We spent an unexpectedly humorous day in Ghent, a side trip planned around a visit to the Van Eyck Brothers' Adoration of the Mystic Lamb. We got off to a great start when we were given a free chocolate bar each upon exiting the train station. The combination of free chocolate, and a rare sunny day made Nina so giddy that I could barely contain her from dancing in the street. After passing by numerous tantalising shoe stores (all closed), and quite a few sleep wear stores - one bearing an ad for Woody's Active Sleepwear for Men - we made it to the center of town. There we were confronted with a barrage of police officers, firemen and the like. Fearing for a moment that the quiet peace of Ghent had been broken by some kind of uprising, we quickly realised that we were, in fact, in the midst of some kind of safety festival. It was definitely bizarre, but everyone seemed to be having a good time, so we passed no judgment...harsh judgment.
We spent a blissful half hour in front of the altarpiece. On the train ride home, as I looked out the window, the landscape seemed to evoke the perfectly rendered grasses and trees I had just seen in the painting. Modern life seemed very far away, and I was perfectly content. It's always nice to feel like you're living in a painting.
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