Onlangs heb ik voor Govaka-Pasar opnieuw een fietsvakantie begeleid in het Nederlandse Almere aan het IJsselmeer. Deze ideale fietsomgeving ligt op een goeie 200 kilometer van Brussel en is makkelijk bereikbaar via de autoweg. Almere ligt in de Flevopolder, nieuw, op de zee gewonnen land. Het leent zich ’t best om het met de fiets te verkennen. Je rijdt er 5 meter onder zeeniveau, langs schitterende natuurgebieden en heerlijke waterplassen meestal over eigen, brede fietspaden. Uiteraard ontbreken er ook niet de typische dorpjes en stadjes.
FEATURES
The offensive got under way on July 1, 1916. The weather was described as “divine,” but that day would turn out to be the darkest one in the history of the British army. At exactly 7:30, the order was given to the Tommies to “go over the top” or “jump the bags,” as exiting the trenches was called, and move forward through no man’s land as they had been told, the British way: disciplined and dignified, marching slowly, body upright, shoulder to shoulder. In the case of the Surrey Regiment, someone kicked a soccer ball into the direction of the German trenches when the attack began. To the still unexperienced Tommies, all of this created the impression that the situation was under control, that all would be well. Moreover, the officers had assured the men that, after days of shelling, not much would be left of the German positions and their defenders.
We hadn’t even arrived yet in the center, but we could already hear the Irish fans shouting out loudly. Although not really impressed by their draw against Sweden, I have to admit they did make quite an appearance in the streets of Bordeaux. All of us, eleven West-Flemish Belgians from the Westhoek region, tried our best to drown out the pack of boys-and-girls-in-green. Despite our best efforts, we soon realized we weren’t going to succeed on our own. And then there was magic: literally hundreds of Red Devils, Flemings and Walloons united, sharing beers and singing songs, just around the corner. One of my friends lit the fuse and yes indeed, the whole crowd joined us in shouting…
The opening ceremonies of the 2016 Summer Olympics took place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on August 5, 2016. Queen Mathilde of Belgium and Prince Philippe of Belgium were in attendance. Belgium was the 23rd country to enter the spectacular scene at Maracana Stadium. Sprinter Olivia Borlée, a silver medalist from the women’s sprint relay team eight years ago, had the honor of carrying the Belgian flag.
Well here we are another year older and I don’t actually mean myself (although that is also the case). I am talking about the Gazette van Detroit. Camille Cools published the very first newspaper on August 13, 1914, and we are still publishing 102 years later: quite an accomplishment. Time certainly marches on.
The summer has arrived and we are well aware of it here in Southwestern Ontario and in Michigan as temperatures are in the 30’s Celsius and in the 80’s Fahrenheit but that’s OK with us as we have been waiting for it for a long time. I hope that it means travel for you, visits with people and friends and relatives you have not seen for a long time and many other activities that include loved ones.
EEN BEELD / A PICTURE
CULTURE
A new permanent exhibition depicting Belgian history opened at the BELvue Museum on the Paleizenplein in Brussels. Seven main themes are treated in the exhibition: democracy, prosperity, solidarity, pluralism, migration, language and Europe. The exhibition has the aim of providing visitors with a better insight into Belgian society.
The largest single painting in Belgium is making a triumphant return to the building where it hung for 240 years before it was removed for restoration. The 18th-century ceiling painting, The Gods on Mount Olympus, will be brought back to its home in Antwerp’s Hofkamer building on August 25th, following an absence of eight years. The painting was restored offsite, while the Hofkamer building was simultaneously fully renovated
COLUMNS
On July 7, 2016, Dallas suddenly got thrust into the limelight and for all the wrong reasons. A sniper killed five police officers, and wounded nine officers and two civilians. What started as a peaceful demonstration against police violence ended with death and maiming. We all know the facts. The only thing I can add to this is how we lived it here.