La fin du Monde
When I leave Antwerp I am sad and relieved at the same time…
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| Arturito mi Hermano Marinero! |
Arthur is with me!!!
It seems as if we are heading for the end of the world…stinking dark factories along the sides of the river…desolated landscapes of industry steel and constructions with no name… this is Europe…this is Europe in crisis…for me this desolated lost dark industrial landscape, forgotten factories, production all moved to China, hardly any traffic on the channel,,,,moveless trucks and cranes,,, on monday morning,,, proove our desperate state of crisis.
When we arrive to Bruxelles we pass by the most fascinating tags and graffities on the walls of the channel. Corto Maltine, the famous sexy comic captain looks away on a red wall, painted white seagulls fly through the same red sky and texts like : un meilleur monde set possible" (A better world is possible) confront the empty plastic bottles in the water, the trash on the pavements, the grumpy lockwatchers, the sad faces of imprisoned refugees from all over the world, throwing boxes and bottles over the fence in the water…. what a scary image…we locked in a lock heading for freedom and the miraculous unknown,,, and them locked in there special refugeeprisons looking at this symbol of freedom my vessel of dreams. How cruel this confrontation. This is Brussels, the centre of a united Europe, the centre of immigration, here trash n hope embrace on the sides of a forgotten channel. How much I wished to give these guys a ride to freedom…if I only knew where that would be…if I only knew how…. and if these aggressive fences wouldn't have cut our possible meeting beforehand…out of fear? Out of protection? I smell aggression in the air…..rough is the city…tough the situation….Europe looks sick from this point of view, with her lack of communication and ever dangerously growing lack of hospitality…I almost feel a refugee myself….free Europe…The pirates and gypsies I met in Antwerp are rare these days…they are the last European survivors of free spirit and own will, they live on the edge of society. They play with the rules they tackle authorities with their jokes and they keep on fighting. They are the most hospitable people I met In Northern Europe. The rules get more and more tight control more and more aggressive politics more and more and more right….
The dark sleeping factories show our crisis…our European economical, political and psychological crisis…..it's no fun to sail through this ugly wound of our sick society……
But then, just behind the end of the world, I find, by accident, cause our fuelfilter broke, Hipolygaz….and with Hypoligazz a group of wonderful artists in the watervillage of Clabecq…and miraculously they were the friends of Donia Gert. This was the place where she had lived before she sailed her magic peniche to Antwerp. And she had told me about this place. But I thought it would be somewhere past Charleroi.... How strange this coincidence. We had just passed the lock of Lembeek and crossed the border between Flandres and Wallony when we discovered that the fuelfilter was leeking again and the bilge was full of diesel. We had to stop immediately… And coincidentally there were some boats and we managed to tight alongside Plouf…. I decided to skip the first boat of four, eventhough it was a beautiful Tjalk, because I saw that next to the second boat there were statues made of wood big as trees…I simply knew I had to be there… a wonderful woman named Mumu and a funny pirate with shackles in his ears named Marco came to give us a hand. They were so friendly and helpfull..incredible…They took my brother to the mechanic shop and went to search for the right fuelfiltre….they borrowed me a divingsuit to check the hull on eventual damage…and they came to invite us later for an apperitive… The boat was full of friends and a bottle of cava was opened….and the story of Hypoligazz was told… Hypoligazz was a fairyanimal a new old legend born in the mind of the boyfriend of Mumu, the sculpturer Didier Schauterden….
"Il était une fois, l'hypoligazz dans le monde de "Mu". Un univers ou il m'arrive de plonger, lors de certaines nuits de pleine lune. C'est une de ces fabuleuses nuits ou m'est apparue l'hypoligazz. J'évoluais dans l'immensité du bleu de l'océan, quand soudain, elle s'approcha de moi. Lentement, avec sa grâce naturelle, elle plongea ses yeux dans les miens et se lova contre moi. Peut-être avait-elle décelé mes origines lointaines d'atlantidien … Elle ne fut d'ailleurs pas surprise de voir la partie palmée de mes pieds. Tous deux, nous partimes voguer dans les profondeurs marines. Des nageoires avaient remplace mes bras et en quelques instants, ma mutation en poisson s'effectua. Ce monde imaginaire, dont j'avais si souvent été proche, était maintenant mon monde. L'hypoligazz est un être magnifique qui ne nage pas, mais qui vole sous l'eau. Un être pour qui, aucun adjectif ne peut être parfait … Si bien, que je ne peux, que vous la sculpter."
I told him his way of working reminded me of Andrew Goldworthy, whose work I adore. Surprised he told me he had worked together with Andrew Goldworthy and he told me about his experience…what a beautiful encounter…. we talked the whole night about art travelling and sailing, cause they were all sailors…. Didier and Mumu offered us their guestroom onboard of their beautiful peniche…a little wooden room with a huge bed and a big map of the world. The smell of diesel was in my bones, so one night in a clean room was a divine gift. We slept like fairies.
The next day we were invited for breakfast in the boat of Laurent. It was the national day of Belgium… croissants, pain au chocolat, coffee, mama made marmelade and toasted raisinbread….a kings breakfast….which lasted hours…these artists knew the art of life and eating….We're getting closer to France…. My brother and I went practicing for the locks, cause from now on I am the captain and I have to do everything myself. it was about time:-)
The next morning my brother left for Bruxelles where he would catch a plane to Tunesia. He has taught me so much, Arthur, my big captain brother. And he gave me the most generous and worthy present: His leatherman, which he got from his best friends 4 years ago and which he always carried with him during his travels. That means this leatherman has already traveled half the planet and 6 oceans! This tool means a lot to me and I wear it on my belt, as a real sailor! Muito ubrigado Arturito. Te amo!
That night I was invited for couscous and fire with all the friends, children running around the fire, people from Dominica, a theatremaker and 59 percent rhum. What a magic night….sky full of stars and so happy with my new friends….
Next day I spent cleaning the engine, fixing my new cookingplate and practicing for the locks again…. I'm getting better every day…. This is the first time in my life I have responsability for my own ship and it feels so strange. I realize I am afraid and shy to take the position of Captain, I'm used to experienced men to give me orders and now finally I am my own captain….excitement and fear fill my body when I take off for the first time all alone…. I manage and a clearity comes over me when I do the manouevres, a clearity I didn't know before…. I could also have decided to leave one month later and practice on the IJsselmeer but I decided that the road would teach me everything and it is true. I am happy I decided to take the canals instead of open sea immediately…This way I have peace to get used to my new life and the boat….
Pierre maakt vuur!!!
http://www.showflamme.eu/
The fairies of Clabecq ae so hospitable that it makes me shy sometimes and it makes me realize how dependant I still am. They teach me a lot and help me with everything. We charge the batteries and they show me the maps and possible routes. Sophie teaches me about medicinal plants and Pierre her love helps me to clean the bilge…Thank you so much dear fairyfriends for all your amazing help. Je suis stupifee!!! Merci!!!
Today I wrote all day and I made a new song! I feel at home here already… again like in Antwerp I feel I could stay longer…but the road calls me again…tomorrow Armelle comes and the day after we leave together. I am happy, feel lucky. Tonight we saw a fox family hunting on the other side of the canal. The nights here are magic, so quiet and calm…I am completely relaxed and chilled out, thanks to the fairies of Clabecq. Merci. Bonne nuit et a demain!
