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.

Brugge Canals

Because of the many canals in Brugge it has sometimes been called The Venice of the North. Today these canals are not used commercially but are used for boat tours which allow you see many of the sights of Brugge and give you a different perspective of the town. During a half-hour boat trip on the canals of Brugge you are treated to some fantastic views over monuments and historical buildings and you can experience aspects of Brugge you would never be able to have when walking. Visiting Brugge from one of the boats on the canals means experiencing Brugge from a totally different angle, it is a relaxed way of taking in breathtaking impressions of Brugge.

Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse

These four modern sculptures of The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse can be found in a small park just close to the Gruuthuse Museum and the Bonifatius Bridge in Brugge, Belgium.

The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse are described in the last book of the New Testament of the Bible, called the Book of Revelation of Saint John the Evangelist at 6:1-8. The chapter tells of a scroll in God's right hand that is sealed with seven seals. Jesus Christ opens the first four of the seven seals, which summons forth the four beasts that ride on white, red, black, and pale horses which each symbolize Conquest, War, Famine, and Death, respectively. 

The Christian apocalyptic vision is that the four horsemen are to set a divine apocalypse upon the world as harbingers of the Last Judgment.

Adventures of Tintin

The Adventures of Tintin (Les Aventures de Tintin) is a series of comic strips created by the Belgian artist Georges Rémi (1907–1983), who wrote under the pen name of Hergé. The series first appeared in French in Le Petit Vingtième, a children's supplement to the Belgian newspaper Le XXe Siècle on 10 January 1929. The success of the series saw the serialised strips collected into a series of twenty-four albums, spun into a successful magazine and adapted for film, radio, television and theatre. The series is one of the most popular European comics of the 20th century, with translations published in more than 50 languages and more than 200 million copies of the books sold to date. Its popularity around the world has been attributed to its "universal appeal" and its ability to transcend "time, language and culture."

Set during a largely realistic 20th century, the hero of the series is Tintin, a young Belgian reporter. He is aided in his adventures from the beginning by his faithful fox terrier dog Snowy (Milou in French). Later, popular additions to the cast included the brash, cynical and grumpy Captain Haddock, the highly intelligent but hearing-impaired Professor Calculus (Professeur Tournesol) and other supporting characters such as the incompetent detectives Thomson and Thompson (Dupont et Dupond). Hergé himself features in several of the comics as a background character, as do his assistants in some instances.

The comic strip series has long been admired for its clean, expressive drawings in Hergé's signature ligne claire style. Its "engaging", well-researched plots straddle a variety of genres: swashbuckling adventures with elements of fantasy, mysteries, political thrillers, and science fiction. The stories within the Tintin series always feature slapstick humour, accompanied in later albums by satire, and political and cultural commentary.

I stumbled upon this exhibition in the Belgian Centre for Comic Strip Art in Brussels while trying to find my way back to my hotel.

The Belgian Centre for Comic Strip Art (Dutch: Belgisch Centrum voor het Beeldverhaal, French Centre belge de la Bande dessinée) chronicles the history of Belgian comics. Housed in a former department store in Brussels' business district, it exhibits examples of comic strips in French, Dutch and English.

The full range of comic art is covered, including science fiction, wild west, crime and politics, as well as children's comics such as The Smurfs.

It has several exhibits on Belgium's most famous comic characters Tintin and Snowy and their creator Hergé. The style of the Tintin comics and their history is examined, including life-size models of characters and sets from Tintin's adventures. There is a shop, research library and restaurant on the ground floor of the historic building, which was designed by the Belgian art nouveau architect Victor Horta.

La Cure Gourmande

La Cure Gourmande is candy store where they sell a wide variety of home made sweets. First opened in 1989 their initial idea was to reintroduce the good old ancient traditional products that were popular a hundred or so years ago. They have since branched out around 25 stores around France and Belgium and now most recently opened a new outlet in Barcelona. This store was in the centre of Brugge, Belgium.

Medieval Style Living in Brugge

This is a wonderful example of a medieval style house on the banks of the canals in Brugge. The easiest way to move around and acquaint yourself with the layout and architecture of the town is to take one of the boat tours along the canals. 

Brugge is the capital and largest city of the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is located in the northwest of the country.

