LA BOURSE

(The Brussels Stock Exchange) is surrounded by the hundreds of wee wooden chalets in preparation for the Humbug market which will be opening this week to anticipate the inundation of St. Niklaases & Zwarte Piets... The streets will reverberate to the hum of dodgy sauerkraut, mulled wine & horrid hot dogs.

As you can see, our brave squaddies are on the lookout - they seem to be more jumpy than usual - probably due to the news from France of copious arrests.

Curiously attracted to the distribution of chewing gum on these pedestrian streets - there must be an algorithm somewhere?