“Queuing” in Belgium

During my many visits to the UK, there’s one thing I noticed. The English people are the most disciplined ever when it comes to standing in line, or queuing as it’s so nicely called.

The system is simple but easy, real effective and fair for everyone!

You have (for example) 6 cashiers where you can pay; there is one line formed and whenever a cashier comes available, the next person in line can go there. Easy!
I was amazed when I was in Scotland, it was raining cats and dogs, and the line for a bus was so long people couldn’t all stand in the bus shelter but the line was strictly respected. How disciplined!

So, when you’re used to a fair and simple system like this it will be a huge culture shock when you come to Belgium!

Every time I want to take the bus from Bruges to my home town, I’m not looking forward to getting on the bus when I see the group of people standing there waiting for the bus to arrive. It is strange, but when the bus stops, I get the impression people are afraid the bus will leave without them… It is close to a stampede to get on. People group up around the door, pushing and shoving to get in front of someone else. I’m surprised no one ever got killed there…
And it’s the same for every bus you take, not only the ones going to other towns. The busses you can take to get in the center of the city have the same problem.

The lines in the shops are the same. You just pick a cashier and hope you’re lucky. Because when you have the misfortune of choosing a line served by someone slower, or with someone in front of you who’s taking his/her time…
If you are visiting other cities in Belgium, by train or you take a metro there, be careful when you get off the train, tram, metro. Often people who are standing ready to get on don’t give much room to let the people get off first. So sometimes it’s more a struggle getting off the train or metro as much as getting on it…

So, you are warned now. The shock will not be that hard, but still…

Drinking routines in Belgium

When you join in one of the Beer Tastings Can you handle it Tours offers, you get a real nice explanation on beers, a little history on the ones which are served, some fun facts and so on.

During one of the Beer Tastings


Mostly the first beer you get is “Duvel”. Literally translated as “Devil”. For more information why they call this lovely beer ‘devil’ you’ll have to do the Beer Tasting. 

But before starting to drink, the host asks you to wait to do a joined cheer. Now that’s the moment when he (or she) asks you all to shout as loud as you can “Op je mulle” (“Up you moulle” you’d say it in an English way).

Luckily by the end of the evening they tell you what it really means. 

Example of being "out cold"

Risk is that you’re already a little drunk and don’t hear what it’s actually standing for. So, just to help you: “Op je mulle” means literally “In your face”.

Please, for safety reasons, don’t go in a Belgian bar and say this to someone you don’t know… It can get you into a spot of trouble.

The way to say “Cheers” in Belgium is “Santé” or ”Schol”. Short and easy.

But, anything else told in the Beer Tasting is true.

Imagine you being in a bar, it’s really crowded. The music is so loud you have to shout just to make yourself understandable.

And you want a beer from the tap but because it’s too crowded you can’t get close enough to the bar so you’ll have to make an order from a distance. If you just want a normal beer from the tap, that’s what we call a “Pintje”. In Dutch that sounds like a “pinkje”, which means your pinkie. So, you show your pinkie to the barman and he knows what you want! Excellent!

Do not do this when there are only five other dudes in the bar. Then it’s just silly and unnecessary…

Enjoy the beer, check out the website for the Beer Tastings, so you can do them when you’re visiting Bruges!

http://www.canyouhandleittours.com

Santa who???

Some visitors get confused, and I can understand them. When they’re walking around in Bruges, they go in the chocolate shops and see two different Santa’s standing.

When asking what’s that all about, they get the reply that there is “Sinterklaas” and “Santa Claus”. But, wait a minute… If you translate Sinterklaas, that IS Santa Claus… What the hell??

In Belgium and the Netherlands (generally the former Dutch colonies) we have two “Santa’s”. The first is Sinterklaas (as we call him) and that’s celebrated on December 6^th. Where the heck did he come from?

Well, somewhere in the 2^nd - 3^rd century there was a Bisshop Nicolaas of Myra who lived in Turkey (the country, not the bird…) and died on… December 6^th 342. Due to some legends, he became patron for children. Legends were of 3 schoolchildren beaten to death by an innkeeper but revived by St Nicolaas, 3 poor daughters who could still get married thanks to the gifts given by St Nicolaas or the legend of a child being put in a bath by St Nicolaas to protect him from a fire.

