Belgian Chocolate T-pots at play

http://www.flandersnews.be/cm/flande...2_national_day

130,000 in Brussels for National Day

Sun 22/07/07 - Around 130,000 people joined in Belgium's National Day
celebrations on Saturday. A whole host of events took place with the
military parade in front of the Royal Palace and the traditional
firework display proving especially popular.

The theme of this year's military parade was Europe.

Soldiers from other European countries took part in the parade, while
Norwegian, Danish and Portuguese pilots took part in the air display.

There was also a detachment of soldiers that carried both the EU flag
and the emblems of Eurocorps.

Officers from the armies of all 27 EU-member states carried the flags
of all the nations that make up the European Union in a part of the
parade that paid tribute to "fifty years of European union".

Around 1,700 soldiers and pilots took part in the parade and fly past.

Prince Laurent of the Belgians caused something of a storm by wearing
civilian clothes to the parade.

Protocol dictates that the King's children, all of whom have served in
the armed services, should where their uniforms to the parade.

Te Deum
(Belga)
Princess Astrid and Prince Laurent

The celebrations officially got underway on Saturday morning with the
traditional Te Deum in Brussels Cathedral.

Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt (Flemish liberal) and the new Flemish
Prime Minister Kris Peeters (Christian democrat) were among the
dignitaries joining King Albert and Queen Paola of the Belgians at the
cathedral.

It was King Albert's first official engagement outside his home since
his recent hip operation.

Elswhere, Crown Prince Filip and Princess Mathilde attended a service
in the Sint-Baafs Cathedral in the East Flemish city of Ghent.

After the Te Deum, King Albert II met the speakers of the Chamber of
Representatives, the Senate and the regional and language community
parliaments in the Egmont Palace.
Party time in Brussels

A whole host of other events are took place in Brussels to mark
Belgium's National day.

The Warande Park, between the Federal Parliament and the Royal Palace,
played host to the "Olympicnic".
(Belga)

The Belgian Olympic Association staged demonstrations of a whole range
of sports.

Visitors young and old had the chance to try out the various sports
for themselves.

The companies that hold the royal warrant set up a market next to the
Royal Palace.

They also made the biggest Belgian flag in history to mark this year's
National Day.

The square in front of Brussels' main court building was transformed
into a police village, where members of the general public got to know
the various aspects of police work.

The fire brigade, the civil defence service and the Red Cross also set
up information stands and staged demonstrations of their work.

The federal museums such as Brussels' Museum of Fine Arts celebrated
the National Day by cutting their entrance fee to just 1 euro and the
Federal Parliament also held an open day.