Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Flower Carpet in Grand Place - Brussels (Aug 15)

Every two years (on even years) a special event takes place at the Grand Place in Brussels known as the 'Carpet of Flowers'. A million or so begonias are arranged to make a beautifully designed carpet covering 300 m2 in the center of the Grand Place. This is certainly an extraordinary achievement. This year, it was a traditional carpet portraying 'the end of the Middle Ages'. It was the work of flower growers from Ghent, who are the great specialists in growing begonias. These flowers offer a wide range of vivid and glowing colors and easily resist the burning sun. After all, the craftsmen assemble them directly on the cobble-stones of the square without a layer of soil. The colored plant tapestry can be admired best from the balcony of the City Hall or surrounding restaurants in our case. We had a drink with some friends at one of the cafes and enjoyed the scenery out the window!

Next two photos are the view from the cafe


City Hall in background

Stephanie and me (her husband also works at Deloitte, so we hang out quite a bit!)
Check out the vibrant colors of this fabulous carpet!