So about this photo that got me talking to guards and police…it was of the American Embassy.

I was walking down the street and noticed I was standing in front of the American Embassy. Cool, American, like me – I’ll take a photo. Snap Snap. Well, it was National Day, so there were military people all around, mostly to participate in the parades. One guy in plain clothes stepped out of a group of guards and told me I needed to delete the photos I just took. At first, I wondered if he was serious, but then he said I’d need to go with him to a Belgian police officer and delete my photos in front of him. Needless to say, I was feeling a bit scared.

I didn’t know that you can’t take a photo of the US Embassy, and my limited French disappeared in the excitement, so I kept repeating, “I’m sorry, I didn’t know.” Thomas just kept his mouth shut. We both agreed that there was no reason to argue about this in a foreign country. The guard took us to a police officer in a police van down the street, and he watched me delete my photos and then scroll through a few more of the parade I photographed that morning.

The guards, now speaking very clear English, asked where I was from and I said the US. He confided that I wasn’t the first one to make this mistake. And then explained that he was a US guard from DC but he works in the US Embassy. He pointed out which buildings I can’t take a photo of, and wished us a good day at the National Day festival in the nearby park.

I had a big, noticeable, SLR camera, I was right in front of some guards, and it was National Day. I’m not surprised they noticed me. I’m sure you could try and sneak a photo of the Embassy if you really felt like it, but I don’t really see a point – it wasn’t a fancy building or anything. If you’re really curious what it looks like, just Google Image Search it.

Related posts:

  1. A Game: Where Am I? (Winner!!)
  2. World Wide Photo Walk
  3. Belgian National Day – 6 months later
  4. Scavenger Hunt (photo-heavy post)