Life: Idiotropic

Faces: Bronze, stone, and plastic... all ladies, and all unique. The doll was special in her placement at the antique stall among a hunter's trophy and an old wooden hat form. The bronze is part of an almost full sized statue near a water fountain... count her fingers. She has more than 5. And the lady in the garden has seen better years, I'm sure, but among flowers, a maiden is always at home.

I spent 6 1/2 hours today at the Tongeren antique market wandering among the treasures, admiring, and questioning the extraordinary and the strange. Utilitarian can be beautiful and fun, so my eye fell on a variety of old coffee grinders and scales today as I compared prices - some decent and some extreme. One vendor saw my Canon and started a lengthy conversation about cameras, lenses, and macro photography. He likes to photograph flowers and bugs in the morning when the dew if heavy and the bugs are slow.

No visit to Tongeren is complete without a visit to Babs, so we stopped and spent a few minutes with her over a glass of wine.

All in all a good day... I found several things that I would love to have in our home when the dollar doubles in value and several things that I did take home today simply because I liked them and they were a good deal.

Today I answered the age long question, "Can one go enjoy a relaxing morning perusing the antique market at Tongeren, and still make it back in time for church."

The answer is a resounding, "YES!"

Just going to pick up the coffee table that Kirk and I had bought the week before, I knew I couldn't "shop," but still wanted to peruse instead of driving there, picking it up, then turning around again. Babs place doesn't open until 0900, but I arrived two hours before so I could spend that time looking around the market. It's always interesting there anyway.

It was dark and cold when I first arrived, so half the vendors were sitting in their cars watching their things, then rolling down the window or cracking the door to give you prices or other information.

Today I saw not one or two, but three elephant's feet. One had a brass ring around the top - used, according to the seller, "on your desk with pens in it." Almost making the elephant's foot look "normal," I saw the most disturbing piece of taxidermy that I've seen to date - a very sweet looking baby cow all curled up laying down looking up at the passers by. The more disturbing thing is that it was gone later. Who would buy that?!?!

I didn't see the British mahogany game table that I'd had my eye on the week before, but did find a beautiful old wooden bowl - this one from France, and about 200 years old. (Yeah, yeah... I wasn't supposed to shop, but I've been looking for the "right" wooden bowl ever since May when Tiara found the perfect one and bought it for herself!)

Anyway... I enjoyed two quiet, relaxing hours all to myself before I picked up my table and did the hour long drive home. Then, I had the girls get dressed quickly, fixed their hair, and we ran to church arriving ON TIME!! That's an accomplishment any day.

Today we took some friends to Tongeren who had never been there before... and I brought Kirk along who had also never been there before. I thought he'd enjoy it. After days of rain, we finally hit our one sunny day before it's all supposed to downpour again, so we were glad to be treasure hunting in the dry.

The Tongeren antique market is always fun for me - like a museum where you can touch things, it truly has amazing pieces hidden among the ordinary.

Kirk liked the tool guy and had to swing back around on the way to the truck so he could buy the ax he'd been looking at.

Of the absurd, we didn't see the usual abundance of taxidermy, but we did see a rather disturbing stuffed baby cow all curled up laying down looking up at us. And, I found, what I immediately labeled, "the red-neck wine rack" -- a very odd "object 'd art?"

Per tradition now, I can't make a trip to Tongeren without stopping to see Babs, a wonderful character who runs a small antique store around the corner. Her place is small, but always has something special inside. Today it was a beautiful Spanish chestnut coffee table. Babs place is hidden back in a residential area inside the old city gate, so though not far, it is not with the thick of it. So, walking around her neighborhood is nice. While the men loaded the sideboard that my friend bought, she and I had time to walk around the area taking pictures and admiring the old doors and stained glass windows.

Old brick is ordinary here. Windows and doors are old and beautiful - not cookie cuttered like we find them back home... the details still stand out to me although in every town I can find those things. I still photograph them... a door here, a bit of wrought iron there, an old cracked stained glass window, some bricks with the date carved into them... "1619" today. These are the fun architectural details I'll really miss. Not the big churches... just the everyday things. The lace curtains hanging in every window and the beautiful gardens you are occasionally lucky enough to see hidden behind an old farm door leading into a grand courtyard.


