Exploring Alsemberg

My explorations near the language border of Belgium, on the south side of Brussels, are always interesting and provide much food for thought. As took a Saturday afternoon walked in late May in Fleming-speaking Sint-Genesius-Rode, many people were gardening, cutting the lawn or making general repairs to their homes. It was a beautiful afternoon. As I passed through one neighborhood I noticed a discarded tennis ball was hiding in the leaves at the end of a driveway. My first thought was that the ball seemed quite out of place. It made me realize that the amount of litter and debris in this sleepy little village in rural Belgium is substantially less than it would be in a village of similar size in the United States. This is in part because shoppers have to pay for plastic bags as part of a tax to reduce usage. Consequently, there are very few bags tossed carelessly along the road or empty lots.

I was making my way for Alsemberg, a nearby village. As I walked down the street called Steenweg naar Halle, a couple in a Renault beckoned me over, “Monsieur…s’il vous plait.” Although I could have tentatively responded in French, I calculated that it was easier for me to smile, shake my head and say, “I’m sorry,” knowing full well they were going to ask for directions. The lady smile understandingly, waved and said, “It’s OK.” She was no doubt going to ask how to navigate the washed out road about a half a kilometer further down. I knew how to go around, but there was no way I was going to be able to explain it in French.

One of the things I like in Flanders is the apartment buildings, which are generally made of brick and have a distinctive architectural design. One, at the corner of Tenbroekstraat, has a yellow-tile look to the brick that is very different. Built in 1949, the decorative art and details catches my eye every time I travel the road. Many have small designs that subtly enhance the distinctiveness of the building, while at the same time fits nicely into the community.

Our Lady in Alsemberg

The village of Alsemberg is a small town of about 5,000 people. It is quite busy on a Saturday afternoon, with many people shopping and running weekly errands. I wandered in the OxFam shop and mused that the name for a garden shop, “Sophie’s Choice,” was somewhat inappropriate. The gothic church in the center of town, the Church of Our Lady in Alsemberg, was constructed in the second half of the fourteenth century. While the interior of the church was closed during my visit, outside there is an evocative memorial to soldiers who died during the Second World War.

The Mariakapel van de Steenput. Erected by
the Meurs Family in 1849

One of the most interesting phenomena in Flanders is the number of Mariakapel (Maria Chapels) that are found throughout the region. Field Mariakapels (or freestanding Mariakapels) are not associated or attached to a church and are often found along roadsides or farm fields in Belgium and the Netherlands. Once you begin to notice them, they are everywhere. Most of the time a statue of Mary, the mother of Jesus, is found inside a small post that is decorated with flowers or paintings. Seemingly, most date from the nineteenth century.