Day 8

A lazy morning followed by an episode of Bargain Hunt on TV. Then a stroll round Halle, where there is a medieval centre with a square, surrounded by old buildings (now mostly restaurants) dating from the 1400's. All different shapes and sizes and all connected to their neighbour. There's a church, a museum, and a music college. And an impressive town hall:

The newer part of the town is your usual pedestrianised shopping streets, but in the case of Halle, in the process of having new drains fitted:

On the way back, we called into a cycle shop and bought a bag (the shape of a large brick) to sit on top of Ann's pannier rack for quick access. That's another difference between men and women - packing bags.

And finally tonight, on this light-news day, a quiz about Belgium

1. Which Belgian province shares a border with Germany?

a) Namur

b) Liege

c) Hainaut

2. What is the name of Hercule Poirot's chronicler and best friend?

a) Chichester

b) Totton

c) Hastings

3. Which of these countries was once part of the Belgian empire?

a) Democratic Republic of the Congo

b) Mali

c) Kenya

4. Which of these is NOT an adventure had by Tintin?

a) King Ottakar's Sceptre

b) The Last Luxorian

c) The Red Sea Sharks

5. What colour is Anderlecht's home shirt?

a) Purple

b) Orange

c) Yellow

6. Who is the king of Belgium?

a) Emmanuel

b) Philippe

c) Albert

7. Which artist is NOT Belgian?

a) Peter Paul Rubens

b) Jan van Eyck

c) Hieronymus Bosch

8. Which river flows through Antwerp?

a) Schelde

b) Meuse

c) Haine 

9. What colour are Papa Smurf's trousers

a) Red

b) Black

c) Yellow

10. Who is the current Prime Minister of Belgium

a) Elio di Rupo

b) Wouter Beke

c) Charles Michel

ANSWERS TOMORROW :))