Reykjavík Grapevine - 21.09.2007, Blaðsíða 20

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foreigners...
Only 45 min. drive from Reykjavík is Eyrarbakki, a beautiful village by
the south coast, where foreigners have been feeling at home since
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Eyrarbakki - South coast
_REYKJAVÍK_GRAPEVINE_ISSUE 15_007_TRAVEL/BELGIUM
It is common knowledge, or, at least it should
be common knowledge, that Belgium is home
to the best beer in the world. And, obviously,
it’s famous for its delectable chocolate. That is
probably why Brussels, the capital of Belgium,
was chosen as home to both the European
Union and NATO. Still, as a tourist destination,
Belgium remains grossly underrated. When
was the last time you heard of anybody who
went for a holiday to Belgium?
Background: a Divided Nation
Belgium is divided into two parts: Dutch speak-
ing Flanders, and French speaking Walloon.
With three official languages, Dutch, French
and German (two parts speak Dutch, one
third speaks French and a small minority speak
German as a first language), you would expect
things to get complicated. But many people in
Brussels, the only officially bilingual part of the
country, speak both Dutch and French.
Waiting at Brussels North station for my
train to the West Coast, where I would spend
the majority of my stay, I got a sense of life
in the multilingual capital. The newsstands
were filled with a generous choice of papers
in both Dutch and French and regular train
departure announcements were also in both
Dutch and French. Walk into a shop or a cafe
and you’re greeted in both languages. As one
of Europe’s main business centres, many expats
are among the office workers and students that
rush through the station, resulting in English
also being widely spoken.
In December last year Belgian state televi-
sion ran a mock breaking news bulletin “an-
nouncing” that the Dutch speaking part of
the country had declared independence and
as a result the king and queen had fled. Only
half an hour later did the station inform its
viewers that the whole thing was a hoax. But
many people, including politicians and ambas-
sadors abroad, had already fallen for the stunt.
Criticism came from all sides, that is, apart
from the separatist far-right Flemish Interest
party, which advocates Flemish independence.
The broadcaster later defended the program,
stating that it illustrated the importance of
the debate on the future of Belgium. But, for
some, this longstanding issue is anything but
a joke.
According to statistics, many Flemings
support the independence of their region,
but wouldn’t push for it if it came down to
it. Three months after Belgians went to the
polls, the country still doesn’t have a govern-
ment, fuelling speculation by some that the
country is running into real trouble. While
independence isn’t an aim of any of the major
parties in power, the economic gap between
the wealthier Flanders and struggling Wallonia
has intensified discussions on the subject. The
two regions have separate political parties
and media, and have enjoyed self-rule since
the 1980s. Along with economic, social and
cultural differences, these were among the
reasons a group of 65 Flemish businesspeople
and academics, which released a manifesto in
2005, argued their case for independence. In
the meantime, it does seem somewhat ironic
that the centre of European politics is having
an identity crisis of its own.
A Fishy History
The two-hour train journey from Brussels to
the beach resort town of Oostduinkerke in
the southwest of the country passes contrast-
ing landscapes of medieval cities and open
farmland. While you’re unlikely to visit the
Oostduinkerke and its surrounding area for
its stunning scenery, the area offers plenty
of cultural activities. Its rich history also has
significant links to Iceland. Until 1995, local
fishermen sailed to Iceland to work in the lu-
crative cod-fishing industry. Today, the seaside
resort town’s economy heavily relies on the
many tourists who flock to the sandy beaches,
lined with cafes and beach cabins, during the
summer months.
However, the fishing industry is also still
visible. At low tide you can still catch shrimp
fishermen on horseback dragging their nets
through the shallow waters off of the beach.
These fishermen are one of the village’s tour-
ism draw cards as they are supposedly the only
fishermen in the world to fish on horseback.
During peak season, they can be seen search-
ing the grey waters of the North Sea before
later cooking and selling their catch to hungry
passers-by on the beach. The town celebrates
its annual Shrimp Festival in late June, which
includes a public shrimp fishing competition
and culminates in the crowning and procession
of the “shrimp queen”, the winner of the teen
pageant.
