National Day

Tomorrow is Belgian National Day. It's kind of hard to tell how big a deal it is because when we mention it to Belgians, they go, "Oh yeah, I guess it is the 21st." Yet stores will be closed, and our village is having a 2-day do. Tomorrow noon is the National aperatif, and tonight is le bal aux lampions - the ball under the lanterns. Sounds romantic doesn't? Rita and I walked by a little while ago, and, except that it was 8:30 and still broad daylight, it was pretty much exactly what I had imagined it would be: a huge tent on the town square, a dance floor, tables, waiters, food, beer, wine, and a band playing in the band stand. The band was a keyboard, a horn, and an accordian, and they were in the middle of an entrancing piece that I know but couldn't quite put my finger on it. Maybe "Spanish Rose"? After a day of rain, it has turned gorgeous and cool, so it was a nearly perfect moment. It was like the first night we went downtown when I was a student in France and we smelled the smells and heard concertina music coming from an open window, and I thought, "Damn! I'm in France!" This wasn't a revelation, but it was that nice.