THE WATERLOO MARKET

Since the 35 years I now live in Waterloo, there was always market on sundays. Of course at that time it was a little farmer's market very familiar where everybody knew everybody and besides vegetables there was nothing else to sell.

But with the years other things were added, clothing, antiques, books, cleaning products etc. and it became a quiet big market where people from other little towns around are coming each sunday too.

It is also a place to meet people and chat and often after shopping they gather in a café to have a beer or a glass of wine together. In summer the terrace is open and also seats on the sidewalk. The market is a social event and very much appreciated by British and American people living in Waterloo or around.

The weather was quiet cold because of a little wind.

but it didn't bother the shoppers

freshly baked bread of all kinds

For those who don't like to cook on sundays there are a big choice of freshly prepared food, like Lasagne, moussaka, Tartiflette etc.

Lots of people buy their Sunday chicken here, well roasted and well spiced.

You can also buy homemade pasta, spaghettis, raviolis, etc

a closer look. There is a lot of choice, even Raviolis filled with truffels !

fish, and seafood

plastic table cloth

He wanted me to buy potatoes !

scarfs, bonnets and gloves

the other side of the market

handmade soap and parfums

antiques

Thai food, the white bag is mine, I bought our Sunday supper it was excellent

lots of colorful stands.

and cheeeeeese !

Before I returned home I met a neighbors couple, a friend of my painting course, and some other people. When I came home I heard "where have you been so long ?" Sunday market is always fun.

Maybe you noticed that I made a new template with 3 columns. Please take the two seconds to give me an idea ! thank you.

Online Surveys & Market Research

EUROPEAN QUARTERS IN BRUSSELS

When I had to pick up my new passport I was so close to the European quarter in Brussels, that I went there just to have a look to see how it looks today. I didn't recognize anything. My father used to work in the old Berlaymont building (which looks like a Star) and I worked in there too for a while as free lance for the Commun Market (today the European Union). Therefore I knew this area very well. Already in the 60 th and 70th it had been a big construction area and it hasn't changed ! It's now 50 years that not only the European Union has to be constructed, but also its offices !

Today the office space occupied by the European institutions and its satellite organizations in Brussels is 3.5 million sqm (37) on a total of 12 million (129) most of which lies in the European quarter.

That's how it will be but when ?

This is the model

A picture of the European Commission (Berlaymont building) not from me of course.

The Berlaymont building was the first European edifice in Brussels in the 60s, it has been newly rebuilt after having been torned down due to asbestos problems.

Here it is how it looks now in the midst of the never ending construction area

There is a strange mixture of old and new buildings all around the European quarter

Offices for European employees scattered over several streets

This one suddenly jumps out of nowhere when you peacefully walk along old houses in a street.

It is the EU Council

The floor area is 85,000 sqm and the building has about 3000 gates. The design is based on 2 fronts shaped shell surrounding the glass offices

The entrance. Nobody could tell me who or what represents this statue

old an new together

Here houses the European Economic and Social Commettee

I thought this would be a church. At least it looks like

but it is not a church, there are offices in it for the European Commission !

a little "left over" church is just glued to the big one

and other offices. I really got lost. In all these buildings the Commission employs 25,000 and the Parliament employs about 5000 people.

When my father started there in 1958 they were only 3000 in total ! Belgians, Frenchs, Italians, Germans, Dutchs and Luxemburgers. All the other countries joined in slowly later. Here is more about The European Institutions and their location