Living history in Belgium

Ommegang Brussels

Posted by Elizabeth. It's been a while since I've posted. Honestly I have felt a little burnt out. Our travels have been amazing to say the least but being on the road with one's family for 6 months can be tiring.

We're also getting towards the end of our trip which makes me think more of home and less of the excitement here. I'm working to be more like Beth who admits herself that she lives so much in the moment that she sometimes forgets where she's going. I'm constantly asking her if she knows what we're doing next or where we are in the city. (The answer is usually "no" to both questions.) While we're pretty much polar opposites in this regard there's a lot we can learn from each other :). 

We're currently in Brussels. It's an interesting city. In some ways it's a lot like other Northern European cities. Big squares, lots of drinking, chocolate everywhere, quirky French signs. But as the center of the EU and other major governmental organizations it's also a bit dull. The architecture is haphazard at best and much of the city is made up of glass and concrete office buildings. Thanks to Griffin we have found some interesting areas (such as the flea market this morning) and our apartment is near a very fun area off Saint Catherine's square with cafes and a canal and, my favorites, an organic grocery store and yoga studio. Plus the beer here really is superior and the waffles have kept one of our family members very happy. 

A highlight for me was two nights ago when Griffin and I went to an outdoor show in the Grand Place. This is THE center of Brussels and you can see why. The buildings around the square are stunning and its a lovely size for a town square. The show was a reinactment of the Ommegang which is a traditional procession which started in 1348 when a devout woman had a vision to steal a statue of the Virgin Mary in Antwerp and bring it to Brussels (sort of an early frat boy escapade). The procession continued over the years and Charles V made it his own in the 1500s. What's so cool is that it has continued pretty much every year since then. Griffin was a great date because he had just finished AP European History and could fill me in on all the details of Charles and his family and the ever powerful Habsburg clan. They were like the Kardashians if they owned all of the western world with Khloe as the Queen of Germany and Kendall the Empress of China. 

Ommegang in the 1600s

Ommegang today

The Ommegang that night was a very realistic version of a July night almost 500 years ago. There were horses and Knights and Charles himself sat in the grandstand welcoming all of his 

admirers. It didn't hurt that it was a beautiful warm night and we sat in the middle of one of the most beautiful squares in Europe with each building lit up to show off the gold and ornamentation. 

Grand Place lit up. Spectacular!

We end our week in Belgium on Monday with a day trip to Antwerp to see the start of day 3 of the Tour de France. I'm so excited to see the amazing athletes and be a part of another venerable European tradition.