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Showing posts with label Ghent. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ghent. Show all posts
Monday, November 25, 2013
Ghent and Bruges Photos Online
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Friday, November 22, 2013
Keep Your Gentse Neus Out of My Business
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The problem with taking budget airlines in most cities is the secondary airports you fly into. Going to Brussels, you land in Brussels South Charleroi airport. The man at the information desk in the lobby directed us to the bus area where we would get combination tickets for the bus and also for the train tickets we needed to get to Ghent. One stop shopping, perfect! What he omitted was that there was no live person there to sell the tickets, so we had to navigate a machine in order to purchase them. Though it could be set to English, the directions were still not quite comprehensive to assure us we were doing it correctly. All those waiting behind us pleaded the innocent “I am a tourist too” mantra leaving the blind to lead the blind. Our ticket from the airport all the way to Ghent was €20.20 each. I
It was very foggy and cold out. We had to wait close to a half hour for the bus. A twenty-five minute bus ride brought us to the Brussels Midi train station. We boarded our train, but had to get off at Brussels Zud where we caught another train for Ghent. The timing was near perfect with little waiting time, but just enough time to make connections. I kept waiting for some conductor to have hysterics over our having the incorrect ticket, but all went smoothly and without a glitch.
Once in Ghent, the trams are near the station, so the number 1 tram took us within 4 blocks of our hotel. There was still a layer of fog when we arrived; the sun had given up on peeking through. We were there before noon, but bless them; they allowed us to access our room. This is the Ghent River Hotel, which is excellently located.
Amsterdam has always been one of my favorite cities in the world. The architecture is a majorly contributing factor. Ghent immediately captured my heart for the same reason. We walked around looking for tourism office as it had moved, so we had the incorrect directions. We happened upon the Belfry; it is a 95 meter high tower built in 1380, and asked directions from the ticket sales person. While there we purchased the Ghent 48 Hour Tourism Card for €25 each. It includes free admission to most museums, all public transit, and a canal boat ride. Still, it didn’t seem we could follow the new directions given to the tourism office at least until we realized that the statue of Neptune we were hunting for was not a land statue, but one perched up high on a building. With that mystery solved, we were successful.
They had an interesting interactive table with Internet capability, so while Ron was getting his questions answered, I played on the table reading about the culture, foods, and sights to see. Waterzooi is a classic stew of Flanders. Traditionally, it is made from fish, but chicken waterzooi is now just as popular. This was something we wanted to taste as well as cuberdon, also known as neuzeke, tsoepke or Gentse neus because of its resemblance to a nose. They are sweets that are sold everywhere with prices ranging from €3 for a bag of 7 to €29 for specialty shapes. The story is that a chemist realized people would not take a certain liquid medication due to the horrid flavor. He created this candy with strawberry, cherry and raspberry flavor to
Ron asked for recommendations for both the waterzooi and for waffles. Belgium waffles are world famous. We were provided with the names Etablissement Max for the waffles and Chez Leontine for the stew.
Ghent is the perfect location to have a Belgium waffle, so why not a place within Ghent, which is famous for their waffles? The oversized sign over the doors only shows MAX. Inside it reminded me of the quaint tea parlors that one sees in movies, but often nostalgically replicated in various cities.
If your experience has always been eating waffles that are crispy and crunchy, avoid this establishment. Our waffles were lighter than air, lightly browned and melted in our mouths delicious. I had mine with only butter, but Ron had his with strawberries and whipped cream. The strawberries were out of season, so they needed the whipped cream as a sweetener. The service was excellent and the atmosphere was delightful. Yes, it was on the expensive side, but it was worth the treat. For the 2 of us the waffles we chose with an espresso drink came to over €21.
As we were finishing up, a woman and two small girls around 10 years old were seated next to us. From the looks on the girls’ faces, this was a major treat for them to be here. They each had a waffle with two scoops of ice cream and other frills. They were so exuberant; I couldn’t help but think that this memory would stay with them forever as a highlight of their young lives. I also couldn’t help thinking what a fortune this was going to cost the lady who was treating them and wondered what career she had. The cost will be a memory she will never forget either.
We initiated our Ghent Card at St. Bavo’s Cathedral, not that there is a charge for entering this church, but this is where the famous The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb is housed. This requires an admission of €4. The church itself has many wonderful art pieces, but the Mystic Lamb is the treasure of all treasures. Painted in 1432 by Hubert and Jan van Eyck, this tremendously large Triptych is world famous. Once you enter the sealed room, you do have that sense of awe unlike any other piece of art you will ever see. For €1 more, they provide a headset with audio guides. Why they don’t charge €5 to get in and give you the guide is not intuitive to me.
