I arrived by car in the affluent suburb of Brussels where the Stoclet House is located. Lots of Embassies here, and ample parking spaces reserved for the privileged Corps Diplomatique. While looking for a place to park my humble Audi, I passed by the famous house no less than 3 times. I stole a quick glance every time, noticing with some excitement a female caretaker brushing away the leaves on the grounds (is she one of the two caretakers that live in the house?).

Can I say that I find the exterior of the house extremely ugly? It almost looks like a factory among the more conservative villas in this neighborhood. That greenish, almost weathered look. The total value of the residence is estimated at 100 million EUR - one would never guess that just from looking from the outside. I read that the facade was intended to be austere, as to protect the private life of the Stoclet family.

There's a huge fence around the house. However, it's possible to take photos at different angles from the sidewalk. The tower, with the sculptures, seems to be undergoing restorations at the moment.

The house is situated at the Avenue de Tervuren 281. As every visit to this monument is a very short one, it's a good option to combine it with a trip to the (Central) Africa Museum in the nearby village of Tervuren. I had been there before: it's almost a museum about a museum. Since 1910, it has introduced Belgians to Africa (mainly to the former Belgian colony of Congo). Lots of stuffed wild animals. Stoclet has a Congo link too: Adolphe Stoclet used to be the owner of the Société Générale de Belgique, a Belgian holding and investment company with numerous properties in Congo (mines etc).

At the moment the museum features an exhibition on the Ethiopian Omo Valley. It details the symbolism in the clothing, attributes and body decorations of the various Omo tribes. The museum also has an atmospheric cafe that serves African food. And that's where I ended this relaxing day out.