Two Towers

Obviously the tall towers of medieval Flanders are about wealth and power and civic pride, but I'd also like to think they're a response to- even a protest against- the flatness of the landscape. Here are a couple of them- both in Bruges- the famous Belfry and the tower of Saint Saviour's cathedral. My mother in law says she found them oppressive when she was there fifty years ago- and I understand how they could do that to a person. Personally, I find them exhilarating. I wonder what she'd make of New York.

Somehow their being built of brick makes them all the more impressive. I suppose because bricks are so small. Huge things should be made of huge components- like steel girders- not of tiny things like bricks. I think of the medieval brickies up there on their flimsy scaffolding, patiently adding tiny brick to tiny brick- and it makes me proud to be a homo sapiens.

In the Groove

We just got back from a trip to the storage facility. That's the second deposit we've made. This time I took three small items of furniture,  a number of boxes of different sizes and the electric saw in its case.

While I was loading the car I had a conversation with the lady next door but one. She calls herself Mrs Bibi- which can't be her real name (though she's adopted it to the extent that it's on all the parcels we take in for her). I explained what I was doing- and how the the equity release thing works. She said that when we shuffle off our mortal coil her kids- who are now at the stage of kicking footballs around- might want to buy our house.

On our way home we swung by Sainsbury's and I put some books and videos in the Oxfam box.

I'm enjoying this.

Now I'm rewarding myself with a Belgian beer.

Bruges: Bricks And Water