Christine Inghelbrecht
I love telling stories,
setting out together with you in the historic center of Bruges or in the Old Zwin region.
Or at my writing desk, wandering through my inner experiences.
Experiences that go beyond words — or do they?
Isabelle Lints
(pseudonym of Christine Inghelbrecht) – born in Bruges
I live and work in Bruges and Ghent.
My stories arise from an image and a mood, which I then try to shape and structure much like a photographer plays with light and composition. I write not only fiction, but also organize themed walks in Bruges and the Old Zwin region. As a guide, I don’t list every detail or date; I prefer to tell a story.
Like the story of Bruges.
At the end of the 16th century, Bruges dozed off. She became a Sleeping Beauty, untouched even by the Industrial Revolution raging through the rest of the country. She awoke in the 19th century, thanks to the romantic kiss of poets and writers such as Longfellow, Rodenbach, and Victor Hugo.
Mythical places
Silent Bruges
I'm not taking you to the "secret" places; what's secret in the information age? We'll walk through the neighborhoods that have fallen asleep after Bruges' heyday. A silent Bruges where your footsteps echo between the facades of the majestic city palaces.
Silted Bruges
When the tide turns for Bruges, the once-mighty Cistercian abbey between Bruges and the sea also falls into disrepair. Only its imposing barn remains, amidst the polder landscape. A strange relic among the crooked poplars. A lonely and silent witness to eight centuries of history.
Short Stories
Cabo de Gata
The desolate landscape of Cabo de Gata inspired Lorca for his story "The Blood Wedding of Nijar." Time seems to have been erased there forever. It reminds me of that other garden. In my short story "The Garden of Gethsemane", I take you to sweltering Spain. This story recently won a prize from the jury of the biennial short story competition of the city of Deinze.
The Garden of Gethsemane
I was here long before Don and Doña Nogareda chose this place to build their weekend house, a modest adobe home on the edge of Cabo de Gata. From here, it’s only about five kilometers as the crow flies to the rugged, jagged coastline with the pristine beaches of Monsul and Genoveses. Our region resembles a Western landscape more than a Spanish Costa. The heat here is relentless. It didn’t bother me—I was a child of this land. I felt at ease in this semi-desert.
Our estate was not far from the mighty Del Fraile manor, well-known for the family drama that took place there a century ago. The Almería Chronicle dedicated dozens of pages to it under the headline “The Blood Wedding of Níjar.” Today, only an overgrown ruin remains of the manor; like its protagonists, it has shrouded itself in eternal silence.
Our house and farm were simple. Yet here too, a massacre would take place—one that no chronicle has ever recorded. Let me tell you about it.
The full version can be obtained by sending an email to christine@inghelbrecht.com.
Practical information
Interested in a walk through the less touristy side of Bruges?
Available every Saturday or Thursday. In groups (max. 10) or individually.
The walk lasts 90 minutes.
Price: €120
Would you like to learn more about the Ter Doest site in Lissewege?
I’d be happy to tell you more. Available every Saturday or Sunday.
Duration: 1 hour
Price: €100
Send an email to christine@inghelbrecht.com