A mere 150km away from Rotterdam was Verviers and I am in love with this ancient city – a quiet place with a relaxing atmosphere, especially at night. Situated on hills, this tiny city has the calmest feel to it and if you stand on any one of the multitude of hills, you’ll see layers and layers of glowing lights above the city. Descending and ascending layers of lights mark the uneven contours of the city, giving it a beautiful yellow hue. A delicate breeze gently flows atop the hills, calmly caressing your face as you stand there in awe. I stood on a hill at 3 in the morning and observed the tranquility of the place, its empty lit streets, its dark sky, its few flickering stars, the array of lights hovering in the distant, its houses and above all, its stillness.
I also visited the neighboring French-speaking town of Liege, about 22km from Verviers and Aachen, Germany, about 30km. After that I drove to Brussels, another 130km. I have a few pictures of Brussels but unfortunately my battery has died out on the camera and I don’t have a travel adapter. I will hopefully upload them as soon as I get to London. My trip has then taken me a few times back and forth to Lille, Roubaix and one visit to Paris and then finally back to my little Kortrijk.
On my return, I met an old Englishman by the name of Tom. A tall, lean figure from Exeter, Southwest of England, who was remarkably agile despite his ageing face and who, along with his family, came to cheer his son in the Cycle Race. He too, as I noticed, was quite pleased to meet me;
“Do you know how many people took part in the race yesterday?” he asked enthusiastically in a rather posh accent, after becoming acquainted with a few formal greetings.
“How many?”” I asked
“17,000!” replied he emphasizing the figure and then passionately told me about his son’s participation in the race. He was a nice chap – a genuinely nice person with an amiable character.
This all happened when I was returning the rental back to Hertz. The location was somewhere far out of Kortrijk and no bus routes either. Having returned the car, we had to walk back about 20km back to Kortrijk. A rather exhilarating walk I must admit, though very long, with pleasant views of the countryside and our only companions were the few cars that zoomed past every few minutes or so and the horse riders on the fields giving us curious looks. The Englishman was kind enough to give us a number of a cab but unfortunately there was no telephone box in sight!
It seems very strange doesn’t it? There are people whom you would never speak to or even greet in London or anywhere in the UK even if they crossed your path a gazillion times, but once outside your territory that perception is soon changed. The person that you wouldn’t have ever greeted on the streets of London now becomes something dear outside – you soon develop a mutual connection and an understanding that stems from you being from the same part of the world and laying claim to the same residential territory. Perhaps Mr. Tom wouldn’t even have had the opportunity to talk to a young black man on the streets of Exeter, but in a far away land there seems to be in place some commonality of language and territory.
I must admit though, I did play the game too. You know, “Spot the Somali” game! They have a tendency to stare at you, as if expecting an acknowledgement of some sort or are they simply trying to figure out what clan or sub-clan you belong to from the mere looks of you? Whatever it was, I duly rewarded them with a nod and a greeting here and there to the elders.
That’s it from my trip and though I didn’t take as many pictures as I would have loved to or visited many places, I return this evening to London. Hopefully my planned trip to Somalia this coming summer will be more eventful and I will make sure I record every intrinsic detail of it.
Shafic,
One can almost feel that gentle breeze on ones face, your trully are a gifted with words, the places you describe sound soothing and calm.You made me want experience road trip around Europe.
As for the sports, of sport the somali, ah we love to know each other,I usually make my business to hello to any person whom look like a somali..Maxaad shegtee!
Shafic,
One can almost feel that gentle breeze on ones face, your trully gifted with words, the places you describe sound soothing and calm.You made me want to experience road trip around Europe.
As for the sports, of sport the somali, ah we love to know each other,I usually make my business to hello to any person whom look like a somali..Maxaad shegtee!
Dude, you should try to become a travel writer, not a news journalist.
wow nice descriptions…seemed like you had a lovely time your going to somalia this summer? me to..sadly i dont want to go my plans of visiting europe(london) has been thwarted and i must go visit somalia not really looking forward to it but as my mother says “idil stop being selfish and visit your mothers homeland” i hope they have internet…i think i may survive if they do…well sorry im thinking to myself welcome home! :)
Good thing you’re coming back to the UK. Apparently the weather is going to be treat!
Zeyn, Thank you akhi, for the kind words. Somalis have the tendency to stare at one another, don’t they?
Om, man! travel writers make money enjoying trips round the world. I only wish i could, you know – though i would love to visit the lesser visted areas and the lesser traveled roads and enjoy the landscapes.
Idil, Thanks, i had a great time, and yes to Somalia it is this summer. You will do just fine when you set foot there. Oh, and don’t worry, internet connection is everywhere!
Aworan, I hear that we are in for some scorching heat this summer! Brighton might be a good spot then i guess. There is a nice little beach i’ve been told somewhere near Cardiff by a Wales resident
I agree with Om, Shafi.
Wlc back and thanks for sharing your trip with us.