29 Dec 2020

BLANKENBERGE SEA RESORT - BELGIUM


Before the First World War, Blankenberge was an exclusive holiday resort frequently attended by Royalty. They stayed in a special wing of the Grand Hotel des Bains et des Families.

After the First World War, Blankenberge became a very popular holiday resort. Children of poor people were sent here to recreation homes. Blankenberge became the seaside resort of the poors. A train took them directly from Brussels to the Blankenberg station located in walking distance to the sea.

Today it has changed again. Everybody goes there, no social distance anymore. It is a place for families and young people and offers a lot of for everybody. 

I went  there a few years ago with a friend, we wanted to return this year, but the Coronavirus invasion put an end to all my travel plans and 2020 became the worst year for the whole world. 


 The Station

You have to walk up to the beach

All old mansions along the sea were replaced by modern buildings with lots of apartments !



all along the beach were these old little houses which are now squeezed between the concrete blocks. What a pity !

Here is another one, whose owner resisted the promoters !

The pier

A statue


City center

 

This is the last Our World post for this year ! Hopefully next year will be a better one for all of us ! 




more participants here

27 Dec 2020

BOXING DAY - A MISUNDERSTANDING

Years ago when I heard the word "Boxing Day" for the first time, and then in the context of Christmas, I couldn't understand what that meant. 

At that time no computer and no Google only my dictionary which indicated "Boxing, a sport bla bla bla ...." so I stayed with the idea that people would box each other for the presents that day and already saw the packages flying through the air. As my Grandma used to say "Different people, different customs". 

When my son lived in London we spent Christmas for the first time in his house. We had invited another friend and celebrated the German way as Prince Albert the husband of Queen Victoria also did with their children, that meant we unwrapped our gifts on Christmas Eve. And then we talked about our program for the next days and I heard the word "Boxing Day" ! Now I had the opportunity to know why the heck the people would box each other on the second Christmas day !

Our English friend then explained to me exactly why there is a Boxing Day and we all had to laugh that I had lived so long in the belief that the English used to box on Boxing Day.


 


 

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