Seventeenth century Brussels bling

The gold leaf on the guild houses of the Brussels Grand Place certainly stands up to the murk of November. The building with the golden horse statue on top of it used to house the beer brewers' guild, one of the most powerful guilds in a country that takes its beer seriously. It is now the Brewery Museum. I'm ashamed to say I've never been inside it.

The house to the right of it, with the swan over the door, used to house the butchers' guild. Karl Marx worked on the Communist Manifesto in this building during his 3-year sojourn in Brussels beginning in 1845. Today, it's a rather grand restaurant with one Michelin star. I've eaten there several times, and each time found the service extremely stuffy and the food nothing terribly special. The views over the Grand Place from the dining room were spectacular though. More importantly, someone else was picking up the tab. The prices on the menu would have given poor old Mr Marx apoplexy.

Worth a closer look.

Note: These buildings were covered in soot and grime for a long time and have recently been restored at great cost. Thought I'd better blip them before they became grubby again.