BBE's video snapshots

11th of November 2010 at the Menin Gate in Ieper (Ypres)

2010-11-12T12:54:00.004+01:00

I had edited this clip and uploaded it hoping to post it yesterday but YouTube took too long to process it (they have been a bit rubbish lately). The clip contains a few of the highlights of the 11 O' Clock ceremony at the Menin Gate, in Ieper (Ypres), Belgium, on the 11th of November 2010. I am sorry about the shakiness of the clip but the wind was gusting to 100Kph (more than 60 Mph), which destroyed my cheap umbrella (I bought A Better Umbrella at the museum shop after the ceremony).

There are still a few days until Remembrance Sunday, so if you haven't already there is still time to buy a poppy or Buy Something Nice or just Make A Donation, to the annual poppy appeal.

The 11th hour of the 11th of November 2010
The Menin Gate Ieper (Ypres)

BBE

R.E. Grave Railway Wood, CWGC Cemetery. A Photo Post

2010-08-17T22:12:00.006+02:00

R.E. Grave Railway Wood is, as far as I know, the smallest official CWGC cemetery in Belgium. It is quietly situated in farmland and commemorates some Troops killed in the underground war of the tunnels and mines that happened in this part of Belgium. I found it difficult cemetery to photograph but I thought that I would post the pictures anyway. A video post should follow shortly.

for further information try the following links
R.E. Grave CWGC
R.E. Grave Wikipedia

BBE

Panasonic FZ38/35, playing with my new toy, trying out the video

2010-07-19T00:01:00.004+02:00

Some local wildlife provided me with the opportunity to test out the video function on this camera and it is a lot of fun working out how it works. I am particularly impressed with with the Power OIS image stabilization, check out how steady the close up shot of the water bird at the end of the video is. This was taken hand held and you can see how long the focal length of the lens was when the image is zoomed out. I never thought that I could get a shot like that without a tripod.

Birds on the lake

BBE

Panasonic FZ38/35, playing with my new toy

2010-07-14T23:13:00.005+02:00

Finally I have a new camera. It is a Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ38 (FZ35 in the USA). It is a bridge camera with an 18 X zoom that starts at the equivalent of 27mm, for a 35mm film camera. It has a 12.1 mega pixel capability and can produce video at 720dpi. The leica optics are very impressive. I would have liked a Digital SLR but to put a decent kit together, based on one of these, was just too far out of my budget. I am more than happy with this camera though, it is so nice to have control over aperture and shutter speed again. I am still getting used to it at the moment but I have got some stills to show off.

Apart from a tiny bit of cropping, this picture comes unaltered directly from the camera

A sort of still life scene at about mid range of the zoom

The contrast and colours where deliberately mucked about with, on the computer, for this image, to find out how far I could push an image from this camera

A full wide angle landscape

This was taken at full zoom (about the equivalent of 360mm on a 35mm film camera) and then heavily cropped on the computer. I would estimate that you are only seeing about 6.5-7 mega pixels here

Full zoom with a tiny bit of cropping on the computer

I am hoping to master the video function on this camera, to post an example of what it can do with the moving image soon.

BBE

Breda and all that jazz, May and June 2010

2010-06-27T20:30:00.003+02:00

Breda and it's jazz festival

This month I visited Breda, in The Netherlands and got one or two shots of it's older more peaceful areas but back in May I was lucky enough to catch a bit of the Annual Jazz Festival that is held there. Breda is a nice city and although I could not spend a week there, I think that it is worth a day of anyone's time. The clip starts with some general views of Breda, taken in June and then goes on to show a little of the Jazz Festival from May.

BBE

De Panne Beach 70 years after Operation Dynamo, May 2010

2010-06-03T22:42:00.004+02:00

Operation Dynamo AKA The Dunkirk evacuation took place 70 years ago this May. I'm not one for going to too many ceremonies and so I decided to mark the occasion in my own little way, with a walk along one of the beaches that the evacuation took place on. The operation took place on beaches stretching from Dunkirk in France to the Belgian beach at De Panne. I decided to make my little remembrance on the De Panne beach, where I walked from De Panne town beach to just over the French border and back. The weather was not clement and the walk made me wonder what it must have been like there back in the desperate days of 1940 but the numbers of people enjoying the beach, even on a day like that, did make me think that the peace, that the sacrifices of the Second World War gave to Western Europe, is something that we should thank the men and women of that time for.

De Panne Beach 70 years on

BBE

The Zoete Markt (Suger Market) Kemmel May 2010 - A photo post

2010-05-31T21:31:00.005+02:00

As promised in This Post, here are some pictures of the Zoete Markt in Kemmel.

The eco friendly park and ride taxi

Plenty of treats around

Including these strawberries freshly dipped in white chocolate

Treats from all over

there where lots of stands selling the specialties from towns around Belgium

Only in Belgium

Beer tarts!

And a souvenir

I bought home a bottle of the local Mede (Mead in English, honey wine), delicious. Everything else that I purchased, I ate at the Market.

BBE

The Zoete Markt (Suger Market) Kemmel May 2010

2010-05-25T21:48:00.003+02:00

Apologies for absence

I do apologize for my extended absence from this blog and hope to re boot it and bring it back to life from now on but how frequently, I cannot say.

The Kemmel Zoete Markt (Sweet Market)

Every Pinkstermaandag (Whit Monday) every year, the small village of Kemmel holds it's Zoete Markt. Where traders and makers of Sweets (Candy), cakes, tarts and just about anything else that would make your dentist cringe, gather from all over Belgium to show off and sell their local speciality. This year I managed to get to this market. The weather was gorgeous and it was a pleasant surprise to find that the event was being held in the parkland around the local Chateau this year as there are extensive road works going on in the village squire, where it is normally held. The following clip is of some of the displays at the event and starts off by showing the rather nice (not to mention free) park and ride system that was in operation. Hopefully I will be able to post a few photos of the event in a couple of days.

The clip of the Zoete Markt

BBE

A tale of going home through the snow for Christmas - And thank you the staff and crew of The Pride Of Burgundy

2010-01-04T18:00:00.000+01:00

The port of Calais in the snow

Well The trip back to the UK was taken on the 19th of December which was a day with many snow related travel problems, as you can see HERE and HERE. What should have been a less than two hour trip to Calais turned into an about eight hour nightmare, although we were not so bad off as the people on the other side of the Channel, trying to get to France, some of whom had to spend more than 24 hours stuck on the UK motorway, the M20. It was too dark to get video on the motorway, during our five hour sit in a tailback but I got some footage of the port of Calais and the ferry trip across the Channel, shown in the following clip.

Ferry's in the snow, December 2009

All the hassle was worth it in the end, as Christmas was spent seeing family that I had not seen for 12 months, including.........

This little Guy

My bright and shiny, new Great Nephew (as in the son of my nephew)

Thank you to the staff and crew of the P&O ferry
The Pride Of Burgundy
in the early afternoon of the 19th 0f December 2009

On a day when so many organizations and companies were letting people down a lot of tired, cold and disgruntled passengers got on board this boat at this time and where treated with calm, friendly professionalism, from a staff of whom many had stayed on for an extra shift after completing their night shift (according to an announcement on the ships PA system) to help clear the backlog of travelers. The journey on the ferry was a calming experience on a very bad day thanks to the guys and gals working on board. It was very much appreciated.

And no I do not make money from P&O on this blog, I just appreciate people who do a good job of work in difficult circumstances.

BBE

Happy New Year

2010-01-01T00:01:00.001+01:00

Best wishes for 2010

And that photograph is of the whiter than normal cliffs of Dover, that I took from the ferry, on the rather eventful trip back to the UK for the Christmas festivities but more about that in the next post. Until then I hope that you all enjoyed or are enjoying your New Year festivities and have the best of luck for 2010.

