Backstreets of Brugge

When I travel I usually like to get off the beaten track and the well travelled tourist routes and quite often just dive down any alley or back lane to try and discover the real local life. This small back lane in Brugge, Belgium is a good example of what delights you can find down these small streets. These small houses were all very well maintained and this one had beautifully painted doors and windows with decorative flower boxes.

Birthplace of the Black Russian Cocktail

I love old hotels with character and the Metropole Hotel in Brussels, Belgium is a fine example of one that I have stayed at. 

The Hotel Metropole, built in 1895, is the only nineteenth-century hotel in Brussels still in operation today. The hotel has 298 rooms and 15 suites.

In 1890, two brothers with a brewing company opened Café Metropole as a place in the city to sell their beer. The café was a huge success and the Weilemans-Ceuppens family then purchased the building next-door, a former bank, which would become the Hotel Metropole, inaugurated in 1895. Today, the hotel’s reception desk is easily recognizable as the desk of the former bank, a significant historical and heritage glimpse of the past.

The brothers commissioned French architect Alban Chambon to be the chief designer of the hotel. Today, Chambon’s design of modern comfort and luxury is still a prominent feature of the heritage hotel, which is considered an important historical landmark in the city.

Not only was Hotel Metropole one of the first luxury hotels, it was also the first to have electricity and central heating, and is now the only existing 19th century hotel in Brussels. In fact, many heritage tours of Brussels visit the Hotel Metropole to look upon its facades and design.

The hotel’s reception, lobby, and lounge are overtly ornate with Corinthian columns, rich furnishings, gilded details, and glittering chandeliers – all which can still be seen and experienced today at the hotel. Similarly, the meetings and conference rooms of the hotel are decorated in a Renaissance style.

The Metropole is famous for having hosted the first Solvay Conference in 1911. Check out the photo below which is in the lobby of the Metropole Hotel and see how many famous physicists you can spot. There's Einstein, Planck, Rutherford, Lorentz and Madame Curie just for starters.

Moreover, it is the birthplace of the Black Russian cocktail, which was created in 1949 by barman Gustave Tops for the United States ambassador to Luxembourg, Perle Mesta.

Belgium Baroque Building

This is a wonderful example of the beautiful and ornate architecture that can be seen in Belgium. This old block of houses in Brussels exhibits some elaborate decoration as well as fairy-tale like windows and turrets.

The Church of Our Lady - Bruges

The Church of Our Lady in Bruges, Belgium, dates mainly from the 13th, 14th and 15th centuries.

Its tower, at 122.3 meters in height, remains the tallest structure in the city and the second tallest brickwork tower in the world (the tallest being the St. Martin's Church in Landshut, Germany).

In the choir space behind the high altar are the tombs of Charles the Bold, last Valois Duke of Burgundy, and his daughter, the duchess Mary. The gilded bronze effigies of both father and daughter repose at full length on polished slabs of black stone. Both are crowned, and Charles is represented in full armor and wearing the decoration of the Order of the Golden Fleece.

The altarpiece of the large chapel in the southern aisle enshrines the most celebrated art treasure of the church—a white marble sculpture of the Madonna and Child created by Michelangelo around 1504. Probably meant originally for the Siena Cathedral, it was purchased in Italy by two Brugean merchants, the brothers Jan and Alexander Mouscron, and in 1514 donated to its present home. The sculpture was twice recovered after being looted by foreign occupiers—French revolutionaries circa 1794 and Nazi Germans in 1944.

Bracket Fungus

Since yesterday's blog had some mushrooms I thought I would continue the theme with today's photograph of fungi growing on a tree in Brugge, Belgium. This fungus is probably Laetiporus sulphureus which is a species of bracket fungus (fungus which grows on trees) found in Europe and North America. Its common names are sulphur polypore, sulphur shelf, and chicken mushroom. Its fruiting bodies grow as striking golden-yellow shelf-like structures on tree trunks and branches. Like other bracket fungi, they may last many years and fade to a more pale grey or brown. The undersurface of the fruiting body is made up of tubelike pores rather than gills. Laetiporus sulphureus is a saprophyte, and causes brown cubical rot in the heartwood of trees on which it grows. Unlike many bracket fungi, it is edible when young.

