Fighting the Cobbles - My trip to Belgium in 2018, Part 22 - In Tervuren (2)

This blog continues the previous Part 21,
https://gerdiwanninger.blogspot.com/2018/09/fighting-cobbles-my-trip-to-belgium-in_9.html

Wednesday, June 27, 2018

     

"We shall never know all the good that a simple smile can do."

Mother Teresa 

   The advantage of traveling in Belgium in that the summer have long days. The sun rises around 6:00 o'clock in the morning and sets after 9:30 in the evening. There is plenty of time to be active during these long hours, a big plus in Europe.   

   At around 5:30 in the morning I woke up, I know it was much too early. But opening the zippers of my small tent I noticed a very beautiful sunrise in the progress to start. There was no way to get back in my sleeping bag. My resting heart rate jumped up immediately, I had to take my camera and the tripod to record the rising of the sun after my first night in mother’s nature. 

Room with a View

   
   With my equipment I jumped around like crazy, tried different views, different angles and different programs on my new camera. Compared to my older it has a flip-up screen, a big advantage for low angle shots and even selfies, which I am not very fond of.

   For me the most important equipment beside the camera is the tripod, I can use a low ISO with a long shutter time without worrying about blurs. Mine is 746 g light and only 36 cm long folded (incl. the ball head). For a light camera like mine it is sufficient and I enjoy the handling of the tripod. I bought it around 10 years ago, some chipping of the color shows that it had extensive use. It was made by a Japanese company in Thailand; their slogan is, with a hind to its competitors, 'the most copied tripod line in the world!' 

Morning has broken, like the first Morning…

   I've spend around 1 hour being a child with the simple pleasure of soaking up the  magic of this morning; I still could be running around if my stomach would not call louder by every minute. 

   I walked back to my tent and pulled my luggage with yesterday's food out of it. In this moment the benches and the table became hand even some flies tried to get before me at the food. While I was enjoying my breakfast and elder gentlemen rode slowly along the road with his bike and stopped. I looked at him and he asked in broken English: 

"Do you have breakfast."

"Yes, I do..." I answered.

"Would you like to join me for breakfast in my house? I live along the road."

A little surprised I asked: "Which is the number of your house?"

He answered with a smile: "You will find it!" and slowly he rode away.
   I did not know what to make of it but, of course, I was curious. It was already after 7:00 and I had to tear down my tent and pack all of my stuff into the sports bag or 'home' on wheels anyway. I left for the town of Duisburg but on the last corner I turned back to the linden tree and said farewell because it was so kind to give me a rest for the night.

And all I see is just a Linden Tree..'Thank You!'

   I followed the main road into Duisburg and noticed a grapevine beside the road. Even one of the most famous Belgian products is a sweet non-alcoholic products which is named 'champagne' in Taiwan I did not see growing grapes so I took a photo. Just when I was finished the elder gentlemen came from the back of his house and invited me to come in.

   My luggage got pulled up a small hill and we arrived at the backyard of the landlord who introduced himself as Rene. He prepared already a nice table with a cloth, on it everything a trekker's heart desires. 

My Host Rene, a kind Trekker himself who invited me for Breakfast in his Back Garden

   Rene is a retired but a very active person. He asked me if I want coffee, gave me a plate with the silverware, cut thick pieces from his bread, offered me sausage and cheese from the French Dordogne region which he bought on a weekend farmer's market nearby. As I cut a small piece from his delicious cheese he encouraged me to cut a thicker piece to truly 'taste' the French flavor.

   As a trekker himself he had a lot of stories to share. As a Catholic he walked several times the pilgrimage path to Santiago de Campostela which is a very famous destination in Spain. But he told me that he carries a big backpack with all his stuff, not a rolling sports bag like me. I appreciated his openness and I understand that everyone is different...

   He shared some of his pilgrimage travels because at home I had a cross which I fixed on my camera bag as a sign that I trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. Rene mentioned this simple cross twice during this unforgettable morning.
   Full from the offered breakfast he showed me around in his backyard. He had a white hen called 'Blanchette' which comes from the French 'blanc' meaning white. She laid over 40 eggs and Rene bought a 'breeder' for the eggs. 25 of them hatched for them he constructed a hen house made of mesh. He showed me many of his own planted berry bushes and fruit trees, his machine house with a lot of tools, equipment etc.

My Host Rene with his favorite Free range Hen Blanchette. 

