"I should meet Christine tomorrow" I though when trying to pass my pain from phneumonia. I turned left on a sofa and abviously went to sleep... There was no elictricity for a past 4 hours. I was bored, but could not do nothing because of the state I was in. I just red a short article in magazine about Berlusconi and Italy (I wouldn't be an Italian right now..at least a liberal one) gooing dow. Next momet I went "down" as well. We met somewhere in Brussels, could not remember where exactly now, but the place looked auwfuly familiar in my dreams. We were returnining to Christina's place which should be in the same street. Next moment we were there. Christina was home alone, actually it looked she lived by herself. Looking very young. I was sitting in the kitchen and sudenly two guys came in, visiting I guess. My head tuned up and I saw - Andrej, my cousin's ex. He was looking the same, but also younger, with blond hair. He remembered me, too. Some talking and when trying to take some photos I found out no battery was in my camera and in the gsm. Shit!. Just inbetween Christine gave me a kiss and I gave it back. It was funny. It surprised me but that was it. I went to her balcony and although this was the ground floor appartment, the backside looked as it was some 4th floor. I remember a tiny dog, Yorkshire terrier I guess which just run towards the edge and jumped to the street lamp. It must have been flying to reach the lamp. Then the dog made some steps on the lamp and flew back to the ground bellow the balcony. The abbey bellow was really deep. Afert a while we went back, obviously we had to go back to work. I lost Christina on the way and three of us (me, Andrej and his colegue, journalist on a mission in Brussels) wondered where we are. Andrej wanted to buy a cigarettes and I wanted to ask somebody where we are and how to get somewhere near Schuman. Andre spoke perfectly french and I tried to speak to someone in french too. All around was a real thick fog, like it is in Ljubljana many times during the winter. I was suddenly alone. I wonderd already wtf is this fog, in which neibourghood am I, where's Christine...total mess. But I went walking and saw some very promoinent old buildings and kind of castle and some yellow river beside. When I came near and went down the steps towards th river I saw some instalation: some giant Pinoccio-look a like figure floating in chains and allaround so many medieval "shrinje z zakladom". Really strange but very interesting. It reminded me of a underground of Coudenberg pallace in Brussels. I aslo saw that river was stretching really big in horizon. I thought I must return soon to discover all that and to make a photos and videos. For a moment I thought I saw Christine, but it was just a woman in pink Chanel and a pink bag. Nex I remember was a pain in my arm and loungs because of sleeping a side. I must have been dreaming, but yet, I thought that I have to write to my cousin to tell how great Andrej looks like! There was no electricity. So, should I go on and tryong to prolong my dream? Maybe I should start writing some fantastic novels or sci-fi screenplays I thought. Brussels for sure looked great on these images and all the "actors" were somehow intruiging. Just don't know what happened to each of of there. It was like "People vanishing" as in the Hitchcock's Lady vanishes.
Prslo in odlo je, vsaj v Belgiji. V Slo in Spaniji, vem, se traja. Vmes se je seveda dogodilo marsikaj, tako kot vsakemu. Nic nisem pisal vmes, ampak dolgcas ni bil. No, trrnutno je, saj prebolevam pljucnico. Upam, da uspesno, ceprav malo sumim, da gre prepocasi na bolje. Mogoce kdaj drugic velja zapisati kaj o uporabnikovi izkusnji z belgijskim zdr. sistemom (definitivmo boljsa izkusnja od slovenske), a ne danes. Najbolje, da kar nastejem, kaj je dogajalo okoli mene v zadnjem casu:
- Ibiza.11 je bila lepa in prepolna Italijanov. Se vedno znajo delati turizem, zal se vedno opazam, da je pogoltnost tudi tam prevelika, kar pa se seveda ne bo obrestovalo. Vcasih velja absolutno placati vec, da dobis vec. Je pa se vedno zatocisce vseh mogocih drugacnih, kar je prav osvezujoce. Uniformiranosti je ze tako povsod prevec. Srecal nisem niti 1 Slovenca, zato pa je Rusov in Japoncev in Americanov vedno vec. Absolutno se je po moje dobro izogniti avgustu, saj so Italijani prenaporni- vedno v credi in vedno preglasni. Seveda pa se vedno skoraj vsi izgledajo kot iz D&G reklam, predvsem moski.
