A concept that you should not explain to any West Flemish person is “kloek” (sturdy). Sturdy, tough, indestructible, robust, and so on. A sturdy decision, sturdy and healthy, a sturdy guy …
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What was certainly sturdy were my late father-in-law’s Flintstone * chairs and table. Pure beech, the table top was a generous 10 cm thick, accounting for about 200 kg of gravity. The seats were idem ditto, each about 50 kilos. They braved wind and weather without flinching, not a storm that could move them. Once made by a local farmer / carpenter from rural Passendale as furniture for a garden shed.
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But that was a bit too much. None of the descendants were overly enthusiastic about taking home those museum pieces along for another 100 years, so we looked for and found another destination. Six seats and 24 legs, that’s good for 6 hand-turned fruit bowls and 24 pepper mills! My great-grandmother Amata would say ‘a fortune is being gathered here’.
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In any case, I didn’t have to worry if the wood was dry enough. 36 years in Provence, that should be enough.
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* For the Flintstones, click here