The historic city centre is a prominent World Heritage Site of UNESCO. It is egg-shaped and about 430 hectares in size. The area of the whole city amounts to more than 13,840 hectares, including 1,075 hectares off the coast, at Zeebrugge (meaning "Brugge aan Zee" or "Bruges on Sea"). The city's total population is 117,073 (1 January 2008), of which around 20,000 live in the historic centre. The metropolitan area, including the outer commuter zone, covers an area of 616 km² and has a total of 255,844 inhabitants as of 1 January 2008.

Along with a few other canal-based northern cities, such as Amsterdam, it is sometimes referred to as "The Venice of the North".

The Old Kirk Graveyard

The oldest church in Kirkcaldy, Scotland is the Old Parish Church (otherwise known as the Old Kirk) on Kirk Wynd. The earliest record of the Old Kirk was the consecration in 1244 to St Brisse and St Patrick by Bishop de Bernham of St Andrews. The present Old Kirk was re-built between 1807 and 1808 in a Georgian style, when the former church fell into disrepair. Only the square western tower of the former church was retained. This medieval tower, which dates from around 1500, has played both religious and defensive roles in its history.
The building in the background is the Allen Lithographic printing company

Ballindalloch Castle

I'm off to Scotland tomorrow for a visit to my homeland ... my own "Balik Kampung" so here is an image to get in to the spirit of the trip. 

Ballindalloch is one of the most beautiful and renowned castles in Scotland. Known as the Pearl of the North, it is located in the heart of Speyside, near to the famed local whisky distilleries of Cragganmore, Glenlivet, Glenfarclas and Glenfiddich. Surrounded by majestic hills, and with the tumbling waters of the Rivers Spey and Avon flowing through the grounds, the setting is truly magnificent.

A much loved family home, Ballindalloch is one of the few privately owned castles to have been lived in continuously by its original family. The Macpherson-Grants have resided here since 1546.

Notre Dame

Notre Dame de Paris (French for Our Lady of Paris), also known as Notre Dame Cathedral, is a Gothic, Catholic cathedral on the eastern half of the Île de la Cité in the fourth arrondissement of Paris, France. It is the cathedral of the Catholic Archdiocese of Paris: that is, it is the church that contains the cathedra (official chair), of the Archbishop of Paris, currently André Vingt-Trois. Notre Dame de Paris is widely considered one of the finest examples of French Gothic architecture in France and in Europe. It was restored and saved from destruction by Eugène Viollet-le-Duc, one of France's most famous architects. The name Notre Dame means "Our Lady" in French, and is frequently used in the names of Catholic church buildings in Francophone countries. Notre Dame de Paris was one of the first Gothic cathedrals, and its construction spanned the Gothic period. Its sculptures and stained glass show the heavy influence of naturalism, unlike that of earlierRomanesque architecture.

Notre Dame de Paris was among the first buildings in the world to use the flying buttress (arched exterior supports). The building was not originally designed to include the flying buttresses around the choir and nave. After the construction began and the thinner walls (popularized in the Gothic style) grew ever higher, stress fractures began to occur as the walls pushed outward. In response, the cathedral's architects built supports around the outside walls, and later additions continued the pattern.

The cathedral suffered desecration during the radical phase of the French Revolution in the 1790s, when much of its religious imagery was damaged or destroyed. During the 19th century, an extensive restoration project was completed, returning the cathedral to its previous state.

Blue Saree at the Red Fort

This was definitely was one of those Steve McCurry moments ..... lining up some shots inside the Red Fort in New Delhi, India when out of nowhere came this women in a blue saree breezing through the fort right in my path. No idea who she was and where she was going but the contrast of the saturated blue costume against the dark hues of the inside fort walls added a little more interest, scale and impact to this shot.

Hotel Colon

While wandering the streets of Barcelona in Spain I came across this hotel with a unique name ... just wondered who chooses to stay in a hotel called Hotel Colon, maybe those with special dietary requirements, or maybe they just like shitty service, I just don't know.

