In 2017 I visited Ghent, Belgium, and I loved the charms of this small city of romantic water canals and handsome architecture. I am still on the mailing list for the Visit Gent, the official tourist office and in February they sent an announcement for Floralien, a flower show and exhibition held every four years. Floralien began in 1809, starting off with only 137 plants and displayed in a 500 square foot venue. Fast forward to 2022, and Floralien is a major event taking place in a sprawling convention center in a pretty park near the main train station, attracting tens of thousands of visitors. 

I thought it would be a fun event to attend and Visit Gent was kind enough to provide a press pass to Floralien, a one-night hotel stay, and dinner at a local restaurant. 

The theme for Floralien for 2022 is "My Paradise, My Worldly Garden" and explores the need for urban dwellers to have more green spaces in the city centers, as they are shrinking in most cities around the world. The show is also focused on trends, durability, research and innovation in gardens and gardening. "My Paradise, My Worldly Garden" also coincides with the celebration of the Ghent Altarpiece/ The Mystic Lamb by the Van Eyck brothers, an historic masterpiece of painted, religious panels from 1432. 

I arrived late morning to Floralien and was given an all-access pass. It was the second day and a Friday, so it wasn’t too crowded. The first section of the exhibition there were individual displays from various landscape artists and designers, which were dramatic and astonishing. I was floored by the incredible talent, artistry, and attention to detail of each one. Walking through the rest of Floralien, there were sumptuous, tabletop floral arrangements, and walkways festooned with mounds of luscious seasonal flowers including azaleas, roses, and hydrangeas in the most brilliant colors. Many of the displays throughout the show referenced The Mystic Lamb. 

After the sensation and thrill of Floralien, I took an easy tram ride to the historic center of the city. Since I had done most of the tourist attractions on my last trip in 2017, I was free to stroll the city streets and discover cool shops, off the beaten path, narrow lanes with ancient architecture, and rediscovering the canals. 

One of the more interesting shops was Paarl, where the owner, Paarl, hand makes and designs individual handbags and no two are ever the same. She mixes leather with other exotic materials including marble, stone, and concrete panels, which are super light and thin. 

Believe it or not I refrained from eating Belgian chocolates until almost the end of my stay in Ghent (trust me, it wasn’t easy) when I visited Yuzu Chocolade. The owner, Nicolas Vanaise, who came from a sixth-generation chocolate making family, was an archeologist, but left the field in the early 2000s, to open a shop where he personally makes the chocolates himself. The focus is just as much on the visual as it is the taste, and each one was like a mini-art piece. Between the gorgeous colors and the unusual and appealing and exotic flavors, it was impossible to choose, so I narrowed it down to 6 pieces. The owner’s wife is an avid collector of Japanese and Asian ceramics, and a good part of the shop was dedicated to her beautiful collection lining the shelves. 

That evening I had an outstanding dinner, one of those memorable food experiences from beginning to end. Kruidtuin is a small, contemporary restaurant with a young, dedicated staff, passionate about food. The five-course, pre-fixe dinner is a set menu at a reasonable cost of 63€. A loaf of freshly baked, sourdough bread laced with fennel and caraway seeds was served warm, and set the standard for the rest of the meal. Each plate had distinct flavors, using seasonal ingredients, including tender white asparagus, rhubarb, cauliflower, and mackerel. The most unusual dish was the dessert of asparagus flavored ice cream. 

Floralien 2022

Until May 8, Open daily from 8am to 6pm

https://floralien.be/en/welcome/

Paarl Handbags

https://paarl.be/

Yuzu Chocolates

https://www.yuzubynicolasvanaiseandc.com/nl/

Kruidtuin Restaurant

https://www.kruidtuingent.be/#home