Ghent

We’re back in lockdown—nonessential shops close this weekend, haircuts are again a thing of the past, and schools may be shut for weeks. It’s a little unclear what that means for our school, but for now it doesn’t matter because today was the kids last day before spring break! Stand by for spring break fun! I was at the grocery store when I got the news. I looked around—should I stock up on anything? No way! This is what I learned from the last lockdown: if the only place I can go is the grocery store this month, the last thing I want to do is stock up on groceries.

Unlike last year at this time, travel within Belgium is thankfully unrestricted, so that is great. Monday, back when outdoor bubbles were allowed to be up to 10 people and kids were in school, I joined some fun ladies for a museum day in Ghent. Upon arriving at the Design Museum Ghent the college girl at the desk was grouchy: “You have quite a large group! This is not allowed!” We explained we came separately to obey the rules.

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She yelled at me for my email address as I showed her my ticket. “Your email address? Your EMAIL? Do you HAVE an email?” “…I’m trying to show you…? Why do you need it?” “The scanner isn’t working so I need your email!” She made a frustrated face.

This is probably the only time I’ve ever encountered a rude Belgian who wasn’t driving. Except that lady at the beach who yelled at us in Dutch last summer that she was going to call the police because Isaac tossed a rock in the air and a seagull tried to eat it.

Anyway, the Ghent Design Museum is free with a museum pass! Afterwards, we hit up Sissy Boy (this shop probably deserves its own blog post but I was busy buying a cat-and-monstera-leaf tea towel and scissors in the shape of a crane and didn’t take any photos) and Belgian Treasures (the tapestry gift shop that supports the kids’ school), checked out the cathedral, and just had time for pitas at Barouche before heading back to Brussels.

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Lockdowns at the end of winter are so dreary, but a few hours in Ghent felt like a vacation. The weather was dry enough that lots of people were eating their lunches near the river, on the steps of course instead of at the nearby closed and stacked cafe tables.

My dream is that next time I come to Ghent I can see the Van Eyck painting “The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb” at St. Bavo’s Cathedral AND eat outside AT A CAFE TABLE—then it will really feel like a vacation!