This is a tiny cafe that we discovered hidden at the end of a little alleyway right by the church - in an area where the locals reside and tourists generally don't find. This one is bookmarked in my head now... for next time so that I can stop for a coffee there. It looked nice. Of course, I had to get the geraniums in the foreground. Geraniums in window boxes is beautifully common - one of those images of Europe that I'll try to mimic when I return home one of these days.

This morning I left at 6am with mom, Tiara, and a friend to go to Tongeren, Belgium - one of my European happy places. Filled with flea market finds and rare antiques, it's a museum of great finds that you can touch, and buy. It's creative, interesting, and fun and I always leave with some new little treasure.

Today I passed up a beautiful book of French costumes, all vibrantly painted, a really interesting old cow bell, and a large wood framed mirror with lion heads carved into the top. Of course, there was so much more - and treasures too exquisitely expensive to even be considered... but I did leave with a couple little things, some old sterling souvenir spoons that I'll make into something else, an art deco peacock clock, ... and... the dream of owning this beautiful chestnut Spanish table - large enough to comfortably seat 10. It was at Bab's place - a stop now necessary every time I go to Tongeren. I always have to stop now and just say hello - and always, Babs has something special in her tiny little ally shop. Tiara had the find of the day when she got a almost 200 year old wooden bowl - absolutely gorgeous - and only 30 Euro. I think the man who sold it to her was amused to see my friend, my mother, and myself all complaining that we'd missed it. Tiara has her sea shells in her bowl now sitting on her windowsill and it looks wonderful - very classy.

The raspberry beer was abundant today. I didn't have any, but it seemed to be the drink of the day with many people either sitting with it, walking around with one, or carrying trays of 5-6 glasses back to their friends. Belgium is fabulous for beer and while I haven't acquired the appetite for it, there is one particular raspberry beer that is quite yummy.

All that shopping works up an appetite. We always stop for something small at the little cafe in the covered warehouse. Today was cappuccino and a shared sandwich - delicious! After Bab's place, we were starving again, so we stopped at the little Italian restaurant located right through the old city gate on the left. The lady who works there is absolutely delightful to talk to, very genuine and friendly. It's another "must stop" on the list.

[Later... my husband and mother decided that the Spanish table that I fell in love with would make a lovely birthday present... so, it was delivered just the week after my birthday and it now sits in my dining room. It's gorgeous and will fit my girls with their partners someday! Room for ten people! I love that! The man who delivered it is the man who found it. He drew me a little map of where he found it, so I'll save that scrap of paper - another piece of the story.]

Let your imaginations fly and you can probably come up with quite a few places where you could go to hear really great Blues, a dark smoky club in old New Orleans, a historical bar in New York... but in your list, you probably wouldn't picture a little village in Germany.

I certainly couldn't. But a friend had heard the Blues and arranged a time to go back bringing a small American contingent with her.

Luckily, I was one of the contingent.

In a continent where ethnicities generally remain within their own borders, history has a way of moving people around, so here in this tiny German village of Dremmen, I encountered Blues at Cafe Curioso, a cafe that is the embodiment of eclecticism, owned and run by Marin Ionescu, a Romanian artist who was the head National artist under Ceauşescu. Paintings he did adorn his walls and, hidden among piles of old papers and books in his attic antique shop, we found old Polaroids of Rembrandts, reproductions that he most likely did. He now calls himself a carpenter, art director, multimedia designer and sculpture (many of his bronze horse statues sit in the old Aachen square), deals in antiques and art, and bakes many of the delicious cakes that his German wife sells in her cafe.

