567 Brugge-
1620 The Hague.

Prins Maurits van Nassau
1567-1625.

Simon’s father, Anthusensis Stevin, estranged from his family and described as the cadet son of the mayor of Veurne, moved to Brugge where he met Cathelijne van der Poort, daughter of a burgher family from Ypres. The couple did not marry despite her pregnancy but she eventually did marry a merchant in the silk and carpet trade who happened to be a Calvinist. Thus it is likely that Simon was brought up in the Calvinist tradition. When an adult, Simon was an avid student but his early jobs seem superficially, ordinary, given his talents and history: a book-keeper and cashier in Antwerp though he travelled in Poland, Prussia and Norway between 1571 and 1577 when he took a job in the tax office in Brugge eventually moving to Leiden in 1581 to attend the Latin school after which, at the mature age of 35, he entered the University of Leiden in 1583. While a student there, he met Maurits, Count of Nassau, the second son of William of Orange and the two became close friends. Simon became both mathematics tutor to the young Prince as well as close advisor. William of Orange effectively ruled the North Netherlands, [newly independent from Spain in 1581] which was predominantly Calvinist but he was assassinated in Delft on 10 July 1584 by a religious fanatic, and his younger son was appointed Stadhouder of Holland and Zeeland, the United Provinces of the Netherlands in 1584.

Crane at work in wine market
in Brugge, 200 years before
Stevin's work.

 A series of military triumphs over Spain followed the elevation of Maurits who understood the importance of military strategy, tactics and engineering. In 1600 he asked Simon to set up an engineering school in the University of Leiden, with courses conducted in Dutch, a progressive and popular move. Recent discovery in the Public Record Office in The Hague recording Simon’s salary at 600 Dutch guilders in 1604 confirms his high position then. Simon was Quartermaster-General of the army from 1604 and during this period he suggested the idea of flooding the lowlands in the path of an invading army by opening selected sluices in dykes. He had become an outstanding engineer who advised, and wrote extensively, on designing cranes, windmills, locks and ports. He advised Prince Maurits on building fortifications for the ongoing war with Spain and wrote detailed descriptions of the military innovations adopted by the army. The seemingly perpetual war with Spain was halted by the Twelve Years’ Truce in 1609 and soon after this, in 1612 Simon bought a house in Raamstraat in The Hague [again showing high social status] and married Catherine Krai. The couple had four children one of whom, Hendrik, also went on to attend the University of Leiden, becoming a famous scientist in his own right and eventually editing his father’s collected works.

T

The author of 11 books, Simon Stevin made significant contributions to trigonometry, geometry,  decimal fractions, mechanics, architecture, musical theory, geography, fortifications, and navigation. His first book, Tafelen Van Interest, was published in 1582. Before presenting the numerical tables, Stevin gave rules for simple and compound interest with many examples of their use, thus making them accessible to many. Before this publication, unpublished manuscript interest tables were commonly used by bankers but treated as special and secret, unavailable to others outside the charmed banking circles.

The following year, 1583, in Problemata Geometrica, Stevin presented geometry based on the

Sterctenbouwing 1594
endearingly labelled as by
Simon Stevin van Brugghe.

teachings of Euclid and Archimedes with problem-solving heavily influenced by Durer. The book was in Latin, the only one of his books to be so, for he became a strong advocate of publishing scientific works in Dutch. In 1585, he published La Thiende, a twenty nine page booklet in which he presented an elementary and thorough account of decimal fractions. He said that he wrote this small book for the benefit of “stargazers, surveyors, carpet-makers, wine-gangers, mint-masters and all kinds of merchants.”

And almost two centuries later, in 1782, in America, Thomas Jefferson argued for a decimal currency system, based on America’s First Silver Dollar, to be adopted as standard for the U.S.A. He had studied, and was inspired by, “Disme: The Art of Tenths or Decimal Arithmetike” [1608] the English version by Robert Norton, of La Thiende by Simon Stevin where the use of decimals for all activities was actively promoted. It is accepted by many that the term, ‘dime’ for a tenth of a dollar could well be an echo of the title of Stevin’s book!

Although Simon Stevin did not invent decimals [they had been in use by the Arabs and the Chinese long before Simon’s time]j he did introduce their use in Mathematics in Europe and influenced important currency decisions for the fledgling U.S.A. He stated definitively that the universal introduction of decimal coinage, measures and weights would only be a matter of time although he was not universally correct in this! However, his important vision for, and writings on, decimals probably rate as his most momentous achievements in a field crowded with notable accomplishments.

Statue in Simon Stevinplein, Brugge

Announcement of the Inauguration of 
Stevin's statue in July 1846 amid 
a programme of celebratory events.

Bridging The Gap.

Nepomucenusbrug as Wollestraat
approaches Dijver.

 The gap being in my knowledge about the wonderful bridges of Brugge which tell some of the story of Brugge from early years.

The actual name, Brugge, originates in the Norse word, Bryggja, a jetty, which  indeed contains the 

Guido Gezelle 1830-1899
Influential writer, poet
and R.C. priest.
Born in Brugge.

