Spring is Here

And the people are out like there's no tomorrow.

The Béguinage

The béguinages (French)[begijnhof in Dutch] were communities that began in the 13the century around Belgium, NE France, and the Netherlands. They were communities of women who decided to dedicate their lives to God without actually becoming a nun or leaving society completely. Often they were widows who could not become nuns because they had previously been married or had children, but still wanted to follow a similar religious lifestyle.

They were like abbeys. Cities within cities. Once entering the main gate, you might be greeted by a large and cozy centrally located plaza with houses/apartments surrounding it, some internal streets/walkways to other housing areas, plus probably a garden and a chapel.


I visited two this weekend, one in Kortrijk (pop 75,000), one in Oudenaarde (pop 30,000). At the one in Oudenaarde, the last woman died in 1960 and so there is no longer anyone living there. In both cases they are UNESCO sites. The one is Kortrijk has 40 well preserved houses and is quite beautiful. Only a few women still live there.

Entrance to Kortrijk Begijnhof

Central courtyard

Houses on the sides of courtyard

Each door is an apartment/house

The chapel

Entrance to Oudenaarde begijnhof

Central plaza

An open area behind some houses. Chapel in back.

O'COOL

Quite a strange discovery of a grocery store. Once you step inside, the name O'COOL makes a little more sense. It feels like a white-washed factory. Only white top loading refrigerators and freezers are inside. The stockers should be oompah loompas, and their diet could consist only of preservative laden processed foods and frozen vegetables. Found in a small city called Oudenaarde (west of Gent towards the French border). Pretty sure the local shoppers thought I was a freak for taking pictures of a friggin grocery store. 

 

Laundry + Beer? Belgium, Yes.

Just in case you get thirsty while you wait for your spin cycle to finish. You have the choice of  carbonated water, sprite, coke, or beer. Because why should you have to wait until you've finished laundering to enjoy one?

Beer vending machine at a laundromat on Overpoortstraat in Gent.