When walking into the cafe there is a narrow entryway cluttered with antiques piled upon antiques, some fine and some not so fine. An old door with a stained glass window, a beautiful sideboard, piles of books and knick-knacks. Straight ahead is the small stairway leading up to a tiny room set up with more antiques and the aforementioned Polaroids. To the left is a very tiny mini-hallway leading to what looks like some one's living room... couches, little tables, little chairs off to the side. Paintings on the walls, antiques and oddities, a ceramic pig with 4 baby pigs on its back... The kitchen in the back contains an large oddly shaped island that Marin created from old church pulpits. That is where he and his wife served a beautiful spread of quiches. The "living room" was set up with a little stage area, drums in front of the cold case where the cakes sat, speakers and other sound equipment by the sideboard where the pig statue stood, and the equalizer control box right by the kitchen door where Marin stood most of the night puffing away on his big cigar and moving the little levers back and forth to control the sound.

Marin was dressed in a Hawaiian shirt big enough for a man 4x his size. I truly wish I had a photo or would have written it all down to give you a better mental picture... but he is older, with a long grey beard, long grey hair pulled back, the shirt, red athletic shoes - a short man who walks with his shoulders slightly forward and the cigar hanging from his mouth. He's a character, but he runs the show. There is nothing weak or slight. Though small and quite odd in appearance, there is no doubt that we were at his place and he was in control.

The band that played was a German band - it's lead singer in his late 30's, the guitarist a bit older, and the drummer probably only 16. What was amazing was the sound. It didn't sound like Germany. Closing my eyes, I could have been in any Blues bar in the U.S. - any where, but Dremmen, Germany. Watching the singer's facial expressions was hilarious. That man put all his heart and soul into that music. So for hours that night, in a room packed completely with Americans, we all stood listening to the soulful sound of America coming from this German band in a cafe run by a Romanian artist. It's a beautiful thing.

Served prosecco as we arrived, quiche at the break-time, and cake with coffee towards the end of the evening, those who stayed latest were there until after 0100 dancing, enjoying the moment. We left at 1130 - with books in hand - books that Kirk found there - amazing books documenting the 1936 Olympics in Germany complete with photographs pasted in that the owner would have had to get at cigarette shops. They are an interesting piece of history.

So, that's night one of more to come. All who went want to go again. All who couldn't go want to know when the next night is... it looks like we might have to have a party soon.

Well, Kyrill came and went on Thursday night creating quite a racket through the night and some strong wind the following day, but in our area, it was pretty uneventful. Tinny reported that Monschau didn't fare as well with most of the basements completely flooded, but that stands to reason given it's valley location near a stream.

On Friday night I had the pleasure of attending wine club. I'm not a member as of yet, but a friend was hosting it, so I went and brought a couple goodies to help out. We were spoiled with a wonderful selections of Bordeaux reds and whites and some very good foods. My favorite was the coffee served with a champagne liqueur from Monschau that was absolutely delicious. I don't drink wine much although I do enjoy it and it's better here. Though I still have a fondness for Oregon wines, the wines here are a lot less expensive and very good.

On Saturday we made a movie. Arianna, for two weeks now, has been begging to make a real movie. NOW. She was so heart broken the first time she asked to make her movie and the answer was "not now". We had to make a script, we had to find costumes, and we had to charge the video camera. The next week, she wasn't getting any further with her play idea although convinced that "she knew how to do it." So, on Saturday, she asked to play dress up. Then she got into costume and asked Tiara to do her makeup. So, completely ready, she came to Kirk and I again. "Is the battery charged, Kirk?" "Yes." "Bring it down in five minutes... it's time to make a movie."
Arianna told us what we would do. I was assured a short scene with one line. We all got into costume. Luci was going to be the mean lady, but when it came time for the mean lady to carry off Marie Kitty, Luci realized that she couldn't pick up Arianna and didn't think that dragging her by the collar was convincing enough. So, all of the sudden, Luci got the one line, and I became the mean lady with no script, so I had to improvise.

