All you have to do is to cross the Channel, either to Calais, or Dunkerque and then drive just across the Belgium border to Veurne where you turn left towards the sea and in particular towards Koksijde. There, down a narrow residential road - helpfully called Delvaux Avenue, can be found a most unusual and rewarding gallery devoted to the works of Paul Delvaux.
Paul was a Belgian Surrealist, not so well-known in this country as his countryman Magritte or Salvador Dali. He did not distort his images like Dali neither did he go out of his way to invent obvious inconsistences like Magritte; his scenes were invariably of dreams set in accurately drawn, well composed settings resulting in paintings of great serenity. Most of his dreams seemed to include nude young women standing, unconcerned about their nakedness, in a building or landscape with equally unconcerned clothed men in attendance. The other recurrent theme was, usually in the background, a steam train. It appears that his love of trains dated from his childhood when he dreamt of being a station master when he grew up.
As one approaches the gallery up the garden path the impression is that this is a small house similar to all the others in the road. Once inside everything is very different - the galleries continue, one after another, mostly below the ground! It is the house where he lived and worked although he had another studio in Brussels. He was acclaimed in Belgium during his long lifetime (he died at the age of 93), and was still alive and involved in the design of this gallery when it was opened in the 1980's.
It was a wonderful discovery and well worth the short diversion to this hidden treasure.
Pat Tucker