Two Wars, one Pub

WW1 Gas Mask

What a day!

Today Bart and I started out early. We got up at 9 and stumbled into the kitchen for some breakfast. Then we headed off to Ieper for a World War 1 museum. That museum was simply amazing. It was really hightech with bracelets with chips in them that you used on different stations to activate monitors and things like that, to get everything spoken back at you in the right language. Also, it checks if you had any relatives who fought in the war, and if you did you get all sorts of available information about them. Sadly I had none (but then again, the Swedes were neutral in that war...too).

It is hard to put in words how amazing that museum was, and how well it was put together. Really, if you go to Berlin, this is a must-see place.

We also went to see a Brittish monument for the fallen soldiers in the WW1, with thousands upon thousands upon thousands of names.

After that, my dear guide and I headed towards Kemmel, where we went to a Cold War bunker. A bunker that was a big secret, even long after it became a museum. Only really know to the local people and was really only made popular after a TV show explaining about different sorts of local sights worth seeing that no one knew about. The whole place was like a time capsule back to the 60s. Really nice design and very well done over all.

Then we had a quick beer at a local pub in the tiny town of Kemmel. A very, very cozy pub. I only wish we would have had a bit more time to spend there.

Last, but not least, I was invited over to Bart's parents for a family dinner with Bart's parents and brother. Together we had a traditional Belgium stew consisting of three kinds of meat (chicken, rabbit and turkey) called Hobokens stoofpotje, beans, cauliflowers and of course real home-made double baked Belgian fries with mayo. Mmm, mayo. The national drink of Belgium. Bart had to leave me for a while, so me, his parents and brother got to practice our English skills together. Showed that they have been to Sweden for a road trip, the parents that is, and that they really liked the Vasa museum.

Belgian goverment!

The Antwerp Grand Centra

Okay, I'm in Belgium now, and I'm going to teach you just how the government work. I know all about it since I had it explained to me one and even saw a youtube video. One. Basically you got one single government which likes french fries with mayo. They control the whole country. Then you got 3 other government (Flemish, French and German) who also have the same power. Each of theses doesn't much like one another and work in different regions (mostly, but sometimes they overlap). Neither much agree with the other, and they all speak different languages so they can't much understand one another, but they all agree on that the national dish is French Fries with Mayo.

When voting, you do it 5 times, since it is a very democratic nation (6 if you count the european parlament vote). Once for Government. Once for the other government. Once for quite local area. Another time for a very local area. And another which I forgot, but is also important.

But they all love fries, even if they say it differently. Oh, with mayo.