BBE

Next years blog calendar - December

2009-12-29T20:00:00.001+01:00

December 2010

BBE

Next years blog calendar - November

2009-12-28T20:00:00.002+01:00

November 2010

BBE

Next years blog calendar - October

2009-12-27T20:00:00.001+01:00

October 2010

BBE

Next years blog calendar - September

2009-12-26T20:00:00.001+01:00

September 2010

BBE

Merry Christmas

2009-12-25T10:00:00.000+01:00

Seasons Greetings

I am not near a computer right now and will not be for a few days yet, I am celebrating Christmas with my family, in the UK. Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, I hope that you are enjoying yourself. Enjoy your celebrations.

BBE

Next years blog calendar - August

2009-12-24T20:00:00.002+01:00

August 2010

BBE

Next years blog calendar - July

2009-12-23T20:00:00.001+01:00

July 2010

BBE

Next years blog calendar - June

2009-12-22T20:00:00.000+01:00

June 2010

BBE

Next years blog calendar - May

2009-12-21T20:00:00.000+01:00

May 2010

BBE

Next years blog calendar - April

2009-12-20T20:00:00.001+01:00

April 2010

BBE

Next years blog calendar - March

2009-12-19T20:00:00.002+01:00

March 2010

BBE

Next years blog calendar - February

2009-12-18T20:00:00.001+01:00

February 2010

BBE

Next years blog calendar - January

2009-12-17T20:55:00.001+01:00

I am off to the UK now for Christmas and will not have internet access for nearly two weeks. So rather than abandoning this blog (that has been somewhat neglected aver the past few weeks) I thought that I would leave some scheduled posts. I have put together a calendar, made from Photographs that I have used on this blog during 2009, that I intend to use in the side bar over 2010. I am posting these over the holiday period, if anyone else wants to use them or print them off that is fine by me.

January 2010

BBE

Christmasy Flanders, a photo post

2009-12-13T22:04:00.005+01:00

As you may have noticed, I have added some Christmas decs to the blog to get into the spirit of the season. There is also a lot of Christmasy things happening around Flanders, including kerstmarkts (Christmas markets), I got to visit one in a small village but unfortunately arrived a little early and did not have time to hang around. Still I did manage to grab one or two Christmasy snaps.

This is manufactured snow on this tree

There where plenty of hot braziers to stand around and have a warm

And of course, plenty of places to partake of a flavoured Genever

Before buying your Christmas trinkets

Many shops have hand painted Christmas windows

BBE

To blog or not to blog? That is the question

2009-12-06T22:59:00.000+01:00

This is a failing blog

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy doing this blog and sharing my photos and videos but very few people come here to see what I have to offer. The best day that I have had so far was World Blog Surf Day but normally I only have 3 to 12 visitors a day and it just seems a bit weird, talking to the internet ether.

What am I going to do about it

Well I am going to carry on for a while and see how I feel about it but I am going to loosen up a bit about how and when I post. When I started this blog the main aim was to make it a bit of a resource for expats living in Belgium (side bar links etc) and people who are planning to visit Belgium and I did not want to post much outside of my own photos and vids. I think that I am going to throw my rule book out of the window and post what I feel like posting, when I feel like posting it.

So let's see how it goes from here

BBE

Taking a sicky

2009-11-14T18:27:00.003+01:00

I ended up having to go to hospital yesterday (Friday) and am not feeling on top of the world right now so I have decided to take a little break from this blog. The plan is that I will start posting again in two weeks, if all goes well.

BBE

The Last Post at the Menin Gate in Ieper (Ypres) Novmber 11th 2009

2009-11-11T21:19:00.001+01:00

The field of poppies

I attended the 11 o' clock service at the Menin Gate in Ieper (Ypres) today, to commemorate Armistice Day. I do not like to be in the "circus" on the road near the Gate so I observed from the old town walls. The following clip shows the field of poppies on the old walls, by the gate, followed by the last post.

The Last Post

The crowd at the town side of the Gate

Part of the parade at the front side of the Menin Gate

The Belgian War Memorial in Ieper

We will remember them

BBE

A Soviet hat from Berlin - a show and tell

2009-11-09T06:00:00.000+01:00

I was not planning to do another show and tell so soon after the last one but as the 9th of November marks the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin wall, this one seemed appropriate.

My Soviet Russian military hat

I remember watching the events of the fall of the Berlin wall. It was during my student days and myself and others watched events unfold in the common room of a student hostel. Discussions came to two themes, 1/this was just a glitch in the status quo and the wall and the rest of the iron curtain would be back up in a couple of months, 2/this was it, the start of World War III. We had all been born into the cold war and it was all that we knew, the idea that Soviet Block Communism would come to an end was something that did not even occur to us, at that time. Little would I have guessed that I would be working in the eastern side of Berlin, less than three years later.

I was based in the Netherlands at the time and the organization that I worked for had a small team based in Berlin but they only had four guys there and when the Berlin wall had fallen they taken responsibility for a site in Stahnsdorf, that was badly in need of renovation. Not having the manpower in Berlin, teams where sent from Belgium and the Netherlands to help with the renovations and I was a member of one of those teams. Staying as guests of Her Majesties forces, at Devon house, the Berlin civilian mess, I was to visit Berlin many times, over the next couple of years.

On my first visit, in 1992 the East side of Berlin was still very much as it had been in the Soviet era and the stub of the old wall could still be seen across the road by the Brandenburg Gate. It was there that many stalls had been set up, mostly selling Russian army artifacts, everything from watches to infra red night sights. That is where I purchased this hat. I have since found out that it is an officers hat of the motorized infantry from some time in the late 50's or early 60's. An officer probably made a bit of cash by selling off his old uniform to the traders. I was to visit Berlin a lot in the 90's, both to work and to visit a friend who lives there and I watched as the old East side of the city transformed and became westernized.

This hat now hangs in ~~the spare bedroom where I keep my books~~ my library and is a constant reminder of the cold war days that I grew up in and the changing face of Europe in the post Soviet era.

There is one song that always reminds me of Berlin and that time (and also how pretentious some 80's videos could be) and every time that I think of my visits to Berlin this song starts going through my head.

BBE

The Saturday Curiosity Box - A new blog for the roll - Remembrance Sunday

2009-11-07T15:51:00.002+01:00

A new blog for the blog roll

A Flamingo in Utrecht - The blog that followed mine in last weeks World Blog Surf Day event and one that reminds me of the time that I lived in the Netherlands, where this blogger is based.

Remembrance Sunday

Tomorrow is Remembrance Sunday The main fund raising event for the The Royal British Legion. To find out more about the appeal click on this link The Royal British Legion - The Poppy Appeal or it is possible to donate direct to the appeal through this link The Royal British Legion - Give to the Poppy Appeal today. The following clip is a compilation of news items outlining the Poppy Appeal and where the money goes.

BBE

A watercolour from Prague - Show and tell

2009-11-04T21:06:00.000+01:00

As I said in my last post, I do not get about as much in winter and so I have had to think of one or two other things to post during this chilly season, one of them is "Show and tell". There are probably lots of bloggers doing this or something similar but the one that I stole the idea from was WRITER CRAMPS. Well here is one of my treasured possessions and a little about it.

A watercolour from Prague

It was in 1992 that I first took a trip through central Europe, with two friends. Our first stop was Prague, in what was still then Czechoslovakia. On the first day in the city we came across a watercolour painter in the center of the city selling his wares. Myself and one of my companions took a liking to his paintings and asked his prices. Language was a bit of a barrier but we soon worked out that rather than buying a painting each, we could have three paintings for the price of two, which we did. I really liked this one and only wanted one and so we split our little bundle accordingly.

The thing about this holiday was that it was happening at a time of transition. Communism had crumbled but it ghosts could still be seen in the countries that we visited (especially Poland). I have traveled through central Europe since then but the lingering cold war atmosphere and the feeling of things changing at a supersonic rate have gone and the countries have settled down to work on their growing democracies and westernization. This painting represents the memories of a trip that could never happen again. The memories of this trip are still strong in my mind, they happened in a moment of history, the likes of which we will never see again in the same way. This painting reminds me of what I saw as the world changed on a mammoth scale.

