The blog has gone of to Brussels for the day in search of -would you believe it – plates!

Yep, the flea market in Brussels is an excellent source of fine crockery that we can turn into cake stands for the afternoon tea served at La Belle Juliette.

Our departure by Thalys was a great excuse to show you Gare du Nord and its amazing façade, freshly-sandblasted (yet again). In the morning sun it really shines, reminding one of a time when taking a train was the start of an exotic adventure…(photos: JasonW)For a building that’s over 160 years old, Gare du Nord is looking pretty good. Before the city pollution dulls the stone, we enjoyed a photo session, admiring the harmonious dimensions, symmetry and well-sculpted stonework.The Wikipedia page explains that the statues are actually the work of several different people, which we found slightly surprising.We even cobbled together a quick Google Map showing all the destinations written underneath the statues, all of which could be reached directly by train. Some towns are still served, other lines have now been supplanted by air travel, or leave from a different Parisian station.

On the side of the station, near the taxi rank and Eurostar arrival, there are two doors, each with a portrait carved in stone and the name of the person: Papin and Watt. Any idea who they are?After a bit of searching, and despite the fact that no website seems to mention them, we worked out that the names brefer to Denis Papin (1647-1712) and James Watt (1736-1819), both know for their improving the technology behind steam engines. Perhaps you can use the info to wow pals next time you’re leaving the station? 😉

And it’s when you walk down the side of the station that you’ll come across a much more evocative name for the station: the chemin de fer du nord.And will you be able to find these other details, also part of the building?To see all our photos of Gare du Nord, click the play button on the slideshow below, followed by the four little arrows bottom right (to go into fullscreen mode).