(Part 2) Belgium the Premium: My Merriment and Lament in Ghent

- July 17, 2019, Wednesday.

- I went to Ghent at the advent of an event that led to my merriment becoming a lament, so I just need to vent. (Whew, that rhyming thing was tough!) This sums up my visit to Ghent. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely loved Ghent, but perhaps my timing was a bit off. Read on to find out why.

- Historically, Ghent was a progressive trading city and also known as the birth place of Charles V (Charles I of Spain,) and for the Filipinos, it is also the place where the national hero Jose Rizal published one of his two main novels - El Filibusterismo ("The Filibuster.") Today, Ghent (also known as "Gent" in Dutch or "Gand" in French,) is a popular day trip destination from Brussels as it only takes around 35-40 minutes by train. Just like in the Netherlands, pre-booking tickets for trains that go around the country are not necessary, so in our case, my mom and I just went to Brussels Centraal Station and bought day return tickets from the ticket counter (cash and credit are accepted) and hopped on the next train going to Ghent. Just like in the Netherlands, day return trips can only be bought if you're going back to the same station within the day; you cannot buy day return tickets if you plan to return to the same station on a different day. As for Ghent, note that there are two main stations in Ghent: Gent Dampoort Station and Gent Sint Pieters Station. Ideally, visitors should get off at Gent Dampoort as it is closer to the central part of the city. However, direct trains going to Gent Dampoort usually come from the Antwerp line. Trains coming from Brussels only stop at Gent Sint Pieters Station as there are no direct trains going to Gent Dampoort Station from Brussels. However, this should not be a problem. After getting off at Gent Sint Pieters Station, just take a tram 1 to Korenmarkt stop and from there, everything is walkable. The historical center of Ghent is so small, the tourist/historical spots are literally right beside each other. By the way, tram tickets can be bought at the tram stops. The ticket machines accept cash, but prepare coins to be sure. 

- Once I reached Korenmarkt stop, I was amazed at how close everything was, though a bit suffocating as the buildings appeared too close to each other. However, I later realized that the reason I felt "suffocated" in the place was because all the open spaces were being turned into concert and event venues in preparation for the "Gentse Feesten" (Gent Festival,) an annual event that lasts around 10 days with concerts and other performances. Mini-festivals are also held within the same period, and so even open spaces a bit out of the center are also being converted to event venues. I suppose that on a normal day, I wouldn't feel suffocated as I could see how many public squares there are, usually right outside churches. Because of this, virtually every picturesque view has been "photobombed" by all these things (scaffolding, giant trucks, etc.) Of course, do understand that I am talking as a frustrated tourist who only had one day to see the city. However, I also understand that this is an annual tradition, and I appreciate how much Ghent - like many other European cities - honor and celebrate art in many ways, such as what Ghent does during Gentse Feesten. Despite this, I still found ways to appreciate Ghent.

- We first passed by the 13th-century Castle of Gerard de Devil (Geeraard de Duivelsteen.) This castle served as an armory among many other ways it was used throughout history, though it intrigued me when I found out that it was also used as an asylum at some point. It is currently not open to the public so I could only admire its Gothic beauty from the outside. By the way, the building was named after a knight named Geeraard the Devil, who was called such because of his dark skin.

Castle of Gerard de Devil.

- Later on, we admired the beauty of the 13th-century St. Nicholas' Church and the 15th-century St. Michael's church across the bridge. The bridge between St. Nicholas' Church and St. Michael's Church, called St. Michael's Bridge ("Sint Michielsbrug")  connects the banks of Korenlei and Graslei, the prettiest and most iconic view of Ghent - something you'd think came from a fairytale book. However, my view was a bit ruined by the cafe/restaurant floating extensions they built to accommodate more people for the upcoming festival. (I'd like to think that this is a reason for my to go back to Ghent some day, and hopefully I can time my trip better.) The Korenlei and Graslei quays were ports, which is why the buildings lined along the quays were significant in terms of politics or trade.

St. Nicholas' Church.

St. Michael's Church.