Oude Griffie - Old Recorders House, Brugge

The Oude Griffie, or Old Recorder's House, is a beautiful medieval building dating from the 16th century in the centre of Brugge, Belgium which is currently the district court. The intricate and extravagant design is typical of Flemish Renaissance.

Cosy Bar at the Hotel De Tuilerlieen

Hotel De Tuilerlieen is located in a central location in Brugge right next to the canal so was a great base from which to explore the medieval city of Brugge. The hotel is a member of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World which has always been a great recommendation in my experience .... and this was certainly no exception. A very comfortable, spacious and well appointed room overlooking the canal and the cosy bar as shown here was a welcome refuge after a hard day of tourism.
I'm not sure who the people were in the two paintings on the wall .... the barmaid in the bar didn't seem to know .... but they sure don't look too happy for whatever reason..... I was however .... as I supped on a large gin and tonic!

Belgian Graffiti

As you wander through the streets of the capital of the European Union, Brussels and just when you have almost had enough of beautiful ancient monuments, churches and grand palaces or the classic medieval, gothic style architecture you turn the corner and are brought back to reality with a splurge of graffiti grunge.

Friday - Beer O'Clock

It's Friday at Beer O'clock .... so time to relax, chill out and have a little relaxing drink. I'm off to Singapore for the One Asia "Images of Asia" photo event which should be fun - plenty of photographers, equipment, presentations .... and a chance to meet Michael Yamashita, National Geographic photographer for a workshop on Sunday. Unfortunately Steve McCurry cancelled his visit at the last minute so I'm disappointed as I was scheduled for a workshop with him tomorrow.

Hotel De Tuilerieen

This is the bar at Hotel de Tuilerieen in Brugge, Belgium and was always a welcome relaxing and rehydration spot after a hard day's tourism and prior to evening dinner. The hotel is wonderfully situated in central Brugge right on the canal so it's easy to walk out and see all the sights or take one of the canal cruises. It belongs to the exclusive group of hotels called "Small Luxury Hotels of the World".

I was wondering who the characters were in the paintings but unfortunately the barmaid didn't know. Whoever they were, they didn't exactly look very happy!

The Chocolate Corner

Every street, side street or back lane in Brugge seems to have numerous cafes and of course little chocolate shops with delightful temptations .... ideal for the weary tourist to stop, relax and succumb to temptation.

St. Michael and St. Gudula Cathedral

The St. Michael and St. Gudula Cathedral is a Roman Catholic church at the Treurenberg hill in Brussels, Belgium. In French, it is called Cathédrale Saints-Michel-et-Guduleand in Dutch Sint-Michiels- en Sint-Goedelekathedraal, usually shortened to "Sint-Goedele".

In 1047, Lambert II, Count of Leuven founded a chapter in this church and organized the transportation of the relics of Saint Gudula, housed before then in Saint Gaugericus Church on Saint-Géry Island. The patron saints of the church, archangel St. Michael and the martyr St. Gudula, are also the patron saints of the city of Brussels.

In the thirteenth century, the cathedral was renovated in the Gothic style. The choir was constructed between 1226 and 1276. The façade was completed in the mid-fifteenth century.

It is an archiepiscopal cathedral of the Archbishop of Mechlin-Brussels, the Primate of Belgium, currently Archbishop André-Mutien Léonard. It is located in the national capital and therefore often used for Catholic ceremonies of national interest, such as royal marriages and state funerals.

The south tower contains a 49-bell carillon by the Royal Eijsbouts bell foundry on which Sunday concerts are often given.

Royal Palace, Brussels

The Royal Palace of Brussels (Dutch: Koninklijk Paleis van Brussel, French: Palais Royal de Bruxelles) is the official palace of the King of the Belgians in the centre of the nation's capital Brussels. However it is not used as a royal residence, as the king and his family live in the Royal Castle of Laeken on the outskirts of Brussels. 

The palace is situated in front of Brussels Park. A long square called the Paleizenplein/Place des Palais separates the palace from the park. The middle axis of the park marks both the middle peristyle of the palace and the middle of the facing building on the other side of the park, which is the Palace of the Nation (the Belgian Federal Parliament building). The two facing buildings are said to symbolize Belgium's system of government: a constitutional monarchy.

