A project that took too long

Last week, an amazing thing happened. The square infront of the Turnhout's Grote Markt kerk was re-opened after more than a year of being closed. Being closed for so long lead many small cafes of the area to disapear. The Grote Markt area now looks revitalized. I took some pictures of day the machinery left, thinking that another day, it would be sparking clean. I returned on Friday just to see that, it was crowded again with a fair and a huge stage that blocks the view of the other side of the street.

An empty space should be always fill? can we just enjoy the minimalism of Grote Markt & kerk? Apparently I can but the rest of the city refuses. I can not enjoy the beauty of the different arquitecture styles while waiting for the bus or walking around the area again. The view has being taken away by a huge black stage and several noisy fair's attractions.
I feel that a view forces me to look up and think. Discover new details on a city that many consider quite boring and plain

The forgotten manor

On high round windows, I can see the remains of the splendor of past years. The entire city has move on and this old manor frozen in time as an old clock. Everyone can see this decaying building so close to the Grote markt (city center). It's placed across the street one of the most emblematic buildings of Turnhout, the medieval castle and  a walking distance from the Begijnhof(béguinage).
I constantly wonder why it has being left behind to decay so openly. I can not avoid thinking that this wonderful building can be a gallery or literary cafe. Perhaps, I tend to look around and wonder about buildings' historical background too much. It's facinating even to imagine the life of people who used to live in those beautifully decorated manors that still are scattered around this city.
I think, I'd lost my bus too often lately and I had time to walk around the city as only a lone foreigner can. People do not even look at eachother in this city(perhaps it's everywhere) and it's hard to believe that they actually would take a second of their busy minds to start looking up to old buildings.