Last stops: Kortemark, Werken and Diksmuide (and some little towns in between :P)

Compadre Korneel and I had planned for a long time this little trip to his hometown and surroundings, but it was never a good time either for me or for him... (I thought it would be just one more of the things I intended for ages but I wouldn’t accomplish here…)

[It’s unbelievable… Belgium is so small that with some days with a car you can get to know it pretty well… I mean, the “countryside” isn’t unreachable at all! – I’m not one of those who stick to capitals and tourist places when I really intend to know deeply a country…]

Anyway, I finally saw myself on my way to Werken (werken means “to work”;)), on the back of Korneel’s bike, taking pictures of every lovely house that I found on the way (my concept of lovely turned to be a little bit broad though:P). I finally saw myself as one of those “typical Belgians” (although I was taking pictures as a Japanese…:P) I used to gaze at from the train window when I was going somewhere else… From my window, everybody was so happy, wealthy, healthy and serene while biking along with their children or rushing because the bus was almost passing by… And I always wanted to be among them!

I was so into it! Korneel was laughing at my little happiness feelings caused by the fact I was there… in the middle of nowhere… biking in the Belgian field…

I love this architecture they had been preserving around here. Tiny houses, dark and stairs-shape roofs, dark bricks (in the city) and big but simple and usually dark houses, sometimes with a lighter roof and lighter bricks, but always with a lovely well treated garden and colourful flowers vases (in the countryside). I would love to have one of these for my own… but I should admit… after 24 hours around, one can tell that there is neither much to see not to do.

But I was with Korneel… and he is one of those people I feel I can talk and laugh with for hours... :) so not only I discovered a bit more of mijn vlaanderen but also I had a really nice time discovering a little of Korneel’s past and routs… it’s always interesting to get to know a bit more of your friends…