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| The skyline of Ghent, Belgium |
I had purposely not done a tour in Brest, France so that I
would have one day to try and get myself organized with packing and could enjoy
the last two days on our cruise. So I
really wanted to do an excursion in Zeebrugge.
So we pulled out the shore excursion booklet and looked it over, opting
for an excursion called Panoramic Ghent and Canal Cruise. Chuck had been so busy dashing off to shore
excursions in the very port-intensive last few days that when he looked at the
ticket again, his reaction was, “What? We’re not going to Bruges?” I could tell he was really disappointed so I
offered to cancel my excursion (which I couldn’t have done alone) and let him
do one to Bruges instead of Ghent. But
he decided that I’d missed too many ports to give up one more that I would
be able to do.
This being the last day on the ship, we would have much
preferred that it be a morning excursion, but it was scheduled to depart after
lunch and get back just before dinner, breaking the day up. We headed down to the buses early, having
received our excursion stickers in advance (since I had handicap priority on
this cruise). We got an excellent seat
right in the front of the bus because for a change there was enough legroom for
me to sit there. Chuck later moved back to a seat by himself because the bus wasn’t
full.
The ride to Ghent took about an hour, and we enjoyed the
beautiful Flemish scenery and the running commentary given by our enthusiastic
guide. I didn’t remember much about
Ghent other than the fact that I knew that the Treaty of Ghent had been signed
there. At that point I didn’t even
remember which war this treaty ended!
Now I know that it was the agreement reached to end the War of
1812.
It is believed that the name of Ghent comes from a Celtic
word meaning confluence as the Lys and the Scheldt rivers meet there. There is evidence of settlements there dating
back to the Stone and Iron Ages. In the
Middle Ages, Ghent became so important that it was the second-largest city in
all of Europe; only Paris was larger.
The lands along the rivers were well suited for raising sheep, so wool
and cloth-making became very important industries. The making of cloth was so successful that
they even imported wool from Scotland to allow them to increase production. The political and social importance
eventually shifted from Ghent and Bruges to Antwerp and Brussels.
Arriving in Ghent, we walked the short distance to the canal
boat. It was a challenge getting into
the open-air boat because there were no railings, just one shaky pole to hang
onto. Fortunately, those of us with
mobility issues got assistance from the skipper and a fellow passenger who
stationed himself where he could help.
Once we had all settled, we set off toward the center of the city. With no windows and no roof, everyone had an
excellent view of everything we passed. Adding
to the scenery was the clear blue sky dotted with clouds. We drifted along, passing a couple lovely
tearooms situated along the bank of the river, as well as many medieval
buildings, as we approached the oldest part of town. Many were old guildhalls as Ghent was so
important in the wool and cloth trade. Everywhere
we looked we saw the proverbial “Kodak moment”.
With the gorgeous weather and being a Friday afternoon, it
looked like the entire countryside had come into the center of Ghent to enjoy
the picture-perfect blue skies and warm weather. As we sailed through the heart of the city,
we passed boat after boat of people, some of which contained tourists as we were, while others held young people who were practicing rowing. Continuing past the city center, we
approached the beautiful medieval castle and then headed down a small canal
with low-draped willows, in some cases, causing us to duck under the branches.
We were given an hour of free time in the center of the city
and were encouraged to find places where we could purchase Belgian chocolates
(I might have indulged had we not been flying out the following day) or Belgian
lace (which I decided I didn’t need, despite its lovely intricate work). Instead I indulged in a Belgian waffle, taking
the tour guide’s suggestion of just having cinnamon and sugar rather than
trying to walk around carrying a waffle topped with strawberries and cream. I found a place to sit while Chuck wandered
the streets, and I got a kick out of watching small children playing and listening
to the conversations of nearby college students. It once again brought back wonderful memories
of my semester in Grenoble. Thinking
back on that experience, I could imagine how those students felt, and I lamented
the fact that I can’t get around like I did some 40+ years ago!
Parked along one bank of the river right near some of the
many open-air cafes we spotted a long beer wagon loaded with barrels. Harnessed to the wagon was a pair of huge
horses (perhaps Clydesdales, though I don’t know horse breeds). There just wasn’t enough time to take it all
in!
As we climbed back into the boat, we overheard a man
comment, “Last year we did an excursion to Bruges. After having been to Ghent, I think I have to
say that I like Ghent better than Bruges!”
That made both of us feel better because we were thoroughly enchanted by
the gorgeous beauty of the city!
As we headed back to Zeebrugge, the guide commented that the
weather can make or break the excursion.
He said that if it’s raining, they put up a plastic roof and plastic
windows, but the plastic doesn’t do a very good job of keeping the rain
out. This was my fourth “water”
excursion, and the other three days were very overcast, and in a couple of
cases, rainy. What a relief that this
was the day that the weather cooperated!
We couldn’t imagine trying to visit such a magnificent city in the rain!
The only thing that “dimmed” the day was the realization
that we had a long night ahead of us: we
had seven suitcases to seal up for shipment home via DHL and two to take with
us to the airport (along with our carry-ons).
Not only did we have a long night, but we knew it would be a long day on
Saturday, up early for breakfast and then back to the room to get a few more
things done before leaving the ship one last time and heading to the airport in
Amsterdam. When we got up at 6:15 that
morning, we knew we would be going to bed at our “home” time zone. 6:15 AM in Amsterdam is 11:15 PM in
Chicago. The last several days on the
ship were a whirlwind of packing, exchanging addresses and email addresses,
saying good-byes, and trying to make sure we brought home all of our
belongings.
As we arrived back in New Lenox, Chuck commented that we had
managed to get through all ten weeks without incident. That is always a relief, but this year it was
particularly significant: I had left
home in mid-March having been released from physical therapy the day before,
having severely broken my sacrum in January. So the fact that we got home without incident
is a tremendous relief! I have said
several times that it was a great way to continue my recovery! I didn’t have to cook (not that I cook that
much anyway), nor did I have to serve my food, do the dishes, do laundry, clean
house, go grocery shopping, or fight the ice and snow that had plagued us
during the long winter of 2013-2014. I
didn’t see as much as I would have liked, but I did see a lot, and I had the
opportunity to relax and continue to recover. (I still have some months of
recovery to get through, but I have greatly improved!!!) Others waited on me, and I am so grateful for
all the assistance I received from the wonderful staff of the Prinsendam, not
to mention our tablemate Alice and especially Chuck!
BT
