BRUSSELS and MADRID by Vecais Sakarnis

[Vecais Sakarnis]

I have to pause my other threads and start to post pics while still fresh memories from my trip to Brussels and Madrid - both of them were really great. In overall, I spent about 1,5 days in Brussels and 4 days in Madrid and took about 1500 photos from which best part I will try to show here. So, this will be long-term thread revealing what I saw in these cities and few other views between.

1. Breakfast in Riga airport - here, on the second floor is a good "Lido" eating-place which is adapted here to more international choice (basically, "Lido" is serving more of Latvian cuisine in Latvia, but it's adapting to local tastes in countries where it has opened it's restaurants). So, this meal was something close to traditional English breakfasts - just what I need from mornings. It costed about 4 Euros and it was cheapest meal in all my trip, because both in Belgium and Spain I couldn't find a meal below 7 EUR.



2. Up above and looking down to Latvia countryside.



3. I think it's Bornholm - Danish island on the Baltic sea.



4. Some other Danish or maybe German island with close to beach looking even a bit tropical. I observed that clouds mostly stays above land areas, keeping sea free of them.



5. Now we can start "Guess the city" here. I have no idea what is this one. Maybe you know? Maybe even live in it?



6. Another city which we could decode here:



7. Some countryside most probably in Western Germany:



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9. Charleroi airport (about 60 km from Brussels) has completely changed since I was there first time in 2005. The old small terminal has been closed and the new one opened instead. However, it is already outdated. CRL growth has been so rapid (last year - 32%, in 2009 - 33%) that it has exceeded it's capacity again (last year it had 5 195 372 passengers). And that can be felt when there - airport were overcrowded almost 24 hours a day (I spend my last day-night there).



10. CRL has developed also very solid airport city around it and it's called very proudly as "aeropolis".



11. And now we have arrived in Brussels. There are some interesting modern buildings around the Midi (Brussels-south) station.



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14. Brussels isn't a bicycle-city, I saw few bicyclists there. Rather weird, especially when knowing nearby Netherland's passion to cycling.



15. One thing which surprised me here - how these trees looked so freshly green like in April. How that's achieved?



16. I was surprised also about the vast areas built by this type of lovely houses in Brussels. This is already outside centre, but they still continues for kilometres. How old are they - really pre-WW2?



To be continued...

[Benonie]

Brussels isn't a bike-friendly city indeed. But number cyclist increase the last decade and infrastructure is improving. Most flemish cities are much more bike-friendly. You'll see lots of bikes in Ghent, Bruges, Louvain, Antwerp and smaller cities. Not like in Dutch or Danish cities, more like in some German cities.

Originally Posted by Vecais Sakarnis

I was surprised also about the vast areas built by this type of lovely houses in Brussels. This is already outside centre, but they still continues for kilometres. How old are they - really pre-WW2?

There are hundreds of that kind of streets an tenthousands of such houses in Brussels. Most of them are built at the end of the 19th and the first half of the 20th century. Before WW II, indeed.

Nice pictures anyway. Love them so far!
Pitty you don't stayed some longer in Brussels.

[Bristol Mike]

Great start there mate! Looking forward to more pictures.

[Vecais Sakarnis]

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20. Impressive building next to station



21. I spotted this unusual painting on one of buildings walls. Later, on my plane to Madrid in Ryanair magazine I red that these are some popular Belgish comic characters Tin Tin.



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25. Moving farther, closer to centre, those historical buildings.



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27. I really like when buildings are different in colours.



28. Click to see this pano larger:

[Linguine]

Nice photos.....thanks.

[joshsam]

Very nice pictures! Good job

[Benonie]

Indeed! Keep them coming!

[tykho]

Originally Posted by Vecais Sakarnis

17.

21. I spotted this unusual painting on one of buildings walls. Later, on my plane to Madrid in Ryanair magazine I red that these are some popular Belgish comic characters Tin Tin.

Yup, that's Tintin and Milou!



Beautiful pics, btw!!

[Vecais Sakarnis]

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30. Every city has it's "basic" architecture, and these houses are the "backbone" of Brussels. I believe that this "backbone" architecture defines and makes the city much more significantly than few grand top-objects. In this case, Brussels is lucky, imo. Should be cosy to live in such areas. Btw, what's called their architecture style/-s?



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35. Black cars army. Black cars very popular in Brussels?



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38. Boulevard Maurice Lemonnier which farther changes it's name, is one of main streets in Brussels centre



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42. On of metro stations

[madridhere]

Wonderful pictures and iidea of the thread.

It seems you caught good weather in Brussels which makes the pictures full of light.

[kingsway]

nice and uniquely designed modern midrises.

[Vecais Sakarnis]

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47. It seems there another comic painted on the wall



48. Looks like a Paris here:



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55. Interesting - lanterns beaming in daytime.



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[Benonie]

Great pictures!

[Vecais Sakarnis]

Thanks, Benonie!

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68. Grand place was prepared for an impressive event in evening - a medieval festival



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Next update will be after about a week here, as I'm going to another trip...

[joshsam]

Great pictures! You managed to capture Brussels great. Not only the touristic area's but also the pics where you can see the rund down row-homes are a part of Brussels. Nice!

[Benonie]

Oké, we'll be patient and wait for the next serial. Hope you have a nice trip again!

[Buffalo Soldier]

Keep up the good work!

[Wapper]

Originally Posted by Benonie

There are hundreds of that kind of streets an tenthousands of such houses in Brussels. Most of them are built at the end of the 19th and the first half of the 20th century. Before WW II, indeed.

And lots of other Belgian towns have similar buildings. It is a truly Belgian style


I agree with the comments above: this is a wonderful thread with amazing photos. I will return for more!

[KennethDK]

I love it! You are lucky that you were in Brussels when the weather was good.

[Benonie]

The weather in Brussels was excellent and sunny in spring.
Unfortunately, summer is grey and often wet....