- Praga je tudi se vedno taka kot jo poznamo - prevec amerikanizirana, sicer lepa, z lepimi stavbami, cista, ampak meni se ne zdi nic posebnega..nobenega Bohema ni bilo.
- Slovenija - se najslabsi vtis. Mesto je bilo sicer super, saj je bila Lj v idealnih vremenskih razmerah in poleti skoraj vedno fajn. A tisti njen fluid me dejansko ne preprica. Ljudje so malo cudni. Mislim, da vodimo po cudnosti. To je seveda moja osebna ocena in prav nic mi ni lepo to napisati.
- opazam, da mora imeti veliko ljudi, ki jih ponam, probleme. Milo receno. Lahko, da gre tudi ze za kaksno mentalno bolezen. Ne vem.
- kritike vredno je tudi sposobnost komunikacije oz korespondence veliko ljudi, ki jih poznam: tezave se zacnejo ze pri pisanju emailov, sAj osnovnega bontona ne poznajo mnogi. Pri osebni komunikaciji pa se tudi vidijo problemi: navelicanost, slaba volja in pomanjkanje humorja. Vsa cast izjemam, ki seveda obstajajo. Verjamem, da je kriza in gmotnipolozaj kriv za mnogo tega. A naj Ponovim- vse je povezano! Vse! Tudi odnosi in nasa stalisca rezultirajo v vsem ostalem. Kot pri pozitivni nastrojenosti, ki vlecd pozitivnost in seveda obratno. Zal se tega ljudje ne zavedajo v vecini primerov. Da ne omenjam dnevnih novic in polit/ekon polozaja - groza in polom. Mislim, da se zdalec nis(m)o na dnu.
Ta kratek in kriticen povzetek ne odraza mojega stanja duha, ki je hvalabogu na visjem in pozitivnejsem nivoju. Kjub bilezni. Drugic pa kaj bolj konkretnega in manj suhoparnega.
Ceprav so informacije v anglescini, pa verjamem, da bodo marsikoga zanimale oz. mu celo koristile, ce potuje v ta kraj. Nekaj jih je tudi zelo zanimivih.
Bruxelles : ime izvira iz "Broek-sel" in pomeni "mocvirnat dom" oz. v tem smislu.
Brussels was a location for settlement since prehistory but it became a noteworthy settlement after Saint Gery built a chapel on the banks of the Senne River in 695, now called Place Saint Gery. The city of Brussels was officially founded in 979 by Charles, Duke of Low Lotharingia, who set down Brussels’ first city charter. Since then Brussels has seen many rulers, renaissances and revolutions.
Middle Ages 979 – 1500
After the beginning of its charter, Brussels developed quickly from a town into a city. It was the centre of trade between the cities of Bruges, Ghent and Cologne where the Senne River met the economic route that stretched from the east to the west of the country. The first set of city walls were completed in the 11th century and with increased protection, it precipitated growth of its population. A second city wall was built shortly after to protect citizens and industry spilling outside the walls. From the 12th century Brussels became an important city under the administration of the Duke of Brabant. The Duke made Brussels the capital city of the Duchy of Brabant for several centuries, 12th, 13th and 14th.
At the height of economic development, Brussels exported luxury items such as fabrics and tapestries to Paris and Venice. It was home base for artists such as Rogier van der Weyden, whose paintings flourished and became the cartoon background for many tapestries woven from the finest silk and exported all over Europe to decorate the homes of royals and aristocrats. Tapestries can still be seen on display in European museums such as the Louvre. The Town Hall and the King’s House rose up over the Old Town at the Grand Place in the 1400s; these two opposing buildings still face each other in the current Grand Place.
