glendale:
Was this your first visit? Surely not, seeing you live across the Channel, don't you?
Yes, it was my first visit; I've not had the time or the money to go until now - but then again, there was no hurry.
It wasn't going anywhere, and I'm quite patient...!
Actually, I was chatting on the Facebook page to a chap who lives only an hour's drive from the Museum, and he's not been yet, so let's remember that it isn't a race or a competition: just be glad you've had the opportunity to go.
Many, many people won't ever be so fortunate.
In other related news...
I mention it in the notes to the pictures, but it is worth doing so again, I think: as other people (
notably member mondrian in this post) have found, when travelling to Louvain-la-Neuve by train, you need to go to the Louvain-la-Neuve-Université station, which is a very short walk from the museum.
Coming from Brussels we had the option of a slow service (taking an hour and twenty minutes or so) which was direct (requiring no changes), or a fast one, which brought travel time down to under an hour, but needed a change at Ottignies.
When we travelled, our first train was delayed slightly, so the connection at Ottignies was
very tight, and if you are in any way inconvenienced by steps due to age or infirmity, you might be better taking the direct service, as you have to go down stairs, along a pedestrian under-pass, and up stairs again to a different platform for the second train.
Another excellent point that mondrian makes is to check if there is a station nearer to you than the Gare du Midi before you head there. Although the trains to Louvain-la-Neuve originate at Gare du Midi, they pass through other stations in Brussels which may be more convenient.
We were staying at the Place De Brouckère, which is a half-hour walk from the Gare du Midi, but only ten minutes from the Gare Centrale - so we saved a bit of time, and caught the train there.
If it is any help to you, the train we caught was heading towards Dinant as its final destination, so if you see that on an indicator board, you coud check if Ottignies or Louvaine-la-Neuve are stops on that service.
There are also useful multi-lingual information touch-screens on the concourse, which tell you the available trains to a destination, so you should be covered!
To continue the theme of access issues, I have to point out that the Museum is a multi-level experience: you start on the third floor, and work your way down.
Delivery to the third floor is by lift from the foyer, but the descent is by stairs.
The buttons in the lift are set for the trip up, but won't let you stop at intermediate floors, or go down from the third to the second, for example.
There may be a very simple solution to this (attendants might be able to operate the lift to go to other floors, or there may be another lift for those unable to use the stairs and I just didn't see it), but if you have any doubts about being able to get around the building, you might be best to check ahead and see what the facilities are.