July 21, 2017

July 21, 2017

We are on the train early today for a day-trip to the nearby city of Ghent. My main purpose coming here was to see its famous Altarpiece. It is easily the most stolen piece of artwork ever. The painted panels recently co-starred with George Clooney in the 'The Monuments Men' because Hitler snatched it and hid it in Bavaria.

After arriving and taking the tram downtown, I get a little worried when a cop tells me St Bavo’s Cathedral is closed. Today is Belgium’s Independence Day. Fortunately he tells me the church will reopen this afternoon after a ceremony concludes. In the meantime we give ourselves a walking tour of the city center. It looks gorgeous with several cathedrals and a tall World Heritage Belfry. Across the river is the Castle of the Counts where the foreign overseers of Ghent lived.

During our walk we stumbled upon a little courtyard with a 30-piece orchestra tuning up. This seems like the perfect spot for us to kill some time. Aimee orders coffee and I get a beer. The ensemble plays some very entertaining music including a few show tunes. Right up the alley of our unsophisticated ears. It lasts over two hours so we order more to drink and a snack. Aimee tries some girly pink cherry-flavored beer she loves.



After the concert we head back to St Bavo’s to see the Ghent Altarpiece. It has been coveted and stolen often because it was the first major painting done in oil and in the new realism of Renaissance Art. To deter future theft, it is now in a special room protected by bullet proof glass. We are given an audio guide explanation of the history and symbolism. Five of the panels have been replaced with copies while they are being restored. One panel remains missing from a 1934 theft. We finish with a tour of the cathedral. A copy of the altarpiece now sits in a side chapel, where the original used to hang. Aimee cringes when I open the copy and it makes a loud squeak.

Afterwards we have lunch and walk around Ghent again, this time joined by a million locals. Almost everywhere we walk there is some variety of music being performed. We really like Ghent, but it is getting too crowded for us. So around six, we head back to the train station and return to Bruges.



I had to laugh a little when I asked people what holiday they were celebrating. They seemed to stumble for an explanation. When I googled the date, it seems July 21 has some kind of obscure connection with Belgium’s independence from Holland. Few Belgians understand it fully. Ghent seems to prefer celebrating another tale. In 1539 Ghent refused to pay taxes to their overlord Charles V, the king of Spain and Austria. He personally put down the rebellion by hanging a couple dozen city leaders. Ever since, Gentians honor this defiance by wearing a noose around their neck on holidays.