Brussels has many things to offer: a wonderful, maze-like city centre full of beer, chocolate and restaurants, and wonderful architecture. And, of course, culture. In terms of art, Magritte is everywhere, lying on the wallpaper and gracing innumerable souvenirs. In terms of music, one of the annual highlights is the Queen Elisabeth Competition.
This goes through a four-year cycle of piano, cello, voice and, this year, the violin. Out of 172 iddle players who sent in preliminary auditions on video, 71 were chosen. Some dropped out, so 63 appeared to take part in the competition, with TV and radio broadcasting every note.