Scene 1: Morning came. Tiara, the maid, dusted the furniture. Luci, the owner, fed her sweet Marie Kitty (Arianna). Then, while Marie ate, the Mean Lady (me) swooped in to catnap her. Just then another little kitty (Elise) wandered unscripted into the scene, so the Mean Lady grabbed one kitty under each arm and carried them off to her dog-infested castle.
Scene 2: At the Dog-Infested Castle, the Mean Lady interrogates the frightened kittens looking for the secret recipe for Meow mix and where all the tastiest salmon are.
Scene 3: The kind maid finds the castle and comes into save the kittens. She fights the Mean Lady who falls to the floor moaning. The maid rescues Marie Kitty, but the little kitten runs to the Mean Lady who is melted by her kindness and they all live happily ever after.
Scene 4: It is Christmas. Marie opens presents. All is well.

Saturday was also the day of the freak hail storm that caught Kirk coming out of the woods. He was out for a walk while the girls clung to me in a very rare thunderstorm. The clouds rumbled for 20 minutes or so before it all broke loose the in 5 minutes the previously dry ground was covered in white dime sized hail balls. And, Kirk had just come out of the woods about then, walking through the farm fields wondering why the ground was so crunchy. It's the shoes. My previously fashion-uninterested man is now going absolutely bonkers over Lands End shoes, shirts, etc... So, it was hailing and he didn't feel a thing except the crunch.

Sunday was Tongeren Day for me! I picked up Holly at 0630 and we drove the one hour to Tongeren, Belgium arriving when is was still quite dark out. It would have been nice to have a flashlight. The wind was cold and biting and it spit rain on and off, so the crowds were very low. The vendors were a little more sparse as well, but the people that were there seemed a bit friendlier than usual.

Going to Tongeren is a bit addictive. I absolutely love it and would go every week if time and money allowed. The amalgamation of the old town gate and wall with all the little treasure shops tucked around it and the sidewalk vendors lining the sidewalks and streets with every possible aged object engage me. It all seems so story-like and the characters sitting on the back of their trucks have as many stories as the wares they sell. Going to Tongeren is a bit like an open area museum in which you can touch everything. Last time I'd gone I found a piece of Steuben glass that I can still clearly remember. This day, walking along casually looking about the randomness on each table, I found an another amazing glass vase - just sitting there in the middle of an unimpressive assortment of old stuff. I will have to look online to find out more about it, but it was truly special and signed. I got to pick it up, turn it in my hand, and feel it's weight. Then I asked the price. 1300 Euros. And probably worth more. Though it would be fun to decorate my home with all the Tongeren treasures, it is also a privilege just to be able to pick up and touch some of these things that could easily be placed in a museum behind glass.

The photo below is the storefront of a shop right behind a sidewalk antique vendor. It caught my eye and Holly thought it was quite artsy, so I took the photo. Kind of fun to play with.

Holly and I both had fun rummaging through a box of old carved mahogany pieces once used as stamps for type set. I got KT TALES - our initials and will put on a little shelf on the wall. I also found some beautiful hand-stitched, red leather children's cricket balls and later a nice pair of black, carved, wooden shoes with writing inside. On the way back towards the car I saw the chandelier I liked before. It's small, but the strings of crystals are all tied to form a basket with the bulbs inside it. It stood out from the others there, and the price was negotiable, so I think I got a deal on it.

On that same stretch was a man with a counter on which he had some wine glasses and several bottles of wine. He was clearing out a wine cellar. Two bottles of an 1950's French Bordeaux, he sold for 600E each. We had the pleasure of chatting with him and sipping on a 1996 Bordeaux that he was selling for just 30E a bottle. I would have gotten a couple, but he was selling it in a lot of 300 bottles. But these are the fun characters at Tongeren - friendly, open, without presumption. He chatted with us for a good 10 minutes and then invited us to come back for a nice glass later if we had the time.

After dumping our stuff in the van, we went for lunch in an old smokey cafe full of people. The only table left was a large solid round table that would have easily seated 8. We were two, but we sat and invited the group of Dutch coming in after us to join us. They'd purchased a rather comic clown for a friend as a joke. The lunch was light and nice. Cappuccino and a croque monsieur.

From there, Bab's place was just around the corner and I hadn't been in there since I picked up my trunk, so we stopped in.

