Fabrique Nationale, Herstal, Belgium...

I've been posting bits and bobs of my EU trip in the Here and Now thread, but felt my day here in proper gun-making country, Liege, warranted a section of its own. Since getting here this morning, I've tried to visit the liège musée d armes, but it was closed today, just my luck, but it's open in the morning, according to the lady running the gun shop next door. So I cruised down the road the Browning International, in Herstal, where I never made it past the staunch receptionist with a severe hairdo and a stern expression. In response to my "Hi, I'm a visitor from New Zealand with a small collection of FN Brownings and wondered if I could have a look around, maybe grab a few photos please?", said "No, it is absolutely forbidden." "Oh, of course, how about the old FN Factory, could I get a picture taken of me outside the gates, because they have a certain historical significance?". "Fabrique Nationale? No you cannot."....

Well I wasn't going to leave it at that. So I cruised the back streets of Herstal and managed to find Rue John Moses Browning, obviously named after the great man himself...
Attachment 24766

Then I found the arse end of the factory, and sneaked a shot out the back of the car of the piles of barrel steel, no shortage of that here...
Attachment 24767
Attachment 24768

Here's a shot of the matriarch's castle, I got before I went in and introduced myself...
Attachment 24769

And finally, after prepping the iPhone, I managed a sneak drive-by video of the factory entrance. The wrought iron pillars on either side of the gates have F and N in white on them.
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=VOdN_xQ5Mu0

Ray.

Ray MI5 are looking for agents with your level of initiative. As for the over zealous receptionist, you should have tried a little innuendo. Always seemed to work on Moneypenny for James.

Excellent :thumbsup:

You going to Brussels at all ? Best museum city in the world IMHO.

Nice one man :thumbsup:

The buildings and weather look about as warm and inviting as the receptionist's disposition.

True Rushy. You could have followed up with "then I guess a blow-job's out of the question?"

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Rushy

Ray MI5 are looking for agents with your level of initiative. As for the over zealous receptionist, you should have tried a little innuendo. Always seemed to work on Moneypenny for James.

---

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ebf

Excellent :thumbsup:

You going to Brussels at all ? Best museum city in the world IMHO.

---

No, there was a shooting in the city there couple days ago, three dead, the missus wouldn't go near the place. Off to Frankfurt this arvo, then flying home...:oh noes:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Rushy

Ray MI5 are looking for agents with your level of initiative. As for the over zealous receptionist, you should have tried a little innuendo. Always seemed to work on Moneypenny for James.

---

She was actually a rather good looking woman, but with some serious lack of tolerance and courtesy, sadly. It seems we've moved out of the Flanders region of Belgium, where the people speak English and are friendly, to the inland French influenced Belgium, where they have a more typically French attitude...

I noticed some Welsh flags on balconies at the hotel this afternoon, and thought I'd better fix that, so I hung my trusty NZ flag out. Later we bumped into the Boyos and their women in the lobby, they are a visiting choir of about 60 members and a typically hilarious bunch of Welshman. They had seen my flag and wondered who the cheeky kiwi was. We packed the bar and they sang some great stuff. They rolled out their National Anthem which is a rousing song, and finished with "We'll keep a welcome" which the crowd usually sings at Cardiff after an All Blacks match. It was bloody awesome.

Spectacular. The Welsh are amazing people (even if they can't spell for shit). How do you get Clenethly out of Llanelly? Worse still Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysilio gogogoch.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ishoot10s

She was actually a rather good looking woman, but with some serious lack of tolerance and courtesy, sadly. It seems we've moved out of the Flanders region of Belgium, where the people speak English and are friendly, to the inland French influenced Belgium, where they have a more typically French attitude...

---

and there I was thinking earlier - german extraction
Though admittedly they tend to be more blunt than rude.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Rushy

Spectacular. The Welsh are amazing people (even if they can't spell for shit). How do you get Clenethly out of Llanelly? Worse still Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysilio gogogoch.

---

can I buy a vowel?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Barefoot

can I buy a vowel?

---

There are there O's (for awesome) in the last eight letters Barefoot

Was listening to the radio this morning with David Tua's O for awesome being mentioned.I cant recall the question he was asked (it was a name someone type) and he answered O for Olsen which sounds like awesome in his accent. Unrelated to the thread but interesting all the same.

Sent from my GT-I8190T using Tapatalk

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by EK9132

Was listening to the radio this morning with David Tua's O for awesome being mentioned.I cant recall the question he was asked (it was a name someone type) and he answered O for Olsen which sounds like awesome in his accent. Unrelated to the thread but interesting all the same.

Sent from my GT-I8190T using Tapatalk

---

David was on a game show and was asked to pick a vowel when he said O for Awesome. It was some long time later that the reference to Olsen Filipaina (league player) was used to explain the matter.

Ahh I see so he was trying to worm out of the shame.Id try the same....like this post haha

Sent from my GT-I8190T using Tapatalk