A real apotheosis, Bart Backaert and “singing” Sieglinde Heymans make this bike ride an enchanting moment.
Everyone is still talking about it. They had never experienced this before. Or how art, culture and nature can go hand in hand.
Bart Backaert had mapped out a course especially for this bike ride. He knew Sieglinde from before and it is also through Bart that we got to know her.
That Sieglinde has a creative mind was obvious but her talent for connecting people to nature through song only came into its own during this bike ride.
Sieglinde chose a different life and is a “Tiny House” pioneer. You can read more about it on her website. She is often interviewed because it makes people dream but in practice it is not so easy to find a place to set up your TIny House. She was just told that the farmer in Damme can no longer accommodate her. Head over heels, she had to look for a new place. Still, she is positive. It is a sign. Who knows, sooner or later she might return to her heimat and find a place in Aalst. In any case, we hope so.
Did you know that Aalst is also an inspiration for many cities abroad?
It is thanks to Bart Backaert that we got to know her. Needless to say, Bart Backaert is a storyteller first class. Who could guess that he used to be a shy little pantser, as he puts it himself. But a nature guide course did not only reinforce his love of nature. There he also learned the “skills” of speaking in front of an audience. That course really changed his life, he says. You can take such a course at, among others. Nature Point.
But of course, Bart also has more than 42 years of ecological pioneering on his counter. This can count when you know that many cities have yet to start ecological green management and the redesign of their city. It is not surprising that cities from all over Europe come to Aalst to get the mustard. Aalst can rightly be super proud of that. People spread the news.
After rain comes sunshine
The bike ride ended with a heavy downpour at Network Aalst. But that couldn’t hurt the cyclists. You felt that they had experienced something wonderful. They were spoiled with snacks and drinks offered by Netwerk Aalst because it was the last evening before closure due to renovation work. There was still vigorous talk. The words: magical, amazing, unique, … were not out of the blue.
That tasted like more….
Much viewing and listening pleasure.
Thanks to the folks at Curieus for inviting us to join their action 100 in A day.
