Listening... On The Canal

The weather is too nice to be in a gym right now, and I've been lazy about going there lately, anyway. The canal is not too far from home, so there is no excuse for not running or walking. Well, there are lots of excuses, but none that are big enough to get me out of exercising, so off to the canal I went. Jess came along for the fun, and we met a friend there. The more the merrier. We all jog at different paces, but it's nice to have company in the vicinity. Unfortunately, I forgot to charge my IPod, so there was no music to distract me today. Instead, I listened to the sounds of the canal. At first, all I could hear was the slapping rhythm of my running shoes hitting the asphalt bike path. I tried not to focus too much on the wheezing of my breathing. (I'm not exactly in prime shape.) After a while, I

started to notice other sounds around me. The wind, blowing the leaves in the trees along both sides of the canal, similar to the sound of water flowing over a waterfall. The little song birds chirping to each other in the trees. The occasional splash of fish striking the surface of the water, trying to catch that tasty bug for breakfast. The distant bark of a dog. The soft cha-ching of a bicycle bell as someone approached from behind, letting me know that they wanted to pass. A friendly nod and "Morga'" (Mornin') from a local as they ride by. A crane whooping Good Morning, as well. I didn't hear the corn, but I am almost positive I heard Bessie, the cow, whispering to me as I went by. "What are you doing?" she said. "You don't see me running. I happen to love my big butt. Come on over to the shade and relax a bit. I won't tell anyone." Next time, Bessie. I just might take you up on that. I jogged on, hypnotized by the quiet swishing sound the fabric of my pants was making as my thighs rubbed together. I'm not completely positive, but I think I heard Bessie giggling.

Little Birdie

Each morning, as the sun rises a little before 5 am, I am greeted by the happy chirping of a little birdie that lives just outside my bedroom window. He is filled with joy and enthusiasm at the beginning of each new day. If I could have one super power, I would chose the ability to sing like Fiona from Shrek. Then I could hit that lovely high note and blow that sucker up. I'm just saying.

Achel Abbey

Sint-Benedictusabdij De Achelse Kluis is quite the mouth full, isn't it? That's why we refer to this place as the Achel Abbey. Why is it important, you ask? If you know anything about beer, you'll know that this place is one of the producers of Trappist Beer, which is beer that is made by monks. Some Trappist beer has to be ordered in advanced, but Achel has a little store on the property, so you can get it right away. The abbey is not open to tours, but you can get a peek of it through the lovely iron gate. One thing that they do have here, is great food and great beer. Lots of people ride their bikes out here and relax over a good meal. We cheated... and drove. Actually, Russ and some of his friends from work rode their bikes out here on Friday, and he knew I'd like to check it out, so he brought me and the kids back today. This is one of the reason's that Russ knew I'd love this place. It sits on the border of Belgium and The Netherlands. I couldn't resist. My kids are in different countries. So close, and yet so far.
Now I'm in two different countries at the same time. I knew that split personality would come in handy some day.

Het Chocolate Atelier

Today was so much fun! I did something I never thought I'd have a chance to do...I made chocolate candy! How cool is that? What made it even more fun, was the fact that Brandon was allowed to participate as well. I'd signed up for an adult chocolate workshop with the gals from Kleine Brogel, but a couple of them had to bail at the last minute. That left a free spot, and they let Brandon join us. Our chocolate workshop was through Het Chocolade Atelier in Kinrooi. We were met at the door by our lovely instructor and chocolate maker extraordinaire, Bart. Trust me, you'll never meet a nicer or more patient guy. He started out our class by explaining the process of making chocolate, from it's start in the cocoa plant to the chocolate bars in the final product. It was very interesting. Then we got down to the fun part...making the candy! That's right. Those are huge vats of melted milk and dark chocolate. There was another one on the other side with white chocolate in it. This place was candy heaven. Don't you just want to dive into this vat? Brandon wanted to stick his head under here and open his mouth wide. I told him it would probably be frowned upon. That's just a guess, of course. We filled molds with milk and dark chocolate, and then dumped them back out again to leave room for the yummy fillings that Bart had prepared. I had a lot of fun piping in the creamy chocolate and hazelnut fillings. After the chocolates were filled, then they were covered in chocolate again to seal the backs of them. The hardest part of the class was not licking your fingers! Trust me, it was VERY tempting. If you give in to temptation, then you have to go to the sink in back for scrubbing and disinfecting. After the second time to the sink, you kind of learn your lesson. The workshop lasted a couple of hours, and it was tons of fun. At the end, we got to put on white gloves (because no one wants fingerprints on their lovely chocolate) and load up our boxes to take them home. The best thing about this kind of workshop is that no matter how talented you are (or are not) when it comes to making and decorating your chocolate, the end result is the same. It's Delicious! Well, I take that back. It tastes just a little bit better, knowing that you made it yourself! I think I'll be a chocolatier when I grow up. I'm just saying.