You may notice that “Sinterklaas” is kinda sounding like Saint Nicolaas but it’s not exactly the same. The aggregation happened somewhere in the late 1200’s. Since then he was considered the big friend for all children, giving out candy and presents. During the history his role changed to a bogeyman who rewarded the good children, but punished the bad by putting them in a bag.
In the 1700’s it was changed back to the good man we know today, using the bag for putting the presents in, not kids…

 

So he changed from patron for children, to a bogeyman, strict pedagogue into the folkloric friend for all children we have today.

Santa Claus comes from Saint Nicolaas. Remember there where a lot of Dutch when the new colonies were started? Well, in time the name changed and with the reformation and contra reformation a lot changed. Protestants banned the feast of St Nicolaas. But it was so popular with the common people it didn’t completely disappear. It transformed.

The first drawing of the Santa Claus we know today is from Thomas Nast in 1881. I added a picture of it below.
The American Santa Claus is probably a mix of Father Christmas and Saint Nicolaas.

So don’t go saying Santa Claus to Saint Nicolaas in Belgium, it is totally different.

Saint Nicolaas rides a horse, accompagnied by his helpers (Zwarte Pieten). Santa Claus has his sleigh with the reindeers and is helped by his elves. Common is the mistake people say Saint Nicolaas lives in Spain, but he only travels to Spain to get the gifts and sweets. Santa Claus lives on the North Pole.

I’d like to finish with a poem… Yes I know, it’s not my habit in doing this, but it’s such a known, and nice poem. In 1823 an unknown author published A visit from St Nicholas. Enjoy !

'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house 

Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse; 

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care, 

In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there; 

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,

While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads; 

And mamma in her ’kerchief, and I in my cap, 

Had just settled our brains for a long winter’s nap, 

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter, 

I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.

Away to the window I flew like a flash, 

Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash. 

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow 

Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below, 

When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,

But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer, 

With a little old driver, so lively and quick, 

I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick. 

More rapid than eagles his coursers they came, 

And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name;

"Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen! 

On, Comet! on, Cupid! on, Donder and Blitzen! 

To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall! 

Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!" 

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,

When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky; 

So up to the house-top the coursers they flew, 

With the sleigh full of Toys, and St. Nicholas too. 

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof 

The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.

As I drew in my head, and was turning around, 

Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound. 

He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot, 

And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot; 

A bundle of Toys he had flung on his back,

And he looked like a pedler just opening his pack. 

His eyes—how they twinkled! his dimples how merry! 

His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry! 

His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow 

And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow;

The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth, 

And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath; 

He had a broad face and a little round belly, 

That shook when he laughed, like a bowlful of jelly. 

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,

And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself; 

A wink of his eye and a twist of his head, 

Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread; 

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work, 

And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk,

And laying his finger aside of his nose, 

And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose; 

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle, 

And away they all flew like the down of a thistle, 

But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight,

"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night."

Holes in houses...

A question someone asked me once was about the funny little gaps you sometimes find next to some doors of houses. 
 Many people thought these “holes” were for cats and/or dogs to get into the house… 
But if you take a real good look at them then you’ll see they’re only about 20cm (8 inches) deep. So they don’t go straight through the wall !

Also, if they really were openings to let the pets get in, I think you’d have a bigger problem with rats or other pests getting into the house. So, sorry, but they really weren’t “pet-doors”. 
Take another look at the pictures I added… 

See the little iron or stone edge at the bottom ? In the old days, the streets didn’t have those nice cobbled stones, but were dirty roads, with sand, dust and mud. 
When you come to Bruges, you’ll noticed we do get some rain from time to time… 

You want to get in your house or go visit someone. But you notice that there’s a lot of mud sticking at the bottom of your shoes. They didn’t have a coconut-mat back then. 
Well, to scrape that mud off the bottom of your shoes, you had those holes. 
So, they’re a way to clean off your shoes before entering the house.
Who knew? Be honest!

Hey boys & girls, another fun fact you can tell your friends when you see one of those holes. It’ll make you look smart! 
You’re welcome…

The Swans of Bruges

I’ve told this story so many times since I started doing tours, let’s finally share it with the world.