Renaissance and Revolution 1500 – 1830
The period succeeding the 15th century was marked by rebellions and uprisings. At the end of the 15th century, Brussels temporarily lost favour and its title of capital after an uprising against the Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I. It regained its status after Charles V took reign between 1519 and 1559. Ruled by the Calvinists in the mid 1500s and then reigned over by Archduke Albert I (1598–1633) the city had grown to a population of 50,000 by mid 16th century.
In 1695, the Bombardment of Brussels, by King Louis XIV of France, left the Grand Place in ruins and thousands of buildings all over the city were torn to the ground. The rebuilding of Brussels was undertaken by a number of craftsmen guilds; they left their historic mark with the building of the guildhalls which gave the Grand Place an enclosed rectangular shape. For the rest of the 1700s Brussels was equally the centre of economic development, occupations and revolts. French troops took hold again from 1746-48, the Brabant Revolt took place from 1788-90 and Brussels was overtaken again during the Napoleonic era. The current Capital of Brussels was established after the United Kingdom of the Netherlands (1815-1830) ended in 1830 with Belgium’s independence.
Modern history 1830 - present
Belgium’s last great revolt was in 1830 when it protested against King William of the Netherlands to gain independence. King Leopold I, who was the uncle of Queen Victoria, became the first King of the Kingdom of Belgium on 21 July 1831. The walls of the city were taken down during this period (1810-1840) and replaced by a set of boulevards in the shape of a pentagon following the original outline of the Old Town Brussels, called the Inner Ring Road. The current circle metro line weaves around this same ring road. Rapid growth of the population followed and by 1846 Brussels had 123,000 inhabitants.
The 20th century was a period of war and development. After World War I and World War II, Germany occupying Brussels on both occasions, Brussels was a part of the Brussels Pact (or Brussels Treaty) in 1948 which led to the initiation of the Western European defence cooperation. At present, the European Union, an economic cooperation, is still continuing to development. In the 1960s the first metro lines were built to ease urban congestion; in 1970s and 1980s further political reform created the Brussels Capital Region, expanding the City of Brussels to an urban agglomeration with a population of just over 1 million.
Local Customs in Brussels
Brussels is a very cosmopolitan city so locals are used to encountering people from many different cultures and are usually open-minded and friendly. In order to behave appropriately and appreciate the differences of culture in Brussels, it pays to learn a few of the customs while travelling. These include such things as tipping, small talk, language and things you will see on the street.
Tipping
At restaurants it is customary not to leave a large tip because a service charge is already included in your bill. If you felt the service was particularly pleasing you may leave €1-2 on the table at the end of your meal to show appreciation. You also do not need to tip hairdressers or taxi drivers. Places where you should tip are in toilets that are serviced by attendants – you will normally see a table with a saucer where you can leave the tip, which is about €0.50 cents.
Greetings and Small Talk
When greeting someone hello or goodbye, you normally kiss one cheek. If you meet a Belgian person for the first time it’s usually not customary to talk about ‘what you do for a living’. However, since many Belgians work in international environments, don’t be surprised if they ask you! Other topics to keep to a minimum are politics, language and bad comments about Belgium.
Language
In Brussels the most common language is French. This is spoken in most service establishments such as restaurants, supermarkets, shops and airports etc. English is also widely accepted and many waiters do not mind conversing in both French and English depending on the diner’s native tongue. Business is normally carried out in English.
On the Street
Things you might observe on the streets which are perfectly normal include standing on one side of the escalator, dogs, kissing and cars cutting in front of pedestrians on crossings.
Especially in the metro stations when commuters are rushing from one train to another, be sure to stand only on the right-hand side and leave the left side for people who choose to walk (or run!) up and down the escalators.
Other customs to note are dogs, which are a common sight everywhere and it is not illegal to bring them into restaurants, cafes and public transport. Public displays of affection such as kissing in public is also quite normal, just try not to stare!
And finally if you are crossing a pedestrian crossing make eye contact and wave politely at the driver as you cross with care. Many drivers are in a rush and will not stop if they believe there is a chance to beat you across that crossing.
