Several Thousand Words

It has been said, of course, millions of times over, that a picture is worth a thousand words.  While I just so happen to think that it's ever so much more fun to write the thousand words, I keep hearing a clamouring for pictures.  And so, I acquiesce, seeing as I am not the world's worst photographer.  (I think that particular honor belonged to a relation of mine, who was famous for taking pictures of people at just such an angle as to cut off the head, every time.)

(Needless to say, I reserve the copyright to all photos. Please never reuse them without my express permission and appropriate citation).

Let us begin with what I am calling the fairylights shot, of Grand Place:

 

Next, I shall favor you with a second Grand Place Shot, because there's a horse in it; followed by Jardin Botanique, where you can see a typical Brussels melange - the old garden, the pavilion which  is now generally used as a concert hall, and some of what I believe are the EU buildings in the background:

I've no idea what the following is - it may be one of the Royal Palaces - in any case, it's near the Atomium - but I think it's the most beautiful picture I've taken here so far:

 

A quick welcome to Europe, as state:

Looks a little 50's-futuristic, yes?

Now, in the category, "and you wonder why I chose Belgium:"

(That's frozen mousse. Note also the waffle.)

By day, it's a museum, by night it's a bar, in 1881, it was a train station:

Belgium is big on comic books...

Reeeeeally big.  That'd be a real tree at the bottom, of a real building.

And these are just pretty:

Flanders lace...in Flanders.

In other news, when I got on the tram on the way home today, there was a street performer playing the accordion.  I took a video to capture the sound, but unfortunately the screen is mostly a close-up of my umbrella, and I kept sticking my fingers over the camera's microphone by accident, so it's really a very bad video.  But imagine all of this accompanied by Francophone cafe music, and being seen by a girl who is almost accustomed to the idea of staying in this place for a while.

Post Scriptum: Pictures of the bear with the copper pot are coming.  My mother suggests it is a honey pot, making him the Belgian relation of Winnie the Pooh.  I've named him Herge.

PPS: Uploading pictures takes far too long.  Enjoy them, because next post, it's back to writing.