When you walk around in Bruges, you can’t miss the presence of the swans on the canals. If you’re lucky, you can find a few at the “picture perfect” spot of Bruges (Rozenhoedkaai). The most idyllic pictures can be taken on those moments. But most of them live near the beguinage. You can always spot them there.

The 1400’s were a troublesome time for Bruges. Mary of Burgundy died (1482) and the “royal” families didn’t get along well.
Maximilian of Austria wanted to have the people of Bruges pay a maximum of taxes. He had his good friend and tax collector Sir Pieter Lanckhals (Sir Peter Longneck) assigned to this job.

Of course, no one wanted to pay those taxes and they captured Sir Longneck and Maximilian. They locked Maximilian in the house “Craenenburg” on the main market square. He had to watch all his friends and other nobility being tortured and killed. His good friend Longneck was one of them. He saw him being beheaded at the market square.

They put the head of Sir Longneck on a spike and had it displayed at the Gentpoort. Yes, those were some cruel dudes back then!

Once Maximilian was freed and back at power, he put a curse on the city of Bruges for their cruelties, especially with the fate of his good friend in mind. The people of Bruges had to keep swans or “longnecks” on their waters, or Bruges would be flooded. Now in those days, the North Sea was a lot closer to the city than it is nowadays. And… maybe the people were a little bit more gullible than we are today.

So, we keep our swans, and we take good care of them.

Fun fact: in the 1970’s an artist (Roger Raveel) made wooden swans and put them on the lake of love (Minnewaterpark) between the real swans, which had problems to survive on the dirty waters. A way to keep away the curse?

I leave you with a little word of warning… You can go up close and personal to the swans, but believe me when I tell you it’s better not to. They look nice, elegant and in some way friendly. But they’re actually mean! They will bite you if you get too close. Especially during breeding season, a lot of swans have a nest along the waters near the beguinage. I’ve seen people putting their kids over the low fence to walk between the swans. Ok, maybe a nice picture, but also a way to get a “funny home video”…

De Garre

When on tours, I always recommend people to take the time to visit this bar.

As we stand at the "smallest street of Bruges", I tell them about "De Garre".

Originally this wasn't an official street, but a "fire road". In the past, largest part of Bruges where wooden houses. So if you have a fire, you want a stopping-barrier. And everything was built really close together. We had our share of fires, so people installed those little alleys with a double function.

First the barrier, second a good way to get close to the buildings and start extinguishing with water.

Sadly, many of those little alleys are gone.

Oh, by the way: "Garre" is dialect for 'narrow alley'. Hm… not so original. 

Now, if you go in that alley you will see a few steps going up on the right hand side. That is the way in to the bar.

Upon entering, you'll see a very small room, most of the time packed! Don't turn around to leave just yet, there's more. Go in, at the far end, left of the bar you will find a very narrow spiral staircase. Go up there to find another (again very small) seating area.

If you're really unlucky, you'll have to wait a little before a table becomes available. But trust me, it is worth it.

I was lucky when I went in (yesterday, November 30th) and found a free table immediately. You have a wide variety of beers to choose from. But the one most people come for is "De Garre".

You can buy the normal one, which is €4. There is a smaller version as well, but if you're a real man/woman…

Yep, I'm having the big one...

The beer is full in flavor, with a slight bitter taste at the end. But in all a really nice beer to have. A little warning though… It's a 12% beer, so be careful on the amount of Garre's you have ! The proverbial hammer comes swinging faster than you think ! There was a couple of guys sitting at the table next to me who, upon hearing the 12%, choose to have a "Brugse Zot", which is 6%. Wise decision !

Of course, you don't have to drink a Garre, there are much more to choose from.
And if you really love the glass, it can be bought for €9, only the big ones, the small ones are not for sale.

I made a few pictures on why the bar is in such a narrow alley. If you're too drunk to walk, support on the left and right from the walls. Beware, when you get out of the street you have a lot of people who will see you (that's not such a problem) and horse carriages passing by (that can cause problems).

Just following the wall...

Or two wall support...

Really worth a visit when you're in Bruges !

The bar is open every day from 12pm until 12am in the week, from 10am until 1am. More information can be found on http://www.degarre.be

If you're staying in a hostel, you can get the free maps of Bruges (orange-colored), on those you can find De Garre on number 35.