Brussels Navels
Brussels navels are not a brand or type of the fruit orange. It is a set of photographs taken by an amateur photographer of belly buttons or navels in Brussels. The site has been up for almost a decade and photos date back to 1999. There are currently 1000s of photographs for navel enthusiasts to download around the world. Each archive is organised according to the year in which it was taken. No faces are included in the photos so the identity of the ‘navels’ are not disclosed.
Navels of all shapes, sizes, from males and females are posted up on the website. To fund the maintenance of the website, the photographer asks for donations and sells CD copies of the photographers. The bandwidth used each month is a large cost because the photos are high resolution. Now people from around the world are sending in photos of their own navels and a new page has been created for these.
Navels are clinically known as an ‘umbilicus’ and colloquially as ‘belly buttons’. It is basically a scar that is left from birth when a doctor cuts the umbilical cord of a baby. Some belly buttons dip inside and some pop outside of the belly. Studying the navels of identical twins is one way to identify them because every single person has their own distinct scar.
Up until the 1960s it was still taboo in Western society to show the navel due to its sexual nature. Some men and women are known to have navel fetishes.
Buying Belgian Chocolate in Brussels
Next to Swiss chocolates, Belgian chocolates are rated some of the best in the world. There is a reason for this. Belgians take chocolate making very seriously! Just like beer making. Therefore if you are buying chocolate from Brussels, be sure to take home some of the best. There are thousands of varieties to choose from and endless choices to be made. However, there are also a few tips to ensure you buy chocolates at the right price and that they are stored and savoured properly.
Where to buy them
Ensure you buy genuine handmade Belgian chocolates (pralines and truffles are the best) that are not made anywhere else. The chocolates in Belgium are made with 100% cocoa butter, without any vegetable oil. Sounds fattening but it’s actually better quality and leaves a very fresh aftertaste in your mouth.
There are many souvenir shops along the Grand Place (Grote Markt) that sell boxes of Belgian chocolates all staked up together and sold at deep ‘discounts’. These boxes are the mass manufactured type that are not even sold in supermarkets.
If you are looking for the really good handmade chocolates then go to one of the following chocolate outlets to taste and see the chocolates for yourself. These are the high quality chocolates that are made daily by hand using the best quality chocolate. From least to most expensive: Leonidas, Neuhaus, Godiva and Pierre Marcolini’s.
At a chocolate shop
A chocolaterie is a chocolate shop. Familiarise yourself with the different types of chocolates. When you enter the chocolate shops you will often see a counter filled with chocolates and some empty gift boxes stacked up on the counter with different prices.
These chocolates are freshly made everyday. You can choose from the counter and fill a box, normally sold by weight. The price for a 250g box is indicative and is normally limited to the pralines and the solid chocolates. Truffles and cups cost slightly more and sold separately. Expect to pay about €5-€18 for a 250g box depending on the brand.
If you don’t really mind which chocolates go into your selection, simply ask for a pre-packed box. Quick, easy and still delicious! Otherwise here is a small list of the types of chocolates you can select from.
Pralines
In Belgium, pralines mean any type of filled chocolate, either butter cream, fruit creams, almond and nut pastes or nuts. These chocolates have the most varieties and are the most popular! The shells are either white, milk or dark chocolate.
Truffles
A powdery chocolate made from a ganache (cream and solid chocolate mixture) with a solid or cocoa powder shell. These are normally slightly more expensive than the pralines. They are creamy and rich.
Gianduja
These are pure almond and nut paste shaped into small rectangular blocks and wrapped with gold paper. It is like eating a hazelnut paste praline without the chocolate shell.
Storage and longevity
Unlike chocolates that you buy from the supermarket, handmade chocolates do not contain a lot of preservatives. Therefore they need to be taken care of and eaten within approximately 21 days without refrigeration. Ask the chocolate store assistants how long you can store the particular chocolates that you have purchased.
The optimum temperature for consuming chocolates is about 18°C (64°F). Store them in a dry and dark place. Otherwise keep them in the fridge and take them out about 20 minutes before you want to eat them so they will come up to room temperature.
