Days 122-126: The Finer Things in Belgium

The Finer Things in Belgium

Days 122 – 126

April 29 – May 3

Ghent, Belgium

In school, there was only one thing I learned about Belgium: they are an easy country to conquer.  Ironically, the surrender-happy history of the country has led to the preservation of its architecture dating back to the middle ages, many pieces of which are now protected by UNESCO.  And while it was nice to see some of the famous buildings in picturesque Ghent, it was not my primary reason for coming to Belgium.  On the Camino de Santiago, I learned that Belgium is famous for three things: beer, chocolate, and fries (frites, as they call them).  The last of these were actually invented in Belgium (God forbid, don’t call them French Fries!), but the Belgians claim that all three of these are best made in Belgium.  Being the curious (and hungry) person that I am, I always appreciate when someone, much less a whole country, takes enough pride in their handiwork to proclaim its supremacy to anyone they meet.  So I went to Belgium.

I spent my time in Ghent getting fat and making all attempts possible to reverse the process of getting fat.  The food there was delicious!  And, much like the American South, they love to deep fry everything (it doesn’t stop at just fries).  It didn’t register why the few Belgians I met before coming here were fanatic about Belgian fries until I saw for myself how many places serve them.  They were on every street, and it was impossible to go wrong when choosing a place (some are better than others, of course).

This is what happens when you order "medium" fries.
P.S. That's tartar sauce, and yes it was good!

And they were right about the beer, too.

There is a McDonald’s in the central square of Ghent, near the fancy cathedral and belfry.  They do not serve Belgium fries there, but I wouldn’t have eaten them if they did. 

Like many cities, Ghent has its fair share of street art.

There's even a full street dedicated to spray paint.

Consequently, I ended up seeing much of Ghent by sheer virtue of my food-eating safari.  The only real sightseeing I did was in a kayak.  The city arose in the Middle Ages at the confluence of the Scheldt and Leie rivers and expanded to include other neighboring waterways.  As a result, the best way to see Ghent is, as it always has been, on the water.  

Gravensteen castle was built in the city center not as a stronghold against
invaders, but as a show of political power, serving as a courthouse, prison,
and a secret yard for executions that the Count wanted to keep private.

And this is the view from the top of the castle.
All of Ghent's famous buildings are visible from here.

There are three reasons to rent a kayak in Ghent: (1) unlike the streets, the waterways are not crowded, (2) not everything can be seen on foot or on a boat tour, and (3) it is possible to get close to the river’s wildlife.

As my kayak exploration was coming to a close and I was heading back to the dock, I spotted a mother duck leading along her brood of ducklings.  They were docile around me, so I stuck close to them, watching them swim around.  My attention on them gathered a small crowd from the river bank, a crowd that proved invaluable a few moments later.  As I was following the mother down the river, someone came running over to me and told me that one of the ducklings had been left behind.  I paddled back to see him wandering in a circle, calling for his mother.  I stopped next to him, used my paddle to direct him my way, and scooped him up with my hand once he got close enough to reach.  The small crowd exploded into a polite golf clap.  I paddled back to the negligent mother and tossed the lost duckling towards her.  She nonchalantly affirmed his reappearance and continued down the river.