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Marché de Noël de Bruxelles

admin — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 10:19:09 +0000

Although not even ten years old, the Brussels Christmas market has made a big impact on the Brussels landscape over the Christmas holidays. Today, it would be hard to imagine passing into the new year without it. Initiated by the City of Brussels’ the Christmas market is laid out within it’s center along a two kilometer long route starting from the Grand Place along the Bourse, Place Ste-Catherine and Marché aux Poissons. Featuring 240 chalets, an open-air skating rink and a Ferris Wheel all illuminated by thousands of lights. The guest of honor this year is Mongolia and every day colorful acts with local musicians and dancers wearing traditional costume that evoke the Mongol can be seen.

Opened everyday From the 27 November 2009 to January 3rd 2010

Location of the Brussels Christmas market:

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Photos Marché de Noël de Bruxelles

Enjoying some ice skating

Mongolian masks

Nativity scene at Grand Place

French sausages

Sipping on Champagne

Grand place Christmas tree

Face of Babies illuminate the path to Place Sainte-Catherine

Matryoshka dolls

Further down the way to Place Sainte-Catherine

Mongolian music

Young couple

The wait for customers for a glass of Gluehwein (German Hot Wine Punch)

More French sausages…

French cheese

Kids on the Merry-go-round

Mongolian artists

Earings for sale

wooden figurines

Teddy bears

Santa keeping warm in reindeer fur

Choucroute garnie or dressed sauerkraut

dressed for winter in this unusually cold weather

Belgian fries

Ferris wheel

Figurines

Chalets with St. Catherine church in the background

lonely Santa

Institut Royal pour Sourds Muets et Aveugles

admin — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 22:42:20 +0000

Now classified as a protected monument the Institut Royal pour Sourds Muets et Aveugles de Woluwé Saint Lambert was Built in Neo-Gothic Style around 1878 and has served as a school for the Hearing and Visually Impaired ever since. It is located at 278-284 Avenue Georges Henri , Woluwe-Saint-Lambert 1200.

Location of the Institut Royal pour Sourds Muets et Aveugles de Woluwe-Saint-Lambert:

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Photos of the Institut Royal pour Sourds Muets et Aveugles de Woluwe-Saint-Lambert:

Jesus

Caroline Baldwin mural

admin — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 13:20:20 +0000

This 160 square meters Caroline Baldwin mural is found at 10 Place de Ninove, 1000 Brussels. Made by D. Vandegeerde and G. Oreopoulos of Art Mural SPRL it illustrates in 12 images the series of comic strips made by André Taymans and Bruno Wesel of Castermin of Caroline Baldwin a female private detective. Each of the images is featured in one of the buildings windows who are all brought together into one thanks to the full moon in the background.

Location of Caroline Baldwin mural:

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Photos of Caroline Baldwin mural:

Jef Aérosol street art in Brussels

admin — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 16:32:32 +0000

A very nice example of Stencil graffiti art found at 7 Rue du Chêne, Brussels made by one of the fist French street art pioneers from the 80’s, Jef Aérosol. His mark has been on the walls of cities cities all over the world such as: Amsterdam, Beijing, Brussels, Chicago, Lisbon, London, New-York Paris, Rome,etc.

Location of Jef Aérosol’s Stencil graffiti art in Brussels:

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Photos of Jef Aérosol street art in Brussels:

Found at the 2nd Hand Record Store Music Store

From right across the street

John Lennon

Bruce Springsteen

Jim Morrison & Bob Dylan

Jimi Hendrix

Three Legged Buddha

admin — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 19:38:34 +0000

From the 1st of September until the 4th of October this imposing 9 meters tall Three Legged Buddha copper sculpture is displayed in front of the Théâtre royal de la monnaie. The impressive display was made by Zhang Huan, one of todays most famous artists of China.

Location of Three Legged Buddha:

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Photos of Three Legged Buddha:

Rue Leopold 23, 1000 Bruxelles, Belgium

Les Rêves de Nic

admin — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 10:12:35 +0000

The 160 square meters Les Rêves de Nic (Little Nic) comics strip mural is found at 40 Rue des Fabriques, 1000 Brussels. Hermann Huppen said he had been heavily inspired by American Author Winsor McCay’s Little Nemo in Slumberland when creating the Little Nic comics. Less popular than some of his other work such as Bernard Prince or Comanche only three albums ever were published. The mural of Nic followed by a whole army of Safari animals is still popular with the passer-by’s nonetheless.

