Having praised the Belgian painting schools, it was appropriate that yesterday was a celebration of Belgian architecture. The apartment I was looking at was in the Simonis/Jette area – within sight of the huge Basilique St Coeur and round the corner from a stately park. The turrets of the red brick buildings with a mix of bay windows and balustrades stretch into the distance – with hardly a space between them. Images of elegant carriages (from Flemish painting) contrasted with the reality of burkhas!
The flat was from the 1930s with one of these marvellous see-through arrangements of 3 rooms - ie the 3 rooms opening out on one another and allowing the light from front and back windows to light the place.
Having a flat in Brussels makes more and more sense for me at my advanced age - with all the access it so easily offers to the cultural treasures not only of Belgium (or whatever will follow its presently anticpated demise) but of France, Germany and Netherlands.
No comments:
Post a Comment