Graslei. But huhu the view. :( :( :( :(

- A bit disappointed, my mom and I had a mid-morning snack at a Nepalese restaurant before going to Gravensteen a bit north of the center. The 12th-century Gravensteen (Castle of the Counts) was used as residential castle of the counts (hence its name,) but it was also used as a dungeon and court. The audio guides provided after purchasing tickets at the ticket counter not only give plenty of background information on the rooms and the objects found in each room, but it also gives instructions on which room to go next (and it's important because the castle has many ups, downs, which may make you get lost.)

Gravensteen.

The canal outside the Gravensteen.

From the courtyard.

One of the main halls.

They're called "lovers windows." You will most likely become lovers with the person who sits across you (sigh, if love were that easy.)

If you have see a lot of my previous posts, you'll notice that I have an affinity for crossbows. I just find them unique.

Rooftop!

Prince's residence.

Dungeon.

I like how it looks like a "typical castle," ones I used to see in my storybooks.

At the outer wall.

- After visiting the Graventeen, we walked around the city center taking photos at various spots. Speaking of taking photos, one hidden street is a popular spot for admiring street art and taking photos. Werregarenstraat, also known as "Graffiti Street," is, well, an alley that has graffiti made by different Belgian street artists. Although the colorful graffiti does give a different vibe to the "prim and proper" Ghent as seen in the city center, I felt that it was a bit "messy-looking" as compared to other places where graffiti and street art can be seen, such as Berlin's Easy Side Gallery in Germany (click here to see.) Despite this, there was a rugged and liberated charm in the street's colorful chaos.

Korenlei Quay.

At least the Korenlei side view still looks fine (the Graslei view is better though huhu.)

Former meat hall.

City view.

You'll see this at the entrance of Graffiti Street.

Beautiful chaos

Atomium with faces.

- We later visited the 11th-century St. James' Church (Sint-Jacobskerk), which is the oldest Romanesque church in this part of Belgium. However, due to renovations, we were not able to go inside. The church is located a bit north from the center, in a quiet but not sketchy part of town.

Sint-Jacobskerk.

- It was a warmer the day we went to Ghent, and the temperature rose to the mid-20s. It was a perfect day to eat lunch al fresco - and mainly because we found a bakery that sold really cheap meals that included a thick foot-long sandwich with a drink of choice, but the bakery did not have chairs or tables. Thankfully there was a mini-park right behind St. Nicholas' Church where we could sit under a tree and eat. Eating al fresco isn't a thing in Manila because it's simply too polluted, and the weather's usually too hot or too rainy. The park also had a good view of the 14th-century Belfry of Ghent, which is the tallest belfry in Belgium.

Belfry of Ghent.

I tried my best to look traditionally Belgian.

The Shadshall or City Pavilion, a modern canopy of sorts, and the Belfry of Ghent.

If you go around the Belfry's base, you're see this. Called the "Mammelokker," it shows the statue of a man who was sentenced to die of hunger, but survived because his daughter came everyday to breastfeed him.

- After lunch we went inside St. Bavo's Cathedral, which was built in the 16th-century. It holds some amazing work of art, the most important of which is the Adoration of the Lamb (photography is not allowed inside the room with the Adoration of the Lamb.) The Adoration of the Lamb, wrapped in symbolism and artistic metaphors, is a multi-panel work of art.

Inside the spacious main hall.

Main altar.

Left: Belfry of Ghent, Right: St. Bavo's Cathedral.

- Just before the day became even warmer, it was about time for us to head back to Brussels. Although I was half disappointed with my trip to Ghent mainly because a lot of the city's views were "ruined" by the people setting up for the Gentse Feesten, I liked the coziness of the city and the way it has preserved its grandeur through the centuries. Maybe next time I can visit Ghent again, because I really really do admire it, but perhaps at a time when no big festival is going on, so I can better see Ghent's beauty!

- Please don't forget to read all about my other adventures in the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg here!!

THE NETHERLANDS

Part 1, Amsterdam: here, and here

Part 2, Zaanse Schans: here

Part 3, The Hague/Den Haag: here

Part 4, Haarlem: here

Part 5, Hoorn: here


BELGIUM

Part 1 and 5, Brussels: here, and here

Part 3, Bruges/Brugge: here

Part 4, Antwerp: here


LUXEMBOURG: here

(Part 1) Northeast Germany: Rollin' in Berlin

- December 16, 2018, Sunday.

