And while wandering round the centre at night , we came across a large bronze figure staring out across a square …
I dimly recall from my Russian course that P the G took a lot of his inspiration for the design of St Petersburg ( and indeed some of the actual architects ) from France and Germany, but I didn’t realise he had also popped into Antwerp just 300 years back. International relations must have been a bit different then. Belgium was not yet a separate country from the Netherlands, they’d spent over 100 years being bossed about by the Spanish and were due to be taken over by the Austrians, so they were probably resigned to stroppy foreigners turning up with unreasonable demands.
” A glass of Chimay, frites with mayo, and some blueprints for the Winter Palace, please, my man – and make it quick !”
On visiting a local bar, 1712