VRV - Lecture day on November the 5th at the Gent University Botanic Gardens

[Luc Gilgemyn]

There's not much more I can add !

We had one G R E A T day - what a treat it was to have 3 lectures by Ian !!  Tremendous !

Now off to bed !

[krisderaeymaeker]

Familiar faces ........spotted in Gent .

Cheers ......

[Luc Gilgemyn]

I just got back from the airport in Charleroi where I dropped off our much aclaimed lecturer of last Saturday !  If all's well he should be landing any minute in Edinburgh now !

It' already been said, but I'll gladly repeat what a wonderful time we had over the weekend having Ian amongst us and enjoying his lectures on Saturday.  If he's had half as much fun as we had, he will have had a great time as well !    Kris' picture will make great memories ! (and not just of the belgian beer...  )

We had a record breaking attendance (even from Holland and England !!  ) and as you can tell from the pictures, the hardest part of the exercise for Ian, only came after his lecture marathon...  He prooved to be a worthy Scotsman though...

And Maggi,... I'm not giving away any secrets here, but I don't think there will be need to change the locks... 


A great experience it was ! 

[Maggi Young]

I just checked the Edinburgh airport site.... FR7353    BRUSSELS SOUTH    LANDED 1135

....so the BD will be home by suppertime.
Luc, I know that Ian will be extremely grateful both for the kind hospitality of you and dear Rita, and for the "extra miles" you have driven around Belgium on his behalf.  Charleroi is  miles form anywhere, as is usually the case with the airports Ryanair uses (!!) but it  does mean cheaper flights and it was really good of you to support your VRV by all these driving duties. You have done them a terrific service as well as for Ian. Thanks!

[Diane Clement]

Familiar faces ........spotted in Gent . 

Including some reverse direction Channel-hoppers 

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Familiar faces ........spotted in Gent . 

Including some reverse direction Channel-hoppers 

The "bug" seems to spread, Diane... 

I just checked the Edinburgh airport site.... FR7353    BRUSSELS SOUTH    LANDED 1135

....so the BD will be home by suppertime.
Luc, I know that Ian will be extremely grateful both for the kind hospitality of you and dear Rita, and for the "extra miles" you have driven around Belgium on his behalf.  Charleroi is  miles form anywhere, as is usually the case with the airports Ryanair uses (!!) but it  does mean cheaper flights and it was really good of you to support your VRV by all these driving duties. You have done them a terrific service as well as for Ian. Thanks!

Glad to have been of help Maggi ! 
By the way, when you drive around with Ian in your car, the miles pass very quickly indeed...    you'd wish Charleroi were even further away... 

[Ian Y]

I have just arrived back home after my lovely visit to Belgium.

I want to thank all at VRV for making me so welcome, for my very nice presents of chocolates, the fantastic book on the Flemish Belfries - also the meal and beers that I enjoyed as your guest were wonderful - thank you. In fact there are so many beers I could not possibly try them all in a short trip so I will have to come back.

The time I spent walking around Ghent and Bruges was fascinating such buildings I cannot see in Scotland.

Meeting so many old and new friends was a delight - to me the people come before the plants - gardeners all over the world make the nicest friends - like an extended family unit.

To everyone I send my best wishes and thanks but especially to Luc and Rita who were the best hosts I could wish for and looked after me wonderfully - complete with a chaufer driven service to and from the airport.

Also thank you all for your kind comments in the above posts - I enjoyed delivering my talks to such an enthusiastic and attentive audience.

[Lvandelft]

We too had a great day at Gent. But when we arrived there in the morning the first thing we saw outside in the garden was  a plant that I never saw before:
Mandragora autumnalis
Don't know if many visitors saw it there, so here is a picture.

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Glad you enjoyed it Ian !!! 

We too had a great day at Gent. But when we arrived there in the morning the first thing we saw outside in the garden was  a plant that I never saw before:
Mandragora autumnalis
Don't know if many visitors saw it there, so here is a picture.

I missed that one Luit, and I bet, many of us did !  We miss your plant "hawkeye"    I suggest that you give us a guided tour through the garden at the next occasion... 

[Lvandelft]

I missed that one Luit, and I bet, many of us did !  We miss your plant "hawkeye"    I suggest that you give us a guided tour through the garden at the next occasion... 

Well Luc, I cannot blame you for not seeing this plant. After all you had to deliver your guest at the front door, but we had to park outside the garden and therefore we did see this plant, which was just alongside the path 

[Lvandelft]

Lucky you, not needing a parking ticket as well....

[art600]

On behalf of the 3 channel hoppers I must add my thanks for a really excellent weekend.  A lot of people worked very hard to make it so.

Ian of course was outstanding, but I agree with him that the people are even more important than the plants.  It was great meeting friends again.

The walks through Gent and Bruges - two cities I have not had the opportunity to visit before - were a bonus.

And yes we did make it home safely 

[Lesley Cox]

I hope my little Mandrogora autumnalis flowers in 6 months or a bit less. It should be big enough by now. The M. officinalis, seed from a kind Forumist are doing really well.

I only know Bruges in the 15th century, from the wonderful books of Dorothy Dunnett.

[WimB]

And yes we did make it home safely 

Arthur, that's nice to hear, it's easier than finding a B&B in Wijnendale, isn't it   

[WimB]

I only know Bruges in the 15th century, from the wonderful books of Dorothy Dunnett.

Lesley,

you're always more than welcome to visit Bruges...I would love to give you a tour around the city and the chocolate museum.