I love Gent

I love Gent!

Gent - (Ghent) is very clean city!

Gent is an architectural masterpiece, very safe place and city of canals, charm and quirkiness.

Gent is a true gem in the Flanders region of Belgium.

Lonely Planet calls it “the best kept secret of Europe”.

I hope that it will not change, (as Liege or Brussels for example) and it’s no longer a secret for me!

The historical city centre of Gent is an architectural feast and wonders but also I like to get a sense of the Belgian way of life.

Walking through the city of Gent is like walking through a classical painting, an architectural masterpiece of castles, cathedrals, churches and old merchant houses.

Castle of the Counts (Gravensteen) is situated in the middle of the city. It’s a great place with superb views from the top, but be careful when visiting the torture museum inside the castle…it’s not really for people with a weak stomach so to say.

Klein Begijnhof and Groot Begijnhof ( Small and Big Beguinage) are a beautiful and charming historical quarters. Walls surround the houses, gardens and the churches, dampening the sound from the surrounding city.

Wonders of Gent are also unique and authentic shops, elegant brasseries and around every corner you are going to find an interesting souvenir and artisan food shops.

And of course I couldn’t resist buying these Gent noses (Ghentse neuzen) - a traditional Flemish candy, waffles, chocolate and fries - the snacks that Belgium has become famous for.

zwerfafval (Dutch) - litter

Marc's house in Gent

Computers surround me and the digital realm is a huge part of my life, but there is so much to love about records. They are analogue, old-fashioned and so yesterday, but I am not the only one. During the last few years there has been a resurgence of interest in records.
This summer we visited Marc in Gent, and he has a fairly large record collection.
My husband was fascinated with his record players and vinyl collection, and especially with the pictures and old newspapers-magazines notes inside the foldout record cover.
Digital browsing is fun, but it’s still a huge chore to see liner notes, lyrics and so on. There is something both thrilling and relaxing about holding a colourful album cover in your hands and not having to squint.

This is probably the most dubious claim: do records really sound better? No one will argue that digital tracks (track—a quietly antiquated term, like splice, or groove) sound much cleaner: no pops, hisses and usually no skipping.
My theory is that people think records sound better because the noise helps your years focus, and the fuzzy lack of clarity in the analogue realm mellows out the high frequencies, making the sound waves seems less harsh. My ears tire more listening to CDs, particularly if I am forced to listen using cheap headphones or speakers.
We live in the age of “fast” – “the information superhighway”. Listening to records takes more time than scanning tracks on your iPod and I think it is nice to chill once in a while, and records make you do just that.
The smell of vinyl brings back so many memories; the smell instantly reminded me of my childhood…those are some of my happiest memories as a child. I love seeing the needle approach the record, looking at the grooves and actually seeing where a track ends and the next begins.
I do not suppose that an analogue renaissance will last long. The digital age is too convenient, and as much as I love to slow down and smell the vinyl, I love having a hundred albums on-hand when I am travelling even more. Even so, I am so glad Marc has his collections, waiting for us to enjoy when we visit.

old national geographic magazines

green grapes in Marc's garden