Brussels

Belgium, March 2005 

I visited Brussels in March over a long weekend.  The idea was that Dan and I would catch-up with Izabella.  Unfortunately, Dan came down with some terrible disease and I ended up going by myself. 

The European Commission Building

Having a hotel in the EU district meant I was next to the European Commission building with.  What a great cheese grater looking building.

Love this shot.

Love this one too.

The Centre

Church .... no idea which one.

Cafe in the street.

Part of the city's original defences.

Dead bike on the pavement.  This definitely has some degree of the surreal about it in my mind.  Like Dali?  Must be the melted appearance of the back wheel.

Pictures in a market on the way to the centre.

Arcade near the Grand Place.

The famous Mannekin Pis dressed as a sailing captain.

The present-day Mannekin Pis was sculpted by Jerome Duquesnoy in 1619, but a stone version - named Little Julian - stood here from the mid 14th century.  The statue's origins are lost in legend: some say he's modelled on a boy who extinguished a fire, others say he was the son of a nobleman.  Whatever, the people of Brussels have adopted him as a symbol of their indomitable and irreverent spirit, and on occasion dress him up in one of his 650 odd costumes.

The Grand Place or town square.  The Grand Place is without doubt one of Brussels most amazing architectural feature and it's exuberant beauty is quite a way out head spinning experience.  Especially if you keep spinning around in one spot trying to take it all in.

The splendour of the Grand Place is due mainly due to the it's antique frame of guild halls.  Each merchant guild erected it's own building, which is named and adorned with gilded statues and elaborate symbols related to it's trade.  The halls that remain represent everything from bakers, brewers and butchers to cabinet makers, grease makers and haberdashers.  Too bad I didn't read the guide book and realise that at the time.

Hotel De Ville (Town Hall)

Tower of the Hotel De Ville

Hot looking Yamaha R-something just off the Grand Place

Restaurants and tourists behind the Grand Place.  What a great place to eat and watch people.

Alley way leading back the the Grand Place

Gay bar area.

Roundabout in Sablon possibly.  The building in the centre is Pierre Marcolini's store home of one the richest chocolates I've ever tasted.  

Go here to order some of these magnificent chocolates for me. Hint hint hint.

Front window of Pierre Marcolini's store.

Parc du Cinqantenaire

Parc du Cinquantenaire is a large park built by Leopold II.  It's best known for it's cluster of museums - art, history, military and motor vehicles - and the massive Arcade du Cinquantenaire.

Statue

Arcade du Cinquantenaire

One the statues on Arcade du Cinquantenaire.  No idea what it symbolises but I like the sailing boat.

Porte de Hal

The mighty Porte de Hal is all that remains of the seven medieval gates that made up the city's second perimeter wall.  When the other gates were demolished at the end of the 18th century, Porte de Hal was spared as it was being used as a prison.  It's now a folklore museum.

Porte De Hal from the side.

Tres Cool Monkey Bike

Strange custom mini chopper I saw in the street on the way to the strange station ... or maybe somewhere else.  Who knows?  Tres cool monkey bike.

View from the rear.  The top box is almost as big as the bike!

Trash and Treasure Market

I love wandering around markets.  There's so much to see and you get a little bit of a sense how the locals live.  In this case, they have as much trash and treasure as as we do.

Plates anyone?

Dead horse?

Strange statue.

Blue bottles, starfish and nets

Toy cars

Taps, tools and metal fittings

Paintings

Backstreets

People eating at a street cafe while a trio of old guys play music in the background.

A little street festival.

An interesting way of doing a self portrait.

Palace of Justice

The cupola of the Palace of Justice as seen from the back of the palace.

it's amazing how Romanesque buildings such as these look.  You only have to compare them with the facade at Ephesus to see the continuing influence of Greek and Roman civic architecture right up the late 19th century.  Mind you, I'm no expert on architecture so I could just be speaking bollocks.

Cupola again.

Memorial out the front the of the Palace Of Justice.  I have no idea why I was more interested in the back of the place.

Next Page: Military Museum