The Flax Museum in in an old flax warehouse and contains 25 scenes with very life-like figures demonstrating all the steps of flax production from sowing the seeds all the way through weaving linen and making lace. I had the entire museum to myself and it was a little creepy at first, but also really interesting.
Weeding the fields:
Reaping:
Breaking and scutching:
Having a sandwich with your purse hanging on your foot:
I tried translating this but I think this language is a little outdated. It says something along the lines of if you are your own boss it is your duty to work hard for eight hours even though no one is watching you:
Bundling to be sold:
Flax combs (also called hackles):
This contraption is for babies who are learning to walk. You stick them in and they can walk back and forth on their own without falling down while you are spinning your flax and making your lace:
Afterwards I had a snack in the cafe at the museum:
And walked around outside a little:
And of course, no Belgian museum is complete without some modern art thrown in somewhere:
So we are leaving in the morning for an eight day road trip across France. We are driving straight through to Carcasonne which will be about 10 hours I think. (It costs about 70 Euros in tolls to get across France!) We are spending two nights in Carcasonne, two nights in Avignon, two nights in Marseilles and the last night in Nice before another very long day of driving back to Kortrijk, maybe 13 hours this time (and another 70 Euros). So far the only thing we've planned for sure is the hotels and the general route; the rest we are going to make up as we go along. We are hoping to visit St. Tropez and Monaco along the way as well.
I'll be away from email and the blog until Monday the 28th. We'll take lots of pictures!!!
Tot ziens!
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