Flemish Gem
07.05.2010 - 09.05.2010
View
Summer
on broden's travel map.
After my fast-paced week I went to visit my friend A. in Ghent (Gent in Dutch; Gand in French). This Flemish gem is just thirty-five minutes outside of Brussels and staggeringly different from the aggressive cosmopolitanism and obsessive bilingualism of Brussels. In the twelfth century Ghent was a thriving medieval town trading cloth and corn and one of the most important cities north of the Alps. According to the locals, at that time Ghent was a bigger deal than London and rivalling Paris in significance. But where London and Paris thrived, Ghent stumbled. Now there are less than 250, 000 people that call this place home. That being said, Ghent is more than just a pretty face; it is a living and breathing (mostly student) town with kamikaze cyclists and an obsession with lasagna (according to A.). Given that I was only there for two days it was the more obvious and aesthetic elements I enjoyed: winding canals, cobblestone and a castle.
Gravensteen Castle:
One of the many towers/cathedrals:
Along the Canal:
Along the canal x 2:
The Graslei:
Down an alleyway:
Shoes!:
Only in Belgium:
Outside the botanical gardens (For Azad):
Posted by broden 11.05.2010 15:44 Archived in Belgium Tagged living_abroad
