POLISH POTTERY

THIS PAST FRIDAY I TOOK A BUS TRIP WITH THE AMERICAN WOMEN'S CLUB OF BRUSSELS TO A POLISH POTTERY OUTLET IN THE NETHERLANDS.  THE POLISH POTTERY IS ALSO KNOWN AS BUNZLAU CASTLE POTTERY.  IT WAS ORIGINATED IN THE EARLY 1800s AND BECAME INCREASINGLY POPULAR AS THE POTTERY MADE IT'S WAY INTO THE COURTS OF KINGS AND QUEENS ACROSS EUROPE.    NOWADAYS IT'S DESIGNS ARE STILL HAND-PAINTED WITH SPONGY STAMPS AND FINE BRUSHES.   THEY ARE NOT EASILY CRACKED OR CHIPPED WHICH IS A GOOD THING FOR ME BECAUSE I'M A DISASTER WHEN IT COMES TO MY DISHES.

LET ME KNOW IF YOU WANT ME TO PICK SOMETHING UP FOR YOU.   THE PRICES ARE VERY REASONABLE HERE - MUCH MORE SO THAN IN THE U.S. AND IT'S ONLY A 2 1/2 HOUR DRIVE.   

MY FRIEND MARY LOOKING FOR THE PERFECT "CHEESE LADY"

THE PRICE YOU PAY FOR DISCOUNT PRICING...PACKING ALL THE THINGS YOU BUY!

I WOULD HAVE NEEDED MY WIDE-ANGLE LENS TO GET THE WHOLE PLACE IN THIS PICTURE.  I WAS REALLY SURPRISED AT THE SIZE OF THE OUTLET.

MY "CHEESE-LADY"

A CASSEROLE DISH

I LOVE THE DESIGN OF THIS BOWL.

THIS GIVES A LITTLE SCALE TO THE CASSEROLE AND THE BOWL
 (AND MY PUPPY'S BEHINDS!!)

BRUSSELS MILITARY MUSEUM

WE WERE LOOKING FOR SOMETHING TO DO TO GET OUT OF THE HOUSE LAST WEEKEND FOR A FEW HOURS.   THOUGHT WE WOULD CHECK OUT THE MILITARY MUSEUM OF BRUSSELS.  THEY HAD A GREAT COLLECTION OF WAR PIECES WHICH IS SURPRISING SINCE BELGIUM ISN'T EXACTLY KNOWN FOR THEIR MILITARY MIGHT.  BUT THEN I REALIZED THAT A LOT OF THE COLLECTION WAS ORIGINATED FROM ONE MAN'S COLLECTION OF WWI EQUIPMENT LEFT BEHIND BY THE GERMANS.  THE MUSEUM ITSELF OPENED IN 1923 IN THE CURRENT BUILDINGS THAT WERE BUILT FOR THE 1910 WORLD EXHIBITION.  

THIS IS KINDA FUNNY...IT SAYS DONATION FROM THE U.S. ARMY.....IN OTHER WORDS, YOU CAN KEEP IT - WE DON'T WANT TO SPEND THE $ TO BRING IT HOME!

REALLY SHOWS THE POWER THAT THESE BIG GUNS HAD.

THERE WERE ABOUT 3  CASES FULL OF HELMETS.

PART OF THE MUSEUM HOUSES AN AIRCRAFT EXHIBIT - MOSTLY MILITARY TYPE.  

MELTED STEEL.

THIS MUST HAVE BEEN A BAD LANDING!

AN EARLY DRONE

PART OF THE CABIN OF A ZEPPELIN

THIS MAP SHOWS DOWNED PLANES DURING WORLD WAR II.  ONE PLANE WENT DOWN IN OUR TOWN, IT'S MARKED WITH THE GREEN CIRCLE IN THE MIDDLE.  THE GREEN INDICATES A FRENCH PLANE. 