BBE

Devils at the Heksestoet and a little word about winter posting

2009-11-02T10:35:00.002+01:00

Winter posting

I want this blog to be mostly about happenings, events and things to see in and around Flanders and Belgium other than chocolates, beer and statues of little boys peeing (although these will make the odd appearance). But as the weather gets cooler and the days grow shorter, there is less going on and sometimes I like to snuggle up in the warm at the weekends, after spending the week outside (I am a hands in the dirt horticulturalist) and so I will have less fresh material to post here over the winter, although there will be some current posting. So rather than reducing the regularity of posting, I have some material from the summer that I have saved for winter and I have one or two ideas for posts, in the quieter weeks.

Devils from the Heksenstoet

I was going to post this clip as a special for Halloween but it clashed with World Blog Surf Day, so I am posting it now. It is of the Heksenstoet in Beselare and features the devils that took part in this parade.

For more posts about this parade you can click on the links below.
The witch parade (Heksenstoet) in Beselare, Witches and Cats, July 2009
The witch parade (Heksenstoet) in Beselare, a photo post, July 2009
The witch parade (Heksenstoet) in Beselare, bands, July 2009

The photograph at the top of this post came from this website Heksenstoet.

BBE

World Blog Surf Day - Aller Heiligen (All Saints Day)

2009-10-30T23:59:00.002+01:00

Hi and welcome to my first attempt at a World Blog Surf Day participation. For anyone who does not know what this event is about, a whole bunch of us expat bloggers post on the same day on the same theme. The Theme for this particular event is Holidays and Celebrations. Each blogger links to the next blogger on the list and thus it gives the surfer the opportunity to travel the world through the participating blogs. My thanks to Sher of Czech Off the Beaten Path for organizing this event and for those of you who use that Twit thing Karen of the blog Empty Nest Expat is reporting the event on her Twitter account, emptynestexpat.

A Flamingo in Utrecht
is the blog on the list that follows this one. It is the blog of Alison who is originally from the USA and is now living in The Netherlands (Holland)

Aller Heiligen (All Saints Day)
or Chrysanthemum day (as I like to call it)

Of course, All Saints Day happens in the UK but it is not really of much note there. In Belgium the first of November is a public holiday and is the time when people remember their loved ones, family and friends that have departed this mortal realm. In the run up to the day people visit cemeteries on mass clean, polish and generally spruce up the graves of those whom are no longer with us and leave potted Chrysanthemums on or near their graves.

For those that have recently lost loved ones this can be an important part of the grieving process but for others it is a chance to remember a person who is gone. The atmosphere around the cemeteries is surprisingly up beat, in the period running up to the day, people bump into and chat with others that they have not seen for a while and the whole feel is that of a community event. whilst I visited cemeteries, to take photographs, a few people asked what I was doing, when I told them all where very approving of my motives and some shared stories of the persons whose graves they where tending. All in all it seems to bring back to life the memories of those who are now gone. The cemeteries are very busy at this time of year.

Chrysanthemums

These plants are everywhere at this time of year. Local authorities replace the annual bedding schemes with them, people have them outside of their doors and garden walls and of coarse many shops have great colourful displays of what they have for sale. Literally millions of Chrysanthemums are sold in Belgium at this time of year, there are many plant nurseries that produce large amounts of these and some produce nothing else and their entire production is dedicated to this event.

From the Grandest of tombs

To the humblest of plots

You will find the same level of care and chrysanthemums will be left. It is strange how something that you would think may be a somber occasion, can create such a feeling of community and have such an up beat feel. I think this is symbolized by the normally grey and sober cemeteries turning into a riot of colour. It is a time to celebrate and remember the lives of the departed, not a time to weep.

For the next blog in the chain for this event click on the link below

A Flamingo in Utrecht

If you find the link chain broken, there is a full list of participating blogs in the following post link

World Blog Surf Day Link List

BBE

Art from Pieter Driessens - And some news on World Blog Surf Day

2009-10-28T19:55:00.006+01:00

The art of Pieter Driessens

As described in This Post there was an art event in Flanders a couple of weeks ago. I did not get to as many exhibitions as I would have liked to because of circumstances beyond my control but I did get to see the work of one part time artist and am sharing it with you now.

A selection of sculptures
indoors and out

Pieter himself with one of his indoor pieces

World Blog Surf Day News

The final arrangements for this event has been announced in this post World Blog Surf Day Link List on the blog Czech Off the Beaten Path. I will be taking part and the event will be reported on Twitter by Karen of the blog Empty Nest Expat.

BBE

Gallo-Roman event Wervik, The Gauls, October 2009,

2009-10-26T06:00:00.001+01:00

The Gauls

The following clip is of the Gauls at the Gallo-Roman weekend in Wervik. It shows some of the craft work displays including wood turning, chain mail manufacture, wood carving and cord making. The clip ends with some Gaulish warriors displaying their martial skills.

If you wish to see more posts in this series please click on the links below.
Gallo-Roman event Wervik, the Roman Army, October 2009
Gallo-Roman event Wervik, Romans and Gauls, October 2009, a photo post

BBE

The Saturday Curiosity Box - The Poppy Appeal

2009-10-24T14:56:00.004+02:00

The Poppy Appeal

It is coming up to the 11th of November and Remembrance Sunday and so this weeks Saturday Curiosity Box is focusing on The Poppy Appeal that goes along with these events. This happens in many countries and if yours is one of them I hope that you will support the relevant organization for your country or country of origin but as I am English I am focusing on the work of The Royal British Legion. Please help support the troops that help keep us safe, once their duty is done. After they have been to all the bad places of the world, it is the responsibility of the rest of us to help look after them.

Wear Your Poppy With Pride

For more information on the Poppy Appeal and The Royal British Legion, please click on the following links

The Royal British Legion - Homepage - Welcome to The Royal British Legion - Caring and campaigning for the serving and ex-Service community

The Royal British Legion - The Poppy Appeal

An example of the type of work that the RBL do

Daniel served in the Army for 7 years as a loader operator of the battle tank 'Challenger 2'. In March 2003, his tank was fired on. Daniel was lucky to survive, but two of his comrades were killed outright, and he himself was left with severe shrapnel wounds to his face and jaw, as well as significant hearing loss.

Since the incident, Daniel has had to undergo over 20 operations, including skin grafts and plastic surgery, to try and repair the disfigurement to his face and body.

It was whilst organizing a Remembrance service for his two comrades that Daniel discovered that he was eligible for Legion assistance. Since he got in touch with us, we have helped him obtain the War Disablement Pension he deserves, and also helped him to pay for a much needed special moisturizing treatment for all his skin grafts.

Recently, Daniel said: "Before I approached the Legion I had no idea that they could help young ex-Service people like me. Now I look at the poppy in a new light, knowing the lifeline that it provides to Service leavers like me".

BBE

Gallo-Roman event Wervik, Romans and Gauls, October 2009, a photo post

2009-10-21T20:34:00.001+02:00

As promised, some photos of the Gallo-Roman event that I attended in Wervik. These photos are of both the Gauls and the Romans.

A Roman soldier on the march

This Gaul wood turner was very good
I watched him working for ages

Flying the flag for the legion

Home life of Gaul women

It was amazing how advanced some of the Roman technology was

Some Gaul warriors having a barny

If you want to see other posts in this series, follow the links below.
Gallo-Roman event Wervik, the Roman Army, October 2009
Gallo-Roman event Wervik, The Gauls, October 2009,

BBE

Gallo-Roman event Wervik, the Roman Army, October 2009

2009-10-19T06:00:00.002+02:00

A couple of weeks ago I attended a Gallo-Roman reinactment event in Wervik. This is the first of three posts about this. The following clip is of the Roman military reinactors Showing off some military drills, battlefield tactics and uniforms and equipment from several different eras of Roman history and types if Roman soldier.

