When we stopped at the front desk to check out the next morning but to leave our bags for pick up later in the day (our last full day in Brussels) we were told to make sure we were back from our touring by mid-afternoon so we wouldn’t miss the parade. Parade? We just happened to be in town for the 100th year since Belgium celebrated its independence. And they were having a parade!
So we jaunted off to Waterloo, following the signs at all the roundabouts. A comment was recently left that it’s easier to follow directions if you know town names rather than street names, and that’s certainly true. At Waterloo we saw the Butte du Lion, a huge man-made hill that was built to commemorate where the Prince of Orange fell in battle. It was completed in 1826, built from the earth of the surrounding battlefields.
We took a tour of the battleground and saw where Napoleon’s forces basically drowned in the mud in his fight against Wellington – the same mud that would hamper French, English and German soldiers two hundred years later.
This is a lovely picture, isn’t it? Actually it was taken for research purposes, not for its “beauty.” The earth in Belgium and Northern France has either a lot of clay or is whitish and chalky. This picture was taken in Northern France, but as we drove we often saw piles of chalk sitting at the edges of fields. We were told some of the chalk was churned up because of all the mortar shelling during the First World War, altering the topsoil all along what was once the Front.
We arrived back in Brussels in time for the parade, to see blocks and blocks of military personnel marching or riding in tanks and trucks. We even saw King Albert II, grandson of Albert I who ruled during the First World War and was so popular with the Belgian people. He led his troops into battle against the Germans until making the mournful Belgian retreat. There was also a small American troop marching, as you can see by the flag posted in this picture. America was one of the first countries to recognize Belgium as an independent country. This picture was taken along Embassy Row, where there are a number of international embassies.
It was certainly another of those moments, to be there when this wonderful country celebrated such an important anniversary!
After the parade, we returned to our hotel to pick up our bags and headed out to Brugge, a Medieval port city not far from the North Sea. Anyone who’s been to Belgium always says “Did you see Brugge?” And now, having been there, I can see why. Pictures on Monday!
But first, since today is Friday, it’s the day to announce the winner of a free copy of My Sister Dilly. Hot off the press! I just received my author copies yesterday, so it’s perfect timing. Congratulations to Linda Wichman, whose name was drawn from those who made comments during this week. Hope you like the story!
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