Summer 2019
Tour de France at Villers La Ville and Genappe!
Nivelles
Brussels
Diane on the Nivelles-Genappe bike path. This segment is part of the Ravel, disused railway lines paved over for leisurely cycling and walking. The grade is never steeper than 3%.
A bridge high enough for a steam engine to pass! The vegetation is thriving in the sunny, hot days following a rainy late spring.
At home in Nivelles, as Olivia and her friends, Eva and Jo, prepare for Day 1 of Rock Werchter. This is Belgium's 4-day-long rock festival, outside of lovely Leuven, to the west of Brussels. Diane enjoyed the build up and gave appropriate parental advice. I googled the train station to see the route to the pick up point each evening after the show. Not surprisingly, road construction presented another reality: a winding adventure through the medieval center of this lovely, bustling city. On Day 3, Eva is all mirrored-spangles!
Saturday Market in Nivelles
A Country Drive to Ittre
Cafe bye the Ittre church. In contrast to the catholic uprightness, the people at the next table were talking boisterously and loudly about sex. Loudly, lewdly, and to all passers by...
Some good bike riding....
A cold hot summer...
Tour de France
Stage 1--July 6, 2019
The Tour de France comes to Belgium. Stage 1 begins in Brussels, heads southwest and then south, reaching our area by mid race.
All race photos unedited at this point. Keeping them for later reference...
Tour de France at Villers La Ville and Genappe!
Nivelles
Brussels
YYZ is the airport code for Toronto. To Rush fans, it is:
Go ahead, watch the whole thing. It's worth it. Neil Peart's solo sets the direction for drummers ever since.
If you need more: Neil Peart Solo (Rush in Rio)
"Let the music play on," says Barry: Villa Strangiato Live
Sunset over Newfoundland. Destination: Belgium
Back in Nivelles again...
Food contrasts in the the grocery store. Old and new? Past and future? The present is all there is.
Panorama view of our little house.
The weather is warm, and the wheat is beginning to dry. Wildflowers galore!
The view that let's me know the bike ride if done, and the cafe is right by the Collegiale towers. (The cathedral here is properly termed a collegiale, since it was an institution of instruction.)
A day in Brussels....
A day at the museum in Brussels....but wait....Tour de France!
The Tour de France Gran Depart (start) takes place in Brussels this year to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Eddy Merckx's first victory in the Tour. The 22nd and final stage was raced on July 20, 1969. At 20:17 that same day, the Eagle landed on the Moon.
The Musee des Beaux Arts in Brussels
The featured exhibit focuses on contemporaries of the two Bruegels and fascinating explanation of the etching and printing process, emphasizing its importance in the reproduction and dissemination of great works and information. The prints allowed great works to reach other artists all around Europe.
Etching and Print
The etching and the print.
Be good or look what awaits you! Did the Dutch has such long arms?
I love the scenes of medieval life, especially those showing the cities and countryside, as well as the people...or monkeys. Yes, it appears the Netherlands was populated with monkeys. Maybe evolution happened there a little later.
Museums are great for meeting beautiful people.
July 20, 1969 was a good day.
The front pages showed Merckx in victory and Armstrong/Aldrin striding across the Moon's surface nearby the Lunar Excursion Module (LEM). This second epic feat took place about six and a half hours after the landing, thus on July 21. For those who like precision...
An exhibition of news photos of Eddy at the 1969 Tour.
Eddy Merckx is the world's greatest cyclist...ever. Statistically and morally.
His 1969 victory in the Tour was a confirmation of his excellent promise, and he would go on to become the most dominant athlete the sport had or has since seen. He was idolized throughout Europe, most notably in Belgium, of course. He won about one of three races he entered over a 14 year professional career. His record 445 professional victories (plus 80 as an amateur equals the well known figure of 525) will not soon be equaled.
Eddy Merckx remains beloved by most Belgians (though not every single one!) and is the king of their hearts.
Eddy is everywhere, even now at the airport!
Olivia and I enjoyed a coffee at this cafe while Diane returned for another moment in a different exhibit at the Boz'Arts, as they call it.
A break at my favorite local cafe, La Lanterne.
An evening stroll by the Collegiale and Quartier St. Jacques
Dinner at the new Thai Cafe restaurant on the square.
The Collegiale is just behind Diane.
An after dinner walk with a rest on a bench. The Collegial view from the bench!
Click on the video links (3) below to hear the sounds of Nivelles!
The swallows at sunset!
The bells of Nivelles. Jolly discordant! But we have grown to love the ditty.
Country road on one my usual cycling routes. The wildflowers are in bloom among the waving grains.
A Country Drive to Ittre
First signs of the Tour de France. These life-size plastic models are like the toy figurines many Europeans played with as children....and some still do as adults.
The Church of Ittre
Lovely late afternoon
Wonderfully mellow and colorful painting reflects the contemporary medieval/renaissance colors to which many European churches and cathedrals are being restored.
St Jacques
Not sure who this is??? And not sure they got the colors in the right order.
Flowers outside a chateaux that could be Moulinsart of Tintin comics. Could be!
I know which way I want to go...
Ittre was such a lovely spot, I decided to ride back the next day. It is very hilly riding to get there!
The toy riders, once again. "Mourenx 69" commemorates Merckx's great solo stage win that sealed his victory in the 1969 Tour de France. My bike is made by the Merckx factory, that the Great Eddy started soon after his retirement from professional cycling in 1978.
At the movies with our dear friend, Maggie. Diane leads the way into the theater.
Taking a break at the cafe La Lanterne in Genappe, through which the Tour de France would pass on Stage 1.
A cold hot summer...
Hmm. Seem to be missing the photo of the temperature....36 degrees Celcius that evening!
A little ethnic self-humor-slur in Waterloo.
Tour de France
Stage 1--July 6, 2019
The Tour de France comes to Belgium. Stage 1 begins in Brussels, heads southwest and then south, reaching our area by mid race.
The publicity "caravan" passes through Genappe, right in front of La Lanterne! Couldn't be better!
The caravan is a publicity machine 200 vehicles long...
These promote the Asterix comics theme park outside of Paris. Go Obelix!
Hurrying to pick up one of the great treats thrown out by the caravan before someone beats me to it. I got this one and many more!
Almost nobody inside! Packed outside!
The race follows the caravan two hours later. Diane and I used the time to cycle over the steep hill in the village of Ways and over to Villers-la-Ville. The race would pass through the ruins of this ruin of a 12th Century Cistercian abbey on the other side.
This chapel was constructed with the funding of a knight after he returned from the First Crusade.
The Tour arrives in Villers-la-Ville
Course is the French for race. First a slew of officials and team cars.
Some say Eddy was in this car. Hmm. Did not make a positive identification, myself.
The race arrives!
And the riders!
The ruins of the Abbey of Villers-la-Ville make a stunning backdrop for the racing.
The back of the race gets a little dangerous, as riders move among the next set of team cars.
That's almost all, folks! Hours, days, weeks, months of waiting, and WHOOSH! 60 seconds and it's over.
Two important cars!
Some of the teams that would play a role in animating the 2019 race.
And the throngs move along...home or to the nearest bar to watch the rest of the stage!
Love Among the Ruins
Our ride back to Nivelles allowed me to share some of my favorite country roads with Diane.
The significance of this memorial remains a shrouded in the mystery of time. But not this one!
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| Our little house is in good order. Stretched out here for the photo... |
These images capture the beauty of the summer! On to the TdF!!
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