Brussels Photo: Thursday, 31 August 2006

This picture was taken at the Gare Central (Central Station) in Brussels. Like everywhere else in the world the station is not only used by travellers, but also by merchants. This one in particular was selling very big and colourful scarfs as shown.

On a different note, today is BlogDay. Which more or less means, Bloggers of the World unite :). One feature of BlogDay is that the whole day bloggers around the world introduce 5 new blogs they find interesting. Sort of spread the ... blog.

My recently discovered 5 blogs are:
The Breakfast Blog - guess the title says it all.
Advertising/ Design Goodness - all about advertising and design, love it.
On Food and Wine - my very own (sorry not new!) other blog. For those of you who don't know it yet :)
Overheard in NY - gossip and hilarious comments, overheard in NY.
The Sartorialist - everything I ever wanted to know and see about fashion in NY. (I assume you start seeing a NY trend here ...)

Happy BlogDay!

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Brussels Photo: Wednesday, 30 August 2006

By now I think everyone is convinced that Belgium is the beer country. If not convinced yet, this might help you!

Weekends are the best to visit breweries or discover new hidden places, where Belgian Beer is king/ queen. One such place was the Brewery of Slaghmuylder. We visited, we drank, we left.

But I also took the opportunity to take some pictures. Above the old beer bottles used to bottle the Witkap beers. Loved the colors and the light.

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Brussels Photo: Tuesday, 29 August 2006

As you realized, since yesterday we are back in Brussels. The fashion show of last week was one aspect of Brussels.

Today I would like to show you the odd sight. Like this D Tours, which is a city-trip-with-sound. I am not sure just how the car works, but on their website you can find some more information. Pretty cool if you ask me.

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Brussels Photo: Monday, 28 August 2006

Part of the Mode Design Brussels 2006 a black and white fashion show was organized in Brussels last week. After the fashion show, which showed Belgian creations (all in white), a very surrealist dance of men on stilts began. As you can see they looked like giant white luminated balloons, dancing around the Grand Place. A magical evening for Brussels.

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Brussels Photo: Sunday, 27 August 2006

I am not sure what the occasion was for this graffiti but ... if you read the right corner carefully, it refers to a wedding. Well, I hope it was one great wedding and that they liked this graffiti-wedding-gift.

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Brussels Photo: Saturday, 26 August 2006

Cherries, chérie?

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Brussels Photo: Friday, 25 August 2006

Very hip, very cool, very ingenious: take two skateboards, let your imagination lose, build a bench. Now sit down and relax.

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Brussels Photo: Thursday, 24 August 2006

We didn't try out this restaurant, but I thought the sign on the house was very interesting and inviting: Mama's Garden. I can imagine the restaurant is just as cozy and will make you feel at home. Maybe we'll try it out on another daytrip to Antwerp.

More on Belgian restaurants can be found here.

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Brussels Photo: Wednesday, 23 August 2006

I just could not walk past this house without taking a photo. Despite the constant rain, this house put a smile on our faces. Just look at the many chairs hanging from the house like in a little fairytale.

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Brussels Photo: Tuesday, 22 August 2006

Bling-bling wherever you can look. Although, I have to admit, it's all expensive bling-bling. What you see is just a small selection of the many diamond rings on display. The Jewish Quarter in Antwerp is known for its diamond trading as well as diamond shops - which is where we came across this one.

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Brussels Photo: Monday, 21 August 2006

Just to make sure no one forgets the Belgian fries :). This is another sign of Antwerp advertising the 'best frit' (best fries) in the city. Enjoy.

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Brussels Photo: Sunday, 20 August 2006

I think this is probably one of the best graffitis I have ever come across. I love the arty feel of it. Bet it would make a great modern art painting.

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Brussels Photo: Saturday, 19 August 2006

Did I hear diamonds are a girls best friend? Indeed so. An Antwerp visit would not be complete without a visit to the Diamond Museum. Very well done, the museum takes you through the scientific side of diamonds, as well as the glitz and glamour thereof. My favorite part, of course.

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Brussels Photo: Friday, 18 August 2006

You say Antwerp, you say fashion. Here a piece from the autumn collection of Dries van Noten. It seems this year he is using animal prints and gold a lot!

Dries van Noten is one of the most influential Belgian designers. Part of the Antwerp Six, he belongs to a group of Antwerp designers who influence the Belgian and international fashion scene.

