Summer in the City

And already everyone is out. More on Restaurants.

Belgian Beer

What better way to enjoy the long sunny weeekend than with a Belgian Beer?

Flowers

Flowers.

Gooooal!

Well not so much, but I lack inspiration. The Union Saint Gilloise live for you.

Union Saint Gilloise

For all the football (soccer) fans out there ... the Union Saint Gilloise. Tomorrow live photos of the game.

Ecole de Cirque de Bruxelles

A fantastic performance from the student of the Ecole de Cirque de Bruxelles (Circus School of Brussels) took place in down town Brussels. Very talented (and passionate) students from the Ecole de Cirque de Bruxelles held an entire show on the Grand Place in Brussels.

I have to admit I must admire them as the heat was almost unbearable, still they put on a real show. A marvel for the children present that day on the Grand Place.
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Sablon Antiques Market

Another favorite past time in Brussels is going to the antiques market at Sablon. Sablon, is a small square with its own church right in the middle of Brussels. And every weekend, Saturday and Sunday, antique dealers set up their stands and wait ... and wait ... and wait.

More a tourist (trap?) market than anything else, yet the occasional bargain can be found. If not for antiques, the Sablon market is definitely worth a visit as it is an integral part of Brussels life.

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The Pink Band

Once the sun is out the city gets its color back. Here a very pink band singing and playing their heart out in down town Brussels.

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Cubitus

Luc Dupanloup, called Dupa, is the author of this cartoon mural. The main character? Cubitus, the 'animal', more accurately a big, fat dog. Created in 1968, Cubitus is amongst the very famous cartoon characters.

After years of appearances in cartoon books, Cubitus also became the main character of a Japanese show (104 episodes) and in 1994, the image of a Belgian stamp. The cartoon mural in the photo was inaugurated at the end of 1994 showing Cubitus in the place of Manneken Pis.

Other cartoon related posts on Brussels Daily Photo, which I know many of you liked, were:

Brousialle

Le Chat

Tintin

Monsiuer Jean

Jeune Albert

Feather Girl

El Scorpio

Victor Sackville

Le Passage

Quick and Flupke

Blondin and Cirage

Passe moi l'ciel

Boule and Bill

There was also the unknown one which is still a mystery

Blake and Mortimer

La Patrouille des Castors

Passage Inconnu II
Herge 100 Years

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Agent 15

Well, Brussels (Belgium) is indeed all about chocolate, beer and cartoons. I understand that tourists (locals as well, I would guess) can even get specially designed maps to visit Brussels on the cartoon trail.

This time not a cartoon mural, but a cartoon sculpture: Agent 15, a cartoon character by Herge. The sculpture is by Tom Frantzen, a Brussels artist. An interesting story goes with this sculpture. The boy coming out of the pavement is a 'Vaartkapoen', the name given to young men who used to work in the sewers. Later the name became synonym with the 'bad boys' of Molenbeek (the commune where this sculpture can be found).

Other cartoon related posts on Brussels Daily Photo, which I know many of you liked, were:

Brousialle

Le Chat

Tintin

Monsiuer Jean

Jeune Albert

Feather Girl

El Scorpio

Victor Sackville

Le Passage

Quick and Flupke

Blondin and Cirage

Passe moi l'ciel

Boule and Bill

There was also the unknown one which is still a mystery

Blake and Mortimer

La Patrouille des Castors

Passage Inconnu II
Herge 100 Years

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Blue Door

A very beautiful blue door.

Wielemans Ceuppens

Recently I have been seeing photos of this building everywhere: daily press, magazines, on TV. Intrigued, I went to see what all the hype was about this Wielemand Ceuppens brewery.

No longer will this building serve as a brewery. Finally Brussels will have its very own Contemporary Art Center in the Wiels (the new name of the building). Which explains the hype around this modernist building by Adrien Blomme. There will be a cinema, conference and concert rooms, a cafe-restaurant and a bookshop.

The grand opening is planned for the 25th May 2007.

Leon Lepage

A Cup of Tea

A lovely cup of tea. Some quiet. A good book. And I am happy.
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At the Brussels Airport ... Again

Not by choice, but real life is still ... real life. Abroad again for work.
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L'art prend le metro - Nos Vieux Trams Bruxellois

L'art prend le metro - art takes the tube. The artist Paul Delvaux. The tube station: Bourse.

The second piece of art at the Bourse tube station is probably amongst the very well known underground surrealist paintings. Painted by surrealist painter Paul Delvaux in 1980, the painting - which stretches all along (13m long) the upper wall of the tube station - portrays old trams.

Part nostalgia, part surrealism the painting is beautiful. Trains are a constant subject of interest in Paul Delvaux' paintings, who never forgot the wonder of the first electric trams in Brussels.

Previously in the series of l'art prend le metro:

Eddy Merckx tube station.

Coovi tube station.

Heysel tube station.

Parvis de Saint Gilles tube station.

Horta tube station. More Horta.

Porte de Hall tube station.

Albert tube station.

Montgomery tube station. More Montgomery.

Louisa tube station. More Louisa.

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L'art prend le metro - Moving Ceiling

L'art prend le metro - art takes the tube. The artist Pol Bury. The tube station: Bourse.

We are back in underground Brussels. This time a tube stop in the middle of the city, close to the Stockmarket (Bourse). This piece of art from 1976 by Pol Bury is composed of 75 tubes, where as part is fixed to the ceiling, the other flexible - hence the name Moving Ceiling. Just look up.

