For 5 days last week the Brussels' Grand Place was covered by a gorgeous flower carpet. This bi-annual event has been a summer highlight since 1971.
To create the 80 metres long carpet,An army of 120 volunteers spended 48 hours installing hundreds of thousands of begonias, cultivated in Ghent. The theme of this year's edition was Africa, so there were extra elements, such as bards, sands and precious materials imported for the occasion.
I was lucky to get invited on the inaugural night where I could view the evening spectacle from the balcony of the historical City Hall. Aside form a stunning aerial perspective, there was a wonderful light and sound , a live musical act by the Belgian-African band MIxtuur, and fireworks as the climax of the opening event. Very impressive!
Thousands of tourists came for a look at the marvel. Since it were extraordinary hot summer days, the terraces and restaurants on the Grand Place did extra good business!