The result of the hatched eggs can be seen behind the fence in the background

(to be continued@

https://gerdiwanninger.blogspot.com/2018/09/fighting-cobbles-my-trip-to-belgium-in_16.html)

Disclaimer: I traveled Belgium by myself, I am not sponsored by anyone. Interested subscribers and/or followers in traveling an in this small but beautiful country are more than welcome! 
If not convenient to subscribe on Blogger.com, I've started my own homepage @ https://gerhardwanninger.wixsite.com/travel

Fighting the Cobbles - My trip to Belgium in 2018, Part 7 - About taking Photos

This blog continues the previous Part 6,

https://gerdiwanninger.blogspot.com/2018/07/fighting-cobbles-my-trip-to-belgium-in_27.html

   My 'very own' road movie continued to Brussels. It might be a strange way to walk during holidays when we could move so much faster and see much more. For me travel is an experience and should never be a rush; we should never be controlled by a long list of to-do's but rather follow our own instincts.

Belgians at work... 

   My way to travel is about discoveries and for them you only a little more than you eyes, your nose and ears. I need my legs to move and my fingers to take photos which are, without doubt, an extension of my mind; a result of all the impressions around me. When I came back from this tour i experienced the for the first time that my daughter looked at each and every picture I took with real interest which was easily seen by different expression, sometimes asking questions, sometimes even laughing. For me it was a strange thing but finally she said: "You've changed, I can see it from your photos".

   For this trip I bought a new compact & lightweight 4/3 mirror-less camera with a flip-up screen.

Compact: I could easily store it in my messenger bag with enough place for a shirt or a light jacket on the top to close it.

Lightweight: A joy to handle and even handheld shots in darker surroundings were possible; I barely noticed the few grams around my neck. I could even take my lightweight tripod in my messenger bag and still beat the total weight of camera & lenses & tripod of my old SLR camera.

The Flip-Up Screen let me experiment with different angles shooting photos. This screen let me shoot from the center of my body, low shots and of course selfies which I did seldom before. I even put the camera on the cobbles and could control the photo easily with the flip-up screen. I made this shots to show how uneven the surface is.

   My aim was to record what I see or think what is interesting for me. I took photos of people around me doing all kind of things like sweeping the street, painters of fences, workers on houses etc. The camera was very capable and a great support for everything I wanted to visualize.

   In this regard I had only good experiences except once during the whole three weeks in Belgium. Preparing to take photos of the train station a young man from the Middle East indicated with a gesture and by covering his head with a hoodie that he did not like to be in the photo. I replied with a gesture from my side that I understood and put the cover back on my lens for him to see. 

   I do not stick my camera in people's faces but ask before taking a photo if possible. Entering a museum or private property I also inquire politely if it is possible to take photos. Maybe also because of my 'unprofessional' equipment I have never heard a 'no'. On the contrary, museums like the Hergé (creator of the Tin Tin comics) Museum in Louvain-la-Neuve or the the Chocolate World in Belgium rather encouraged me to take photos.

Man starting his Harley in front of Comic Pictures covering Road Work

   Walking on a boulevard it was impossible to overhear a Harley Davidson riding along the road. Just when I prepared to take a photo of two large comic pictures covering road work the rider stopped and parked his bike exactly on the same sport I focused my camera. I thought this is nice and pressed the button after the rider left the scene. But he returned immediately and discovered me and my camera, made some funny poses and I continued shooting. He sat on his motorcycle and rode away. After he left I continued my way and suddenly the rider appeared in front of me.

   "Did you take photos of me?" He asked. 
   "Yes, I did!" I nodded. 
Some people might think a lot in this awkward moment and even possibly get threatened being approached by a man in a leather jacket with a helmet in his hand but I stayed calm. 

   "Could you send me copies?" he asked me politely.

   "Of course, if you would give me your email?"
   He wrote it on my map and after my return I've send him the photos. This is just one example how easy-going the Belgians are and how photos could serve as an ice breaker between humans.

   I had opposite experiences in Japan. While Japanese travelers can visit castles in Germany freely, most parts of the Kyoto palace are off limits for foreign tourists. Just to see some gardens it is not worthy to spend time and money for the trip. Not only people do not want to be photographed but even taking pictures of temples and temple workers are off limits. 
   Once I set up my tripod in an empty 'famous' temple yard on gravel because the weather was terrible on that day in Kyoto. A female employee came to me explaining that "this is not allowed because I would' hinder other (non-existent!) visitors'. Needless to say I traveled to Japan twice: the 1st and last time!   
   Because I had the time and took it easy in Belgium I can remember each and every photo very clearly; the story behind it which made the trip so much more valuable and enjoyable. Especially I would like to encourage my Taiwanese friends not only to run to famous destinations but take the time and their own God-given senses to experience this beautiful world. This let us not to see destinations like on TV but let us create our own impressions which should be shared and lived out. It is senseless to travel but stay the same after your return.

