Waterloo

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This morning I took a walk around the old city centre of Lille. I stopped at a bakery for a breakfast of hot chocolate and croissant. Later, I got myself a cafe-au-lait. I was feeling very French! Lille has a pretty downtown and I particularly liked the square in front of the opera (see picture). I checked out of the hotel and, on my way out of town, I stopped in at La Piscine, an art museum that is housed in an old swimming facility. I guess they figure that if Paris can put an art museum in an old train station, then Lille can put one in an old swimming pool. I was pleasantly surprised by the art work there and the watery environment added to the uniqueness of it all (see picture). From there I drove a few miles east, crossing the border into Belgium. Of course today the borders are invisible. The last time I was in Belgium was in 1975 and I recall having to show my passport on the train before I arrived in Brussels. My destination today was Waterloo. I visited the Wellington Museum which is housed in the building where the Iron Duke stayed the night before the battle. The garden, where he apparently liked to stroll, is preserved too and there is a small display there that reminds the visitor that next month will be the 200th anniversary of the battle (see picture). Finally I drove out to see the battlefield itself. They are working feverishly to complete work on a new underground museum as well as newly laid walkways (see picture). Napoleon's headquarters is closed until next month, but I got to climb the man-made hill called the Butte de Lion and enjoy the view of the battlefield from there (see picture).

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