Touring Brussels Friday 07/11/2014

Funny thing, when it is raining and windy, you keep your head down a bit, and duck in wherever and whenever you see something cool...and that's great, but when you get home, you really have NO idea where you were! I tried to reconstruct some of my wandering to no avail. I saw three beautiful church's.  The first was very poignant, at the front entrance there was and exhibit on slavary through the ages,including human trafficking today. Then as I moved further into the church I saw they had tents set up in the front. There were refugees/homeless people sleeping right in the church. Talk about Christ in action

It was very moving to see the juxtaposition of the icon religious painting and a ladder holding shoes...I examined my conscience.

Then back out into the rain, trying to pick up the trail of a city walk I was following. I passed an old convent bombed in WWII and rebuilt so the facade contain pieces of all different eras, a random crazy statue that made me smile and think of Danny

I found another beautiful cathedral where I was able to light two candles and pray. 

I also viewed an exhibit by a deacon who is a photographer who uses a technique call spectrography. It takes a small view and spirals it outward, and then reverses it. I need to read more about the process, but the photos were taken on an island in the Mediterranean of the coast of Cannes which is used as a religious retreat and is home to monks. The photos are breathtaking and the quote at the end is very moving. I would love to visit that island.

Back out I went, through Brussels city park, filled with midday executives jogging a about, a cool old band stand and some random Greek statues!

Then I found my way to the royal palace ( I think!) where I asked a Japanese girl with a 5000$ camera to snap a photo with my clunky iPad!

Then I went into the Belvu museum, which used to be a hotel in the 1800's and saw a cool exhibit on King Albert of Belgium and his infatuation with the new invention of the movie industry. He was one of the first modern monarchs to have crews record his life and travels and it was fascinating to see Woodrow Wilson visiting Belgium after WWII, Prince Charles as a teen in a boyscout suit playing on the beach with King Alberts kids, and the King trying out the four man bobsled at the Olympic park in the 20's. He was an avid climber who was killed suddenly in a tragic climbing accident. 

The exhibit had screen grabs so as you watched the film bits you could see who people were and what was happening at each part. I thought jake would be interested to see the dog machine gun teams..

I observed people with selfie sticks, a collapsible rod you hook your phone to so you can get a good selfie...not me. I can only go out as far as my short arms can take me!

Then after 3 1/2 hours I tried to find my way back to the hotel, but I had forgotten to leave the croissant crumbs so I got a bit lost on the twisty streets. Like a mirage in the desert I saw the place we had lunch at yesterday blinking its warm lights at me, saying " Kerry, come in for the soup bowl of coffee and free wifi and warm yourself!" I happily agreed and even got lentil soup an une demi baguette!

Happiness! I read my book on my iPad and enjoyed the people watching and got reoriented enough to find my way to the Adagio! When Jerry got back we walked around together a bit then headed back to our apartment to relax.