Shades of Brown and Blue

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Some months ago I watched a program on 'France 24' (the French version of BBC World). Nothing that special except that they had three Belgian politicians in a debate - all in perfect English - that seemed to focus largely on the future of Belgium as an entity. Should it split into its Flemish and French parts or remain a fractured whole was about the gist. I was struck by the obvious maturity, intelligence and debating skills of the pollies, and I found myself comparing them more than favourably with the current crop in Australia. Belgium is not a country that leaps out as a place to visit but, at the time, it seemed to me that it must have something going for it if it can attract articulate, intelligent individuals into politics. We have come across a lot of Belgians in our travels. They move around almost as much as the Dutch and are also friendly. I would also note, just in passing, that there are those who contend that Belgians often demonstrate good judgement. Consider how Kim Clijsters got rid of Lleyton Hewitt when she woke up.

Things didn't start out well. We were taking the opportunity to meet up with Tony, who has travelled with us before. The plan was to spend 3 or 4 days catching up on news, having a look around and discussing part of our planned travels next calendar year in Cuba. Antwerp, which sounded like the most interesting city in Belgium, was the chosen location. Enquiries made about renting a small unit for the time elicited a few responses, most very expensive and for not a lot. The best was selected and emails fired off. The standard sort of email traffic occurred - we have an apartment for you at this price - yes we will take it - sorry none left at that price but you can pay more etc. We tired of it and went for another. This one was OK and all settled. Told Tony where to come and he responded positively. Said he was happy to meet in Brussells rather than Antwerp. Bit of a shock to us but there you go. Must look harder at the details.

There is every chance that Brussells will become an important city for us. It will, I am sure, be very useful as a yardstick in describing cities that could have a lot to offer but that do a pretty good job of hiding the fact. So, on our first full day in Brussells we took a drive to Luxembourg. On the way we drove through the Ardenne which is a pretty region and may even be up there with the best of Belgium. While we really only drove through and around the place, it would be hard to escape the conclusion that the residents of Luxembourg are very nicely off in the main, they like things neat and clean, a big house beats a small one every time and you only need a little country if it is as pretty as this one.

On our second day in Brussels we left again and drove to Antwerp where they had the Peter Paul Rubens market operating. The centre was packed so we joined in. Stallholders dressed in period costume and all manner of goods on sale. It did look as though we may have made a strategic error in not opting for a base in Antwerp but, then again, we did spend most of one day in Antwerp and that was more than we did for poor old Brussells. Peter Paul Rubens is the man in Antwerp so we went to his house. Of course he had passed on many years ago but his house has been cleaned up and opened for public viewing, along with some of his paintings and the daubs of a few of his friends. It was worth the entry fee.

Rain is really not much fun when you are travelling but, if it keeps the grass green and the smiles on farmer's faces, you live with it. The problem here is that it is time for the wheat to be harvested and, with a killing likely to be made in the wheat market with the banning of wheat export from Russia, it must be pretty galling to farmers to have their paddocks/fields saturated with wheat getting soft and mouldy.

Rain also doesn't do much for a lot of Belgian towns. Perhaps it isn't just the rain but there is an argument, at least in our vehicle, that Belgium houses and villages are not among the most interesing and attractive we have seen. Brown brick is very much the in thing here. And brown tiles on the roofs. Lawn is OK for the front yard but, if it is difficult, why not just pave it? Some trees and flowers might add a dash of colour but then they do die off and drop leaves and branches fall off and drivers hit them so maybe just leave them in the nursery. But I do think that it was the pretty constant rain that delivered me such a jaundiced view of a lot of the Belgian towns we drove through. And no we haven't been to Scotland yet.

Of course not everything is brown. They have blue cows here (or, as someone in the car called it, greyish-white). Belgian Blues are a recognised breed developed by a professor who crossed dairy cows, Fresians I think, with English Shorthorns. You would punt that he let a few Charolais in for good measure as well. The result is cows that look so musclebound as to be almost grotesque at times and that are apparently productive milkers as well. I would never suggest that the good professor had it wrong. Perhaps this is an occasion when practicality rightly triumphed over beauty. Belgium doesn't have that much land after all so they need to get as much out of every beast it can carry as they can.

It also rained during our visits to the towns of Gent, Bruge and Leuven. In fact for most of the days we were there it simply poured. True to our tourist colours we soldiered on not daunted at all - or at least not enough to go back to Brussells earlier than planned. They are indeed well worth visiting, these three. Good old centres and, as it turned out, all of them had markets or celebrations going on or just winding up. Is this just a Belgian thing? Why would you have most of the major towns having a festival or large market on the same weekend in August? Or is this the only weekend that they think there is no chance of rain? Or perhaps it is just a way of getting that good old competition thing happening? Whatever it was they were all washed away pretty well this year.

There are over 1 000 Commonwealth War Graves in Belgium scattered over the many battle sites. We needed to find just one and, thanks to the excellent record keeping of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission we were able to go directly to it near Ieper/Ypres. Stanley J Kirkham was buried there apparently after the battle on Oxford Road alongside another Australian soldier who was exactly the same age. Sobering to walk through these cemeteries. So many young men killed. You do wonder why we keep doing this stuff.

So that was Belgium. We enjoyed our time there. Plans for Cuba were progressed and it was good to catch up with Tony. Is Belgium going on to the Comeback List? Brown houses and blue cows. Possibly not, but stranger things have happened. You can end up in one city when you plan to go to another.

Into France now and down to Normandy to talk about vehicles for South America and to Brittany to check out what the Celts are up to. More soon on both subjects.

I should note that this post is not in 'real' time. It is about a week late going up. We have been busy.

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