Next stop was Castle of the Counts where seemingly endless circular stairs lead you into the sky and the next solar system. Well that is what it feels like as you climb these claustrophobic staircases. Walking around the top did have impressive views of the city, but other than to say I have done it, I would not relish the thought of doing it again. Philip of Alsace had the castle built in 1180, which is really impressive that it is so well formed still today. Admission would have been €8 each without our card.
Dinner reservations were made at Chez Leontine as recommended by the tourism office as being famous for their waterzooi. The inside was interesting and really charming in an old fashioned way. Parts of the walls were exposed brick with plaster in other areas, but the walls were covered with old fashioned cooking utensils. The service was good, but the serving sizes left something to hunger for.
Basically, waterzooi may be called a ‘stew’, but in reality it is simply a bowl of soup. Ron’s version was chicken priced at €21.95. Accompanying it was a sole roll. Yes, a single roll. We had to ask for a second for my entree.
I had thought I ordered smarter with the pork 'stew'. It turned out to be 6 small chunks of pork in brown gravy. The pork meat lacked any flavor, but the sauce was tasty, albeit on the salty side. My dinner was something like €22. With beers, our total bill swelled to €55. Shopping around later looking at menus, this was about average. We did not get ripped by the tourism office referral. Yet, when you pay this much for a soup or ‘stew’ you expect significant quality and quantity.
Fortunately, Belgium has over 300 beer breweries, so we were able to console ourselves.
Thursday, November 21, 2013
How Far Will That Psycho Go?
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We headed back to town to look for MIAT The Museum of Industrial Archeology and Textiles. Sounds like of geeky, but I really wanted to see the textile portion. As it turned out, it was visually spectacular; but they failed miserably in only having cards within each room as descriptions. There was no rhyme or reason for what was on the card to identify what it was describing. A small picture would have been a great aid. Starting on the 5th floor, there tremendously large looms and other devices from the cotton gin, spinning wheels, and other wooden machines from the early days of textile production. This was my favorite part of the museum, but I fantasized of learning how they were invented and seeing some of them in action.
One of the sites in the book was Mad Meg. Funny that we had passed this a dozen times already and each time I thought it was a pipe to be put in the ground as there was construction going on nearby. It turns out it is a cast iron cannon weighing 12,500 kg. It never was used for the function it was made: a cannon; yet the blood red coloring is ominous.
The major problem I have with these city cards is you never seem to get your fill of museums due to the opening and closing hours. We didn’t find one that opened before 10 am. By the time you spend a couple of hours there, you are trying to cram in some more before the day is done and they close.
We did manage to stuff in the Design Museum, which was alternatively referred to as the Design Center. My expectations were to be amazed at the different types of graphic design as well as functional products. I was wrong, at least partially. Salons were filled with furniture from the 18th and 19th century. Another wing has 20th century. Even if it were not what I expected, it was a visual delight and we were there until the guard kicked us out. She kept walking by with the time left. “We close in 15 minutes.” “We close in 10 minutes.” “We are closing in 5 minutes.” After one warning, I wanted to exhibit my watch and share with her that I could tell time.
A boat ride was part of our card, so we rushed over to the dock. We were able to catch the last ride of the afternoon. It is not has breathtaking as a canal boat ride in Amsterdam, but it was still lovely and free. It would have cost us €6 each without the card.
Ghent is gorgeous at night. They make it a point to keep numerous buildings, monuments, statues, and the bridges brightly lit to create a magnificent nightscape.
For dinner, we found this place, Panda Vegetarian Restaurant, just by chance as we were walking around and saw the sign. It is a downstairs venue, so deciding to give it a shot, we went in. Neither of us is vegetarian, but we often try vegetarian restaurants just for a change of routine.
From the sign outside, prices seemed reasonable. The restaurant was serene, not at all filled, so the quiet permeated the atmosphere. Selections were limited, but we each made a different choice. The dinner was substantial and tasty, but nothing worthy of raving about. It certainly did not make us wish we were staying longer in Ghent just to return here for a second meal. We asked for tap water, but were told that no restaurant in Ghent served tap water. True or false, I don't know. This could be a way of padding the bill. I know in Budapest, many restaurants use the same line.
If I were vegetarian, I would check out other options before settling here. That said I have to say the young waitress had perfect English and was delightfully hospitable. The kitchen staff needs the work.
Back out in the night air, it felt like beer tasting time once again.
Wednesday, November 20, 2013
Bruised in Bruges
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We planned to take the train from Ghent to Bruges for a day trip, getting into Bruges by 11:30 am. Ghent was cold and foggy in the morning, so the thought of a warm train was pleasant. The ride is short, under an hour.