Infamy, infamy. They've all got it in for me
(sorry couldn't help myself)

If you would like to see other posts from this series, please follow the links below.
Gallo-Roman event Wervik, Romans and Gauls, October 2009, a photo post
Gallo-Roman event Wervik, The Gauls, October 2009,

BBE

The Romans are coming - A useful tourist site - And a funny clip

2009-10-17T15:23:00.004+02:00

The Romans are coming

I attended a Galo Roman weekend two weeks ago, in Wervik and that will be the focus of the next posting series. The first post will be a clip of the Romans, the second will be a photo post and the final post will be of the Gauls.

A useful tourist site

Welcome to Visit Flanders! - This is the portal to the official tourist site for Flanders and will be added to the Info Websites list.

Some funny slip ups with a great piece of music

BBE

I'm Back!

2009-10-15T21:31:00.002+02:00

I know that this blog only has a few regular readers but those of you that do visit here regularly will have noticed the break in my normal posting. The problem was a broken modem but I have a new one now and normal posting will resume with The Saturday Curiosity Box. My apology for the unexpected break in normal service.

BBE

Geraardsbergen (Grammont), St. Bartholomew;s church, September 2009, a photo and video post

2009-10-07T20:19:00.001+02:00

This, the last post in this little Geraardsbergen series, was going to be of photos of the inside of St. Bartholomew's church in the center of Geraardsbergen (Grammont). As usual though, my little camera did not get on too well with the insides of a church (I am starting to think that it is an atheist) and the photos are not that brilliant, they certainly do not show how beautiful the inside of this little church is. So I have added a short video clip at the end of the post.

The photos

The clip

For other posts in this series follow the links below
Geraardsbergen (Grammont) Grote Markt (Grand Place), September 2009
Geraardsbergen (Grammont) art in the Stadhuis, September 2009. A photo post
Geraardsbergen (Grammont) Manneken Pis outfits, September 2009

BBE

Geraardsbergen (Grammont) Manneken Pis outfits, September 2009

2009-10-05T06:00:00.001+02:00

The outfits of the Manneken Pis in Geraardsbergen

The Manneken Pis in Geraardsbergen like the Manneken Pis in Brussels has had lots of outfits, that it is sometimes dressed in. The statue and the area around it are currently undergoing renovation and a new museum is being prepared to display the outfits. some are still viewable in a display behind the desk at the Geraardsbergen tourist information office, I did my best to capture these in the following clip.

The clip

For other posts in this series please follow the links below
Geraardsbergen (Grammont) Grote Markt (Grand Place), September 2009
Geraardsbergen (Grammont) art in the Stadhuis, September 2009. A photo post
Geraardsbergen (Grammont), St. Bartholomew;s church, September 2009, a photo and video post

BBE

The Saturday Curiosity Box - A bloging event and an art event. Pro street racing in Romania

2009-10-03T11:15:00.005+02:00

Czech Off the Beaten Path - is the blog of another expat living in the Czech Republic (added to blog list, on the left hand side of the blog), it's owner has organized a blog posting event, for expat bloggers, that will be taking place on the 31st of October and I will be taking part this year. You can read more about it in this post World Blog Surf Day Topic is.....

On the 16th, 17th and 18th of October amateur and professional artists all over West Flanders will be showing their work. Hopefully I will be able to get to some of these exhibitions and will post about them here. There is a website advertising this event (In Dutch only I'm afraid) which you can visit through the following link Buren bij kunstenaars.

Pro street racing Romanian style

These guys cracked me up.

BBE

Geraardsbergen (Grammont) art in the Stadhuis, September 2009. A photo post

2009-09-30T22:11:00.003+02:00

Whilst in Geraardsbergen I took part in a guided tour of Geraardsbergen Stadhuis (the local government building). The Stadhuis houses a very interesting selection of art works, the lighting was not very complimentary to photography but I did my best to capture some of the works. I hope you enjoy them.

This was a sculpture made from plaster over wood

The rest are all of paintings

For other posts in this series follow the links below
Geraardsbergen (Grammont) Grote Markt (Grand Place), September 2009
Geraardsbergen (Grammont) Manneken Pis outfits, September 2009
Geraardsbergen (Grammont), St. Bartholomew;s church, September 2009, a photo and video post

BBE

Geraardsbergen (Grammont) Grote Markt (Grand Place), September 2009

2009-09-28T06:00:00.004+02:00

Posting schedule

There will be four posts in this series, this clip a picture post, another clip and another picture post, with of coarse the Saturday Curiosity Box breaking things up on Saturday.

Last week I had the great pleasure of visiting Geraardsbergen (Grammont) in The Flemish Ardennes, part of East Flanders. Geraardsbergen is most famous for being the home to the original Manneken Pis, although the one there now is a copy of the original and is undergoing renovation, so I could not get any photographs of it. There was a Manneken Pis in Geraardsbergen for over a century and a half, before the one in Brussels made an appearance. This is a lovely little town and has numerous points of interest, some of which I hope to show you in this little posting series.

Geraardsbergen Grote Markt

This is the center of the town and has a wonderful historic feel to it.

For other posts in this series follow the links below
Geraardsbergen (Grammont) art in the Stadhuis, September 2009. A photo post
Geraardsbergen (Grammont) Manneken Pis outfits, September 2009
Geraardsbergen (Grammont), St. Bartholomew;s church, September 2009, a photo and video post

BBE

The Saturday Curiosity Box - Two new blogs for the roll and a commercial that tickled me pink

2009-09-26T14:01:00.001+02:00

Two blogs for the blog roll

Lilac colored glasses - A blog from an American expat living in Belgium. This is mostly a written blog with some very interesting posts about the trials tribulations and joys of living in Belgium.

My Thai Photo Blog - A blog with some stunning and interesting photographs from Thailand and beyond. This is from a British expat.

I love this commercial

And I can't even work out what they are supposed to be advertising.

BBE

The river Leie (Lys) near Deinze, July 2009, a photo post

2009-09-23T22:01:00.000+02:00

Earlier in the year I caught the train to Deinze and walked another stretch of the river Leie. These pictures show why I like this river so much, it is a river of contrasts. One minute you can be walking through an industrial area, where the large commercial boats load and unload, the next you are in the tree lined beauty of the Flemish countryside and then you can be diverted of to a recreational or natural area. Enjoy my snaps of the river Leie near Deinze.

An historic river barge

The view from one side of a bridge

The view from the other side of the same bridge

A commercial boat loading up

A cafe by a lift bridge, where I stopped for ~~beer~~ refreshments

The crest of Deinze

BBE

The pleasure marine near Menen on the river Leie (lys) September 2009

2009-09-21T06:00:00.002+02:00

The river Leie (lys) is my favourite river in Flanders and whenever I have time and can find a railway station that is near the river, I go and walk a stretch of it. Walking near Menen I came across this marina, that proves (IMHO) that not all things modern are ugly, I kind of like this. The river marks the border between Belgium and France here so I am not sure if this marina is in Menen or Halluin. Anyway enjoy the clip.

The marina on the Leie, near Menen

BBE

The Saturday Curiosity Box - Two useful links for expats - And how to have some fun with toothpaste

2009-09-19T14:01:00.000+02:00

Useful links for expats or those going abroad

A couple of useful additions to the Info websites list, below the blogroll on the left hand side of the blog.

AngloINFO - If you click on the country that you wish to know about and then scroll down a bit, on the right hand side of the page you will find a list of links that leads to useful information on things like driving and legal aspects for the country concerned.