Previously in the series of l'art prend le metro:
Eddy Merckx tube station.
Coovi tube station.
Heysel tube station.
Parvis de Saint Gilles tube station.
Horta tube station. More Horta.
Porte de Hall tube station.
Albert tube station.
Montgomery tube station. More Montgomery.
Louisa tube station. More Louisa.
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Cavalia

If Belgian, you will wonder why I am posting this now. Cavalia, the show, finished. Yet let me explain.

One, what is Cavalia? A show where men and horse merge into one beautiful example of magic, performance and precision. Or so they say. Personally I haven't been to see the show.

Two, after the initial success of Cavalia in Belgium posters and advertising signs like the one in the photo announce that Cavalia will be back in Brussels in August 2007. Tickets don't come cheap (90euro and more) but I am sure they will be sold out.

Has Cavalia been in your city?
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A l'Imaige Nostre-Dame

Not only a beautiful old sign, but also a great old bar in the center of Brussels. Of course like every good place in town, it is a little hidden and only the true connoisseurs know where it is. But for the Brussels DP readers, I will share the address with you: Impasse des Cadeaux 3, 1000 Brussels.
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La Tribune de Bruxelles

Back from a short Easter break, just to discover that La Tribune de Bruxelles, a Brussels weekly newspaper has named the 'Brussels Daily Photo' as the blog of the week, last week (no. 216).

Art Detail no. 2

Continuing with the underground art, the second art detail. Both photos, yesterday and today are taken in the Louisa tube station.
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Art Detail no. 1

I thought it might be a good idea to start the Easter Monday with some art. As I am away at the moment, I will have to rely on the stock photos I have - here a detailed example of the underground metro art.
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Easter ... Bug?

Happy Easter everyone!

Cordonnerie Suisse

Whilst walking down town Brussels, all you have to do is look up to find something different. Like this sign advertising a Swiss cobbler. I assume the sign is quite old as there is no cobbler to be found in the area.

Perhaps Bally used to have a shop in the center, and the sign stayed on?
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Brussels Architecture

Sunny sky (still), and a wonderful example of the different styles in Brussels. Here a detail of a quite impressive apartment block.
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Ixelles meets Saint Gilles

I have shown you photos of the Brussels communes before. Yet this is the first time when I come across an actual 'border' of communes, marked on the wall of a house: Ixelles to the left, Saint Gilles to the right. In total Brussels has 19 communes, and these two are quite centrally located.
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Ladybugs on the Wall

Three ladybugs on a wall. Someone with a lot of sense of humour has placed these three ladies up on a wall. I find it a cute idea - goes with the sunny mood of Brussels.
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Papeterie Legrand

In the series of grand signs around Brussels, I came across this one: Papeterie Legrand. the Legrand stationary shop. In italics you can read they are promoting the excellence of style.
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Spring or Summer?

With the weather now, I wonder - is it spring, is it summer? Then again, do I really care? :) As long as the sun keeps shining I will keep on smiling. Have a good and sunny week everyone.
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A mailbox at the ...

... Vatican! Now who saw this one coming? I knew that taking a photo of this Vatican post box while in Rome will come in handy one day.

Some interesting trivia: the Vatican sells Vatican stamps 'Citta del Vaticano', blessed by the Pope (!) and the only ones allowed in this Vatican mailbox. It also seems that the Vatican post is a lot faster than the Italian one, so Italians have been posting their mail from post boxes as above. Only hic-up in all this? The post boxes can only be found within the Vatican...

You've got mail around the world:
London (UK) -Grenoble (France) -Rotterdam (Netherlands) -Greenville SC (USA) -Hyde (UK) -Villigen (Switzerland) -Albuquerque NM (USA) -Mazatlan (Mexico) -Montréal (Canada) -Stayton OR (USA) -Shanghai (China) -Jing -Arradon (France) -Sequim WA (USA) -Newcastle upon Tyne (England) -Seattle WA (USA) -Kim -Bastia (Corse) -Minneapolis MN (USA) -Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) -Joplin MO (USA) -Sharon, CT (USA) -Cottage Grove MN [USA] -Houston, TX (USA) -Candice & Megan -Singapore - by Keropokman. -Guelph, ON (Canada) -Menton (France) -Monte Carlo, Monaco -Naples, FL (USA) -Kyoto (Japan) -Tokyo (Japan) -Aliso Viejo, CA (USA) -Cape Town (South Africa) -Jakarta (Indonesia) -Kitakami (Japan) -Tel Aviv (Israel) -Vantaa(Finland) -Guadalajara (Mexico) -Auckland (New Zealand) -Nelson (New Zealand) -Tuzla (B&H) -Brussels (Belgium) -Anderson, SC (USA) -Lubbock, TX (USA) -John, Melbourne, (Australia) -Stavanger (Norway) -Tenerife (Spain) -Stockholm (Sweden) -Boston, MA (USA) -Not Strictly Seattle, Susan -New York City, (USA), Ming the Merciless -Paris [Eric], (France) -Ampang (Selangor) -Sydney (Nathalie) Australia -ailea , HI (USA) -Manila (Philippines) -Sydney (Sally) Australia -Cork (Ireland) -Saarbrücken (Germany) -Saint Paul MN (USA) by Carol -San Diego, CA (USA) -Mexico [POLY], (Mexico) -Budapest (Hungary) -Singapore (Singapore by Zannnie) -Madrid [Dsole] (Spain) -Nottingham (England) -

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