Seeing Red

On this particular day I was "seeing red" because after a long, wet walk to and from the Grand Place, in part because I'm always curious to see what Manneken Pis is wearing (more on him in a future post), we discovered our neighborhood bistro had just closed for summer vacation. Since our two back-up bistros were also closed, this meant we had more walking to do for my daily verre de vin blanc and my husband's other blonde (Leffe beer!). When you hear European cities practically shut down in August, it's sadly true for those left behind. No matter, I appreciate that businesses care about the well-being of their employees and not just in making a profit... and we love the colorful neighborhood of Châtelain! After just a few blocks, on Avenue Louise, I was "seeing red" again, this time literally. It's one of my favorite colors and has a way of popping-out at you, doesn't it?

Welcome!

When my husband was offered a promotion that entailed living in Brussels for a couple of years, few people I knew had been here before. Those that had either loved the city or disliked it (no in between) though all agreed that, for a majority of the year, Brussels is very gray! I suppose this occurs when the ever-present rain clouds loom down on the flat landscape and 19th century infrastructure. I've noticed that Brusseleers often dress in colors resembling old soot-covered cathedrals: shades of gray and black. Hmmm, my son's adopted this color scheme and we just got here! The country's been invaded and occupied at different times by Spain, Austria, France, the Netherlands and Germany. It's understandable to want to blend in and not attract too much attention (not that the European Union or NATO would agree). In any case, what better way to get through the gloomy, rainy days than to search out the array of colors this great city has to offer? Thus, my mission to find the Colors of Brussels began! Hope you'll enjoy these visual delights of my temporary home as much as I am...