Whatagain in Nivelles

[whatagain]

So here i am waiting for my daughter to finish her first class of pole dance.
Yes, pole dance...

I am close to Nivelles, a reasonably large town or small city in Belgium. Not sure it is in Brabant wallon or Hainaut. Not that i care, so i imagine you don't either.

[whatagain]

So after parking, i took the main commercial - pedestrian - street. On the right a statue that i enlarged below.

A typical semi ugly building probably end of XIX century. 
The first floor has coated glass from the first generation, with a yellowish look that i dislike.
Second and third floor have a more recent version, but i dislike this mirror effect. 

Civilisation is everywhere here in Belgium.

The enlarged statue from above. I like it. 

[whatagain]

This is the kind of building i like. Old enough, with stones and masonry. Strangely not a bar, usually these buildings on a corner attract bars. 

Another typical building of XVIII or XIX. 

A much newer one, but i find it nice. 

Civilisation comes at a cost. Federation generale des travailleurs belges. 
Union. Socialists. Made all the necessary fights early XXe, now fighting rear guard actions to keep priviledges that are killing our industries. 

[whatagain]

Main square. View from the collegiale towards a row of cafes bars restaurants. 

Opposite side, i took no pics of 2 sides. One is just plain ugly, the other has no real interest. 

View of St Michel, emblem if Nivelles. Known for killing the dragon. Probably the poor thing at his feet. 

Back to civilisation. We celebrate in all of Wallonia this week end. In Nivelles, 20 breweries will distribute or sell 100 different beers. 

[whatagain]

The collegiale Sainte Gertrude.
Don't ask me the difference between a collegiale, a basilica, a cathedral or whatever.
This side looks oldest to me. 
I would say roman, so around 1000.
After checking, the ccompletion date is 1040. 

Looked younger to me. Slits are clearly made for archers. Clergy could take care of evil back then.

Frankly, looks more like early renaissance to me, i find some italian architecture there.
Hiwever Wikipedia says the collegiale is a homogenous building. And the windows are clearly not gothic.

I have taken better pictures... well, this is ine side...

There seems to a golden boy up there. What is he doing ? 

The same side, the pic is slightly better, ain't it ? 

[kerouac2]

I think your pictures are great because I love being shown places that are not "exceptional." Even so, just about every old European town will always have a few exceptional elements worthy of note, and you found them.

But did you find your pole dancing daughter?

Meanwhile, I certainly agree that putting reflective windows on old buildings is completely inappropriate.