Parting Glass: It was a Tuesday, so I must be in ...

Yup, spent a day in Belgium. And it was, indeed, a Tuesday.

Took the Eurostar over from London. Trip was only a couple of hours through lovely countryside. My destination for the day was Brussels, and I wasted little time in getting acquainted with the local flavour - no, not Brussels sprouts. Must say few lunches can compete with moules-frites!

Also sampled Belgian waffles (more like a hand-held dessert pastry than a breakfast item) and, of course, chocolate which is far superior to anything produced by Cadbury, Hershey, or other "candy bar" manufacturers. Also found some shops selling interesting bits of world-renowned Belgian lace. Took in a few of the regular tourists sights such as the main square (much of which was under renovation) ...

... but did not feel the need to spend any time looking at a certain statue of a little boy peeing, even if it is "the" symbol of the city.

The main reason I traveled to Brussels was to see the work of Victor Horta, one of the architects credited with founding the Art Nouveau movement. The Brussels Central railway station was designed by him as were several other large structures, including a former store (Magasins Waucquez) that now houses the Belgian Centre for Comic Strip Art. Here's a detail of the handrail for the main staircase - with a bust of Tintin located nearby.

Horta is best known, however, for his residential work. No doubt many of you, dear readers, have seen photos of his famous sweeping staircases but might not know him by name. The famous town homes continue to be private residences, so I couldn't go into any of them other than Horta's own house which now serves as a museum of his work. Sadly, I couldn't take any photos inside, but this exterior shot might give some idea of the beautiful interiors.

Horta's house and studio, now the Horta Museum

Above: Hotel Tassel, one of four Horta buildings designated UNESCO world heritage sites

Within easy walking distance are several other town homes designed by Horta and other designers of the same period. I didn't have time to see all of them as I had to rush back to the train for my return trip to London. Here are some buildings by one of Horta's contemporaries - Art Nouveau style very evident on these exteriors.