(to be continued @ 

https://gerdiwanninger.blogspot.com/2018/08/fighting-cobbles-my-trip-to-belgium-in.html) 

Disclaimer: I traveled Belgium by myself, I am not sponsored by anyone. Interested subscribers and/or followers in traveling an in this small but beautiful country are more than welcome! If not convenient to subscribe on Blogger.com, I've started my own homepage @ https://gerhardwanninger.wixsite.com/travel

Fighting the Cobbles - My trip to Belgium in 2018, Part 4 - Preparing to leave Taiwan

This blog continues the previous Part 3

https://gerdiwanninger.blogspot.com/2018/07/fighting-cobbles-my-trip-to-belgium-in_23.html)

Even working in my company and preparing and serving the homeless in a local Taiwan church I tried to prepare the trip as best as I could.

Take 5 during my Trekking Week including the whole Travel Equipment for three weeks

I bought a new camera with a better video quality (4K), a flip-up screen and many more functions unknown to my previous SLR. It is a mirror-less camera which much handier than my older SLR camera. As the design is different the camera and lenses are much smaller and the whole package was much lighter. I bought a good used telephoto lens in a shop with guarantee. I prepared 4 batteries but forgot one with the charger. I found out that I did not need the charger, I could reload the battery within the camera even on the go from my big extra battery (see below). I took 3 memory cards with me, 1*16 GB and 2*32 GB. When you take more videos the three memory cards would not be enough.

   My smart phone was only around 4 months old and would do the job. Important was the 'line' connection which allowed me to call my wife for free if I had a wi-fi connection.
   The most important electronic equipment was my extra 'big' battery with two outlets which allowed me to charge the phone and the camera at the same time. This extra battery included a handy flashlight which comes in very handy.    

   In Taiwan I bought an 110 V (Taiwan plug) - 220 V (European plug) adapter which had a malfunction during the trip. In Belgium I bought a 220 V European plug with two outlets for charging two devices at the same time (see above 'big battery').

Battery Plug (220V-110V) with two outlets charging both Battery and Smart Phone at the same Time on board a Belgian Train

It is not allowed to send batteries with your luggage so you must (!) hand carry them. I have a messenger-style camera bag which is big enough for the camera, the extra lens, the batteries, the adapters with the cables and space for a thin jacket. I could even put my light tripod in this bag. A great advantage it that this bag can be fixed on the handle of the sports bag which was very convenient.

Packing the before mentioned wheeled sports bag's main department I not only rolled my clothes but also put them in different waterproof bags:

- one for socks, underwear and t-shirts

- one for outerwear like trousers, shirts, sweaters.

   I have the habit to put my toiletry rather in a clear plastic 'cooler' box which people use in a fridge for storing food than in a toiletry bag. The plastic box is hard to withstand pressure, the tooth paste and the liquids would neither be pressured nor spilled out over other items.

   In the main department of my bag I also put my light tripod (for the light camera!), my small one man tent (which I bought 11 years (!) ago) and my new sleeping bag which I packed in a waterproof bag. I would use this bag later to store my 'dirty' and 'smelly' clothes.

Wild Camping under a big Linden Tree with my Equipment on the Table

   In the upper separate department of the bag I put my 'hardware' like the padlock for the locker of youth hostels, my spare keys, my outer bag for the bottles.
   The lower separate department was for my 2nd pair of shoes which were sport sandals. The come in handy strolling around the hotel or the campground but also give tired feet in trekking shoes some more 'energy'. Asking Toms Hank's advice when directing a movie he answered: "Change your shoes once a day gives you an extra boost!" He was right!
   In the separate department designed for a computer or tablet I put my clothes in case it becomes too hot or too cool!

   Currently my wife and daughter travel in Germany using the above same equipment for three weeks. For travel most items are an investment not only for the trip but also for daily or longer use.

My whole Travel Gear with the different colored and sized waterproof bags

(to be continued @ 

https://gerdiwanninger.blogspot.com/2018/07/fighting-cobbles-my-trip-to-belgium-in_26.html

Disclaimer: I traveled Belgium by myself, I am not sponsored by anyone. Interested subscribers and/or followers in traveling an in this small but beautiful country are more than welcome! If not convenient to subscribe on Blogger.com, I've started my own homepage @ https://gerhardwanninger.wixsite.com/travel