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Belgian National Day 2008

Dark clouds hung over the National Day celebrations, attendance seemed to be half of last years and the sodden atmosphere dampened spirits. The joke beforehand was that "You should come to this years event because it might be the last", but on the day itself, it just wasn't funny.

The Police put on a good show and remained remarkably cheery, the military also entertained and educated in Sablon and the Parc was full of bouncy castles.

But it seemed like it was only the tourists who were really enjoying themselves, the rest weren't grinning but simply bearing it.

Perhaps this is how Belgium ends, like a hollow man, not with a bang, but with a whimper.