AngloINFO Brussels - This is the page most useful for those living in or visiting Belgium

Fun with a tube of toothpaste and some sleeping people

BBE

Antwerp Cathedral, some details, May 2009, a photo post,

2009-09-16T18:48:00.001+02:00

I visited Antwerp, Cathedral back in May of this year. many of the photographs that I took did not come out too well but I have managed to salvage some of some of the details of the Cathedral. Here they are.

The tower

One of the stained glass windows

A memorial plaque

A beautifully carved pulpit

Some of the original wall paintings, revealed during restoration work

Madonna and child

BBE

The Leie events, the last clip. Play laugh and be merry, for on Tuesday it's school. August 2009

2009-09-14T06:00:00.000+02:00

The water boarding display

At the Leie Events, on the Balokken island near Wervik, There was a display of water boarding. I did not get the full spectacle of the display but the clip gives an idea of how it was.

Speedy on the water

For other posts in this series, follow the links below.
The Leie events, two clips. Play laugh and be merry, for on Tuesday it's school. August 2009
The Leie events, a picture post. Play laugh and be merry, for on Tuesday it's school. August 2009

BBE

The Saturday Curiosity Box - Two new blogs for the roll and don't try this at home

2009-09-12T10:04:00.003+02:00

Two new Blogs for the blog roll

WRITER CRAMPS - A blog from a German lady living in Belgium, who likes to get out and about and show people where she has been.

an englishman in osaka - As it says on the tin. About life in Japan, sometimes with a funny twist.

Really, don't try this at home

BBE

The Leie events, a picture post. Play laugh and be merry, for on Tuesday it's school. August 2009

2009-09-09T20:42:00.001+02:00

Here are some photographs of The Leie Events on The Balokken Island, near Wervik.

Paddling pool theater

Fire engine lift rides

Water boarding display

A couple of the raft race

Boat rides and kayaks for hire

People just chilling out

One way to keep the kids busy for 10 minutes

For other posts in this series click on the following links.
The Leie events, two clips. Play laugh and be merry, for on Tuesday it's school. August 2009
The Leie events, the last clip. Play laugh and be merry, for on Tuesday it's school. August 2009

BBE

The Leie events, two clips. Play laugh and be merry, for on Tuesday it's school. August 2009

2009-09-07T06:00:00.003+02:00

Schedule

There will be three posts on the Leie events, this one, a photo post later in the week and another clip post, next week.

The Leie (Lys) Events

School re starts on the first of September in Belgium but on the last weekend of August, every year, Summer has one last blast. The Leie Events is held on the Balokken island in River Leie near Wervik. There is lots to see and do and people seem to enjoy this event very much. Enjoy the clips.

Some of the activities going on at the Leie Events

The raft race

For other posts in this series please click on the following links
The Leie events, a picture post. Play laugh and be merry, for on Tuesday it's school. August 2009
The Leie events, the last clip. Play laugh and be merry, for on Tuesday it's school. August 2009

BBE

The Saturday Curiosity Box - Some Belgian railway info sites and a clip of one clever dog

2009-09-05T09:00:00.000+02:00

A couple of links for the info websites list about Belgian rail travel

Rail travel is an excellent way to get around Belgium. The trains are usually on time, clean and safe. Rail travel is also very cost effective here and day returns at the weekend are half the price of weekday tickets. So I thought that I would add a couple of links to the Info Websites list (below the blog roll on the right hand side bar) to help any one wanting to get around Belgium by train.

Belgian Railways NMBS - SNCB - The main Belgian rail network site. You can choose to read it in one of four languages and has information on train times, costs and special cards and passes.

Belgian Rail Network - A map of the Belgian Rail Network.

One clever dog

This made me giggle

BBE

Talbot House, All Rank Abandon Ye Who Enter Here, The Garden, Poeringe August 2009, a photo and video post

2009-09-02T21:25:00.004+02:00

As Horticulture is my chosen vocation, I can say of Talbot House garden that it is of no particular horticultural significance, although it is a nice garden it is not of any great design or anything like that but it has been kept in a very similar style as it would have been during The Great War. So why am I posting about it? Well if you had just spent two weeks or more living in conditions like you see in this photo.......

Surrounded by mud blood and death, you would appreciate the serenity that can be found in the walled garden at the rear of Talbot House. To see what I mean just watch the short clip.

Talbot House Garden

And a couple of photos of the garden

Useful links
Talbot House
Poperinge - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
First World War.com - A Multimedia History of World War One
WW1 - Ypres Salient, Battlefield guide

Other posts in this series
Talbot House, All Rank Abandon Ye Who Enter Here, Poperinge August 2009
Talbot House, All Rank Abandon Ye Who Enter Here, Poeringe August 2009, a photo post

BBE

Talbot House, All Rank Abandon Ye Who Enter Here, Poeringe August 2009, a photo post

2009-08-31T22:03:00.002+02:00

A photo post of Talbot House

In December of 1915 two British Army chaplains, Neville S. Talbot and Philip Byard (Tubby) Clayton rented a gentlemans guest house in Poperinge, to be used as a rest center, for troops who where out of the line of Ieper (Ypres) Salient, during The Great War (First World War, WW1). It was named after Neville's brother, Gilbert Talbot, who was killed in action but was mostly to be run by the man who became a bit of a legend, Tubby Clayton. Also known as Toc H it is hard to find a book written by some one who was in the Ieper Salient during The Great War, that does not mention Talbot House and extol it's value of a haven of peace and serenity, away from the horrors of war. Talbot house is still open, not only as a living Museum but for people to stay at. If you want to find out more about Talbot house, please visit this website Talbot House.

The sign (now preserved in glass) outside Talbot House

The wooden cross that originally marked the grave of Gilbert Talbot

The chapel in the loft of the house

A copy of one of the original information posters

The interior downstairs

A set of gongs made out of shell bases
If they are struck in the right order they have the Big Ben chimes tune

Tubby Clayton's room

For other posts in this series please click on the following
Talbot House, All Rank Abandon Ye Who Enter Here, Poperinge August 2009
Talbot House, All Rank Abandon Ye Who Enter Here, The Garden, Poeringe August 2009, a photo and video post

BBE

The Saturday Curiosity Box

2009-08-29T10:32:00.001+02:00

What is the Saturday Curiosity Box?

Well so far on this blog I have only used my own photographs and videos but there is a lot going on around the Internet that I enjoy and would like to share with others. So I thought that I would try a little experiment, over the next few Saturdays and have one post a week where any changes to the blog are announced, any important news from the ex pat world or from any of the blogs on my blog roll is shared and at the end, something from the Internet that has caught my attention or made me laugh that I think others might like. I hope you all enjoy The Saturday Curiosity Box.

Three new blogs for the blog roll

Small Fish in the Big Taco - A blog not only about life in Mexico but about the travels of it's owner, with some excellent photographs.

Ancient Digger - The blog of an archaeologist who points out many things ancient that are new to me and I suspect many others.

Biker Ted Diaries - This is the blog of a stuffed teddy who enjoys the touring motorbike lifestyle and takes photos and videos along the way. It is well worth spending an hour or two digging through the archives on this blog, there is some very interesting material on this blog.

How not to get into a bath

I'm not sure how this woman felt about this but she does not look too impressed.

BBE

Talbot House, All Rank Abandon Ye Who Enter Here, Poperinge August 2009

2009-08-26T06:00:00.005+02:00

Post schedule

This will be a three post series, this vid clip post, an interruption for another type of post on Saturday (just an idea I want to try) and the two other posts a photo post and a mixed clip photo post next week.

Talbot House

Unfortunately I have not much time to put this post together, Hopefully I will have more time to tell you about this place in the following two posts. Talbot House was a rest center in the town of Poperinge during The Great War (First World War, WW1). It was a place for troops, who had been serving in the trenches, in the Ieper (Ypres) Salient to rest and relax. The following clip is of the chapel, which is in the attic of the house. It is amazing to think that as many as 170 soldiers would cram themselves into this small room to attend a service.