Flemish word, Brug, meaning bridge. Guido Gezelle, the national poet of Belgium, wrote that he had been told that the city of Bruges started as a bridge over the Reye at Blindezelbrug between the Burg and the Vismarkt. To protect the bridge from the feared Vikings, buildings were erected in the vicinity for soldiers to be billeted there to defend it. Possibly, on this slender and fearful beginning, Brugge was born!

Gothic bay of Herman van
Oudveld. Vlamingstrat 100

Apparently there are now around eighty bridges in Bruges At the time of the first ramparts, in 1127 and 1297, they were built of wood but before the end of the 14^th century, stone bridges began to appear. They were strong and elegant as we can witness from the Augustijnenbrug, between Spanjaardsstraat and Hoedenmakersstraat built in 1425 and named for the Augustinian fathers from Mechelen who settled in nearby Jan Miraelstraat in 1250. The bridge has three arches spanning the Reie with stone benches along the rail intended, not for sitting, but for displaying merchandise for sale to travellers entering or leaving the city.

The Vlamingbrug between Vlamingstraat and St Jorisstraat built by Jan nd Arnold van Uitkerke and Jan Petyt during the same period has a similar design with the stone benches for commerce. Very near to this bridge, indeed overlooking it, and the canal, is the exquisite Gothic bay of Herman van Oudveld who lived there in the 16^th century and was the Dean of the silver and goldsmiths of Brugge.

Konigsbrug between Engelsstraat and Spiegelrei.
Similar mediaeval benches for merchandise.

Other bridges which date back to early fifteenth century construction includes the Wulfhagebrug between Wulfhagestraat and Beenhouwersstraat called Sleutelsbrug after a local brewery, and the Meebrug next to the Meestraat which may have been built by the famous mason, Jan van Oudenarde. The beautiful corner house at this bridge is the setting for the novel, Pension Vives, by Norbert-Edgard

Part of the beautiful Leeuwenbrug

Fonteyn, 1904-193\8, an unorthodox teacher from Veldegem who became a writer. The original Leeuwenbrug in the Leeuwstraat would have been in place as part of the early defence system of the first ramparts; the present beautiful bridge was built in 1627 by Jan de Wachtere. The elegant llons were sculpted by Jeroom Stalpaert in 1629.

Below the bridge from Langerei to Potterierei, leading to Carmersstraat, the 14^th century Carmersbrug, there is a figure of a white friar, a Carmelite one assumes, in the canal against the wall with an inscription informing that in 1976 seven bridges in Bruges were re-built. Next to it are the arms of the Carmelites.

Carmersbrug

The bridge which always intrigues me is the Nepomucenus Bridge at the junction of Wollestraat and Eekhoutstraat. It is artistic and imposing, In times past it was called the Eekhoutbrug leading, as it then did, to Eekhoute Abbey, now completely disappeared. On the bridge is a large statue of John of Nepomuk [Czech Republic], Archbishop of Prague and confessor to Queen Joanna in the 14^th century. John refused to reveal the secrets of Joanna’s confessions to Wenceslas, her consort, and for this, he was tortured, bound then thrown from a bridge into the River Moldau. The Latin inscription on the base of the pedestal of the statue to John reads: “ En pic mutus en os non accusant.” Behold this pious mute whose mouth did not accuse.” and is composed of the 25 letters of Sanctus Joannes Nepomucenus. Now I know all this, I shall certainly look differently at the figure on this bridge!

Carmelite figure, below the Carmersbrug.

Sanctus Joannes Nepomucenus
commemorated on 'his' bridge at
the end of Wollestraat.

 

The U.S. Ranks 28th.

“We Are No Longer The Country We Like To Think We Are.”

Michael Green, C.E.O. of the Social Progress Index.

The Social Progress Index, inspired by the research of Nobel-winning economists, collects 50 metrics of well-being – nutrition, safety, freedom, the environment, health, education and more, to measure quality of life. The latest Index, just published, finds that out of 163 countries assessed world-wide, the United States, Brazil and Hungary are the only ones in which people are worse off than when the Index began in 2011. The declines in Brazil and Hungary were smaller than America’s and the U.S. is declining both in absolute terms and relative to its wealthy world power peers. The fastest progress over the past decade is among developing countries with the Gambia, Ethiopia and Tunisia demonstrating notable improvement.

Norway comes out top in this 2020 edition, followed by Denmark, Finland and New Zealand. South Sudan is bottom, with Chad, Central African Republic and Eritrea close by. Despite its immense wealth, military power and cultural influence, the U.S. ranks 28^th, having slipped from 19^th in 2011. Unbelievably, the U.S. now ranks behind significantly poorer countries including Estonia, Czech Republic, Cyprus and Greece. It, the U.S, is first in the world in the quality of its universities but No. 91 in access to quality basic education. The U.S. leads the world in medical technology but is at No. 97 in access to quality health care. The S.P.I. finds that Americans have health statistics similar to those of people in Chile, Jordan and Albania, while children in America get an education roughly on a par with what children receive in Uzbekistan and Mongolia. America ranks at 100 in discrimination against minorities.

Danny Blanchflower,
Dartmouth economist.

