We'd both been tired yesterday, so didn't rush today, and left home at about 10:00 for a walk around. The first stop was the local flea market, but we got a bit lost again. Not having wifi permanently on our phones is a real pest. Anyway, this was a real junk market, but it actually had a few nativities, but they had holes and pieces missing, and were too big, and too ugly.
As we left, we saw a locality sign that indicated a Breugel House in a nearby street. We followed the plan, but couldn't find a labelled house. When I asked at a local shop they agreed it was just across the road from them, but it was not indicated and was not open. What a shame. But on the next corner was a big church, with a Breugel statue in its square, and paintings inside - but closed on Tuesdays.
So we kept walking and found a nice park for a picnic, with 2 uniformed guards who blew whistles if anyone walked on their grass. (So I did while they weren't looking.) There were statues all around, and a fountain with a big statue for 2 counts who had been beheaded in C16, and 12 statues of famous Belgians, only 2 of whom we recognised.
Then we came upon a big square with a plaque about a king being born in this house, and a big statue,
I thought this was the palace, but it isn't. It's just a spare grand house. The palace is behind, facing the park which contains the big tree behind the horseman, who is Godfrey of Bouillon, the leader of the first crusade in 1096.
... and just down the street was what we'd come for, the Museum of Musical Instruments.
The building was the home of the Old England Dept Store in what was 'a complex of residences built mostly by Corneille Juste Philibert Philippe, Count of Spangen, between 1775 and 1782'
We spent over 3 hours there, with our headphones, listening to all the toots and squawks and tinkles and nice music. We finished just before they kicked everyone out.
Then we negotiated the Brussels underground system, with a change of train line (and nearly a loss when I jumped on a train and went off without D. But I came back and found him.) And dinner wasn't quite so late tonight.
No comments:
Post a Comment