After breakfast Marie and I went to Mass in her church, Abbey of St. Francis in Blanden. This was to be the penultimate Mass as the church and the Abbey was being closed and the edifice sold to the University. It has a very nice organ and the organist played a very nice postlude.

The priest, Father Rik, also a sculptor, was kind enough to show us the art institute next door and his fabulous bronzes and marble figures. He has a vast number of pieces sold not only to churches but to private collections. He specializes in figures of St Francis, his Order.

We drove into Brussels, parked and walked a short distance to the Grande Place for a view of the heart of the city and very ornate old buildings. The most elegant and decorative was the Town Hall. Lunch at Le Roy D'Espagne on the plaza of a traditional chicken casserole called Waterzooi.

After lunch we walked through a flower market in the plaza before a visit to Manneken Pis.

Off to the Opera House open today for a Wagner/Verdi celebration. We were able to sit in on a Master Class for the Chorus and a tour of the house. A special treat was a String Quartet of Verdi and Wagner's Wosendonk Lieder with the quartet and a fine soprano.

The drive back to Blanden was welcome after a big tiring day.