The Chapel at Talbot House

For other posts in this series please visit the following links
Talbot House, All Rank Abandon Ye Who Enter Here, Poeringe August 2009, a photo post
Talbot House, All Rank Abandon Ye Who Enter Here, The Garden, Poeringe August 2009, a photo and video post

BBE

Oldtimers, Wervik's Classic Car Event, August 2009 second photo post

2009-08-24T06:00:00.001+02:00

This is the last in this post series about the Oldtimers classic car event in Wervik. I have loads more pictures and video of this event, so I might do another post or two about this event in the winter, when there is not a lot going on. If you want to find out about what classic car events are happening in Belgium this year follow this link Oldtimer evenementen: meetings, rondritten, beurzen. You can see another clip of this event and other classic car events in Belgium on you tube, through this channel YouTube - westcoastbugs's Channel.

A Corvette Stingray

A Model T Ford (I believe the oldest car at the show)

A Triumph Bonneville 750

A Jaguar Mark 2
(I want one)

1950 Chevrolet Apache
This one was for sale for anyone who has €19000 to spare

An old Opel in a bad way
This shows how a lot of these cars start off and how much care and work must go into restoring them. I wonder if this car will be back at the show in a year or two, looking all bright and shiny.

For the other posts in this series follow the links below.
Oldtimers, Wervik's Classic Car Event, August 2009
Oldtimers, Wervik's Classic Car Event, August 2009 first photo post
Oldtimers, Wervik's Classic Car Event, August 2009, the second clip, classics in motion

BBE

Oldtimers, Wervik's Classic Car Event, August 2009, the second clip, classics in motion

2009-08-22T06:00:00.001+02:00

The second clip

At Wervik's Oldtimers classic car event plenty of the vehicles seemed to be coming and going or just generally shunting about and as modes of transport are seen at their best when they are on the move, I grabbed as many shots of vehicles in motion as I could. The following clip, after a brief crowd shot, shows the old timers going along, mostly it is of cars but some two wheeled transport got in on the act as well.

Classics cruising

For more info on classic car events in Belgium this year follow this link Oldtimer evenementen: meetings, rondritten, beurzen.

For the other posts in this series,follow the links below
Oldtimers, Wervik's Classic Car Event, August 2009
Oldtimers, Wervik's Classic Car Event, August 2009 first photo post
Oldtimers, Wervik's Classic Car Event, August 2009 second photo post

BBE

Oldtimers, Wervik's Classic Car Event, August 2009 first photo post

2009-08-19T06:00:00.002+02:00

This is the first of two photo posts from the Wervik Oldtimers event. There will be another photo post, two posts down the road. If you want details of more classic car events in Belgium this year follow the following link Oldtimer evenementen: meetings, rondritten, beurzen.

A lovely old Peugeot

A Lambretta

A Renault with a one wheeled trailer

Willys Jeep

Delorean

A Renault (I think) van

For other posts in this series, follow the links below.
Oldtimers, Wervik's Classic Car Event, August 2009
Oldtimers, Wervik's Classic Car Event, August 2009, the second clip, classics in motion
Oldtimers, Wervik's Classic Car Event, August 2009 second photo post

BBE

Oldtimers, Wervik's Classic Car Event, August 2009

2009-08-17T06:00:00.004+02:00

Post schedule

This will be a four post series, the video clip in this post, a photo post, another clip post and finally a second photo post.

Old Timers, Wervik, clip one

I visited the Old Timers car event in Wervik on Sunday the 16th of August. Wervik is a small town located on the river Leie (Lys), on the border between France and Belgium. The event was larger than I thought it would be, with hundreds of cars and other vehicles, that were made any time from the 1920s to the 1980s. The following clip is of some of the vehicles and other things going on at the meeting.

Classic car meetings and other events are popular in Belgium, if you want to find out about upcoming classical auto events please check out the following link Oldtimer evenementen: meetings, rondritten, beurzen.

For other posts in this series, visit the links below.
Oldtimers, Wervik's Classic Car Event, August 2009 first photo post
Oldtimers, Wervik's Classic Car Event, August 2009, the second clip, classics in motion
Oldtimers, Wervik's Classic Car Event, August 2009 second photo post

BBE

The interior of St. Martin's Cathedral, Ieper, June 2009

2009-08-15T08:10:00.003+02:00

St. Martin's Cathedral inside

There have been posts of St. Martin's in Ieper before, links to these posts are below.
The tower of St. Martin's Cathedral in Ieper
St. Martin's cathedral ruins from the Great War 1914 - 1918
Some more ruins and another view of the tower of St. Martin's, Ieper
St.Martin's with bells on it

Here is a clip showing some views of the interior of St. Martin's.

BBE

A monument to a lullaby (Le P'tit Quinquin) - Lille June 2009, a photo post

2009-08-12T06:00:00.003+02:00

Le P'tit Quinquin

This is the monument/statue celebrating the lullaby Le P'tit quinquin, in Lille, France. This is more than a lullaby though. It is the unofficial anthem of both Lille and Picardy, it sparked a revival in the Picardy language of "Long Chiti'mi" And became the marching song of the soldiers from northern France, who took part in the Franco-Prussian war in the 1870s.

If you wish to hear the lullaby please follow this link
Les Huchets - Le P'tit Quinquin

More views of the monument

The information plaque at the monument

BBE

Buttes (CWGC) cemetery, July 2009, part three

2009-08-10T06:00:00.001+02:00

This is the second clip of Buttes, CWGC cemetery. It is taken from the entrance of the cemetery and is a pan, starting at the chapel and finishes looking at the butte, from within the cemetery. For more info on this area during The Great War (WW1) visit Battle of Polygon Wood and Battle of Passchendaele.

Buttes cemetery entrance and grounds

BBE

Buttes (CWGC) cemetery, July 2009, part two, a photo post

2009-08-08T06:00:00.000+02:00

Here are some photographs of Buttes New British Cemetery. Some information links are at the end of the post.

The chapel

The cemetery

The memorial of the Australian 5th Division

From one of the info boards at the cemetery

Battle of Polygon Wood 26 September 1917
Battle of Passchendaele - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
CWGC :: Cemetery Details
:: CWGC ::

BBE

Buttes (CWGC) cemetery, July 2009, part one

2009-08-05T06:00:00.000+02:00

This will be a three post series, a clip today, photos in part two and then another clip to finish.

Buttes Cemetery (full name Buttes New British Cemetery) is a CWGC cemetery with burials of soldiers from The Great War (WW1).
It is called Buttes because before the war this area was owned by the Belgian army and at one end of the cemetery is a large earth mound or "Butte" which was part of the rifle range that used to be here. This area saw fighting throughout the great war but is most remembered for Battle of Polygon wood, which was part of Battle of Passchendaele.

This clip is from the top or the Butte and includes the Australian 5th division memorial.

Buttes from the Butte

BBE

The witch parade (Heksenstoet) in Beselare, Witches and Cats, July 2009

2009-08-03T06:00:00.000+02:00

Witches and cats

This is the last in this little posting series about the Heksenstoet in Beselare.com. This video clip is a compilation showing some of the witches and cats that took part in the parade. I have enough material to make another clip of the parade but I thought that I would save that for the autumn or winter, when the weather is not so good and there is not so much going on, enjoy.

BBE

The witch parade (Heksenstoet) in Beselare, a photo post, July 2009

2009-08-01T06:00:00.000+02:00

As promised, the second of three posts about Beselare's Heksenstoet. The last, another video clip of the parade, will be posted on Monday.

One of the local witches

The local gentry turned out

A couple of the larger witches

These ghost dancers were very good

A lot of the houses in the village had a witch guarding their door

BBE

The witch parade (Heksenstoet) in Beselare, bands, July 2009

2009-07-29T06:00:00.001+02:00

Marching bands at the Heksenstoet in Beselare

Over the the last weekend I attended the Heksenstoet or Witch parade, in the little village of Beselare, in West Flanders. This takes place once every two years and for a tiny little village, Beselare puts on a very good show. This is the first post in a three post series, this one, a clip of some of the marching bands from the parade, the second a photo post and the third a clip of some of the witches from the parade.

