Left behind

This photo is taken in a small village near Antwerp (Belgium) named Doel. It's considered to be a ghost town, but eighteen people are still living there. Doel was supposed to be demolished to make room for a extension of the port of Antwerp. Because of the economic crisis this never happend. From the stories I heard from the locals, Doel was a beautiful place to live back in the day. Now most of the houses are run-down. Rooftops are collapsing, windows are broken and doors are hammered shut. Almost every inch of the walls has been spray-painted. Vandalism is a big problem. A lot of people, photographers and tourists mostly, vist every day. But it's also a refuge for the homeless. One of the buildings wasn't as run-down as the rest, an old school with a small chapel attached to it. The locals tried protect and maintain it for a few years, but eventually gave up. People kept breaking in. This photo shows what I found. I didn't put the tables there, or the toilet paper, or the broken plates. Just like you, I have no clue what happend there or why it happend. Not knowing, gives the place a mysterious feel. Like anything is possible. But one thing is clear: Doel is still very much alive, although most inhabitants have moved away. And it's beautiful, but maybe not in the way it was before.