Splingaerd 2008 Ottenburg Reunion: Description and Report to Family Members by Dominic Bowen As promised, I am writing to you to share some photos, documents and a brief diary style report on the tremendously successful Splingaerd reunion in Ottenburg, Belgium which took place a little over...
I just ran across this video " Vladimir Nabokov and the Flemish Mandarin". It attempts to show on some level why Russian-American novelist, Vladmir Nabokov (1899 - 1977) may have been intrigued with the life of Paul Splingaerd. Characters in several famous novels and even...
Zhongshan Bridge or Yellow River (Huanghe) Iron Bridge lies at the foot of the White Pagoda Mountain. It was the first bridge over the Yellow River in beautiful Lanzhou, China. And, it may not have been built as early as it was if it were...
In 1879 a 25-year old Belgian named Alfred Blondel traveled around the world to complement his education in science and engineering. His travels took him through Northern China and Mongolia, and when his great granddaughter, Martine Bouquelle of Brussels came across his diary, she contacted...
Paul was knighted by King Leopold II of Belgium and awarded the “Chevalier de l’Ordre de la Couronne”, Order of the Crown, medal in 1897....