I'm gradually posting my holiday diary in excerpts, in date order (which means they're waaaaay back there in your Friends pages by now!) so here's a summary link post, that I'll keep up to date:
part I: University
part II: Antwerp and landing in Bruges
part III: first full day in Bruges - day of museums
part IIIa: seeing a Bosch in person
part IV: more ( Read more... )

18 November

Our first stop is the Civic Hall - not intending to visit, but sort of drawn in. It's been a civic centre since 14th c. but was renovated in 19th c. in the Gothic revival style so popular at that point. It is gloriously...camp, as in over the top: bands of painted ornaments layered on top of one another, topped off with 'scenes of Bruges ( Read more... )

I forgot to add this item to my report about the Memling in SintJans Museum:

I saw my first Bosch painting in person. It's a triptych, on loan to the Memling in St Jans while something else of theirs is on tour.

It's a scene of the rapture, or of the end times when the holy head for heaven (one side of the triptych) while the lost are eaten, tortured ( Read more... )

Days in BrugesWaking up in Bruges, we find that a cold breakfast is laid out for us as self-serve, in the kitchenette on the same floor as our room: cereal, rolls, bread for toasting, cold cuts, cheese, yoghurt, orange juice, tea and coffee. It's a far more complete 'Continental breakfast' than I'm used to, and it's delightful ( Read more... )

Mon 16 Nov: lie in, as much as one can when staying at the home of two active children. Midmorning we set off to Bruges, with a stop in Antwerp to see the cathedral ( Read more... )

I always swore that I'd only ever be sick on company time, but my body hasn't gotten the memo, or e-mail.

I picked up Robert's scritchy throat around Crown, but managed to save the full cold til Easter, when it would only inconvenience me. Argh.

Admittedly, til I'm on wages being sick on company time is expensive. But being sick on a holiday weekend ( Read more... )

Luggage-less, Robert and I borrowed some clothes and finery from the household, and everyone bar Sarra (who still had sermon to write) tramped off to the event. Sarra lent me one of the 12th c. gowns I've admired often over the years, a fine red patterned bliaut with plain red lined sleeves, and a beaded silk veil - very elegant. Robert looked very ( Read more... )