Brussels for a quick visit (and attempt to speak in French!)

Jacques Brel grafitti?

While it was a whirlwind, I did get a few days in Brussels in November!  

Justices Suzanne Baer and Brenda Hale at the wrap-up

I was there for a really excellent conference on gender and judging.  Marie-Claire and I did our presentation we did was in french.  Yikes!  If you end up really keen, or wanting to hear what happens when I try my french, you can listen to the podcast here: (you will get to hear the beginning where my mike for the translators was too close and all they could hear was my heavy breathing! :-))

http://droit-public.ulb.ac.be/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/08.-Expos%C3%A9s-de-MAD.-JOHNSON-et-MAD.BELLEAU.mp3

Blue skies above Notre-Dame au Sablon

Like I said, a short visit... after two really full days of conference going, I had just one day to reconnect with memories of my year in Belgium!

the Musee des beaux-arts! (Magritte next door)

I got to wander past the Notre Dame au Sablon (where there is a regular flea market)... flashback to the 80s, when Bonnie and I arrived in Brussels, and it was the first thing we really saw.  

Was delighted that I got to see it during one of the very rare moments of blue sky during the visit.

Marie-Claire and I spent a fabulous hour in the Magritte Museum (attached to the Musee des Beaux-Arts.  

I don't remember the Magritte Museum being there back in the 80s...).

After that, we had the chance to catch up with Francoise Tulkens (amazing jurist, on the european court of human rights) and get a tour of the Royal Academy for Science and the Arts.

Our 'magritte-esque' contemplation of Magritte

After that, we were off to spend the better part of the evening with Sophie Moonen (Bonnie and Mary will remember hanging out with her that fabulous weekend in Chicago). 

It was fun getting to see her place post kitchen-reno (which is where she was during the last visit... the ill-fated christmas catastrophes visit! http://carter-johnson.blogspot.ca/2012/01/losing-it-in-belgium-or-real-truth-of.html)

Late night at the Grand Place

grand place

It was after 10pm when we got back to the hotel, but we charged forward nonetheless and wandered down to the grand place.  

RJ and MC resting our sore feet in the pub.

It was a double-duty visit.  I needed to simply walk into the square in order to affirm that I had indeed returned.  I was also under strict instruction to find a pub where I could locate a Stella or Jupiler glasses for Steve!  

Success!

Nighttime in the Grande Place in Bruxelles with Marie-Claire

Not much to say here, other than, "Magical".

Spending some time with Marie-Claire in the Grande Place at night in Bruxelles. 

A throw-back to memories from other times!