Plenty of Nothing

Antwerp 1520

An ink drawing of the port of Antwerp in 1520 by Albrecht Dürer. This year marks the 500th anniversary of his visit there. Source.

The Carnival of Aalst

Source. The Carnival of Aalst is a masterpiece of the oral and intangible heritage of humanity, according to UNESCO.

Willem Frederik Hermans' Typewriters

Boekhandel Limerick in Ghent has a room devoted to the typewriter collection of Dutch author Willem Frederik Hermans. Source.

Spirou ou l'Espoir

The Belgian elevator operator Spirou is back in a new volume set in Brussels in 1940. Le Monde has an extract here.

Tapestry Restorers

Read about them here.

Craters of the Messines Ridge

On this date 100 years ago, Britsh sappers detonated caches of underground explosives at points along the Messines Ridge in Flanders, killing ten thousand German soldiers and creating a series of craters that still exist.

Above: The Spanbroekmolen Mine Crater as a lake filled with water lilies. Source.

Planet Westmalle

Westmalle, official beer of planet TRAPPIST-1c.

I think Poul Andersen had a planet called Westfall, or maybe it was an alternate history Viking America. Anyway, given the number of stars in the universe, and the number of planets around those stars, and the number of physical features on each of those planets, everyone and everything on earth that ever had a name will likely one day be called upon to lend it to something in the night sky.

Winter in Flanders (1928)

Winter in Flanders (1928) by Valerius De Saedeleer.

A Procession in Antwerp, 1520

Albrecht Dürer Visiting Antwerp, by Henri Leys.

   On the Sunday after Assumption I saw the great procession of the Church of Our Lady of Antwerp, at which the whole town were present, all the crafts and ranks, each splendidly dressed according to his rank. Each guild and rank had its emblem by which it might be recognized. Before each group, great and splendid candles were carried, and long, silver Frankish trumpets. And there were also, like in Germany, many pipes and drums, blown loudly and beaten vigorously. I also saw in the procession the long train, widely spaced, of goldsmiths, painters, stonemasons, silk-borderers, sculptors, joiners, carpenters, sailors, fishermen, butchers, tanners, clothmakers, bakers, tailors, shoemakers, and every kind of craftsman and many artisans and traders ... Similarly there were the shopkeepers and merchants and their various assistants. There followed those who shoot with the gun, bow and arquebus, and the horsemen and infantry. And after them came a great contingent of the town's officials; and then, a cavalcade of distinguished men, nobly and splendidly, attired, proceded by the various Orders and Foundations in their different robes, and very devout. There was also in this procession a large group of widows, who supported themselves and observe a special rule, all dressed in white linen that covered them from head to foot, very moving to see. Among them I saw many distinguished persons. And at the end of the procession came the Chapter of the Church of Our Lady with all the priests and scholars in all their splendour. Twenty persons carried the Image of the Virgin and Child, adorned most magnificently, to the honour of the Lord. And in the procession were many magnificent things, splendidly contrived and adorned. There were many carts, and plays performed on ships, and other devices. Among these were the Prophets in their order, followed by the New Testament: thus, the Annunciation, the Three Kings mounted on large camels, and other strange beasts, ingeniously contrived, like Our Lady on the Flight into Egypt, very devout; and many another thing which for the sake of brevity we shall omit. Towards the end came a large dragon led by a girdle by Saint Margaret and her maidens, and she was especially lovely. There followed Saint George with his squires, a very charming knight. There also rode in this group boys and girls from many lands, splendidly dressed in their native costumes, representing different Saints. From the beginning to the end, the procession took more than two hours to pass our house. There was so much that I could not write it in a book, and I leave the rest ....

Albrecht Dürer, Diary, August 19th, 1520.

About the Dutch Eredivisie

The Eredivisie is the top ice hockey league in the Netherlands. Holland is not a hockey power, even though skating is part of the national mythology, but there are NHL players signing up with this league for the duration of the lockout, so it's worth a look.

There are currently seven clubs in the Eredivisie, six in the Netherlands and one in Belgium. Each team plays a 36-game schedule from September to March, followed by playoffs. The playoff winner is declared Eredivisie champion. There is also the Dutch Cup, which is contested by the six Dutch Eredivisie clubs plus the eight Eerste Divisie (second tier) clubs.

The league first appeared in 1945, but was inactive in 1948-49, and from 1950 to 1964. In 2010-11 and 2011-12 the league was replaced by a competition called the North Sea Cup when two Belgian clubs joined in. This year the Eredivisie is back, but with one Belgian club enrolled.

The clubs are:

Amsterdam G's. Formerly the Amsterdam Capitals. They play at the 1,200-seat Jaap Eden baan, named after a speed skater. Colours: red and black.

Eindhoven Kemphanen. The Fighting Roosters play at the IJssportcentrum Eindhoven (capacity 1,700). They wear orange and light blue.

Friesland Flyers. Founded in 1967, this club has won seven Dutch championships, all between 1976 and 1983. They play at the 3,500-seat Thialf in Heerenveen. Yellow, white and blue. There ought to be an annual tournament between the Friesland, Fife and Kloten Flyers.

Ruitjers Eaters Geleen. Formed in 1968, the Eaters (the name is taken from the Trail Smoker Eaters) are the current league champions. They play at the Glanerbrook Ijshal (1,200). They wear red, white and blue. Geleen is in Limburg, the uvula-shaped southern projection of the Netherlands, near the Rhine Palatinate.

HYS The Hague. Nine-time national champs, HYS (short for Haagsche Ijshockey Stichting) date back to 1933. Their home rink is the 2,610-seat De Uithof. They wear blue and two shades of red.

HYC Herentals. Herentals is in Flanders, Belgium. HYC were founded in 1971 and have been Belgian champions four times. They wear red and white. The Bloso Ijsbaan seats 1,200.

Destil Trappers Tilburg. The Trappers were founded in 1938, and have 13 Dutch championships. Their home rink is the Stappegoor IJssportcentrum Tilburg, which seats 2,500. Blue and yellow. [Dustin Jeffrey of the Pittsburgh Penguins was to have played for Tilburg but has moved on to Zagreb. Dale Weise of the Vancouver Canucks have signed with Tilburg.]