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| Liège, St. Paul cathedral |
«That building was not there when I was here». Lucy, our guide, looks around in search of a city that doesn't exist any more. Liège is changing. Is changing in shape, in buildings, in life. In the past Liège was one of the most important industrial centres in Europe, particularly in steel-making. Until the 60's the city was a great centre for working and transforming row materials, but today Liège is known because it is the greatest concentration of digital, technological and Internet-oriented services industries in Europe. In the city are hosted important group dedicated to high-technology, such as Techspace Aero, which manufactures pieces for the Airbus A380 or the rocket Ariane 5. In Liège there is not only technology: there are also the global leader in light armament FN Herstal, the beer company Jupiler, the chocolate company Galler, or water and soda business Spa and Chaudfontaine. Never the less crisis is visible: there's no street without shops closed. Closed stores are not too many, but they are everywhere. More are the rent sign: Liège is still an important industrial site, but other economic sector are suffering. It happens to see a lot of homes for rent or for sale, but there's nothing special for a city with an important university.
Liegè is the biggest city of Wallonia and the third most populous city of Belgium after Brussels and Antwerp. It is also the cultural capital city of the French-speaking part of the kingdom: Liège is home to the Royal opera house of Wallonia and to the Royal philharmonic orchestra. Moreover the city annually hosts a significant jazz festival - whose name is Jazz à Liège - where artists of international fame perform. The importance of the city is touchable already at the arrival: the train station - a very modern one - was realized by Santiago Calatrava few years ago. Construction sites are everywhere. Building, bridges, roads, side walks, squares: everything is under construction or under maintenance. «They rebuild everything but they never work on the cathedral», says Lucy. «I always remember this building black». The St. Paul cathedral is visibly dirty. The colour of the stones is bright, but it is clear just if you have a look inside. Outside time and weather changed mantle to the church giving it a dark look in strong opposition to the high-spirited one of the flowers put in the square. The Sunday "Batte" market, on the contrary, never changes. The outdoor market goes along the Meuse river attracting many and many visitors. «I remember that when I left some times I used to come back to spend some Sunday here just for the market», tells us Lucy. She spent her Erasmus here, and then she moved to Brussels for work. Since then she never stopped to visit Liège from time to time. Last time she was here was three years ago. «It's incredible how different is. Sometimes I get the impression to be in another city».
There's no time for melancholy. There's only one day at disposal and it is not a raining day, and these two reasons are enough to not waste the opportunity of visiting the city. The latter, it has to be said, makes visitors disappointed. Famous novelist Georges Simenon was born in Liège, and the town hall didn't do anything to promote. It has been posted a plaque up on the building where the writer was born and that's it. Why to be upset? Think to what British did in Baker Street and make a comparison: it's impossible to don't note the difference. And is also impossible to don't feel excited walking along the typical narrow alleys. They are hidden cause there are just small breaches in the wall so little that is really easy to miss them walking for the street. Along every alley there are the doors for nice houses, magic small gardens far from noise and confusion, while at the end of the alley - generally a dead-end one - space becomes bigger transforming the straight corridor in a nice snug little square with flowers, benches and calm. Chairs and sun is what we get outside the House of peket. La Maison du pèket is one of the most characteristic place in Liège: there is possible to drink the special pèket, the Liège version of Jenever the juniper-flavoured traditional liquor of the Netherlands and Belgium. Nowadays at La Maison du pèket is possible to have a huge different kind of flavoured pèket, especially at fruit flavours. «The classical and original flavour are cinnamon, violet and herbs», Lucy remembers us. Yeah, Liège is changing. Is changing in shape, in buildings, in life.
The other destinations visited
Amsterdam / Antwerpen / Berlino / Binche / Braine l'Alleud / Brugge / Budapest / De Haan / Den Haag / Durbuy / Gent / Halle / Knokke / Leuven / Liège / Mechelen / Mons / Namur / New York city / Oostende / Santiago de Compostela / Strasbourg / Tournai / Vilvoorde / Waterloo
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