4th of July plus 17 days

Worked on issues relating to the application of the international disability law today before going down and touring the Tuesday market in the streets of Z. Bought fruit, shrimp, ham for coming week.

I headed to B for their National Day festival – primarily because admission to the art museum was 1 euro rather than 8. Bruegel, Rembrandt, Van Eck, Den Eck, etc. all well represented. My 2.5 hours there tired me and got me to the end of the day, so I did not get to Magritte or the 19th- 21st centuries.

Wandered about the streets filled with revelers, sellers, players, police and military. I was a few minutes late and a block away so I missed the procession of the royal family. The Belgian political situation is interesting - the No/So divide is strong - since 1993 each section of the nation has great autonomy, with the Flemish entitled to enter into treaties without the Walloons, the French can control education in the south thru their own laws and systems, etc.. Separate trade and tourist offices in NYC for example. I think that the main areas for Belgian control are defense, and perhaps, human rights and justice. Not sure about the later.

I heard some decent current and retro rock music and partook of the scene and decided to come back to rest rather than continuing with the festivities.