Pieter Bruegel & Peer

Peer is a lovely little town, with one major claim to fame---Pieter Bruegel, a "Netherlandish Renaissance" painter. Records are a little murky during the time frame of his life (1525-1569), but as best as anyone can tell, this was where he hung his paintbrush. Peer is very proud of it's connection with Pieter, and has banners around town proclaiming this to be "Bruegelstad". Translation..."Bruegel's Town". If you are interested in finding out more about Pieter, then head on down to Peer's Tourist office on Market Street. On the floor above their offices, they have a museum with his work on display. They also have an interesting little souvenir that you can pick up downstairs. You know me, I can't resist an item that has an interesting story behind it. This is Bruegel's painting called "Danse des Paysans" (1568). (Dance of the Peasants) If you look on the left side of the painting, you will notice an interesting little beige cup, sitting on the table. You might not think it's a cup, because it is sitting upside down on the table, and the bottom is rounded, not flat. There is a reason for this. You thought college kids invented drinking games, but the Belgium's have a few of their own. At celebrations, they whipped out this cup, filled it to the brim with alcohol , and handed it to a fellow reveler. The catch is, you can't sit the cup down if it has any liquid in it--the bottom is round. You have to finish is and place it on the table upside down. Even the most hesitant drinker had to give in and down the drink. They reproduced the cups and sell them in the tourist office. Of course, I bought one. No, I don't plan on using it. Like I said, I'm a sucker for an item with an interesting story. That's how I ended up with an antique pigeon timer, but that's a story that I'll save for another day...