I wouldn't have felt at all confident about mastering (or even taking on)this network without my newly acquired Tom-Tom. I do wonder how they work underground when they refuse to work, or give a location reading, when I am in a building.
A friend came to join me for the last couple of days and we enjoyed a couple of galleries and I was able to demonstrate my new-found prowess in navigating the metro and trams to get us to an out-of-the city centre gallery. Located in a former brewery in a run down neighbourhood, WIELS had a wonderful exhibition by Wangechi Mutu an artist with African roots who explores the paradoxes of a world in flux and the changing and conflicting identity of African women. We were both captivated by her subject matter and the broad range of styles and the techniques that she employs. Definitely a name to watch out for (tip for London-based readers- she has a solo exhibition there in the autumn). The afternoon was rounded off by a healthy, hearty and extremely cheap lunch in the gallery cafeteria that almost floored me and left me wanting a light and late supper (not that such a thing as a light supper exists in Brussels).
On our last night in the city the cycling theme reemerged as hundreds of skaters and cyclist congregated on the inner ring for a 'critical mass' ride. These events -which started off as protest bike rides - have now turned into regular social nights in which the young and fit reclaim the streets - effectively bringing large parts of a city's road system to a grinding halt and creating a safe environment for cycling and skating and one hell of a party.
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