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Mural art at Place Poelaert

admin — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 18:40:28 +0000

I liked the illusion created by this mural of an extra pair of windows on the walls of this Artisanal leatherwork shop. I stumbled into it after the elevator ride that connects the ville haute and ville basse of Brussels (the Upper Town and lower Town) on the corner of rue de l’épée and Rue Haute.

Photos of Mural art at Place Poelaert (location):

Tribute to Hergé fresco by Mezzo in Laeken

admin — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 18:04:08 +0000

Mural art realized by Mezzo, the creator of the King of the Flies comic strip illustrations as a tribute to Hergé. Mezzo of his real name Pascal Mesemberg was born in Drancy in 1960. At the age of 17, he began his career by sending illustrations in various magazines and graphzines Paris where he published his first comic strip in Métal Aventure and then collaborated with Zoulou and L’Écho des Savanes. After becoming famous working with Michel Pirus in 1989 he moved to Paris where he contributes regularly to the journal de Mickey as an illustrator and realizes the covers for Stephen King’s Librio collection novels. He also still publishes short stories in L’Écho des Savanes with his accomplice Pirus.

Photos of Tribute to Hergé fresco by Mezzo in Laeken (location):

Zinneke Parade

admin — Sun, 30 May 2010 11:51:37 +0000

Born 10 years ago as part of Brussels 2000, European Capital of Culture the Zinneke Parade has now grown into a biennial exuberant celebration where around 2500 local volunteers from various schools, collectives and organizations converge into the city center in a carnival atmosphere. Each edition has it’s own theme where participants create their colorful and extravagant costumes while various musicians, dancers and actors join in for the fun in what could be best described as a street opera. This year’s 6th Edition theme was : A table/Aan tafe best translated into “Have a meal” or “Come to the Table”.

Photos of the Zinneke Parade 2010

Complete set of 180 pictures:

Brussels under the snow

admin — Thu, 20 May 2010 18:29:46 +0000

As most of you probably already know the winter 2009-2010 was one the coldest we have experienced in Europe in a very long time. Brussels was no exception to this and the initial sense of fun and excitement of having snow stay for a few days slowly became irritating and in the end frankly outright depressing when had to deal with it non stop from December to March. This is partly why there was been no interest on my part in updating the blog for that period of time but now that’s all a thing of the past and I happily look back, knowing summer is approaching and post a few pictures of my last attempt in winter photography dating from December.

Snow in Brussels photos:

Man shoveling snow on my street

Deserted chairs and bench in my neighborhood

Couple holding hands behind Berlaymont building

Empty street

Snow covered Parc Leopold

More Parc Leopold

Ice forming on the lake

Espace Léopold European Parliament building

Parc Leopold in the snow

Christmas tree

Bikes in the snow

Vibrant activity

Kids playing in the snow

Waiting for the bus

Center of Brussels

Parc de Bruxelles covered in a white coat

Tree at sunset

Snowman

Brussels public bikes

Cars covered in show near St. Catherine

More of the Villo rent-a-bike system in Brussels

More cars covered in snow

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

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

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

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