The Fair Face of Flanders [antikvár]

Cfiap .„.Tiie Contours What do we see in a face? Not only its colour, shape and expression, but also the character, experience, hopes and fears which have moulded it. The fiercer its battles, the deeper its sorrows, the more hectic its joys, the greater are the traces of life it bears. Moods, changing from one moment to the next, show also, while first impressions, acquired at the moment of meeting are never lost. Such is the face of Flanders. To some Flanders means the quiet calm of shimmering plane trees between the white walls of a beguinage, to yet oth- Memories ers the cheery, noisy, vulgar happiness of roundabouts and swings, hot dough-nuts and chip potatoes of the Flemish Fairs; to some it recalls bands which blow themselves scarlet and thirsty, leading processions through town and village on every possible occasion. Some think of Flanders as the land of mighty castles, sombre and icy-cold, others are reminded of the soaring beauty of the high, airy towers or the jolly jingle of carillons. While others recall the mud and blood of the Ypres salient in 15114, and Passchendale in 1917, to some Flanders means the rolling hills of the south, to others the flat tree-filled emptiness of the Kempen, heavy with the scent of pines. To some it means the wide sandy beaches of the coast, littered with buckets and spades, the comfortable hotels and huge meals, shops packed with cream cakes and chocolates, to others, the quiet canals and winding rivers cutting up the polders. To some it means the bustle and wealth of Antwerp, or the glitter of Brussels with flood-lights picking out the delicate gables of the gild houses and town hall in the market place, to others the beautiful squares of Lier or Oude-naarde, or boat trips under the endless bridges of Bruges. Some remember Van Eyck, or Memling, others Servaes or Ensor, to some it means architecture, to others, painting. But to all Flanders means long experience, rich historical traditions, and abundant life. It has none of the innocence and wide open spaces of new countries. Its face is marked by a long and busy life. It is a face full of artifice. Everywhere it is marked by the works of men. To