The Markt

The Markt ("Market Square") of Bruges is located in the heart of the city and covers an area of about 1 hectare. Some historical highlights around the square include the 12th-century belfry and the Provincial Court (originally the Waterhall, which in 1787 was demolished and replaced by a classicist building that from 1850 served as provincial court and after a fire in 1878 was rebuilt in a neo-Gothic style in 1887. In the center of the market stands the statue of Jan Breydel and Pieter de Coninck.

In 1995 the market was completely renovated. Parking in the square was removed and the area became mostly traffic-free, thus being more celebration friendly. The renovated market was reopened in 1996 with a concert by Helmut Lotti.

Around the Markt are numerous restaurants, cafes and bars where you can sit and take in the sights of the many historic medieval buildings and sample some of the Belgian food and beer.

St. Bonifacius Bridge

The St. Bonifacius Bridge is one of the many stone bridges over the canals on Brugge, Belgium. This bridge is close to the Gruuthuse and the Arentshof and although it is sometimes said to be the oldest bridge in Brugge that is not the case and was only built in around 1910. Around the bridge old medieval style houses can be seen adding to the atmosphere.

Madonna of Bruges

The Madonna of Bruges is a marble sculpture by Michelangelo, of Mary with the infant Jesus and you can view this in Church of Our Lady in Bruges.

Michelangelo's depiction of the Madonna and Child differs significantly from earlier representations of the same subject, which tended to feature a pious Virgin smiling down on an infant held in her arms. Instead, Jesus stands upright, almost unsupported, only loosely restrained by Mary's left hand, and appears to be about to step away from his mother and into the world. Meanwhile, Mary does not cling to her son or even look at him, but gazes down and away, as if she knows already what is to be her son's fate. It is believed the work was originally intended for an altar piece. If this is so, then it would have been displayed facing slightly to the right and looking down.

Madonna and Child shares certain similarities with Michelangelo's Pietà, which was completed shortly before, mainly, the chiaroscuro pattern and the movement of the drapery. The long, oval face of Mary is also reminiscent of the Pietà.

The work is also notable in that it was the only sculpture by Michelangelo to leave Italy during his lifetime. It was bought by Giovanni and Alessandro Moscheroni (Mouscron), from a family of wealthy cloth merchants in Bruges, then one of the leading commercial cities in Europe. The sculpture was sold for 4,000 florin.

The sculpture was removed twice from Belgium after its initial arrival. The first was in 1794, after French Revolutionaries had conquered the Austrian Netherlands; the citizens of Bruges were ordered to ship it and several other valuable works of art to Paris. It was returned after Napoleon's defeat. The second removal was in 1944 with the retreat of German soldiers, who smuggled the sculpture to Germany enveloped in mattresses in a Red Cross lorry. It was found two years later and again returned. It now sits in the Church of Our Lady in Bruges, Belgium.

After the attack on Michelangelo's Pietà in 1972 the sculpture was placed behind bullet proof glass, and the public can only view it from 15 feet away.

Hotel Metropole, Brussels

The Hotel Metropole, Brussels is a beautifully preserved world of 19^th century splendor and opulence, set beneath a sea of glittering chandeliers. Situated in the midst of the city’s historical center, this superbly renovated Brussels luxury hotel captures the imagination with Corinthian columns, sumptuous furnishings, and an extravagantly rich attention to detail. Experience the vibrant “heart of Europe” from the most celebrated Brussels luxury accommodation, and embrace the lavish elegance of days gone by. 

The Hotel Metropole, built in 1895, is the only nineteenth-century hotel in Brussels still in operation today. The hotel has 298 rooms and 15 suites. The hotel was originally built as an afterthought—a brewer's family added a hotel to their Place de Brouckère café in an effort to promote their selection of beers. 

The Hôtel Métropole benefits from a superb location right at the heart of the historical center of the European capital - only a few steps from the famous UNESCO world heritage site of the Grand Place, the Bourse and la Théâtre de la Monnaie, and near the city’s most exciting shopping thoroughfare. Just in front of the hotel are the "De Brouckère" metro and bus stations, with connections to all of Brussels’ major train stations.

The Metropole is famous for having hosted the first Solvay Conference in 1911. The International Solvay Institutes for Physics and Chemistry, located in Brussels, were founded by the Belgian industrialist Ernest Solvay in 1912, following the historic invitation-only 1911 Conseil Solvay, the first world physics conference. Just check out some of the names of the famous physicists in the photograph above which can be found in the lobby of the hotel - Planck, Lorentz, Madame Curie, Rutherford and Einstein!