Queen of the South, Belgian Style

When you pass this building, you can't help but stop and take a second look. It's just so interesting. Inside and out. It's Queen of the South, and antique store and restaurant, located in Genk. I just had to go inside and check it out. We had just eaten lunch, so we'll have to go back another time to try out the restaurant.

This is the view just inside the front courtyard. I didn't take any pictures inside. I was too distracted by all of the fantastically unusual things that I was looking at in the antique store. This is not your regular antique store, either. They sell architectural antiques. There is a huge section with nothing but antique doors. Another section has stairs. Yet another section has fireplaces. You get the idea. You meander through crowded room after room, and finally end up in the outer back courtyard with all sorts of lovely goodies to decorate your yard. They have fantastic fountains! If you find yourself with an hour or two to kill, I suggest you check this place out. All I can say is...WOW!

Bokrijk Open Air Museum

Today marked the first official day of Summer for Brandon. Russ had the day off of work, so we took off to explore the Bokrijk Open Air Museum near Genk. Poor Jess missed out on this one, because she still has a few more days of school left. Not to worry. We'll be back. We spent several hours exploring, and still managed to see only about 1/3 of the park. The park covers 550 hectares (that around 1,359 acres), divided up into 3 major areas. There are over 100 buildings there, dating from the 11th to 19th centuries, and they were carefully dismantled at their original locations and reassembled in the park. At the entrance to the park is this castle. Just around the corner (on the left side of it) is a great restaurant where we had lunch after exploring. I recommend the chicken panini (sandwich). Delish! Yep. I'm a sucker for windmills, so I had to get a picture of this one. This grain mill weighs 35 tons, and it it's prime, it milled around 700 kg of grain per hour. Now, the trees have grown up around it and block most of the wind, so it no longer turns. There are stairs on the back side of it, and you can climb up and explore it's inner workings. This is a long farmhouse from Helchtern, built in 1815. It houses the private residence, barn and stables, all under one roof. Bokrijk is a "living museum". Walking around in these towns is like transporting back into the past. When you enter the farmhouse, you see the people living as they did back then. This farmer's wife is knitting by a cozy fire. She's happy to take the time to answer any questions you might have about their way of life.

Although it's hard to see in this picture, this house has a water wheel in that middle section behind the half fence. When the stream turned the wheel, it turned a pump inside the house that was attached to a butter churn. Running water equals fresh, home-made butter. Very smart!The lady inside the house had just finished doing her daily laundry in front of the fire. This was a house for a poor family in town, like a broom binder. It was very small, but cute. The blacksmith was off running errands when we happened by his work place. Still, it was interesting to look around at all of his tools.

I just have to include a picture of this little fellow. He and his friends were having lots of fun, playing in a field behind the Blacksmith Shop. They were running around and kicking up their heels, while their Mom's were quietly eating and ignoring them. I'd love to take him home with me. Everyone we met was very kind. One gentleman even shared his pancake lunch with us (topped with homemade strawberry jam), cooked over an open fire in his home. I'm already looking forward to our next visit to Bokrijk, and finding out what other treasures it has for us to discover. It was very relaxing, just wandering through the woods and exploring Flemish life as it once was, many years ago.