Logic would have the tourism office at the train station, but instead it was almost in the center of the city. Assured it was only a 5 minute walk, it took closer to twenty as there were few signs pointing which way to go.
When we finally discovered the office, Ron asked enough questions to fill 4 full days of touring, though we were only spending the day here. We had dinner reservations at Pampas Rodizio in Ghent at 8pm.
Walking into the center of the city exuded a historic feel as well as an architect’s fantasy land. Each building has incredible structures that stimulate the senses. Some have 1768 or other earlier dates proudly stamped into the front wall to all to see. Once at the center square, it was apparent they are getting ready for Christmas. Temporary wooden booths were lined up around the square, but still boarded closed. However, in the center of these future sales outlets were children’s amusements: tiny bumper cars, fishing for plastic fish, and the ubiquitous arcade with games of chance giving optimistic souls the chance to win a chintzy prize costing a fraction of what they spent to win it. On the far side of the square partially obstructing the view of the fine building the Historium lives in is an ice rink surrounded by fake trees that are all decked out with fake snow. This has not opened yet either.
We had heard the Historium was worthy of a visit. From the information provided we learned this. “Historium is an experience attraction. You will step through lifelike sets in which film, music and special effects combine to create a magical experience. In this way you will live out an engrossing love story played out in the golden age of Bruges. It is more than seeing and hearing. You can smell and feel how life was in those times. Thanks to the audio guide, you will experience everything in your own language.
The story that you experience in Historium takes you back to the 15th century, or 1435 to be precise. You will witness the day when Jacob met the love of his life...The young Jacob works for Jan Van Eyck, the famous painter, and in the early morning has to pick up model Anna and parakeet Frederico from the Bruges quays. But not everything goes as planned...”
Though the info we read ahead of time, said it was a 30 minute experience, when we arrived, they said it would take an hour. We bought a combination ticket for this and the Groeninge Museum for €15 each.
One can start the tour at 5 minute intervals, so we decided to get something to drink before starting out and chose one café amongst the dozen surrounding the center square. Too cold for outdoors even with heatilators, we asked for an indoor table. Our mistake, it made it more difficult to run out once we glanced at the menu. A cappuccino and a pot of tea were the same price - €6 each. We both had pots of tea since they were larger than any coffee offering, but I fumed at the thought of a €6 teabag. We were bruised in the wallet for certain.
The tea aside, the Historium was an excellent source of entertainment and education. It is incredible what they can do with computer technology today. We actually felt like we were part of history with real actors, though they were all film or life-sized puppets. It was time and money well-spent, but we still had the Groeningemuseum yet.
As we walked to the museum, there were dozens of people flocking the canal. The children were the clue; they were waving flags with Kris Kringle on them. When I asked someone to be sure, she confirmed my thoughts adding he would arrive by boat down the canal.
I never knew much about Flemish art and honestly, I don’t remember much of what I read, but the Groeninge Museum is a treasure trove not to be missed. We spent more than 2 ½ hours there. Though I was familiar with Jan Van Eyck, this was a great experience to learn more.
Bruges like Ghent has strange hours for store openings. When we arrived, 90% of the stores were still closed by noon. By 4pm, 90% of them were open for business. Belgium is known for its chocolate and by golly; the chocolate shops were in abundance. Some blocks had 4 shops side by side, competing for business. We bought a funnel cone of French fries, what everyone in Belgium and The Netherlands eats for street food.
By 5pm, we were heading back to the train station. We had dinner reservations in Ghent at Pampas Rodizio. Judging from the crowds each day we walked by, when we were refused a table as walk-ins last night, I was really anticipating our dinner. This is an all-you-can-eat place, but unlike many such venues, there is no buffet table or heating trays to choose from. Here, the waiters appear at your table with food on long skewers. You have the choice of accepting or refusing the offering. The first two rooms were filled to capacity, so we were seated in the third room with a few medium sized groups.
The appetizers and family style salad as first offerings were both delicious with fresh vegetables with some salmon and herring on the appetizer. Ron was allowed these morsels. After this, the waiters were slow to arrive at our table or had often emptied their skewer before reaching us. We saw shrimp pass us by twice, but it was not until we specifically asked for it an hour into our meal that we were able to get any. The prime rib ranged from too rare to too well done, but the ham was excellent. I had never had grilled pineapple before and the grilled mushrooms were excellent.
That said, with our single beer each, we paid within a few euros of what we paid at Chez Leontine on Friday night, but here we had substantially more food.
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
This Won't Cut the Mustard
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It seems au courant these days for television shows and movies to start out with the current time, but then peel the layers back to tell or show what happened earlier. I am going to do that with our Belgium experience.
