"Sir, you can't take photo's here...!"
Given the fact that this is a public place and that I always ask people before I make a photo, I was hardly impressed.
"Why?
"You can't take pictures."
"Mais pourquoi," I repeated. "Just give me one reason not to."
"Parce-que ma frimousse va craquer votre truc!" (loosely translates as 'because my face will damage your camera.')
We both laughed.
He began asking about my camera. If I was a professional. The sort of stuff I always get asked by people when I am photographing.
I say I come often to Liège because it is the best city in Belgium to make photos and now he really starts smiling.
"Really?"
I nod yes and the subject quickly changes to Liège and how he loves it and why he loves it.
"Do you like football?"
I answered that I am not much of a football fan but if I do I always supporter for Standard de Liège because they have the best supporters; "Och, and by the way, what did they do last night?"
Touchy subject, wrong question. Turned out they lost 4-0... I quickly cheered him up: the season is still long, Standard will be champion.
The smile comes back again.
"What's your name?"
"Marc."
"Well Marc let's have a gin," and he pours out a large glass.
I normally don't drink and certainly not at 10 am. but I am too afraid to disappoint him, so I sip the glass and what seems like gasoline sets my throat on fire.
He gives me a pat on the back. "Home brewed."
I wouldn't have figured...!
I took my leave and with a light heart and heavy legs set my way, convinced that the photo's I was going to take from here on would be rubbish. Only in Liège!
Pictures taken august 2017, Pentax K-5 DA 20-40 Limited.