But it wasn’t that long ago when fishing
wasn’t so glamorous and fishermen had to
travel much further to fill their nets. Once
Belgian fishermen sailed to Iceland to earn a
living catching cod. Every Friday during July
and August a “folkloric” evening is held at the
National Fishery Museum in Oostduinkerke to
commemorate the history of local fishermen
going to sea. The event consists of a market
of traditional crafts and foods including ham-
mocks made from fishing net and hand woven
baskets, similar to those which hang from each
side of the shrimp fishermen’s saddles, and
local delicacies such as dried fish and other
seafood. Each week a band entertains the
crowd with folk songs, now mainly consisting
of tourists. My evening there, the group sang
about the hardship of sailing to Iceland – the
cold (some of the fishermen suffered from
frostbite), spending six months of the year
away from their families, and eating nothing
but cod and potatoes. In the early years, fish-
ermen would also walk long distances to the
harbour where their boats were kept before
setting sail north
The bodies of some of the fishermen who died
at sea in Iceland are buried in a small cem-
etery next to the museum. While the younger
members of the festival’s crowd were using
the cemetery as a playground, much to the
disgust of some, the locals are generally keen
to honour and pass on the history of these
men. Though the Amandine, the last trawler
that sailed from Belgium’s coast to Iceland,
arrived back in April 1995, many festivals and
Belgium, an Unlikely Choice
Text and photos by Zoë Robert
This exciting new multimedia exhibition tells the story from an island’s dramatic
birth from the depths of the Atlantic Ocean through its forty year history to the
current day – and beyond, glimpsing the future 120 years hence.

The exhibition explains the Government’s decision to submit an application
to UNESCO to designate Surtsey a World Heritage Site.
The Culture House - Þjóðmenningarhúsið
National Centre for Cultural Heritage
Hverfi sgata 15, 101 Reykjavik
Telephone 545 1400 www.thjodmenning.is
Open daily between 11am and 5pm
The admission fee grants entry to all exhibitions at the Culture House. Adults ISK 300. Senior citizens ISK 200.
Students ISK 200. Free entry for children 16 years of age or younger. Admission is free on Wednesdays.
SURTSEY – GENESIS. EXHIBITION AT THE CULTURE HOUSE
initiatives have been set up to do just this. One such
initiative is The Youth for Europe Exchange set up by
the European Union, which invites young Icelanders to
Oostduinkerke to take part in a cultural and historical
exchange with young Belgians in an attempt to foster
interest in the history and to forge links between young
people of both countries. Many of the fishermen who
did not make it back alive were buried on Icelandic soil,
while some of the survivors stayed on to live in Iceland.
Those that did built and decorated their houses with
the remains of the stranded fishing boats.
But this region isn’t just about fishing. Belgium may
be one of the most densely populated and urbanised
countries in the world, but large areas have also been
dedicated to outdoor leisure, such as extensive cycling
tracks. The notoriously flat countryside is perfect for the
sport, and it’s not uncommon for bicycles to outnumber
cars on the roads. The paths wind through peaceful
farmland and small villages, but the highly organised
mapping and signing system allows you to cycle the
whole country with little navigational effort. And because
there are so many paths to choose from, you can cycle
in relative solitude, even during peak holiday season. At
least, that’s what I experienced.
“Venice of the North”
Most commonly referred to as the Venice of the North,
the medieval and World Heritage listed city of Bruges
lies a little inland from the West Coast. The impressive
Old World architecture and canals are worth a visit in
themselves, that is, if you don’t mind sharing the tiny
streets lined with stores selling what else but pralines,
souvenirs of perhaps one of Belgium’s most famous
exports – Tintin, and carts selling chips with mayon-
naise, with hoards of other tourists. Finding less scenic,
but more charming, quaint cobble-stoned back streets
wasn’t too difficult, though.
Bruges is famous for its handmade lace. A recently
aired program on Belgian television claimed that some of
the “locally-made” lace actually comes from China, an
allegation that has the local lace makers in uproar. But
some of the craft workshops welcome visitors interested
in viewing the women making the intricate lace, a skill
which apparently takes years to master. After walking
the narrow streets and admiring the canals, we stopped
at the Béquinages, a once enclosed convent-style (al-
though, less strict) community built during the Middle
Ages and designed to help unmarried women (many
men lost their lives fighting during this time, leading
to a shortage of men) meet their spiritual and material
needs while also providing them with a safe place to
live. The Béquinages were the result of a semi-religious
movement by women in Northern Europe who wanted
to maintain a sense of independence. Although the site
is a major tourist attraction, the place continues to house
women.
It’s clear that the tiny nation Belgium is definitely
underrated on the international stage. The weather
may not always be fantastic, but the country has a rich
history and its people are passionate about preserving
tradition. For such a small country, Belgium offers in-
credible diversity in everything from scenery to culinary
delights to things to see and do. Why else would foreign
diplomats, cycling-enthusiasts and beer-lovers be equally
content on visiting?
In December last year Bel-
gian state television ran a
mock breaking news bulletin
“announcing” that the Dutch
speaking part of the country
had declared independence
and as a result the king and
queen had fled.