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Week ago, on Saturday I went to Brussels to see first time live the famous flower carpet on Grand-Place, even though I have lived in Belgium for many years before there was no opportunity, usually in August I was with my family in Poland or other holiday destination. This year exceptionally I went for my leave in July, so I came back to Belgium on beginning of August. I know that pictures do not give full beauty, but at least a bit present how it looks. Maybe I encourage someone to plan the first weekend of August 15 in Brussels in two years.
On the beginning some facts. Every two years, in mid-August, floral carpet with fresh begonias measuring 77 m long and 24 m wide, 1,800 square meters is laid on the Grand-Place, the main square in Brussels. The carpet is constructed with over half a million differently colored begonias in various designs from various regions of the world. This year's theme was the Mexican region of Guanajuato, which is famous for its exceptionally rich culture and floral tradition. This year's flower arrangement is also devoted to the celebration of the twentieth anniversary of the Grand-Place being entered on the UNESCO World Heritage.
The first floral carpet was built at the Grand Place in 1971, initially this event was held non-cyclically, and only from 1986 takes place every two years in mid-August. Strolling around the Grand-Plaza, the pearl of Gothic architecture, we have the opportunity to inhale fragrant begonias and admire their arrangement. For a small fee (6 EUR), you can admire the carpet from the balcony of the Town Hall, from where you have a wide view of the whole square. An additional attraction is the evening shows of light and sound, with musical compositions composed for each edition.
Why just begonias? Well, the answer is simple, “strong tuberous begonia gives beauty and freshness to the carpet, abundant begonia is resistant to all weather conditions, moreover, begonias have a rich palette of colors”. But most important, Belgium “is the world's largest producer of begonias: 35 million bulbs a year, which is 80% of the total world production. It is cultivated almost exclusively near Ghent and is exported to many countries around the world”.
To create such a spectacular effect, it takes many months of preparation, from designing the pattern using the characteristic elements for the region to which it will apply, then it is necessary to order and reserve the right number of fresh flowers for the middle of August. As everything is settled the most important arrangement of these giant flower puzzles, this is task for over 100 gardeners’ volunteers who have to lay the carpet in less than eight hours. The spaces between the flowers are filled with grass in rolls. Unfortunately, the composition has one disadvantage is not durable, the flowers remain fresh and retain their splendor only for a period of four days.
### In the queue, to enter the balcony of the Town Hall, you could admire its courtyard and...
### ...club shirts of bronze medalists of the recent Football World Cup and...
### ...regional products from the region of Guanajuato in Mexico, which was this year's theme of the design on a floral carpet.
### Being in Brussels we could not refuse Belgian fries, the best are in this friter at Place de l'Agora, just a few steps from Grand-Place.
### It is also worth mentioning that Brussels is also celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Smurfs' birthday this year, hence a monument erected near the Place de l'Agora in front of the Smurfs store.
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