It is also the birthplace of the Black Russian cocktail, which was created in 1949 by barman Gustave Tops for the United States ambassador to Luxembourg, Perle Mesta.

And of course nothing to beat relaxing for lunch and some nice Belgium beer in the Cafe' Metropole.

Look for Reflections

I am always looking for new angles or views for my photography and one way to do this is to look for reflections. This could be water reflections, mirrors, shiny surfaces or in this case the shiny chrome of a motorcycle headlight and speedometer dial. You can also include yourself as a self portrait using this technique .... in the photo above I was trying to disguise my reflection in the line of the join on the headlight ... but didn't entirely get away with that!

De Halve Maan Brewery

De Halve Maan Brewery in Brugge is a well worth visit offering a tour of the working brewery and some wonderful bar food ..... and of course excellent beer! The museum presents the unique opportunity to discover the old tradional brewing methods in Bruges. Daily guided tours will allow you to visit both the modern brewery as the museum.

Brugse Zot is a goldenblond beer with a rich froth and a fruity flavouring. The beer is brewed with four different kinds of malt and two aromatic varieties of hop which give the beer its unique taste. With an alcochol degrees proof of 6 % Vol it is a well balanced, easy drinking beer with character. Brugse Zot is a natural beer born out of a selection of only the best ingredients. Thanks to the refermentation in the bottle, the beer has a longer natural life. 

Hotel Duc de Bourgogne

The Duc de Bourgogne is a charming landmark hotel in the centre of Brugge, Belgium overlooking one of the central canals. This scenic spot attracts many tourists and the formal French dining room has windows overlooking the canal which in the evening commands a wonderful view over the canal.

The history of the Duc de Bourgogne goes back to April 27th 1648 , when a person named Popieul was given permission to build a new establishment on the Tanner's Square, next to the Tanner's Corporation Guild Hall. A 17th century painting, made by an anonymous artist, depicts this well-known sight. From the very beginning, the new building must have been a public house, named Den Hollander (The Dutchman).

In 1830, the name Den Hollander no longer appealed to the ear of the brand-new 'Belgians', who just then became independent from Holland. Hence, the original name was replaced by La Vache (The Cow). However, local people continued to use both names for this leading establishment, frequented by the elite of the town. 

In the second half of the 19th century, an important British colony settled in Bruges. Among them, for example, sculptor Alfred Gilbert, who created the Eros Fountain for London's Picadilly Circus. The artist lived most of his adult life in Bruges and his second wife was a Bruges lady. It is assumed that these British locals were regular customers for 'afternoon teas' and probably under their influence the house was renamed as The Carlton.

During the second world war, when the Carlton had become the property of a noble family from the neighbourhood of Bruges, plans were drawn up for a fairly radical restoration . The architect returned to the building's original facade with the two step-gables. After the war these plans were carried out, with a special grant from the City of Bruges . The first post-war tenant, Maurice De Clerck, re-opened the premises in 1947 . He gave his restaurant a new name, the Duc de Bourgogne.

In 1966 Maurice de Clerck retired. The Van de Vijver family of the East Flanders Province became the next occupant. The family-business already owned several other first-class restaurants, such as the Park Hotel in Lokeren, the Rallye St-Christophe in Deurle on the Leie, the Chateau de Laarne and the Hotel de Lourdes in Oostakker near Ghent. Joseph Van de Vijver, the Godfather of the family (in the positive sense), saw the chance of a lifetime to crown his life's work. He was a man with vision and didn't hesitate for one moment. His son and daughter-in-law, Willy and Gaby Van de Vijver, were given the responsibility to run the Duke in the future. Moreover, the new tenants had ambitious plans: the Duke should become a pinnacle of culinary achievement. By this time, the connoisseurs' pallet had also developed, leaning towards the more exotic, the more exclusive preparations and combinations. Successive chefs each contributed their skills to form the taste of locals and visitors.

In 1987 Willy Van de Vijver retired in his turn, exactly 20 years after he started, just like the former tenant. The last wish of the late father Van de Vijver was respected. He always insisted on keeping the Duke in the family. Paul and Therese Grobet-Van de Vijver, brother-in-law and sister of Willy, took over, after having run the Chateau de Laarne for many years Today, Therese Grobet - Van de Vijver welcomes you in her property.