Couleur Cafe and Ommegang 2008

I don't think I will go back to Couleur Cafe at least for the next couple of years. The ticket price has gotten ridiculously expensive, 39Eur (okey, if you got to see Jimmy Cliff, Zuccero..etc) but still, I think it is too much for what it really is, considering the global slow down of economy. Moreover, this year, most of the concerts were hip hop types (nothing against that, mind you) but several hours with the same tune, the same shouting (and not singing) just too much! Of course, I can't ignore some good bands like The Sahara Blues, whose music sent me straight to the Sahara with the nomads.

And the foods were nothing exceptional to mention here, apart from some Tibetan tents with real tibetans selling teas ;-), I can hardly remember how many cups of Tchad tea that I drank. One of my new friends told me that when you trek in the Himalaya, you drink Tchad a lot. It is a tea made with black tea, milk, and cardamon. It tastes good but if you drink a lot, it becomes quite heavy.

Anyway, we left Couleur cafe accompanied with Zuccero's sound of guitar and voice, feeling happy to spend a Sunday with music, meeting exotic people, having interesting conversation that enrich our knowledges...although slightly disappointed with most of the concerts.

Ommegang (omme: around; gang:to go), an old Dutch word that means "to go around"...well, that was what the commentor explained about the festival. Of course, I can guess since I have been taking Dutch classes (om: around, gang: the way) unless I have completely burnt out ;-). Anyway, this festival has been organised every year since 1971 to mark the event that Charles Quint and his successor-son, Philip visit Brussels. On that day, they also took the Virgin statue in Sablon and walk around with it (hence, the name). There are 1400 people (actors, actresses, history connaisseurs...)participate in this festival that last 3 days, wearing beautiful, and well made customs. There are also free concerts, but the most interesting is the knights fighting on horses ;-). Anyway, if you are in Brussels, go to see this today and tomorrow, very nice. If you have time, and are lucky enough (like myself ;-)), you will be able to learn many thing with the people who are interested in history, they will tell you lots of things about the Middle Age, and Renaissance period.

Enough said. Here are some pictures.