VirtualTourist Member breughel
| Page Views: 4,287 | HEUREUX QUI, COMME ULYSSE, A FAIT UN BEAU VOYAGE, by breughel - last update: Nov 11, 2007 |
| Ulysse et les Sirènes - Ulysses and the Mermaids |
Happy He, Who Like Ulysses,... Heureux qui, comme Ulysse, a fait un beau voyage,
Ou comme cestuy-là qui conquit la toison,
Et puis est retourné, plein d'usage et raison,
Vivre entre ses parents le reste de son âge !Happy He, Who Like Ulysses, has travelled well,
Or like that man who conquered the fleece,
And has then returned, full of experience and wisdom,
To live among his kinfolk the remainder of his life!
JOACHIM DU BELLAY, 1522-1560. |
| P. Bruegel "The Tower of Babel" |
LANGUAGES - QUESTIONS Why do you write in English and in French? To make it more complicated.Is French your mother language? No, it is Flemish.What is the difference between Flemish and Dutch? The same as between English from the UK and English from the USA.Is there a difference between the Flemish people and the Dutch people? An obvious cultural difference.How many languages do you speak? Four, but all four very badly.To come back on the first question, why do you write in French; 99% of the VT members won't understand you. That's fine. Nobody is going to censor my tips!One last question; what languages do they speak in Belgium? Three official languages: Flemish/Dutch, French and German, all of them with a funny Belgian accent. Plus many others from Europe, Asia and Africa.
It is a tower of Babel. |
| J. Vermeer "Girl with a pearl earring". |
I HAD A DREAM. I had a dream in which I was the owner of two paintings: "Mona Lisa" and "Girl with a pearl earring".
What would I do if that was real?
Sell Mona Lisa and become a rich man; keep the Vermeer for my pleasure! |
THE INFLUENCE OF MY BACKGROUND. When reading my, often too lengthy, tips about museums and monuments one might think I studied Arts or History.
Not at all, I am/was a "hard" scientist!
The inconvenience of this academic background is that I check every fact I write. My tips therefore are boring but correct. |
| Le roi boit (J. Jordaens) |
MY PHILOSPHY OF LIFE. It seems that a good home page should show some considerations about what the VT member likes and dislikes. As a genuine Belgian I can not avoid loving frites, pralines, mussels and Belgian beer what is of a great banality.
Therefore I would like to take some distance with that cliché and present here my philosophy of life which is inspired by a medieval poem from the Bogards (the male equivalent of the Beguines).
"Qui bene bibit,
bene dormit.
Qui bene dormit,
non malum putat.
Qui non malum putat,
non pecavit.
Qui non pecavit,
ad caelum ibit.
Ergo,
Qui bene bibit ad caelum ibit."
The basics of my philosophy are therefore: what shall we drink to sleep well, have no desires, no sins and consequently go to heaven: beer or wine?
Wine at lunch and dinner.
Around 10 pm a special (Belgian of course) dark beer, sometimes a grappa from Verona (this is my multicultural side).
I'm sure I will go to heaven, maybe sooner than others who don't drink.
Fortunately my religion is not alcohol phobic. |
 Comments for breughel | | | | |
Nemorino Wed May 7, 2008 20:53 UTC
TThanks for your visit to my new Busseto page. Yes, I'll try to visit Rome sometime (in the opera season but not the tourist season) and write some tips for your new category. | Norali Mon Apr 28, 2008 11:22 UTC
I agree with your no-kiss rule. Tips in Latin. Just imagining who would read those. My Mum, maybe... Even, hers is now rusty but she uses to say learning Latin has enabled her to learn other languages faster. | Jefie Mon Apr 14, 2008 20:35 UTC
Muchos besos desde Madrid! Mon voyage se passe à merveille, dès mon retour je partagerai avec vous mes impressions de tous les musées de la ville. Portez-vous bien, mes salutations à votre épouse! Isa xx | LoriPori Sun Apr 13, 2008 12:44 UTC
Bonjour mon ami. Just returned home from four glorious days in sunny California. Just a short visit to see some good friends. How have you been doing? Amities. Lori |
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