Life has been great, so far :)
I took my cousins and their parents to a weekend vintage market last Sunday, as a way to introduce them to some of the Belgian lifestyles here. This was my first visit there too!
Chit-chatter and mumbles of foreign lingo drown out the noise pollution of the nearby street. The weekend vintage market at Mont-St-Jean was definitely a place to drop by and experience, at least once if you're ever in Belgium.
This market takes place twice a month - on the first and last Sunday of each month.
They say one man's junk is another man's treasure. I have to say I wholeheartedly agree with that phrase. This open-aired market was filled with wonders brimming with antique treasures (...or junk, depending how you see it! hehehe).
.I love this photo.
It's situated within the parking lot of Carrefour (drive past Waterloo into the next neighbouring town and you'll see it there!). It's amazing to see the whole parking lot (probably the size of a football field or perhaps three quarters of it) converted into a market.
.Part of the Vintage Market.
.Vintage Cameras for sale: 5 euros = B$10.
Paintings, African masks, vintage furniture, handbags, shoes, old toys, old maps and even old military uniforms/hats/pilot hats etc etc can be found here! Toys that I once thought could only be seen in the movie screens were displayed right in front of me and were on sale for a mere 2 euros! It was wonderful!!
.Vintage Car Toy.
.African masks for sale.
Everything was on sale AND if you're a good bargainer, things could be much more cheaper for you! My dad bought some good paintings by local artists as low as 150 euros (he bargained well!) whilst my cousins bought for themselves real vintage soviet aviation pins (ones only awarded to you by the air force!) for mere 2 euros!
It wasn't long before my uncle and cousins were hit by the bargain bug, scrounging through all the vendors in search of good treasures for keepsakes!
.my cousins infected with the bargain bug.
.a friendly fellow vintage vendor smiling for the camera.
Later that afternoon I brought my visiting relatives to the ever popular tourist precinct: the Grand Place. Hunger and heat from the fiery sun forced us to seek haven in the cooling arms of Haagen Daz where we were spoilt silly by one of Europe's best ice-cream makers! *sigh*
.My cousin waiting oh-so-patiently for her ice cream.
Pure heaven.
Subsequently because of this orgasmic experience, we all had forgotten to lunch! Hahahahaha.
.Vanilla Praline Ice Cream with Waffle.
I toured them around the area, introducing to them several Belgian's popular heritage such as Jeannekin Pis (the female and much less popular counterpart of Mannekin Pis) and the famous square situated in Grand Place. I was quite keen on showing them more of what this area had to offer but sadly the walking about with the unpitying heat from the soaring sun was proving too much for my uncle who wanted to sit in the shade and relax all day.
.the alleyway leading to Chez Leon - one of Belgium's best mussels restaurant.
.Jeannekin Pis.
.the cheeky Statue Man in the Grand Place square.
So instead, I took them to almost every chocolate store we came across in Grand Place - which to say is A LOT! Hahahahaha
.Chocolate store: Le Belgique Gourmande.
.Store: Les Berlandises.
In the end, the quick small tour of the Belgian lifestyle proved too tiring for my beloved cousins and their parents. For on the trip home, the silence in the car was drowned out by their soft mumbling snores and heavy breathing into la-la land.
.My adorable visiting cousins.
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