Bruges Brussels... the place that time forgot and Ralph Lauren remebers

 

A Sunny Day Reliving Medieval History

My great friend Goksenin is rarely wrong about anything!! Possessing enviable globe -trotting experience and equally large doses of smarts and common sense, I unhesitating agreed to visit Bruges when she enthusiastically recommended it. What better way to spend a Sunday afternoon than listening to these 12 hipsters rocking out in the middle of Bruges! These bad boys of Belgian Rock and roll entertained a surprisingly large crowd who made their way to the coast to enjoy what is described a a museum without walls. Also known as "Venice of the North", this canal city is a walker's paradise on sunny days. Each turn in the cobbled streets revealing another Idyllic scene and cause to wonder what it must have been like in the 13th century when Bruges was one of the most important cities in the world. It's hard to imagine that this was the commercial hub of the world.






But it's now a place visit and live. There's about 20,000 living in the city and below is a backyard garden that I thought was pretty cool. Note the canal meandering by at the right. No room for badminton or Footie - but you make your choices in life.

I've always loved bikes and think everyone should have several. I was instantly attracted to the still and simple view of bikes so casually resting and at the same time so ready. There is a peaceful easy feeling about village life in Europe that I though I captured well in the photos beside. A bike and a home and sufficient income to support both.  That's it......

What did surprise me about Bruges was the proliferation of shops within the city. I like knick knack shops as much as the next person thinking it cool that people express their passion for where  they live through a creative process.

What I'm not as big a fan of is the Zara, Ralph Lauren shops that fill space with often overpriced goods that few can afford and as often, reflect trends in clothing and goods that have a remarkably short home shelf-life. Many if these items will end up discarded and unused eventually adding to the clutter and garbage that threatens to drown us all. :)

Ok ok  that's a bit rich - but the point is that we are financing the long - term preservation of one of the humanity's great sites through the marketing of goods representing disposable short term hedonistic interests. Am I the only one that sees a contradiction here? I wonder if this is all part of the UNESCO grand plan. They're pretty smart fuckers...so maybe...

The shot beside is not a great one but shows two men of the cloth comforting one another and weeping in front of a church. Clearly a tragedy of epic proportion, I think it's because they can't afford that new Hugo Boss shirt and tie combo that came in just down the street. Someone has to get low-priced affordable goods into Bruges before it's too damned late!!!

Above is one of the meeting rooms at Medecins Sans Frontiers in Belgium moments before people arrive for my presentation. I was in Belgium and later France to share my ideas (and get support) on a number of strategic initiatives in Supply and Logistics for Central Africa. I am indeed privileged to get to work with quite a number of super smart, experienced, unflappable and dedicated  colleagues. We get shit done!!!
  

Thanks for reading .........Layno