Belguim

March 2022

Brussels was just a stopover, between my Papa’s hometown of Breda, Holland and Munich. It was cute. It was a strange mix or modern and historic, but not too historic…kind of like Eastern Canada or Australia. Everything there was quite new, especially in relation to the history of Europe. Most buildings dated back no further than the late-1700s.
But is was easy to navigate, easy to wonder freely, with no bother whatsoever. And where Amsterdam smelt like chips and weed, Brussels smelt like freshly made waffles…and with a waffle place on every street, this was serene. Brussels was easy…uncomplicated…but beautifully so.

La Grande-Place’s construction began in the 11th century, and continued until the 17th century. It consisted of the Guilds of Brussels, the Town Hall, and the neo-Gothic King’s House, and served as the largest marketplace in the city. The King’s house never inhabited a king, and is often referred to as ‘bread house’, because it was built in the location of the original bread market. In 1695, during the Nine Years War, most of Brussels was demolished by the bombardment by French troops, including that of La Grande-Place. In the mid-19th century, the square’s heritage value was discovered, and the square was rebuilt.

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Karen Lawrence

Capturing the world and its history...unfiltered

BELGUIM