The Old Louvre

The Old Louvre occupies the site of the 12th-century fortress of King Philip Augustus, also called the Louvre. Its foundations are viewable in the basement level as the "Medieval Louvre" department. This structure was razed in 1546 by King Francis I in favor of a larger royal residence which was added to by almost every subsequent French monarch. King Louis XIV, who resided at the Louvre until his departure for Versailles in 1678, completed the Cour Carrée, which was closed off on the city side by a colonnade. The Old Louvre is a quadrilateral approximately 160 meters on a side consisting of 8 ailes (wings) which are articulated by 8 pavillons (pavilions). Starting at the northwest corner and moving clockwise, the pavillons consist of the following: Pavillon de Beauvais, Pavillion de Marengo, Northeast Pavilion, Central Pavilion, Southeast Pavilion, Pavillon des Arts, Pavillon du Roi, and Pavillon Sully (formerly, Pavillon de l'Horloge). Between the Pavillon du Roi and the Pavillon Sully is the Aile Lescot ("Lescot Wing"): built between 1546 and 1551, it is the oldest part of the visible external elevations and was important in setting the mold for later French architectural classicism. Between the Pavillon Sully and the Pavillon de Beauvais is the Aile Lemercier ("Lemercier Wing"): built in 1639 by Louis XIII and Richelieu, it is a symmetrical extension of Lescot's wing in the same Renaissance style. With it, the last external vestiges of the medieval Louvre were demolished.

Postcards from Paris

A colourful set of nostalgic postcards on a stand outside a shop in the Place du Tertre in Paris adding to the atmosphere of the surroundings. This place in Paris is where you can find many artists showing off their paintings and sketches and is always a great location for people watching ... but don't forget the smaller details like this.

Rome Wasn't Built In a Day

The inside of this church in Rome shows you why Rome wasn't built in a day ..... just look at the detail and design in this church. We just don't build things like that these days. This photo was taken back in 2003 with my first digital Canon D30, a 3.1Mp sensor. I must return to Rome sometime with my 5D MkII to capture all the detail in this architecture with the higher resolution sensor.

Tehran Panorama

This was a panorama created from 8 individual images looking north over the mountains that surround Tehran in Iran.

Stairway to Heaven

This stairway inside the Opera House in Paris leads the eye up to the beautiful, intricate ceilings, arches and balconies. If you get a chance to visit Paris this is a must see place.

Alternative to HDR?

There are usually two fairly strong factions when it comes to HDR .... that is those who love it and those who hate it. I have sat on both sides of the fence having dabbled with HDR for some time then looked at the results and have been sometimes unhappy about some of the final images. However if done correctly and in moderation HDR can produce some pretty spectacular images but usually needs a set of bracketed images to cover the dynamic range of the particular scene and shot preferably using a tripod
The following image is an HDR image I composed in Chiang Rai, Thailand as the sun was setting over the Mae Kok River. I took 3 shots at -2, 0, and +2 EV and combined the 3 images in PhotoMatixPro application.

The 3 bracketed shots that the final HDR image was created from are below for reference.

0 EV

-2 EV

+2 EV

Recently I have using Topaz Fusion Express as a plugin for Aperture and have found that the results can produce images that are as good if not better than HDR images and only using one exposure rather than a number of bracketed shots.

Taking the same image as above, i.e. the 0 EV exposure image and running it through Topaz Fusion Express I got the above result which is equivalent or in my view even better than the HDR image produced from the 3 bracketed images.

Dinner in Tehran

This is one of the oldest and most traditional restaurants in Tehran and was packed with customers there to eat dinner, socialise and listen to the local musicians. I guess I arrived in Iran with some pre-conceived ideas about the country and the people but left with a completely different perception. I found the people very friendly, warm and with a great sense of humour and fun. They certainly enjoy an evening out and this venue certainly demonstrated that.

The Golden Hall

This fabulous golden hall is in the Opera House in Paris. The Paris Opera (French: Opéra de Paris) is the primary opera company of Paris, France. Currently the official name is the Opéra national de Paris. It was founded in 1669 by Louis XIV as the Académie d'Opéra and shortly thereafter became the Académie royale de Musique. The company primarily produces operas at its modern theatre Opéra Bastille which opened in 1989, and ballets at the older Palais Garnier which opened in 1875.

Storm in a Beer Bottle

In this case not a storm in a teacup ..... but a storm in a beer bottle! A local beer made in Bali which as you can tell from the empty contents was put to good use after a hard day out on the Bali tourist trail.