James Tucker in Cov

I spent Christmas in Brussels this year. They light up the town square nicely, and there were children's choirs singing there when I visited, as well as a market running through the major streets to a really good skating rink and funfair. The best ferris wheel I've ever seen was part of the fair- it had a rocket going up through the canopy of the ride, and a pterodactyl, and odd little moving photos and all the rest.

I also took a walk around the Ixelles neighbourhood (home of a lot of minor ambassadors) and saw the budgies, which live in one square in a couple of enormous nests. On the way home I passed through an old abbey that at some point was turned into the Belgian military academy (though it looked pretty derilect when I was there), and is also home to the National Geographic Society, which looked pretty militarised in itself, really.