Ghent 1

For a small country Belgium can be quite complicated. It has three official languages, French, Dutch and German and is divided into three regions, namely Flanders, the Dutch-speaking north, Wallonia, the French-speaking south and Brussels, a sort of bilingual island stranded in the middle. Ghent is staunchly Flemish. I am staying at the Novotel, which is next door to 13th century Dutch Gothic St-Niklasskerk, so, as St Nicholas is the Patron Saint of sailors, I made the church my first port of call. The entrance is rather striking with bluish-grey stone turrets on either side of a single tower. Once inside one is also struck by its giant sized Baroque High Altar with the mammoth figure of God the Father, surrounded by cherubs, fulminating on the Last Judgement. More tomorrow.




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