Monday, November 18th we enjoyed our last luxurious breakfast at the hotel, but the best thing on the buffet was missing. There was no Roquefort cheese amongst the other selections. This quickly became my favorite food item after getting up in the morning. I survived, but breakfast wasn’t as much of a treat as the last two days.
Today we were to check out by 11:30am, so we left our luggage in the luggage waiting room. Our flight was for 6:20pm, so we had time to do a last walk of Ghent. The plan was to take a tram around 12:30pm to the train station. Our train to Brussels Midi would leave at 1:05pm and we would need to transfer to another train to Brussels Charleroi Sud scheduled for 2:07pm. This only gave us a window of 6 minutes to change tracks or miss the connecting train. Once at Brussels Charleroi Sud, we had to catch a bus to the airport. We anticipated our final arrival there to be by 3:34pm and do a check-in for our flight.
The key to this story is that we were flying WizzAir. This airline now charges for carry-on luggage larger than a clutch purse that suffers from anorexia. For a fee, you can pay to take a larger carry-on with you. We did this, so each of us could have one carry-on. The cost of the airfare was discounted since I have a Wizz membership card. Another hidden rule is that you must print out your own boarding pass or be dunned at the check-in counter. Wizz does make this easier by allowing passengers to print out all documents up to 2 weeks before the flight. I had all the paperwork. The only reason to even approach the check-in desk was to show our passports. Had we been EU citizens, we could have bypassed this entirely.
Now we were on our way to security. As we were standing in line, there was a display of things that could or could not be taken on board. In the top section, the sign showed “OK”, but the bottom display had “No, OK”. I laughed, pointed it out to Ron and moved forward. By the time we reached the trays to load with our things, I had my coat off, my computer out, and my carry-on suitcase all in separate trays. I felt like a travel warrior prepared for action. I walked through the screening frame and set off the alarm. They did their general body search and found nothing of interest.
I went to retrieve my things from the conveyor belt, but a different guard asked if the suitcase was mine. I said yes, so he asked if he could open it. “Sure!” I responded with confidence. What the inspector immediately seized were the jars of mustard and a jar of Advocat that I had bought for gifts and for myself. He held each one and said “No, no, no! You cannot take any of these. They are liquids. Being a mustard lover, I had bought the largest jars of two of the mustards I had tasted. I wanted to return today for a third variety, but the store was closed.
Mustard to me is the best condiment ever conceived by man. Advocat is a Belgium or Flanders specialty. It is a thick yellow pudding type substance that they put on toast, ice cream, or as one saleswoman said, she eats it out of the jar. Of course, with 9% alcohol, who wouldn’t be tempted? It has an eggnog flavor; I thought jars of it would make ideal gifts.
Now they are gifted to the security of the Brussels Charleroi Security Authority. I can’t cry over spilled milk, because they would not allow me to bring that through either.
Thursday, November 14, 2013
GHENTlemen, Start Packing
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GHENTlemen, Start Your Engines
God Rest Ye Merry GHENTlemen
We Lucky GHENTlemen
GHENTlemen on the Go
Our trip to Ghent or Gent as it is spelled both ways, all started with a private student mentioning he went to Krakow for the weekend. He and friends drove, so they could come and go as they pleased. We driver’s license-less people have to rely in public transportation.
Nevertheless, he got me to thinking of how long it has been since were in Krakow. I wanted to go. I don’t teach Thursdays or Mondays, so it would be a perfect long weekend. When I came home, I checked all the airlines. Budget fares were few and far between, but only left on Wednesday mornings and returned Sunday nights. Wednesday would not work with my teaching.
Orangeways Bus was next; it is a budget bus company. They had trips leaving on Fridays and returning on Mondays. Perfect! After discussing it with Ron and checking the calendar, we decided on the weekend that would work best. After all, we leave for Central American on December 15th, so there are not too many choices. When I went to book it with Orangeways, it was gone. The Friday travel option did not exist and neither did the return I had hoped for. All the other available dates did not work as well.
Another private student suggested I try Volan Buses. Different company – same story. Frustrated now, but still wanting to travel somewhere, I tried Drungli. This is a website where you put in your dates and it tells you where the cheap airfares are heading. Belgium was the cheapest on the list. At first I thought, “Been there, done that” and almost dismissed it. Then I remembered Ron mentioning numerous times he would love to see Ghent and Bruges. I booked it with WizzAir, which after adding in two large carry-on pieces of luggage; we spent under $100 for both of us roundtrip. Though we will fly into Brussels, we will immediately go to Ghent. We may or may not take a day trip to Bruges. Reports are it is very touristy these days.
Off we go, we leave this Friday on a 6:10 am flight (Ugh!) and return the following Monday at a reasonable 6:15 pm flight.
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