Babs Nelemans is a petite blond woman in her 70's. She's from Belgium, but is Dutch as she would have you know and has probably smoked at least 3 packs a day for the last fifty years. Her place is thick with smoke, but her spunkiness is fun and she enjoys telling you about the furniture she has in her shop and her customers - many of whom have become friends. She loves to name drop and tells us of all the crates she ships to America and the houses she's flown to in the US to decorate.

She remembered us. Holly's eyes went big the second she walked through the door and saw the 19th c French farm table. I knew she'd be going home with it. The long table had a long drawer at the end that Bab's described as the baby drawer saying that a family would sit down for dinner and put the newborn in the drawer at the end. While Holly stepped out to call her husband, Babs offered me a glass of wine and we sat and talked at Holly's new table. Before we left I reached up on top of an 19C Austrian trunk to get down a dove decoy that had caught my eye. "Do you like it?" came the husky voice with the Dutch accent. "Yes, it's very serene." "Then it's yours, darling. Take it." And it was gifted to me along with its pair. As we walked out and said goodbye, both Holly and I got hugs and three kisses (the Dutch way) from Babs. I think we've made a new friend now.

An aside: Holly picked up her table on Friday with her German landlord. When she tried to pay, Babs said, "we don't pay here," and they all went to the smokey cafe that we'd gone to before for lunch - a long 90 minute lunch with coffee and cognac. Babs and Mike (the landlord) got talking and realized that Mike had bought a lamp from Babs 30 years ago. They both remembered and Babs was able to describe the lamp and the price paid for it! Amazing!


My Monday -

Some days are just strange. Today was normal in some respects and frightfully busy, but among that business were two sights I'd never seen.

The first: I was on the phone with a friend standing in my upstairs office window looking out like I often do when on the phone when I saw two men, dressed entirely in black, bring a body zipped up in bag, out from the apartment and put it in the hearse parked on the street. I know that these things happen, but it was weird to see. Tinny told us that he was an old Dutch man who wasn't in good health. We'd seen him looking out his window some evenings. I wish now that I would have waved. On the positive note, according to Tinny who is very practical in these matters and not at all insensitive as it would seem, there is now a very spacious apartment available immediately if we perchance, know of someone looking for a space to rent.

The second (and less morbid): Today while walking out of the Sittard markt, I saw a bicycle go by. It was a normal looking adult bicycle in most respects except that it had very large sturdy training wheels on it! I didn't get a good look at the rider, but the bicycle was interesting.

This morning I got up before the crack of dawn to go to Tongeren, but it wasn't painful like most mornings. The Sunday antique market there is so fun for me now that I couldn't sleep. I kept waking up worried that I overslept and would miss it.

The drive at that hour is beautiful and serene with virtually no traffic even in busy Maastricht and the home stretch from Maastricht to Tongeren is a straight 16 kilometers lined with antique shops, green cow covered hills, and cute bakeries.
It was relaxing to walk today. The colder weather and spotty rain kept a lot of people away, so crowds were easy to navigate. I brought just a tiny bit of money which made spending a lot a bit of a challenge, so the treasures that I did want to run away with were out of my reach. We walked all over the entire market area, then stopped for coffee and a small snack. Mom had an apple tart and I had pannekoeken with fruit.

The truly amazing finds of the day were hard to walk away from. One was an exquisite Steuben glass vase. The man was asking 350E for it, but it was from the early 1900's and a similar one on ebay had been bid up to $2600 and hadn't closed yet. It's easily worth at least $3500 - probably more. Another treasure was an English secretary in pristine condition. It was cherry and all original finishes with even the original ribbons on the inside flaps to hold notes and such. It was another absolutely amazing find - just perfect and worth so much more that it's 750E price tag. Most all these things in Tongeren appreciate the second they make it to the U.S. It's hard not to go a bit crazy here. Everything is beautiful and "special."
I did walk away with some very pretty prisms for my Christmas tree and mom found a fur muff. It wasn't quite as satisfying a shopping day as my first trip, but that was only because those things I found that were truly spectacular were sadly out of my reach. I'll go again next month with Kirk.