Alte Zürcher Blog - Brussels

Brussels Metro

Thu, 12 Jun 2008 11:29:00-0400

The Brussels metro lines have some interesting artwork. Sometimes you have to look for them, but here at the wonderfully named Houba de Strooper you can't miss them. The sequence is cunningly designed to give the impression of movement and acceleration as if the train is pulling out, but I guess you have to see it to comprehend this. I used to live near here in the early 1990's and I was pleased to see them still there

Leffe Blonde

Wed, 21 May 2008 23:41:00-0400

A strike by Belgian railways kept me in Brussels for an extra day. Not too much hardship was experienced however..

Grand-Place. Bruxelles

Tue, 20 May 2008 18:15:00-0400

World heritage site, the Grand Place doesn't need any introduction. In my view relatively unspoiled despite being such a tourist trap, and the perennial favourite cafes such as Roy d'Espagne and Cafe de Bruxelles are still worth a visit to sit and watch the world go by

Bruxelles - day 2

Mon, 12 Nov 2007 12:39:00-0400

It seems as though I go around looking for photographs of things that haven't changed, or things that look as though they could have been taken 50 years ago. This well known view of Brussels as you walk from the Royal Palace towards the Grande Place seems to me again to have remained unchanged ever since I first saw it in the 1980's. On the other hand, what should change? You descend constantly from the Royal palace by a series of steps, and this provides interesting changes of angle. I like this photo because of the contrast between the dark hedges, and the high tone of the buildings. It's a "bulls-eye" type of composition, with everything leading to the centre, but the two girls at the bottom make a nice lead-in

You can see the angle of the shot on this google map, with the gardens bottom right, and the Grand Place with the shadow of the large spire of the Town Hall top left

Bruxelles - à la Mort Subite

Sun, 11 Nov 2007 10:25:00-0400

A meeting of old acquaintances in Bruxelles, and an afternoon spent in La Mort Subite - a Bruxelles institution where the patina, waiters, beers and menu have not changed since I was last there 12 years ago

Bill here is trying to operate the menu system on his new (first) digital camera by willpower alone