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Antwerp, Belgium
Welcome to the new, and improved version of Heaven in Belgium. I am Jientje. "Jientje", like the boys name Gene, followed by "chu"? "Gene-chu", that's how you pronounce my name. Yes!!!!That's it!! So now you know huh? I am an addicted blogger. I was born and raised and am still living in Belgium. Yeah, the "this-is- Tuesday-so-this-must-be-Brussels" kind of Belgium .. There, you see? Maybe you couldn't find it on the map, but at least I'm trying to change that a little by sharing lots of pictures. I really love to cook and create new things, like this blog for instance. I am a mother,a grandmothe and a wife too! They say I'm a traveler, and a photographer. Well that's just what they say, I love to make pictures, but I am far from professional ... If my English is not perfect, that would be because it's my second language. I do hope you'll forgive me any possible misspellings or strange vocabulary ... Now, as a result of all of the above, I get way too little sleep and my days are always much too short!

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Heaven is in Belgium

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Thematic Photography "Abandoned"

I was on a photo walk in Antwerp a couple of months ago when I came across this house. It was love at first sight for the photographer in me. This series of pictures have been lingering in my archives, waiting for the proper theme.
I think today’s the day ...
Theme for Thematic Photography is “abandoned” .

Old walls full of history. Present day graffiti on crumbled plaster and old bricks.

Who lived here?
Who stood in front of this door every day, reaching for his keys?


What was it like, when he held that doorknob for the very last time


and gently closed the door behind him?


Did he touch the chipped paint one more time?
The rusty nails or the holes in the moldered wood?

What had his life been like inside that house?


Before he closed that door, never to return again?

This is my entry for Thematic Photography this week.
The theme was “abandoned”
Find more posts with this theme here.

25 comments:

quilly said...

Nicely done, Jientje. The house got one last little bit of love through your words and pictures.

Today I played along, too!

Abandoned.

Wanda..... said...

Your photos made me quietly wonder too Jientje...

aspiritofsimplicity said...

I often wonder things like that when I am in old places. It feels almost sacred to wonder, as if you could somehow be a part of their lives. As if you could gently touch the walls and feel the life. Did he know he would never return or did he think that he would be back at the end of his day?
Great post.

Heather said...

Nice. I love old doors and wonder, too, what once was behind them.

Unknown said...

VERY cool series! What an awesome building to check out and ponder about!

moneythoughts said...

This time I was more moved by your words than your photographs. Without your words, the photos could be just pictures of abstract art, as I could see them painted that way. I guess losing or leaving ones home is a sad day anywhere in the world.

annalarssonphotography said...

Truly stunning series!!
Pictures that really tells a story - I love it load :)

You're talented!

Prospero said...

Jientje, these photos really stimulate the imagination - what was, what could have been...

Melli said...

You are sO romantic! I do wonder those things ... but I wonder lots of other things too....

Elisabeth said...

How wonderful...What stories could be told about the building's past...the sights, the smells, the voices, the emotions. Thank you for sharing.

Gabriel said...

Beautiful pictures, Jientje!!! Just so you know, I'm starting a series based on your 'A thousand words in Idioms'. Since my pictures will never be that good, I decided to share some Argentine slang with my (few) readers.

The first post is coming up right now (It's called 'Argentinisms')

Anonymous said...

Very well done. You get the spirit of the word very very well. What is odd to me is the modern lock on it. Doesn't that seem out of place a little with the building being so old? But there is the old saying, something old, something new...oh yeah...that's for weddings. LOL. Well done my Belgian Bombshell :)

Carletta said...

Lovely words and images!

Jientje said...

@ Quilly: Tribute to an old house ...
@ Wanda: Yes, funny eh?
@ hip chick: yes, I wonder about that too. What did the neighborhood look like, did they have kids playing outside?
@ Heather: At first I only wanted to photograph the door, but it became so much more!
@ Lisa: It had a soul.
@ moneythoughts: the words did not come easy though, so I am very glad you liked them!
@ Vita Stunder: I like yours. Thank you.
@ Prospero: Makes you wonder eh?
@ Melli: yes, romantic perhaps, but still ...
@ Elisabeth: I would have loved to have a peek inside ...
@ Gabriel: Can't wait to see it!
@ Thom: I think the house has been locked up by the city, for safety reasons. Hence the new Yale lock. But I kind of liked the contrast between that old door and it's rusty doorknob, and that shiny Yale lock.
@ Carletta: Thank you!

Loree said...

I wonder what it's like inside. The photos just convey 'abandoned' so well. And I love your choice of words.

Jientje said...

@ Loree: So glad you like my words too!

spacedlaw said...

Wonderful! I like those as well.

Suburban Girl said...

Such interesting shots abandoned places make. Great post altogether.

Ann said...

Who ever lived there, I hope their home was their castle.

Love 2Bs said...

Nice photos...the colors are beautiful.

My “abandoned” photo is here if you'd like to stop by!

Unknown said...

Oh my goodness, the investigator in me (the curious cat) would start asking questions to anyone close by that would listen to me! HOW amazing and wonderful! JUST imagining is so fun and making up your own little story...I LOVE IT...OH how I want to come visit and walk with you on a photo journey!

Evelyn said...

I love the texture in these photos...makes me want to touch them, run my fingers over the chipped paint and rough wood. Nicely done!

Anonymous said...

Amazing - all this old facades made you pictures look like heavily oilyfied pieces of abstract art. I can feel the oil cracking off the photograph. I am not sure if I express what I mean very well. These pictures of old walls look quite modern!

Kristin - The Goat said...

What a lovely story, insight and photos. Thanks so much for putting so much into the vision :) I love it.

dennisthemennis.co.uk said...

Nice Shots.

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