Breathless in Antwerp

City life can be really dusty. Especially fine dust is a real killer. In many European countries the freeway is still cutting cities in half, causing noise pollution and also a lot of fine dust being spread through the cities, causing lung problems. There are communal elections coming up. The aim of today's gathering was to raise awareness and to ask people to vote for one of the four parties - ranging from a pro industry party - called 'liberals' but not in the American understanding of the word - to the greens and a left wing party involved in health service 'medicine for the people'. In Antwerp there are two contenders to become Mayor, yet none of them were present, nor seem they to be interested it what is a very important issue. Covering the ring, making a tunnel, for the 300.000 cars a day which impact over 300.000 inhabitants would provide cleaner air. The citizens would breathe better and be healthier. The city expects 100.000 new inhabitants: schools, kindergartens, social housing all has to be build. In covering the ring, a green lung for the city would be created and new space where the urgently needed provisions could arise. The through traffic would be lead around the city in what is called the Meccano plan. To show support for the plan four poets read, among whom the former City Poet Laureate, speeches were delivered by Ademloos founder Wim van Hees and Manu Claeys from StRaten generaal. People were invited to bring a pick nick, and while I blog tango is being danced on top of the Craeybecks-tunnel  where the whole action is held in pleasant green surroundings.

'Brugge', city of water from the middle ages

Brugge and the 'Reien', the canals through Brugge are a real attraction.  My last visit to Brugge was with wonderful Rose Van de Walle for the presentation of Annie Reniers' 'Grasschriftuur'. Years ago.

 So it was a pleasure once again in good company to rediscover the charms of this old city. It rained on and off, so it wasn't as if  we were just walking through a film set for a period film. Brugge is not a city in decay.
 Official buildings, the town hall where Napoleon visited and which now houses a Museum and also private buildings and churches are well kept. The town is a tourist trap and in certain periods can be a bit overrun. It is sad that the main shopping area has exactly the same shops as in other European main streets. But in Brugge the lace is still hand made and pretty. The food is generally good and the atmosphere relaxed

 There is however also a modern part pf Brugge with a concert hall with a great sound and this pleasant sculpting. And old ladies up for a conversation, proud of their town.

So a good time was had by all.

Sightseeing in Belgium

 When a friend visits you in a place she has never been, what do you show? My friend having worries, I decided to show her my favorite chapel: it is where the working girls would go to confession and there always is a nice quite and peaceful atmosphere. It is an beautiful baroque chapel, dedicated to Mary and St Antony. As you can tell many do light a candle to lighten their load, adding to the warmth and meditative ambiente.

Then we walked and visited many enclosed city gardens and small squares and even the botanical garden, smack in the middle of town. The whole city is  also filled with hundred of Madonnas.

 And yes, Antwerp is a playful city as one can tell by the the lion.

My Italian friend visited because of a European swimming competition. Her son won two gold medals and a bronze one. The Italian team won the relay swimming.

Rooftops and change

 Living in a high rise, yet not on a rooftop, I tend to look out of the windows a lot. Since a couple of month I have noted a definite change in the city. From my vantage point I spotted at least four buildings where an extra apartment is added on the roof. If they aren't creating new living quarters, people have turned their roof into an urban garden or have installed solar panels.

 Here, on the left, you see a new apartment under construction and behind it on the slanted tiled roof, new solar panels. The small dark gray corner top apartment is brand new and is offered to students as a good place to stay. This tells me that in an urban setting people will create gardens, green refuges or overflowing balconies where ever they can and also that the price of land is so exorbitant that it is cheaper to just add an extra floor. Interesting what one sees from a it higher up.

The road to Hollywood

Driving from Arizona to Los Angeles involves getting gas, several times... and yes in California gas is more expensive! A person has to ea,t so why not in Franky's diner. All dolled up, with signs and pictures, also several pictures of Marilyn and rat packs... Coca Cola signs but Pepsi is served. The value is in the highly collectible  Coca Cola signs, not in the root beers.