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Brussels Photo: Thursday, 17 August 2006

I mentioned the architecture in Antwerp. Here a (rainy) photo of the Groenplaats, the most popular square in Antwerp. A large part of the Groenplaats used to be a parking lot, however this was transfered underground and now the Groenplaats is one of the most popular hang outs in Antwerp. That is, when it does not rain!

Overlooking the Groenplaats is the Our Lady's Cathedral, dating back to 1352. 169 years of building and 123 meters high, the Cathedral was the largest Gothic construction in the (then) Netherlands. Rubens paintings can be admired inside.

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Brussels Photo: Wednesday, 16 August 2006

You have probably realized the weather talk is one of Belgium's favorite past time. Escaping the weather in Brussels we aimed to get wet in Antwerp. So over the next few days I will show you this and the other highlight of Antwerp.

Antwerp is the second largest city in Belgium, home to very interesting architecture - 16th and 17th century, home to the arts - Peter Paul Rubens lived here in the early 17th century, home to fashion and design – Dries Van Noten anyone?, home to diamonds – Antwerp is the diamond center of the world covering more than 50% of the world diamond production. But I’ll let you discover Antwerp bit by bit for yourselves.

Starting with its trademark: the De Koninck beer. No discovery of Antwerp can start without having a beer first! More on Belgian Beers can be found here.

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Brussels Photo: Tuesday, 15 August 2006

In case you thought I was joking ... it has been raining non stop in Brussels for the last 5 days. It is a matter of giving in or really just going on holiday to the south. Relocating! There is still hope it will all stop on Friday, but one never knows.

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Brussels Photo: Monday, 14 August 2006

When Brussels was still sunny.

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Brussels Photo: Sunday, 13 August 2006

Another Sunday graffiti.

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Brussels Photo: Saturday, 12 August 2006

Some of us are getting back in the routine ...

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Brussels Photo: Friday, 11 August 2006

Cozy and warm, that's what everyone wants to be on this cold and rainy day (weekend). We had 14 degrees today, which for August ... not so promising. Hope it is warmer on other DP sites.

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Brussels Photo: Thursday, 10 August 2006

L'art prend le metro - art takes the tube. The artist Camille De Taeye. The tube station: Eddy Merckx.

An unusual metro station in Brussels. The above painting depicts a combination of people, animals, vegetables and scenary. All the result of dreams and events seen by the artist.
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Brussels Photo: Wednesday, 9 August 2006

2 weeks, 2000 km, 5 countries and now back in Brussels. Exhausted ... but such a great holiday. Denton, the postcard is on its way :)

Brussels Photo: Tuesday, 8 August 2006

Pick from the archives no.18 ... and the last one, as tomorrow I am back from my holidays: hope you enjoyed the trip, which lasted just a little bit more than 45min.

Posted on 3 July 2006.

Thanks to Denton from Greenville DP for pushing the buttons.

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Brussels Photo: Monday, 7 August 2006

Pick from the archives no.17: do I miss them? Perhaps. Will I have some when back? Definitely.

Posted on 26 June 2006.

Thanks to Denton from Greenville DP for pushing the buttons.

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Brussels Photo: Sunday, 6 August 2006

Pick from the archives no.16: very Belgian, very brasserie, this is where I will go back to once in Brussels.

Posted on 8 June 2006.

Thanks to Denton from Greenville DP for pushing the buttons.

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Brussels Photo: Saturday, 5 August 2006

Pick from the archives no.15: it is impossible to get more Belgian than this.

Posted on 5 June 2006.

Thanks to Denton from Greenville DP for pushing the buttons.

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Brussels Photo: Friday, 4 August 2006

Pick from the archives no.14: tic-tac, a favorite with many back then.

Posted on 24 May 2006.

Thanks to Denton from Greenville DP for pushing the buttons.

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Brussels Photo: Thursday, 3 August 2006

Pick from the archives no.13: models ... since dressed.

Posted on 19 May 2006.

Thanks to Denton from Greenville DP for pushing the buttons.

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Brussels Photo: Wednesday, 2 August 2006

Pick from the archives no.12: a very stylish cat!

Posted on 3 May 2006.

Thanks to Denton from Greenville DP for pushing the buttons.

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Brussels Photo: Tuesday, 1 August 2006

Angels on the right side of the entrance to the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Belgique.

Thanks to Denton from Greenville DP for pushing the buttons.

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