Location of the Little Nic Mural:

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Photos Les Rêves de Nic Mural

Maison Communale de Saint-Gilles

admin — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 15:17:36 +0000

La Maison Communale de Saint-Gilles or in English the Saint-Gilles Town hall was completed in 1904. It was built according to the plans of architect and urbanist Victor Besme and bears a lot of similarities with a French château with Venetian overtones seen in the tower. The interior can be visited during office working hours from 8h00 to 12h30 and 13h to 16h30 at Place Van Meenen 39, 1060 Saint-Gilles, Belgium.

Location of the Saint-Gilles Town hall:

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Photos Maison Communale de Saint-Gilles:

The town hall with it’s tower in the back

Steps leading to the Main entrance

Sculpture of La Déesse du Bock

The Town Hall and tower seen from the back

Side entrance

Arriving from street in the back of the Saint-Gilles Town hall

Details of the Tower

Cori le Moussaillon mural

admin — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 17:48:06 +0000

The 48 square meters Cori le Moussaillon comics strip mural is found at 21 Rue des Fabriques, 1000 Brussels. Six albums were created by Bob de Moor (Robert Frans Marie De Moor) from 1951 to 1993. A true masters of the Belgian Clear Line style, he cooperated during his career with other famous Belgianc Comic strip artists such as Hergé and Willy Vandersteen. Growing up in a port city he developed from an early age an interest for drawing sailing ships.

Location of Cori le Moussaillon mural:

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Photos of Cori le Moussaillon mural:

Details of the top half of mural

Sailboat from bottom portion

Close-up of Cori le Moussaillon Waving from the Mast

Musée des Égouts de Bruxelles

admin — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 17:49:12 +0000

Established in one of the two former city toll offices, built in neo-classical style in 1835 and 1836 and designed by A. Payen, the Sewers Museum of Brussels gives an overview of the city’s evolution in terms of public sanitation. These rather small buildings, formerly used to collect a toll on goods entering the city and to check people’s papers, were closed down after the toll was abolished in 1860. They now provide access to the main sewer and the one on the eastern side became the sewer museum in 1988, while the other building is used by the sewer workers.

Location of Sewers Museum of Brussels:

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Photos of Musée des Égouts de Bruxelles:

The entrance building to the Sewers Museum of Brussels

The city of Brussels has a gigantic subterranean sewers network of 320 km

Roaming around the underworld

Collecting sewage from the Chaussée de Mons

The sewage stream

Back into the underground maze

The neon lights gives an idea of the intense mosquito activity

Vintage hydraulic wagon

Exiting from another former city toll offices

Défilé Militaire du 21 Juillet pour la Fête Nationale Belge

admin — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 17:51:00 +0000

Today on the 21st of July, being the Belgian National Day for those who might not know. I headed to the Parc de Bruxelles in the centre of Brussels for the military parade, that takes place every year in front of the Belgian King and the government. Here are some pictures from the Défilé Militaire du 21 Juillet.

Location of the Belgian National Day Parade :

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Photos Défilé Militaire du 21 Juillet:

Royal Mounted Escort

Young child in the crowd

Escorte Royale à cheval

Détachement stage de jeunes auprès des musiques royales de la Défense (Youth group following a musical training course by the army).

Détachement du Corps royal des Cadets de Marine (Air Cadets).

Un détachement de Cadets de l’Air de Belgique (Sea Cadets)

La Musique royale de la Force Aérienne (Belgian Royal Air Force Music).

Police doing crowd management

Policemen on bikes

Détachement Operation KFOR (Veterans of KFOR mission)

Détachement Operation ISAF (Veterans of ISAF mission)

Détachement École Royale des sous officiers ( Non-comissioned officers Students from Royal Military Academy).

Détachements d’élèves officiers de l’ERM.

Students officers from Royal Military Academy

Porte étendarts

Détachement États membres de l’Otan (Members of NATO Detachment)

Nato Members Detachment

Détachement de la composante marine (Navy Forces Detachment)

Détachement de la composante Terre (Land Forces Detachment)

Détachement de la composante Air (Air Forces Detachment)

Camouflage Pandur Recce vehicle

Heavy Duty gun

Camouflaged Iltis jeep

French troops

Troupes Française

Machine gunner

Light Multirole Vehicule (LMV)

Police Quick Reaction Force Team