A majority of other advanced countries in the survey have lower homicide rates, lower traffic fatality rates, better sanitation and internet access. Michael Green, C.E.O. of the group that publishes the Social Progress Index, notes that the coronavirus will affect health, longevity and education with the impact particularly large in the U.S. and Brazil. The equity and inclusiveness measured by the Index seem to help protect societies from the virus. “Societies that are inclusive, tolerant and better educated are better able to manage the pandemic,” says Green. Danny Blanchflower, a Dartmouth economist, has new research showing that the share of Americans reporting, in effect, that every day is a bad mental health day, has doubled over the past 25 years. “Rising distress and despair are largely American phenomenon not observed in other advanced countries.” Blanchflower says.

Research indicates that a majority of people across countries hit hardest by the Covid 19 pandemic want social progress rather than economic growth to be at the fore, not only as the crisis continues but also once it ends. Young people in particular prefer that their countries prioritise social outcomes even after the pandemic is over..

The decline of the United States over the last decade in this index – more than any country in the world, is a reminder that Americans face structural problems that pre-date Trump and that have festered under both parties. Trump is both a symptom of this larger malaise and also a cause of its acceleration.

This is a shortened version of an article by Nicholas Kristof in the Friday September 11^th 2020 issue of the New York Times International Edition and he suggests, at the end, that first, Americans need to acknowledge that they are on the wrong track, and instead of proclaiming, “We’re No. 1” substitute, “We’re No. 28. And dropping!”

Nicholas Kristof,
New York Times journalist.

Odds and sods!

Family of friends, picking free apples on Saturday.

A boat, named for my mother, Hilda. She would
have been amused.

A divine-looking building for sale adjacent to
the Bonifaciusbrug. Next to the bust of 
Juan Luis Vives.

Autumn begins along the Vest

 

A flotilla of swans, disappearing at a pace beneath
the Strooibrug at the end of Vervesdijk

This strong reminder caught my eye on my health
walk this morning.

U.S. Ranks 28th.

                                       We Are No Longer The Country We Like To Think We Are.”

Michael Green, C.E.O. of the Social Progress Index.

Michael Green,l C.E.O. Social Progress Imperative

 The Social Progress Index, inspired by the research of Nobel-winning economists, collects 50 metrics of well-being – nutrition, safety, freedom, the environment, health, education and more, to measure quality of life. The latest Index, just published, finds that out of 163 countries assessed world-wide, the United States, Brazil and Hungary are the only ones in which people are worse off than when the Index began in 2011. The declines in Brazil and Hungary were smaller than America’s and the U.S. is declining both in absolute terms and relative to its wealthy world power peers.

Community cohesion.

Norway comes out top in this 2020 edition, followed by Denmark, Finland, Switzerland and New Zealand. South Sudan is bottom, with Chad, Central African Republic and Eritrea close by. Despite its immense wealth, military power and cultural influence, the U.S. ranks 28^th, having slipped from 19^th in 2011. Unbelievably, the U.S. now ranks behind significantly poorer countries including Estonia, Czech Republic, Cyprus and Greece. It, the U.S, is first in the world in the quality of its universities but No. 91 in access to quality basic education. The U.S. leads the world in medical technology but is at No. 97 in access to quality health care. The S.P.I. finds that Americans have health statistics similar to those of people in Chile, Jordan and Albania, while children in America get an education roughly on a par with what children receive in Uzbekistan and Mongolia. America ranks at 100 in discrimination against minorities.

Not 2020 but 2015
Already on the way down.
Harvard Magazine.

A majority of other advanced countries in the survey have lower homicide rates, lower traffic fatality rates, better sanitation and internet access. Michael Green, C.E.O. of the group that puts out the Social Progress Index, notes that the Coronavirus will affect health, longevity and education with the impact particularly large in the U.S. and Brazil. The equity and inclusiveness measured by the Index seem to help protect societies from the virus. “Societies that are inclusive, tolerant and better educated are better able to manage the pandemic,” says Green. Danny Blanchflower, a Dartmouth economist, has new research showing that the share of Americans reporting, in effect, that every day is a bad mental health day, has doubled over the past 25 years. “Rising distress and despair are largely American phenomenon not observed in other advanced countries.” Blanchflower says.

Research indicates that a majority of people across countries hit hardest by the Covid pandemic, want  social progress rather than economic growth to be at the fore, not only as the crisis continues but also once it ends. Young people in particular prefer their countries choose social outcomes even after the pandemic is over. The decline of the United States over the last decade in this index – more than any country in the world, is a reminder that Americans face structural problems that pre-date Trump and that have festered under both parties. Trump is both a symptom of this larger malaise and also a cause of its acceleration.

Danny Blanchflower
Dartmouth economist.

 This is a shortened version of an article by Nicholas Kristof in the Friday September 11^th 2020 issue of the New York Times International Edition and he suggests, at the end, that first, Americans need to acknowledge that they are on the wrong track, and instead of proclaiming, “We’re No. 1” substitute, “We’re No. 28. And dropping!”

Social progress.

 

Nicholas Kristof
New York Times Contributor.