- Germany has sparked my curiosity since one of my late maternal uncles would always tell us about the country when my sister and I were still small. He knew how to speak German, although I know that he did not have the opportunity to go to Germany. In the recent years, I realized that as someone who is not too inclined to Western history and culture, I knew nothing more about Germany than an ordinary chap - beer, sausages, lederhosens (leather pants with suspenders, which are not worn all over Germany!), Hitler and Nazism, the Berlin Wall, Angela Merkel, and the difficulty of the German language despite its close relation to English in the language family tree. While I knew that these things do represent Germany in some way, my encounters with German friends and students did give me the impression that the country was surely far more colorful than what most people think of the country and its people - cold, serious, and stern. Thankfully, I finally had the opportunity to discover Germany and neighboring Austria with my own two eyes over the Christmas holidays.

- Since my trip's route was from north to south, I started with Germany's capital, Berlin. Germany is part of the Schengen agreement, so those who will need a visa to enter Germany must get a Schengen visa or must have a valid Schengen visa; one can travel to and from the Schengen countries without or with minimal border controls. From Manila, the easiest way to go to Berlin would be flying with Turkish Airlines, Qatar Airways, or KLM. All of these land at the Berlin Tegel Airport, situated in the northwest of the city, and is one of the two main airports of Berlin. The other airport, Berlin Schönefeld Airport, is located at the southeast. In the near future however, the Berlin Brandenburg Airport, located beside Schönefeld Airport and still under construction, may open and will serve as the single international airport of Berlin. From Tegel, there are buses right outside the airport that will take people to the city center. Short-term visitors like tourists can get multiple-day tickets that can be used in all forms of public transportation. Those staying only within Berlin can buy a Zone A ticket, while those who wish to go outside the city city but still within the scope of the Berlin metro system may buy a zone AB or ABC ticket. I bought an ABC ticket since I planned to visit Potsdam on another day, which is located in Zone C.

- From the airport I rode the bus all the way to Alexanderplatz, which used to be a cattle market in the 1700s that after centuries, turned into one of Berlin's transportation hubs. My hostel, Wombat Hostel Berlin, is located around a 10-15 minute walk from Alexanderplatz. Alexanderplatz can be reached via the U-Bahn or S-Bahn (Alexanderplatz Station); the S-Bahn (suburbian) and the U-Bahn (underground) are the two connected train networks of Berlin. Today, apart from being one of Berlin's transportation hubs, it is also recognizable for the Fernsehturm, a TV tower built in the 1960s and currently the tallest structure in Germany, and the third tallest in Europe.

Saw the Fernsehturm as I was walking towards Alexanderplatz. 

Fresh from the airport, and right after leaving my stuff at the hostel. Hello Berlin, finally!!

- As with most big squares and public spaces in Europe during the Christmas season, it was not a surprise that Alexanderplatz was one of the places Berlin that turned itself into a Christmas market. Christmas markets in Europe normally sell Christmas ornaments, souvenirs, food, and other handicrafts. Speaking of shopping, Germany is usually shut down during Sundays, which means that stores and restaurants are usually closed or opened for a shorter time during Sundays. Tourist sites, however, are usually open (of course as a rule of thumb, always check the opening hours and dates of wherever it is that you wish to go.)

I was happy to see this Christmas market, but I eventually got tired of Christmas markets as the days went by since I'd usually pass by one or more Christmas markets per day. 

- Within the area, one can find the Marienkirche or St. Mary's Church. It is one of the oldest churches in Berlin, being built in the earl 1200s or perhaps before; the exact year is still being debated. Unfortunately, I was not able to enter the church since there was a service going on. After taking photos, I just spent the next few minutes going around the Christmas market; the market gave a happy and cozy ambiance despite the almost zero degree Celcius temperature with occasional harsh winds. Also, aross the church, one can find the city hall of Berlin, or Rotes Rathaus.

St. Mary's Church.

The Neptunbrunnen or Neptune Fountain, surrounded by an ice-skating rink. Poor Neptune.

Rotes Rathaus, Berlin's city hall. It was built in the mid-1800s.

The Altes Stadthaus, or old city hall, behind the Rotes Rathaus. 

