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Saturday, June 22nd - a day in Ghent
Guy and Monique will spend the day painting and papering Monique's sister's new place, a dress rehearsal of sorts for their own place they hope to move into after November. I am up by 8 because they need to leave by 9. We exchange addresses.
I decide to tour Ghent before departing for Brussels. I leave my loaded bike locked
in their lobby as I walk around for two hours. I walk along a couple canals that run through the city and visit the cathedral. I return at 11 ready to leave, and find
that my note to Jean-Philippe has been moved to Monique and Guy's box and there is a message on the reverse from Jean-Philippe. He is "on stage" until 2 and will meet me here right afterwards. I abandon my plans to leave for Brussels and spend the time until writing in a local park now that the skies have cleared.
John-Philippe Bottin is a tall, skinny, balding, long-haired guy. Although he is gay, he's not at all my type, but he is very kind. He already has two guests from France staying with him, Sebastien and Thierry. They are all sleeping in his bedroom, their mattresses on either side of his bed. I am still welcome if I am willing to share his bed.
The apartment is a mess. There are dirty plates and beer bottles everywhere around the apartment as if there has been an endless party. The kitchen is filthy. JP directs plays for a living and has to return to the stage, so he leaves at 3. Thierry, one of his actors, leaves with him. Sebastien and I make arrangements to meet them at 6:30 for dinner at the Vooruit where the rehearsals are taking place. In the meantime, Sebastien and I, on my initiative, collect the beer bottles and clean most of the kitchen.The Vooruit is a landmark in Ghent, a famous and huge community centre in city long known as a socialist stronghold. Indeed, many of the largest buildings are or were union halls. The ground floor of the Vooruit is a pub, fitting for a country famous for beer production. We meet JP and Thierry there. JP is satisfied having a liquid dinner but Thierry goes out to find other food. Sebastien and I stay with JP until he returns to finish the rehearsal. Then we get a cheap bite to eat nearby.
We return to JP’s apartment until 11, and then head back to the Vooruit to meet JP and Thierry at the end of the rehearsal. From there, we hop around a variety of pleasant bars, all with good music and none of them crowded. We make it home to JP’s by 2am.
PHOTO 1: Ghent Church of Saint Nicolas
PHOTO 2: the Graslei
PHOTO 3: Leie River in Ghent
PHOTO 4: historic centre of town
PHOTO 5: graffiti in an alley
PHOTO 6: the Vooruit
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