This week, I've been taking advantage of my cheap student train pass over the school break, and Ghent did not disappoint. It's a huge city compared to Mechelen, with a 30+ minute walk from the train station to city center, but today I just stuck to the Sint-Pieters Quarter near the station.
First stop: bookstore. They had multiple shelves of offerings in English, in addition to the seemingly obligatory new Obama memoir which is everywhere and already translated in Dutch, French, and many more languages. Thanks to my pal Simone for recommending War and Turpentine. When in Flanders, right?
Second stop: plants! The University of Ghent maintains beautiful botanical gardens, including tropical and subtropical collections in huge greenhouses. I was surprised by how awe-inspiring the many tall and odd species were. Actually, the plants reminded me of an unexpected lesson: there's beauty in diversity. Surely the gardens wouldn't be nearly as interesting if they only showcased one or two species per room. And I'm no expert, but I bet the whole ecosystem is made stronger by the variety. This lesson reminded me of my current home city of Mechelen, which, though predominantly white, is home to a sizable community of immigrants and descendants of immigrants. The previous mayor, Bart Somers, made inclusion and integration a hallmark of his work, and he won the 2016 World Mayor Prize for it. He said: "We can't allow a social group to cut itself off or become isolated. All of us living here are Mecheleners, regardless of whether we were born here or in Morocco." This experience led me to a newfound commitment to learn about the different groups that comprise my own community, explore parts of town that are home to more diverse groups, and patronize minority-owned restaurants.
Third stop: lunch in the park. This neighborhood is anchored by the large Citadel Park, aptly named for its location on the high ground which once fortified the city against invaders. I enjoyed braving the cold like a true Belgian and digging into both my falafel and my new books.
Fourth stop: museum of contemporary art. There were many great exhibitions on, but I went for Anna Boghiguian's "A Short Long History." The artist "traces the history of the global cotton trade. She focuses on the city of Ghent, which has strong connections to this raw material. After all, cotton in Ghent marks the start of the industrial revolution on the European continent and the strong Belgian textile market of the last century, but also of social injustice, the exploitation of land and forced labour in Congo." The show examines cotton as a "costly commodity" and shows "the indivisible links between the American cotton trade and slavery, violence and exploitation." This was very impactful and gave me much food for thought.
The museum also had an interesting initiative where they solicited community members' drawings during the early months of the pandemic, and the results were on display in their own exhibition. Another reminder of the beauty in diversity!
I did a little more exploring, then it was back on the train home. I'm so grateful for the frequent public transit options here, as it makes travel and mobility more equitable for those of us without cars. (Car-centric US cities, take note!) Thanks for reading, more to come.