The Battle of Waterloo...Renacted

On June 18, 1815, There was a great battle at Waterloo, Belgium, just south of Brussels. Napoleon and his army faced a coalition of troops from England, Prussia, Russia, and Austria. They were supported by Spain, Italy, and The Netherlands. 300,000 men engaged in battle here. Each year on the Anniversary of the event, this battle is re-enacted over a three day weekend. Friday, they open the Napoleonian Village and celebrate the end of the day with a fireworks battle. On Saturday, you can tour the bivouacs (camps) of the troops, and then watch the fighting in the nearby town of Plancenoit, Belgium. Sunday is the main event. They re-enact the Battle of Waterloo in a big field beside the Butte de Lion memorial. We were fortunate to get a chance to visit the fields this Saturday. We decided to visit the allied troops camps, instead of Napoleon's. We wanted to show our support for the Home Team. The troops were busy, getting ready for the afternoon battle. They were marching in formation, checking their weapons, and getting last minute pointers from the more experienced soldiers. The officers rallied the troops. Morale was high, even though the weather was not the best. One of the defense techniques taught to them by Wellington, the leader of the Allied troops, was the square formation. By forming a square with their bodies, the troops were able to defend each other's backs from Napoleon's troops. This is the Scottish infantry, practicing the square formation. (Another lesser known defense strategy is the wearing of skirts and red plaid socks. The bright color and design has been known to confuse and dazzle opponents.) The cannons were loaded and test fired as part of the preparation for battle. All of the cannons were lined up along the old stone wall near the camp. The tents were on the other side of this wall. The camp was very interesting to walk around. Everyone was in character, and was happy to answer questions about life in 1815.The ladies prepared meals for their men over an open fire. A storm was brewing in the distance, but life continued on for the soldiers. Is it just me, or does this gentleman bear a striking resemblance to Grandpa from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang? After checking out the camp, we walked across the huge fields of wheat to Lion Hill. Lion Hill, La Butte de Lion, was built between 1824 and 1826, and is dedicated to the soldiers who died at the Battle of Waterloo. It was built on the spot that Prince Guillaume of Orange, Commander in Chief of Wellington's Army and heir to the throne, was injured.There are 226 steps leading up to the top. The Lion on top weighs 28 metric tons. He protects the Globe and symbolizes the return of Peace to Europe. This field is where the main Battle is re-enacted on Sunday. After we toured the Butte de Lion, we went to Plancenoit to see the evening's battle. This fight re-enacts the event that took place leading up to the Battle of Waterloo. The troops hauled their cannons to strategic spots around town in preparation for the battle.

Soldiers fought to defend their home from Napoleon's army. The cannon was shot from the front steps of the church. Finally, the gunfire ended and the smoke cleared. The battle has ended for today, and we headed home. It was a very interesting and educational day. If you find yourself in the area, be sure to check it out. They have a couple of movies on the battle, and a lovely museum that you can check out, as well. A big thank you to the 3,000 men and women who re-enact this event each year. It was a pleasure to get a glimpse into the past through them.

Can You Hear Corn Growing?

Brandon came home and asked me a very strange question the other day. Can you hear corn growing? My first answer was a resounding NO! (and some one's been pulling your leg.) Then I started thinking about it. Actually, you might be able to hear part of the growing process. When the cob reaches maturity and the husks are stretched tight, you might hear the sound of them "popping" as they broke loose from the corn. Maybe that's what his friends were talking about. On a hot summer's day, it might actually sound like a crackling if a lot of them were popping loose around the same time. This really has me curious. After all, in Belgium, there is a field of corn on every corner. You'd think that the grocery stores are full of it in the Fall, but that is not the case. The locals won't touch the stuff. They don't grow sweet corn here, just your basic feed corn. It almost has a stigma attached to it..."What? I don't eat corn on the cob! Are you calling me a cow?"

Anyhoo, back to the original question. I did a little research online, and the consensus is that you can hear it crackling on a hot night. By crackling, are they talking about the stalks butting up against each other in the wind, or a sound coming from inside the corn? And only at night? I'm starting to think that this is one of those urban legends that are designed to talk a sweet, naive girl into going out into the corn field at night with her randy young suitor. Upon further research, this is the theory: Corn is a very fast growing plant. It grows an average of an inch or two per day. This is something I can totally get on board with. Our local corn is shooting up faster than the nerdy kid's hand (from the Polar Express) during a pop quiz. (Just making sure you were still paying attention.) As it grows and shifts into new positions, it makes a popping or ticking noise. This is easier heard when the corn is in large amounts, and at night when it is quiet. It's an interesting theory. Maybe one of these nights, when the skies are clear and it's not too windy, I'll grab a lawn chair and head down the street to the closest corn field. I'll have a seat and just listen for a little bit. Who knows what I might hear? Probably the locals dialing the authorities up. What are those crazy Americans up to now? And why is she sitting in my corn field?