Last day

Yesterday evening, we arrived in Mons, Belgium. We stayed in a youth hostel located right in the city center and built into a slope, which is noticeable as we had to climb many stairs to reach our room. Above us loomed the keep, which we climbed today. It is a large tower with a carillon, offering a great overview of the entire city.

Mons has at least two very modern buildings; one designed by the Spaniard Calatrava, who also created the terminal in New York at Ground Zero. The train station in Mons looks like a UFO and is really very impressive, located right next to the old town. It was very lively there on Saturday night, with lots of activity on the streets.

This morning, we visited the second modern building, the conference hall designed by Daniel Libeskind.

And we learned that the residents of Mons live by a special calendar, from one “Doudou” festival to the next. It is a traditional folk festival celebrated since the 13th century. A large dragon figure is paraded in the marketplace, Saint George arrives on horseback and fights the dragon. People, mostly men, try to collect hair from the dragon's tail, which is said to bring good luck. The festival is celebrated by all Denizens of Mons, with around 50,000 people coming to the city in one day. It is a very significant folk festival in Wallonia.

THE END