A FESTIVAL IN BRUSSELS CITY CENTER

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Ilot sacré (sacred little island) is the area around the Grand'Place in Brussels' center.

Each year there is a festival in the Ilot sacré and as the weather was so beautiful I thought I too should have a look on the festivities !

Of course there were a lot of people who had the same idea !

There were food stands and beer stands so it was impossible even for tourists to starve.

This gentleman was walking around with a Manneken Pis (Brussels symbol) and sprayed on people.

He was very proud of his moustache !

People walking around or having a glass of beer

some plants or flowers to buy

and snails to eat

The stands

and restaurants

This young woman showed how to make "crêpes" (very thin pancakes). When she turned the pancake she throw it in the air and it landed in the pan again.

all kind of food

and different bands

The garbadge cleaner just walked behind these elegant citizens in their middle age costumes. That really looked so funny !

A band came from Malmedy, the German speaking part of Belgium

and the Belgian beer flow in torrents ! This man is for saving our planet : Save Water Drink Beer !

BUDDHA FEAST IN HUY - Belgium

Three years ago the buddhistic community of Belgium based on Tibetan Buddhism had moved into a little castle in Huy a beautiful little town at the entrance of the Ardennes.

Each year there is a big gathering of all Belgian or other Buddhists in this castle, surrounded by a beautiful park. Everybody is welcome, nobody tries to convince you to become buddhist either. As I had never seen such an event and have only very poor knowledges about Buddha, I was happy when my friend Ilona asked me to come with her to this feast.

The entrance of the castle

The inside courtyard

A tibetan monk, who also was the head of this community

A view from the parc on the backside of the castle

Beautiful trees and flowers everywhere

Guest rooms for seminaries or workshops to very democratic prices

People were thirsty ! Wine, beer, tea, coffee, you could get what you wanted

A little temple, and in front people enjoying asiatic food.

The inside of the temple

The main buddha was in the middle of the parc

He was quite big and beautiful when you stood in front

but rather skinny when you looked behind. I shouldn't have been so curious !

I loved the fact that all people were so joyful and little children were running and playing under Buddha's eyes and had a lot of fun. I just imagined that in our dull churches !

An overlook

The big temple.

and another one inside. Everybody had to take off its shoes.

The main temple

a lot of hungry people ! They all lined up at the different food stands, Vietnamese, chinese, and of course tibetan food. It was very good, I choose vietnamese because there were so many people at the tibetan stand ! It also was very cheap.

I had been a little sceptical thinking that these are profit makers and would try to pull out of my wallet my last cents, but not at all ! Jewelry, cloths or little statues were even cheaper then in a shop.

It was a very cheerful atmosphere and everybody talked with everybody about everything except about buddha. I know that it is not a religion but more a philosophy and that you don't pray but meditate. That I knew already before going there, so I didn't learn much more and I didn't change my mind, I wouldn't start to meditate now, as I never pray either.

MEDIEVAL FESTIVAL IN TUBIZE (Belgium)

Each year in Tubize, a little town located in the Belgian province of Walloon Brabant a medieval festival is organized with the thrilling name of "Medieval of the bloody monks" and brings you back into the middle age.

At the entrance

It took place around an old farm transformed into a restaurant The first "middle agers"

At the first glance I thought I was in an Indian village

But there also was a church and some typical medieval tents

reading sewing instructions

young proud parents

a blacksmith

a hungry girl selling little strange figures and trolls

Music

what a huge bread !

some middle age soup cooking

darts and other games

Knight outfits

good food

Learning archery

and food again

looked like a scaring church

where a pig was roasted on a graveyard (I think I will become vegetarian)

and other pieces of meat

You could eat it with this very yummy looking bread

Before I left I watched a sword fight, which was quite noisy !