In early September in Belgium, during my long and winding railway journey home from the summer school in Peyresq, I visited friends. Dries in Hasselt and Jessica at her parents’ house in the small village Lummen. I like it, seeing where friends grew up, walking on their streets, hearing stories of teenage viola lessons and favorite shopping places. I feel like those kinds of small details gives a person more depth, letting me grasp at what might have made them become what they are today.
Pieces of Hasselt, including the genever museum, Hasselt’s pride and joy. Genever is a Flemish/Dutch alcoholic beverage quite similar to gin. Hasselt has historically been one of the centers of producing it. Hasselt is small, but cute and easy to move around in. I’m not surprised that Dries likes it there.
Lummen did not have many sights to brag with, expect for Jessica’s parents’ gorgeous house – but instead, Jessica, her mom and I got on the train and spent a day and a half touristing in Antwerp. The old printing press, turned into a beautiful museum, relating an interesting history – while the rain poured down outside. Old cathedrals and castles. And Jessica and her mom making sure I got the full Belgian experience by feeding me waffles with hot cherries and whipped cream, drinking beers of all colors, and having moule frites for dinner.
The statue of a popular Belgian childrens’ story in a square. And the train station in Antwarp! See, that’s what I call a proper train station.
Belgium, at least the parts I saw, were really friendly. It felt familiar, in a sense, but also not. Rainy, though. Every day. Maybe I was just unlucky.
Katja Malmborg 