The Prince, the Princess, and the Accordian Player

We spent the afternoon with Serve the City, Brussels.

On our way, on the metro, we entered the last car. In the area just where two cars join, there is a section with just two seats, close to the door. It was about 11:00 in the morning and there was a man, who looked like he might have been homeless, curled up in these two seats, sleeping cozily. At the next stop, a man got on with an accordion. We see him from time to time on the metro, playing for spare change. Well, he got on the metro and stood directly in front of the sleeping man, playing loudly. The sleeper stirred only slightly, but never opened his eyes. All of the passengers in our car got such enjoyment out of this, that we knew we would have to give him a coin. After he walked through our car with his cup, he passed by into the next car, giving one last loud pump on the accordion. A few moments later, the sleeping man stirred again and finally opened his eyes and reached for a large bottle of coke from his bag.

This was a special day for Serve the City, because Princesse Claire and Prince Laurent came to serve with us. At one point in the program we were to give a hug to three people we didn't know. The Prince and Princess got more than their fair share of hugs. Dan and I did not try to give them a hug.

The focus for the day was elderly people. There was a group that stayed in the community center and elderly people came for a dancing lesson. The other groups went to nursing homes and passed out chocolates. Dan and I were not in the group that Princesse Claire went with. She went with a group of teenage girls from a private school. The last we saw of Prince Laurent was him running (literally) in the opposite direction as the princess headed off down the sidewalk with the girls. I don't think he was scheduled to actually go to the nursing home.

This is the first time I have been in the presence of royalty. I wondered if you would have to bow or curtsey, but I didn't see any of that. They seemed to be pretty normal. Dan and I didn't try to actually meet them. We would like to have met them, but we didn't want to impose. We didn't take any pictures either, but a lot of people did. It seemed a little "paparazzi" to me. Still, I am very excited to have actually seen them.