- Beside the city hall, walking towards the river called the Spree, visitors can go through old narrow streets with souvenir stores and cafes, and find themselves near or around the St. Nicholas Church' or Nikolaikirche. It is so far the oldest church in Berlin, unless anyone can prove that the St. Mary's Church was built earlier. Its two pointed roofs make it an iconic mediaeval German landmark. The church is quite small inside, and personally, I thought that its facade looks better than its interiors.

Two pointy roofs.

It looked like a "regular church" inside, though still nice.

Found these four outside the church.

Panorama.

- My highlight for the day was visiting the Museum Island, which is right across the bridge near Alexanderplatz. Although I walked there from Alexanderplatz, people can also reach Museum Island through the Friedrichstrasse U-Bahn station. Museum Island, as its name suggests, is an island in the middle of the Spree with some of Berlin's most prominent museums are located. Visitors are welcomed to the Museum Island with the majestic 15th-century Berliner Dom or the Berlin Cathedral, which, unfortunately was closed when I went, and the Berlin Palace which is currently under renovation.

The Berliner Dom from the side.

From the front.

- Among all the museums, I chose to go to three main ones: the Pergamon Museum, the Altes Museum, and the Neues Museum. The Pergamon Museum, finished in 1930 and located at the northern side of Museum Island, was my priority mainly because of its larger-than-life exhibits, such as reconstructed facades of big structures around the world. I have always wanted to see the Ishtar Gate from Babylon, originally built during the time of King Nebuchadnezzar II (around 6th century BCE). A loose adaptation of this gate can be found in Hollywood, Los Angeles (click here to see.) Other mega structures there include the Market Gate of Miletus from 2nd-century AD  Anatolia, and the 8th-century AD Mshatta Facade from Ummayad-Era Jordan. It still baffles me how the Germans were able to transport all these things all the way to Germany!!

There's that beauty - the Ishtar Gate!!

See the details??

Beside it is yet another replica of the Code of Hammurabi.

How it looked like in ancient Babylonia.

Cuneiform.

The Market Gate of Miletus.

Was looking at the walls for a good 10-15 minutes thinking they were cuneiforn, until I realized that they were just regular cracks.

Mshatta Facade.

- In front of the Pergamon Museum is the Neues Museum (New Museum,) built in the mid-1800s. The most important artifact in this museum is Nefertiti's bust, normally seen in encyclopedias or textbooks. Unfortunately, photography is not allowed in the gallery where the bust is. However, there are other important artifacts there too, such as the Berlin Golden Hat, which is a golden Bronze-Age hat that probably was some kind of ancient calendar.

The Berlin Golden Hat.

Moose skeleton. (It's larger than it looks!!)

Torture devices.

Roman-era Etruscan jewelry.

Egyptian gallery.

Amenhotep I.

I love all the colors here, just think how colorful ancient Egypt was!!

- Finally, I visited the Altes Museum (Old Museum,) built in the 1800s, which has a number of galleries on Greek art. I also forgot to mention that visitors can avail combination tickets to skip the line in the other museums. I lined up at the Pergamon museum, got a combination ticket which also served as my ticket to the Neues and Altes Museums. (In hindsight, I could have bought a ticket from another museum so I did not have to line up at the Pergamon Museum since most people would rush to the Pergamon Museum first.) 

Greek, Greek, and more Greek.

Greek jars.

A random Hindu statue in the middle of nowhere, it was a special exhibit. This one is Vishnu's statue.

I wish I could always just sit back and relax.

Pigs!!

- I ended my first day in chilly Berlin quite happy with some of the items I ticked off my travel bucket list. I had a quiet walk back to my hostel after a simple dinner at Alexanderplatz, as most stores were closed for the day. The night was too young, but coming straight from a long flight from Manila to Berlin, rest was all I needed that night. After all, I needed to recharge for more jam packed adventures ahead!!

- Please don't forget to read about my other adventures in Germany, Austria, and Slovakia here:

GERMANY:

Berlin and Potsdam: Part 2 here, Part 3 here, Part 4 here

Munich and Schwangau: Part 1 here, Part 2 here, Part 3 here, Part 4 here

AUSTRIA:

Salzburg: Part 1 here, Part 2 here, Part 3 here

Vienna: Part 1 here, Part 2 here, Part 3 here

SLOVAKIA:

Bratislava: Click here