Brussels 3

I moved from my AirBnB apartment to an Ibis hotel near the railway station this morning in readiness for my departure for Ghent on Saturday. When I am in Europe I frequently use Accor Hotels and on my arrival I was pleasantly surprised to see, I suppose in recognition of this, that they had upgraded me to their prestigious Beer Room, in reality a mini museum in one's bedroom with scores of craft beer lined up against the wall and even one of those football games one plays by twirling the handles. What fun! I started the day at the 14th century Halle Gate from which the city defended itself during the Middle Ages. Here is some of the armour used by the knights and their horses. I continued my walk through the aristocratic Upper Town with its grand mansions and palaces. I had a little rest at the Place du Sablon with its lovely garden. If you expand the picture you will see on the top of the fountain a statue of the Counts, Egmont and Hoorn, who were beheaded on the Grand-Place in 1565 for their opposition to the Habsburgs. I finished up at the Musée des Beaux Arts. Here is a charming 1667 painting by Pieter Bruegel, "Dance de Noce en Plein Air" (Wedding Dance in the Open Air).






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