Ypres, De Panne & Brussels

My host Chris met me at the bus terminal. Once in the car we jumped straight into conversation. He was very open and friendly. Easy to get along with. We drove through the countryside to Ypres to his house. He had a spacious, beautiful house along a terrace, right in the city centre.
After dropping off my bags in my room, we rushed out to the city centre to watch the Last Post. He had a friend that he was going to meet there afterwards. Unfortunately, we arrived close to starting time so all the good viewing spots were taken. I was too short to see over all the people, but I could hear. There was a school orchestra playing and many people offering flowers and wreaths of remembrance for the soldiers in the first world war. A few men in uniform were holding flags and playing the trumpet. It was nice to hear that they do this every day. Not only do tourists come to watch, but children on field trips throughout Europe come to see and learn of their history. Couldn’t help but wish my school did something cool like that.
After the ceremony we met up with Chris’s friend Liliana, her boyfriend Jean-Phillipe and his parents. Chris invited everyone to his place for dinner.
We made a nice salad and French fries. Which is funny it’s called that, as they were first made here in Belgium. Should be called Belgium fries instead. They were great people, and they all spoke English well so I could participate in the conversation. Really great!
The next day, Chris took me to the coast. We parked the car in a wooded area in De Panne and walked to the sand dunes. There was so much pollen in the air from the trees, it looked like snow. And the ground, completely white with the fluff. Looked really neat. So glad I don’t have allergies!
The sand dunes were nice. There was a viewing platform that had information on the history of the area as well as the wildlife and plantlife. It was neat to read about the different kind of habitats in the dunes, like the thrush growth, or dune meadows and the ground water pools. I really like learning how the water stayed in these pools. There is more rainfall than evaporation here, so the water surplus is greater. With fresh water being lighter than saltwater, it settles within the grain of sand and pushes away the salt from the coastal plains. Over time, this "bubble" of water is formed and flows over impenetrable clay or on top of the salt. Thus forming polder water.
From there, we walked through to the beach. It was very long. Many people swimming, boating and parasailing out in the water. Which was impressive as again, this was the North sea. Not all that warm. Even though the sun was out and it was  about 25 C, the wind cooled it down enough for me to not go in. So, we just took our shoes off and walked through the water up to our ankles. All the while, Chris educating me about art.
There was also a nice market on the street in town that we just had to check out. Lots of sweets! Some inviting pastries and there popular raspberry gummy candy, Cuberdons.

 From there we drove out near Passendale to visit the largest commonwealth forces war cemetery in the world, Tyne Cot. The headstones and plaques with unending names were in memory of the first world war soldiers. About 13,000 buried and 35,000 names on the wall.
Beautifully landscaped and the sight brought up the emotions of feeling heart-broken over the lives lost and carnage seen, but also pride, inspiration and gratitude all at the same time. It was an overwhelming mix of emotions. And I felt happy to experience those feelings and let the impact of history resonate within me.
Once we drove back to Ypres, we walked around town for a little while. There was a stage set up with a bad playing so we listened to the music and people watched a while. We also walked around the church looking at the Gothic decorum. A lovely day.
Wednesday morning, Chris had to work in Brussels, so he dropped me off in the city centre with plans to pick me up in front of the cathedral later in the afternoon.
I first walked to through the Royal Galleries of Saint-Hubert. It was a beautifully decorated arcade with shops lined up along either side. Many of them were chocolate shops. Some toy shops, lace shops and eateries. The glass-panned ceiling allowed lots of natural light to give a street like feeling while walking inside.

Next, I went to Grand Place. Wow! It was spectacular! The buildings were gorgeous! So intricately carved. Some with gargoyles, statues, arches, gold, flowerbeds and balconies. If it wasn’t so hot on the pavement, I could’ve sat there admiring it for quite a while. So on I went, to see the famous little  bronze fountain, Manneken Pis. Otherwise known as the peeing boy. It was smaller than I thought it would be, but cute.

From there, I walked to Saint Catherine church, had a peak inside then had my picnic lunch I made outside in the shade by the Quai au Bois à Brûler, a tall decorative fountain.

Then, I walked to Place du Béguinage. It was nice, but more the same things. As I headed back towards the centre, I marveled at all the belgium waffles shops with their vast selection of topping for only 1 euro, the chocolate shops and all the neat facades of the buildings along the quaint streets. Just stunning and bustling with life and colour!
On to the Royal Palace from there. The road in front was blocked off to road traffic as the upcoming weekend was the festivals and coronation of the new King, King Phillip. So, it was a bit crowded with cables, electronics, workers, wooden planks and stages of sorts. I could make out the beautiful grassy and floral gardens through it all though.

Place of Justice next. They were restoring a part of it, therefore hard to see all the details, but it was situated in a great place. I had a fantastic view overlooking the city of Brussels.


Then, I went to the Cathedral. Again, another place were I find the outside more exciting than the interior. Fortunately, there was an orchestra playing that had wonderful acoustics.

Chris picked me up there and we drove to the Basiliek van Koekelberg (Basilica of the Sacred Heart). It was very grand. The inside had a nice picture on the ceiling above the alter. And the park outside was nice to relax on or watch families picnic.
Lastly, he drove me to see the Atomium. It was pretty neat. It's built of iron so the atom is that of iron, with 8 balls representing the electrons, protons and neutrons. Neat.
By that time, I was worn out from all the walking and heat. Ready to head home. Ypres was just over an hour drive from there.
After a grocery store run, we had a nice pasta dinner, chatted and I am now ready for sleep! Need my rest for our next adventure tomorrow in Ghent.