Brussels Zoo
The Planckendael Zoo is the closest zoo to Brussels, easily reachable by train or car, in the small town Mechelen, on the way to Antwerp. It has a large enclosure measuring 42 hectares.
Animals are categorised by the continent on which they originate. An exotic assortment of animals can be found here; amongst them are Indian lions, red giant kangeroos from Australia and giraffes from the African Savannah. Soon to come in 2010-2012 are elephants. It is a great day trip for families with children.
The featured continents are South America, Oceania, Africa, Asia and Europe. There are four places to purchase food, these are scattered around the zoo. Each continent was carefully designed and built to have the look and feel of the continents. Therefore the park took special care to import native plants from Asia and built temple ruins to resemble parts of Southeast Asia. The largest area is the simulated areas of Niger and Sudan to represent the African Savannah. Hectares of land cleared to make way for the giants of the African wilderness including zebras, antelopes, ostriches, Bongos and hyenas all set in a real African village.
For a hands-on experience a mini-farm is also on location. Children are faced nose-to-nose with animals such as the alpaca Wouter. In this enclosure animals are docile and children can pet them. Another unique feature of the zoo is the Tree Walk, which takes visitors through a small forest of 80-year old Beech trees and videos are played to tell the stories of small tree animals.
All together, the Planckendael Zoo is an experience with nature, which welcomes visitors to not only see the animals but feel like they have arrived in faraway lands.
Location near Brussels
The ZOO is about 30 minutes drive north from the centre of Brussels on the way to Antwerp. The easiest ways to get there are car or train. For the train, there are excursion tickets available from the train station. “Excursion” tickets combine the entrance fee and train ticket at a discounted price. Purchase these tickets from Brussels Centrale or Brussels Midi stations.
The Grand Place or Grote Markt in Dutch is one of the most beautiful squares in Europe with architecture from 3 different eras (Baroque, Gothic and Louis XIV) making their marks on the square giving it an eclectic flavour. This eclectic quality earned the Grand Place a listing as one of the Sites of World Heritage by UNESCO in 1998.
Historically, the Bruxelles Grand Place was essentially a market place where traders and citizens sold and bought food. Therefore you will notice that all the streets surrounding the square are named after foods like chicken (poulet), herbs (herbes), cheese (fromage) and so forth. Nowadays you will see grand old buildings standing in the place of market shelters. The Maison du Roi, in French means King’s House but the lesser used name of Broodhuis in Dutch, means Bread House. Most of the buildings were rebuilt or restored after the bombardment of Brussels by France in 1695.
The Grand Place is always packed with people. There are tourists and school groups during the day and young people at night sitting on the stones in small circles drinking and talking. Overlooking them is the glowing Gothic tower of the Town Hall (Hotel de Ville) which one may mistake for a church or a castle. It acts as a great landmark because you can see the tower from most corners of the city.
To be in walking distance to the Grand Place, find a Grand Place hotel in hotel bookings. The restaurants and cafés around the Grand Place are worth visiting if you are in the area although slightly pricey, as to be expected. In the small alleys you will also find many Greek or Turkish style restaurants which are good for a quick bite but doesn’t represent the finest of Belgian cuisine.
Location in Brussels
The most central place for tourists to meet is slightly off-centre on the Brussels city centre map. It is to the west of Brussels Park, a large green rectangle on the map. The Grand Place is surrounded by main streets: Rue du Midi, Rue Marche aux Herbes and Rue du Lombard but connected by alleys. Walk down one of the alleys such as Rue au Beurre or Rue des Chapeliers towards the Town Hall
"I should meet Christine tomorrow" I though when trying to pass my pain from phneumonia. I turned left on a sofa and abviously went to sleep... There was no elictricity for a past 4 hours. I was bored, but could not do nothing because of the state I was in. I just red a short article in magazine about Berlusconi and Italy (I wouldn't be an Italian right now..at least a liberal one) gooing dow. Next momet I went "down" as well.
