Old town wall

Porte the Hal

by Vincent
written by Vincent

Porte de Hal is the only surviving of the original seven gates set to protect the city of Brussels within a wall. This medieval construction was build from 1357 to 1373 and was only spared from demolition when the second town walls were dismantled because its vocation had previously been changed into a prison. It now serves as a museum that holds art collections from the Royal Museum of Arts and History.

Here at a distance

A bit closer up

Back entrance

From one side

and now the other

Here at the main entrance

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stock exchange

Stock exchange

by Vincent
written by Vincent

The Brussels stock exchange (la Bourse de Commerce) was finished being built in 1873 and is situated in a busy part of the city that is bustling with activity day & night.

Arriving from the Boul. Antoine Dansaert catching my first glimpse of the Brussels Stock Exchange

Here a closer view of the portico and its imposing columns

On the very top you can see the sculpture: ‘teaching commercial and industrial Expansion’ by Jacques Jacquet

More sculpture details that you can see as you walk around the stock exchange

Each side of the entrance is flanked with a Lion that represents power and domination

View from one of it’s corners

Full frontal view

La bourse de Bruxelles At dusk

Last one this time from a bit of the side

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town hall

a closer look at the Town Hall of Brussels

by Vincent
written by Vincent

I decided today to post some close up pictures of the Town Hall so you could see the fantastic work of art it is. Here’s a look at the ‘hotel de ville’ from a distance. It dates back quite some time since it’s first foundation-stone was laid in 1401.

The left wing

Now the right wing

Here on top of the main entrance you can see sculptures of the demon being slain by St. Michael

The Archangel Saint Michael is a key figure as he is the patron saint of Brussels

The amount of detail in these sculptures is fascinating

The gargoyles overlooking us have always been one of my old time favorites

More of these sculptures…

 

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Christmas

Christmas market

by Vincent
written by Vincent

Opened not even a week ago I decided to go for a little stroll this afternoon along the Brussels Christmas market (marché de Noel).For those of you who might be interested it’s opened until the 1st of January this year.

My first stop at the Grand place of Brussels which is for those of you who never been here the center of the town.

Thats once again quite a Christmas tree they managed to get this year

The town hall has also been decorated with its very own blue Christmas lights

Nativity scene

Wow the baby Jesus made it early this year 😉

Leaving the Grand Place and going along the Stock exchange is where the market starts here at a hot chocolate stand

wooden toys

This one specializing in all types of dry sausages

Toy figurines

Pancakes anyone?


Belgian waffles or pies sold here

Warm spiced wine (glühwein) served with tartiflette savoyarde which is French specialty dish made of pork meat, potatoes & cheese

Now at St. Catherine square the Christmas market continues where this years guest host the Reunion Island is featured

Here is where the main portion of the Christmas market is at the ‘marché au poissons’ or old fish market

Famous soap products from the Southern region of France and the city of Marseille

Russian arts and crafts

Another sausage vendors

Carousel with a view of the ferris wheel in the back

ice rink where one can rent his skates

Lamps made out of Salt sold here

it’s a pretty long Christmas market at this location as it goes on both sides of the old fish market

The ferris wheel from closer up

Various kinds of Foie gras sold here which is made of duck liver

View of the other side of the marché au poissons

One side church of St. Catherine seen from the Christmas market

More for the dry sausage lovers

Here you can see if you zoom in of what the tartiflette is actually made of since a big batch is being cooked and tasted by the Chef 🙂

Here is the forty meter long ice monster for kids

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Parks

Georges-Henri park

by Vincent
written by Vincent

Here are some pictures of the Georges-Henri park located in Woluwe-Saint-Lambert of Brussels, it has some very odd feature of being an old cemetery where tombstones have been used has pavement to create walkways.

Entrance of the empty park on a cold December day

Entrance of the empty park on a cold December day

let’s chose to go down this road

The Ravensbrück Monument:

The Ravensbrück Monument:

The Ravensbrück Monument (Thérèse Chotteau, 2000). This monument, dedicated to two women members of the resistance and to their children who died in German camps during World War II. The monument depicts a woman standing on muddy ground, with her head thrown back and her body erect, Defying oppression. Her arm is Draped around a child huddled up against her. He represents both the painful memory of loss that is forever remembered and the struggle to safeguard children, hope and the future. On the lecturn, located to the right of the monument, is a passage from a letter written by Marguerite Bervoets, a young poet and teacher who was decapitated on August 8, 1944 in Wolfenbuttel. A bed of roses, symbol of the association of former political prisoners and survivors of the Ravensbrück camp, has been planted to the left of the monument.

Notice the paved road…

Give it a closer look, there is something weird with the pavement…

Anyone starting to have an idea of what it’s made of now ?

Yes tombstones!

It is actually an old recycled cemetery where everything was used in the process of giving it a new vocation as a park. A good reminder that our brief passage on this earth will be totally forgotten from anyone’s memory less than 100 years from now. Be sure to enjoy the short time you have among the living 🙂

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