BBE

Harry Patch Joins The Other UK Trench Fighters

2009-07-27T06:00:00.000+02:00

All together now

Harry Patch was not the last surviving Great War (World War 1) veteran from the UK, that is a sailor Claude Choules but he was the last who saw active service in the Trenches, as part of a machine gun team. He was wounded at the Third Battle of Ieper (Battle of Passchendaele). Sadly Mr Patch passed away on Saturday 26th of July (links at the end of the post), an event that marks the passing of a generation that suffered so much to help secure our futures. Please take a moment from your day to remember not only Harry Patch but all of his comrades, who are all now at peace.

BBC NEWS | UK | Obituary: Harry Patch
BBC - Somerset - History - Harry Patch in profile
Last UK veteran of WWI trench battles dies at 111 - Yahoo! News
YouTube - Harry Patch, 109, at Passchendaele

BBE

A bouncing festival event - Waiting for the train - Some blogs for the blogroll and an information website

2009-07-25T10:19:00.004+02:00

Bouncy festival entertainment

To say that the Flemish like to celebrate summer would be an understatement. From the largest city right down to tiny villages that are a little more than a dot on the map, almost every location will have a festival, feast or a parade of some sort over the summer period. At one of these festivals, in a small village, I spotted the two lads, that you see to the left, entertaining the folks with some gymnastic antics and a little clowning. the clip of this is at the bottom of the post.

Waiting for the train

I am unwilling to post clips here that are not my own work, so I will link to the next clip. It is a clip about an occurrence in a Belgian railway station and is very entertaining. I do highly recommend it.

Waiting for the train at Central Station Antwerp (Belgium)

Blogs for the blogroll and an information website

Heaven is in Belgium - A mostly photo based blog from a Flemish lady, Jientje, living in Antwerp.

Baron's Life........ - A blog from a Canadian based motorcycle enthusiast that often has a humorous twist.

Ed Dixon - The website of a history enthusiast who writes about the military aspects of the 20th century in Northern Europe, especially the Great War (World War 1).

Bouncy festival Guys

‎

BBE

Lille war memorial and fountain - June 2009

2009-07-22T06:00:00.000+02:00

This was not what I was planning to post today but as I sit in front of the computer, in a bit of an angry mood, I found the sound of running water calming and so decided to post this clip now.

For info on Lille visit Office de Tourisme de Lille or Lille - Wikipedia

The town war memorial and a fountain in Lille

BBE

Antwerp Ship Museum, May 2009 - A photo post

2009-07-20T06:00:00.003+02:00

The ship museum, in Antwerp, is located on the banks of the River Scheldt. It is called Nationaal Scheepvaartmuseum in 't Steen in Flemish. Steen is a castle in Antwerp and houses the smaller inside displays of the museum, unfortunately the castle has been closed, till 2011 as far as I can tell, presumably it is being renovated. The exterior displays of the museum, with many boats and some small ships, is still open to the public, in the daytime and has no admission charge. I went there in May, with some visiting relatives. Unfortunately I did not possess a camcorder at the time but I did take some photographs.

Boats at the Antwerp Ship Museum

Only in Belgium

A beer bottle shaped hydrofoil, there are photographs by the craft proving that it does work.

BBE

Ramparts CWGC cemetery clip 2, June 2009

2009-07-18T10:23:00.002+02:00

As promised the second clip of Ramparts cemetery, maintained by the CWGC. This clip starts with the view across the Ieper moat, pans across the cemetery and ends on the Cross of Sacrifice.

Ramparts CWGC cemetery, clip 2

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Ramparts CWGC cemetery clip 1, June 2009

2009-07-15T20:57:00.002+02:00

I am very interested in history, especially military history and as Ieper (Ypre) and it's surrounding battle fields, from The Great War (World War 1), are not too distant from where I live, I visit this region often. Doing this I visit many cemeteries of a military nature and so these will pop up from time to time on this blog. This and the next post will show two clips of the very small but evocative CWGC cemetery of Ramparts, which is set into the remnants of the old medieval defensive system around the old town of Ieper.

Clip 1 Ramparts cemetery, across the water

BBE

Cycle beer racing, July 2009

2009-07-13T06:00:00.000+02:00

The Flemish are famous for some of their unusual sporting pastimes, competition smoking, wooden cheese rolling, things like that. This one is a very sensible sport though, it should be part of the 2012 Olympics. Basically a beer balancing device, with a 25cl (about a half pint) glass of beer is connected to a stationary bicycle and well, watch the clip to find out :)

Cycle beer racing

BBE

Harlebeke to Kortrijk on the train - Some blogs for the blog roll - Starting an informative sites list - Happy Flanders day

2009-07-11T10:29:00.005+02:00

Happy Flanders day

Today is Flanders day here in Belgium. It is a celebration of a victory of Flemish forces over French forces back in the middle ages. If you wish to know more follow this link Battle of the Golden Spurs.

Information sites

There is a new list in the side bar, to your left, It is of information websites and is titled "Info Websites". It will mostly contain sites about Flanders and history websites. Here is a website to kick it off.

Flanders Today - This is a weekly, English language, internet magazine about what is going on in Flanders.

New blogs for the blog roll

Emm in London - A blog from another ex pat, a South African Lady living in London England.

Michael John Grist - Another ex pat blog, this time from an Englishman living in Japan. When you go to this blog you do not see the whole post, you have to click on the post title to see all of the post that you want to see.

Harlebeke to Kortrijk

Take away the stress of the day and finding out which platform that you should be on and all the other hassles of a train journey, then looking out of a train window can be very soothing. I have made a few "Between Stations" clips and will be posting them from time to time, they are a great way to see the good and bad bits of the landscape and get a bit of stress relief. Enjoy the ride.

For more info on Kortrijk and Harlebeke follow the kinks below.

Kortrijk - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Harelbeke in de kijker | Stad Harelbeke
Nieuw in Kortrijk | Stad Kortrijk

BBE

Lille - Grand Place and war memorial, a photo post

2009-07-08T22:03:00.004+02:00

As promised some photographs from in and around the Grand Place in Lille. For more info go to Lille - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia or Office de Tourisme de Lille.

The Lille war memorial

Love it or hate it, you have to admit it is one of the most impressive town war memorials in Europe.

A few photos from Lille's Grand Place

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Life going on in the Grand Place, Lille June 2009

2009-07-06T06:00:00.000+02:00

Starting off looking down a street at Lille's main town War Memorial (there will be a photo or two of that in the next post), this clip is a pan around the Grand Place in Lille, showing life going on in an normal, weekday sort of way. The next and last post in this little series will show some photographs of this area of the city.

More info about Lille from Office de Tourisme de Lille.

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Buskers in Lille, June 2009

2009-07-04T06:00:00.001+02:00

A couple of buskers in the Grand Place, Lille

This is the first of a three post series, about the Grand Place (Town Square) In Lille, there will be two clips and some photos. As you can see, in the clip, this is a pro am production. I am the am with my little tourist camcorder recording this scene from some steps, if you look to the left of the buskers you will see the pro, someone with some serious video kit. I feel a bit outclassed but at least I did not get some old guy in a white shirt doing his best to ruin my shot.

For the tourist information site visit this link Office de Tourisme de Lille.

Buskers in Lille

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A local car rally, Wervik June 2009

2009-07-02T06:00:00.000+02:00

This is just a clip of a check point of a small local car rally, that I stumbled across. It is part of the 12 hours from Wervik rally, an event not on the main rally circuit that gives the smaller teams and amateurs with one of the events that they can compete in.

Rally check point

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The Gravensteen castle, Gent, June 2009, a photo post - And news about this blogs posting schedule.

