"Het was mij een waar genoegen!"

Yesterday I had my last Thursday night blacksmithing class for the year. The image above shows me releasing my emotional turmoil by hammering a hot self forged nail into the "nagel boom". This is a tradition still carried on by Belgian blacksmiths, many who have a tree outside their forge that they have peppered with nails. Klaas taught me to hammer them in in whilst still hot - the explosion of smoke really makes the act quite a spectacle and you feel the energy release.

The translation for the title of this entry is "it was an absolute pleasure" and that's what I said last night to my teacher Patrick (he's the one holding the nagel boom). Patrick is perhaps one of Belgiums best blacksmiths and he was an amazing and inspirational teacher. I will miss him dearly. Last night he said to me, "Steve, when you started here I felt you were searching for something....I think you have found part of the answer." I reckon he hit the proverbial nail on the head there. Class photo below.