Namur_pano.jpg (107115 bytes)

Sat., Sep. 8, 2007 - Visit Namur, River Cruise, Citadel, Battle Reenactment, walk around town

A short 45 minutes southeast of Brussels we arrive at the river city of Namur and begin exploring.
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Namur has always been important because of it strategic location at the confluence of two major rivers: the Meuse and the Sambre.
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Peg, always a sucker for a boat ride, hops aboard this craft for a narrated trip between the locks of these two rivers.
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Patrick takes this photo partly because he is fond of lions and partly to place our journey by displaying the coat of arms for the Province of Namur.  
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An awesome perspective of the citadel that so famously guards this location.  Pretty daunting for any invaders, I'd say.
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Happiness is the breeze in the face from the front of a boat.
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Or, if you're a kid, maybe it's catching a fish.
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Or maybe it's just watching the pleasant houses go by.
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Some people have to work.  Here is a barge loaded to the gunnels with something industrial.
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Okay, so we start the climb up the citadel to look down at the city.
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Nice overview.  Click the panoramic image at the top of this page for a larger sweeping view of the city of Namur from part way up the Citadel.
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A different angle.  It is from here we hear what sounds like cannon fire coming from somewhere on the far side of the town.
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We decide to forego the climb and chase down the explosions.  Patrick programs the suspected site into his handy GPS.
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We locate some action at this city park.  It appears to be some kind of reenactment.
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We count four different armies, based on colors.  
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The drumming, fifes and the firing of guns lends the authenticity of sound to the setting.
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Doing a bit of research later, we believe the downed soldiers in yellow here, are from the battalion of the Canaris (Canaries) of Namur. We believe this group started out as local volunteers or informal militia.
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As best we could determine, several military engagements from the late 1700's & early 1800's were being reenacted this day.
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The redcoats would seem to represent the British & we have heard that in this period battalions wore distinctive uniforms.
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As the pageantry ended, the 4 groups gathered for a joint black-powder firing & an attempt to discharge a small cannon.
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Time to put ones headgear on the bayonet and have a break.
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Yes, "beer o'clock" - it seems. Now this is a way to fight a war.
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We stop for a necessary coffee at a pub with a friendly resident dog.  Good coffee, nice dog.
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The requisite photo moment at the town square. Apparently the city was celebrating some festival, but at this moment this area had few folks present.
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And another photo op moment while elsewhere the city's streets & shops were bustling. 

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