14 Sept 2009

Welcome to the Journées du Patrimoine!

Hello, hello, HELLO!

Hmmm... didn't work! Was hoping an enthusiastic greeting would help shake this lethargy that has gotten hold of me today... but, nope! Must be the rain. Or the accumulated fatigue from a couple of short nights and very long days!

This (past) weekend is one of my favourites in Belgium: Les Journées du Patrimoine! Basically it's a weekend to celebrate Belgium's cultural and architectural patrimony (is that the right word?). Centuries of human artistic and religious expression, of human ingenuity and history, embodied in structures of wood and brick and stone... It's the chance to visit (usually acompanied by intelligent and amusing guides) some wonderful buildings and monuments for free (some of which are usually closed the rest of the year), to get a better feel for their place in history, for what inspired people to build them in the first place, to understand how they've transitioned into the 21st century.

So I'm going to take you on a little tour over 3-4 posts, hope it won't be as exhausting as it was visiting them all!

I had planned on starting yesterday... but got sidetracked by a "welcome back party" here in the University Dorm "Les Hômes du Sart Tilman" where I'm staying these three months. I hear there's another tonight and again tomorrow! Hmmm, more on that another day. IIf start in on Belgian student life now we'll never make it back to the buildings! I could write a thesis on the topic (and I'm already running behind on that other thesis I'm supposed to be writing...)! ;o)

4 comments:

  1. You and I seem to share similar taste in music, and I know you have done a lot of traveling...do you know of any good places to hear EDM in Paris? I am going there in November and hope to spend my nights dancing til' dawn. :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Sorry MJ! But my recent trips to Paris have all been house-warming parties (for the same friend) and we did our dancing in his appartment or on the banks of the Seine... I've never been bar-hopping in Paris! But I have heard there's a great night scene there! Unfortunately my two Parisian friends aren't really nocturnal... :s But I'll try and ask around!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Seems to be a lot of partying going on wherever you land! Coincidence?

    ReplyDelete
  4. you might say that timing is everything! ;o)

    ReplyDelete

Hey there! Yes you! The quiet one in the back... I'd love it if you hung out for a bit and shared your thoughts!

I might stop by your place with an answer, but I'm more likely to reply right here so click on "email follow up comments" if you'd like to see what I and others have to say and come continue the conversation! ;o)