2009-06-29T06:00:00.001+02:00

Posting schedule

Up until now I have been updating this blog/vlog six days a week, I have been doing this because it is a new blog and it needed a few posts in it's archives. This kind of posting schedule creates too much pressure, to keep up long term. And so from now on I intend to update this blog at least twice a week sometimes there will be a third post in a week. So on to the photo post.

Photos of the Gravensteen castle

As promised here are some photos of the Gravensteen castle in Gent (Ghent).

The front

The back

A couple of details of the walls

The inevitable moody, dark, black and white castle shot

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The Gravensteen Castle, Gent, June 2009

2009-06-27T06:00:00.000+02:00

Slap bang in the center of the historical center of Gent (Ghent) is the medieval castle Gravensteen.
This clip is a combined view of the front and back of the castle. On Monday I will be some photographs of the castle.

The Gravensteen Castle in Gent (Ghent)

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A Gent canal boat - June2009

2009-06-26T06:00:00.001+02:00

This is a bit of a travel tip for anyone visiting Gent (Ghent) in East Flanders. The center of the city is chocked with wonderful old architecture, which is laced with some lovely canals. A nice way to see the old center of the city is by tourist boat and they are a bit of a bargain, €6.00 for adults and €3.50 for children(at the time of writing this). I managed to grab a clip of one of the boats, from a bridge over one of the canals.

A boat on the Gent canals

I think that there must be trolls under that bridge, if you look closely all the people on the boat have been abducted and replaced with other people while it was going under the bridge. OK a lorry prevented me from crossing the road in time to get the first boat coming out :)

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The South African Memorial, The Somme, September 2008, a photo post

2009-06-25T06:00:00.000+02:00

Last year I had the chance to tour the Somme Battlefield in France. I was very impressed by, the recently restored, South African memorial. here are some pictures of the memorial at Delville Wood.

The entrance

The memorial itself

The museum inside the memorial

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The blog list and an aggressive nature clip

2009-06-24T06:00:00.000+02:00

Blog Roll

It's time to start a blog roll. You can find it in the side bar, under the followers widget. I do not want to start off with a big list so I thought I would start with just three blogs and then add a couple more, every now and then.

MyKugelhopf - A blog of a travel blogger, foodie and chocoholic.

A Lady's Life... - An eclectic mix of comedy, life and things of interest in gerneral.

Heresy Corner - This is a journalists blog, that I use to keep up with current events, back in the old country (England)

Aggressive Nature

Well I was in the countryside near some water when something hit me in the head and made me turn around, where I saw something falling to the ground. It hit me hard and left a red mark that was still there at bedtime. It looked like it had killed itself, it was lying on the ground upside down, so I flipped it over and booted up the camcorder. In the end it turns out that it was just stunned. This is the insect thug.

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Art in the Citadel park, Lille June 2009, a photo post

2009-06-23T06:00:00.000+02:00

Art in the citadel park Lille, some photographs

Here are some still images, to finish off after the last two video posts. They show some details of the sculpture. Useful links - Office de Tourisme de Lille - Lille, Wikipedia - Citadel of Lille, Wikipedia - Lille Citadel, Google Satellite Maps.

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Artist at work part 2 - Lille, France, June 2009

2009-06-22T06:00:00.000+02:00

Artist at work part 2, Lille, France, June 2009

This is a clip showing some details of the sculpture that was in the clip in The Last Post. Useful links - Office de Tourisme de Lille - Lille - Wikipedia - Citadel of Lille - Wikipedia - Lille Google Satellite Maps.

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Artist at work - Lille, France, June 2009

2009-06-20T06:00:00.000+02:00

As you may have gathered from my last post, I have recently visited Lille, in France. Getting away from the bustle of the city center, by heading for the park around the Citadel of Lille, I stumbled across an artist at work on a fallen tree trunk in the park. I thought that I would do a little posting series of his work. A clip today, another on Monday and some stills of his work on Tuesday. This first clip is of the artist, as he was actually at work. It was a pity but I did not get a chance to find out who he is.

Warning artist at work

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Lille - Attack of the giant dinobabies

2009-06-19T06:00:00.001+02:00

Lille June 2009

Look what greeted me, when I came out of the train station of Lille, Northern France. It looks like some kind of temporary artwork display. There was going to be a video post today but these photos were burning a hole on the hard drive and I just could not wait to post them. for more info on Lille visit Lille - Wikipedia.

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Dolle Dagen Ieper part 4 (and last) the singing cyclist

2009-06-18T07:00:00.000+02:00

Well it seemed a nice way to finish this little posting series, with a song. Just as I was heading for the railway station this guy came cycling and singing by. Whatever you think of the song, it is a hell of a lot better than my attempt at editing this :)

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Dolle Dagen Ieper part 3 a cracking car - a photo post

2009-06-17T06:00:00.001+02:00

Wandering through the Dolle Dagen

I came across a bunch of cars that had been "Pimped" by a local firm. This is not my kind of thing but what they had done to this 2CV impressed me.

The next Bat Mobile?

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Dolle Dagen Ieper part 2 The Shell Hole stand

2009-06-16T06:00:00.001+02:00

This is an example of one of the shop stands at the Dolle Dagen, it is from The Shell Hole book shop, which is owned by Patrick, a friend of mine. As you can see he sells other things apart from books, such as Trench Art and vintage post cards, his books are exclusively related to the Great War (World War 1).

The Shell Hole stand

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Dolle Dagen Ieper part 1

2009-06-15T06:00:00.002+02:00

I went to a little event in Ieper this weekend gone, it was the Dolle Dagen. The Dolle Dagen happens two weekends a year in Ieper, all the shops set up outside stands in front of their premises and several other events and attractions, like beach volley ball, are usually linked with the event. This is the first post of four on this event, three video clips and a photo post. This clip really is better viewed in HD.

A little oriental street theatre

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Dunkirk September 2008, a photo post

2009-06-13T06:00:00.001+02:00

back in September 2008 I had the chance to have a short visit to Dunkirk, in France. Dunkirk is of course famous for Operation Dynamo during World War 2. The town website is available through THIS LINK but this is only available in French. Enjoy my snaps.

Jean Bart

This statue is in the center of the town. It is Jean Bart, who was a privateer and played some part in defeating the English (Boo Hiss), who were threatening the town.

An old boat, under renovation

The Duchesse Anne, in the harbour

The town war memorial

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St.Martin's with bells on it

2009-06-12T06:00:00.000+02:00

Just as I was walking to St. Martins, the bells of the Cloth Hall started chiming, so I decided to take a shot. This was totally unplanned but it was a case of "get it now or forget it", taking this into consideration, it did not turn out too bad and does show some of the architectural detail of the back of the cathedral with a nice bell toll in the back ground. This is the last in this series of posts about St. Martin's in Ieper. Hopefully I will get some more material from this cathedral at a later date.

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Some more ruins and another view of the tower of St. Martin's, Ieper

2009-06-11T06:00:00.001+02:00

There where some ruins from St. Martin's kept behind a caged area (not sure why, perhaps they bite or something),the angels at the end of the area intrigued me. This is a quick view of those combined with another view of the tower from a different angle from the First clip.

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St. Martin's cathedral ruins from the Great War 1914 - 1918

2009-06-10T06:00:00.000+02:00

Since St. Martins was totally destroyed during the Great War, between 1914 and 1918, the building that stands on the site now is a reconstruction of the original but to one side of the cathedral is one part of the building that was left as it was and there is also a small garden that contains some of the old masonry from the original building. This is a clip showing both of these.

Ruins

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The tower of St. Martin's Cathedral in Ieper

2009-06-09T06:00:00.001+02:00

I have a few clips of St. Martin's Cathedral in Ieper, so I thought that I would do a little posting series with these. St Martins is officially a church, as it has no bishop anymore but it looks like a cathedral to me.

The Tower

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