‘The Travel Bug has flown off on yet another holiday, this time in Brussels. While he was there, he uncovered some fascinating facts about Ixelles…’
TTB had never been to Belgium before, so he was looking forward to learning about the people and their culture.
He took a wee trip off on his own (when he was sure his humans weren’t watching..) and went out to find some Belgian bugs and three fascinating facts. This is what he discovered…
Ixelles Ponds
Ixelles Ponds are the only remaining bodies of water in the neighbourhood. The ponds are surrounded by art deco and nouveau town houses in a beautiful area of the city. The water isn’t particularly clean, though, so people (and bugs) are not allowed to go in it.
The Travel Bug spotted lots of ducks living there, so he figured it must be a nice place to settle. He didn’t want to picnic there (although the ponds are a very popular family area), because he was afraid that the ducks would steal his carne…
Audrey Hepburn
Audrey Hepburn, famous for her iconic role in Truman Capote’s ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s, was born on Rue Keyenveld 48 in 1929. Her childhood home now displays a plaque outside and, it turns out, her real name was Audrey Kathleen Ruston.
He also found out that she used to have a pet deer, which he thinks is a bit odd. Why have a deer when you can have a ladybug??
Avenue Louise
Ixelles is divided into two parts, separated by the Central region. When Avenue Louise was designed in 1874, Ixelles wasn’t part of the city and complained about the construction of the new street.
After years of being unable to resolve which part of Brussels the street should be in, it was finally grabbed away from Ixelles by the City Region. Therefore accounting for the fact that street now runs through Ixelles, technically splitting it in half.
Never argue with your neighbours. They can be really mean.
Do you have any more fascinating facts about Ixelles for The Travel Bug?