 We made it to Hollywood and were greeted by Charley Chaplin peaking around the corner and enough signs to be sure you know where you are: this is where it all began...

Tomorrow more of the Hollywood Boulevard. One of the many Boulevards of Broken Dreams after crossing crazy eight lanes freeways. In the evening even Mickey Mouse is tired... Although Elvis and Dart Vador were still going strong.

Small park, architects and artists

 A small park, a bunch of kids, architects and artists nice weather and a convivial atmosphere in a troubled neighborhood in Brussels. The park had been closed for a long while and was opended on Friday. Immediately a flurry activities took place. Kids made excellent mint thé, two cups for 1€, sold their mom's delicious cookies 4 for 1€, artist devised activities...

The kids were asked to write down what their wish was and the in a photomaton their picture was taken while holding the message. They played, enjoyed themselves, no screaming, no fights.

A meeting was held. The about twenty year olds, many out of a job, implore the people to keep the small park open so that their younger brothers don't have to grow up on the streets. They would like a guardian of the peace to keep an eye on the park, they would like fun and stimulating activities, so that in playing their siblings would learn certain necessary skills/

Artists presented some of their projects like a robot-drummer. Fun. It would be nice to have a bunch of them playing together somewhere in a public  space.

The locals build this climbing tower for the kids to play on with scrapped pallets. I was impressed by the task the guardians of the peace fulfill. They are not part of the police, they are responsible to the federal minister of the interior. They are mediators, are a presence in the neighborhood and seem well trusted. They have quite a task in this neighborhood with an impressive mix of nationalities or ethnicities: all kinds of North Africans, black African, Pakistanis and Indians. Some of the kids were three lingual speaking French and Dutch and the language of heir parents. Belgium is a strange country an the countries of the Arab spring look it how it works. There is no government since over a year, there are three official languages and the distinction North/South going through the country. The people who come and visit want to know why there is no civil war, how the Belgians do this... I think it is because people and groups keep talking to each other. Communication and exchange, sometimes heated, but it is understood to be a way of learning to respect the other and to eventually work together. All this can be learned in a small park in Kuregem/Cureghem. The local people have the key to the park for  four months, there is hope for a gentler way of living together thanks to these small scale projects.

Studies in light

 From my window the summer-sunsets dress the city in extravagant colors.
Sometimes etching the silhouette of the city.  Other times almost erasing the city, plunging it in darkness without being foreboding, cloaking the nuclear power plant. A vision of nuclear free futures.

Then there are the rainbows, warming the city, promising happiness or pots of gold at the foot of them, almost in reach. The light against dark skies is forever changing and enchanting.

Nashville,TN

Nashville, Music city, endless bars with life music, The Grand Ole Oprey, lively streets. Modern and old mixed, but yes, the first city one can walk around in because there actually is a human sized down town.

 BB KIng, Willy Nelson, all the assorted country paraphernalia, the legends surround you here. Music from the bushes, music coming at you from every open door. The city breathes, lives music, certainly in the days of preparation before the MCA Awards. From Thursday on there won't be a bed to be had in town.

All is tradition and the TV plays a loop of stars to be promoted.
Sweltering, hot and humid afternoons in Nashville at the banks of the Cumberland River in a dream of Country.

 Emmylou Harris on MTR

Seven degrees of separation

Just in the last two days I rediscovered how true it is that all humans in the world are connected to each other in just seven steps.  My sister in law, working as a volunteer for the democratic Party in Nevada, met Michele Obama and actually spoke to her. That is two degrees of separation. The other person, I knew about since his tragic death in July last year in Villeneuve Grenoble in France is Karim Boudouba. He was a convicted thief, armed robber, yet loved and respected in his neighborhood which protested violently after Karim Boudouba was shot in pursuit by the police. After his death riots broke out in Villeneuve Grenoble in the modernist area of town. My daughter, a future researcher, interviewed an impressive and wise and very sociable man, who happened to be Karim's uncle. Once again just three degrees of separation to a thief and victim of police action. I can only conclude that what Native Americans hold dear is a simple truth: we are all related.