OUR LADY OF LAEKEN; BRUSSELS, BELGIUM

THE ORIGIN OF THIS CHURCH DATES BACK TO THE YEAR 800 WHEN A CHAPEL WAS BUILT ON THE SITE BY TWO SISTERS IN MEMORY OF THEIR BROTHER.   THEN IN 1275 A PRIMITIVE CHURCH WAS BUILT, THE CHOIR OF WHICH STILL EXISTS IN THE CEMETERY.  UNFORTUNATELY I COULD NOT SEE IT BECAUSE MUCH OF THE CHURCH GROUNDS WERE BLOCKED OFF BECAUSE OF MAJOR RENOVATIONS TO THE CHURCH.  

JUST DOWN THE STREET IS ST. ANNA CHAPEL.  THIS IS THE AREA WHERE THE ARCHDUKES ALBERT AND ISABELLA ESTABLISHED THEIR SECOND RESIDENCE.  THE FIRST QUEEN OF BELGIUM ASKED TO BE BURIED HERE.  A FEW DAYS AFTER HER DEATH IN 1850, KING LEOPOLD Ist DECIDED TO BUILD A NEW CHURCH WITH A CRYPT MEANT FOR DECEASED MEMBERS OF THE ROYAL FAMILY.  I LOVE HOW IT ONLY TOOK A FEW DAYS TO GET SOMETHING APPROVED IN BELGIUM BACK THEN.   NOWADAYS..IT CAN TAKE 6 MONTHS TO BUY A NEW CAR.  

THE FIRST STONE WAS LAID IN 1854.  IT WAS DEDICATED IN 1872 ALTHOUGH STILL UNFINISHED.  KING LEOPOLD 2nd DECIDED TO FINISH THE CONSTRUCTION AND IN 1909 IT WAS COMPLETED.   HOWEVER, THERE WERE "SIDE WINGS" THAT WERE NEVER CONSTRUCTED DUE TO WORLD WAR 1.  AND THAT WORK WAS NEVER CONTINUED.  THE CHURCH LOOKS AS IT DID 100 YEARS AGO.  

BELOW IS THE CRYPT IN WHICH THE DECEASED ROYALS OF BELGIUM ARE BURIED.  THIS IS BY FAR THE LARGEST CRYPT I HAVE SEEN IN ALL THE CATHEDRALS THAT I HAVE SEEN THIS YEAR.  AND IT SEEMS THAT THE BELGIANS ARE QUITE PROUD OF THIS CRYPT.  AS SOON AS WE WALKED INTO THE CATHEDRAL DOORS SOMEONE CAME TO US TO LET US KNOW THAT THE CRYPT WAS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC AND HE SHOWED US WHERE IT WAS.  

BELGIAN ROYALTY DOESN'T DATE TOO FAR BACK RELATIVE TO OTHER EUROPEAN COUNTRIES.  LEOPOLD Ist WAS THE FIRST KING OF THE BELGIANS (1831-1865).  HE, ALONG WITH  HIS SUCCESSORS, ARE ALL INTERRED IN THE ROYAL CRYPT.  THE CURRENT KING OF BELGIUM IS KING ALBERT II. HE IS 78 AND HIS SON, PHILIPPE IS 52;  IN 1999 THEY CHANGED THE SUCCESSION RULES AND NOW (AS THEY ARE TRYING TO DO IN ENGLAND) THE FIRST BORN, NOT THE FIRST SON, WILL INHERIT THE THRONE.  PHILIPPE'S FIRST BORN IS ELIZABETH (SHE IS 12). 

IT IS HARD TO FIND DETAILED FACTS ABOUT THIS CHURCH AND IT'S ARTWORK.   BUT THEY ARE IN THE MIDST OF A MAJOR RENOVATION INSIDE AND OUT.

INTERESTING CONTEMPORARY STAINED GLASS

OH...BLUE SKY...BETTER TAKE A PICTURE!

I REALLY LIKE THE UNUSUAL BLUE CEILINGS