Traveling Disers are lost and adrift somewhere?

[goofy4tink]

Man you guys travel fast. I miss a few days to fly home to yet another family funeral this summer and you take off for Denmark. Yumpin yiminy is right!!! I'll try to keep up but what with packing and such for 'you know where' next week, I don't know how well I'll do. So, if I can't get back to the ship for a bit, try to behave yourselves. Mind your manners and I'll check back with Capt. Ed when I need to come aboard again. Play nicely kids.

 

[castlegazer]

Ed, I picked you up a little somethin' for on top of your computer:

 

[castlegazer]

Oh Diane - HEY! Nice to see you! Sorry about yet another funeral. We just had yet another one too with an aunt of mine that I don't know for anything - my Mom had 14 siblings and they are all getting to be a wee bit on the older side, I think there are only eight left.

Have a great time if you don't stop in prior to your trip "back home"!

We're just up to the usual - drinking, carousing, you know, fun stuff.

 

[edcrbnsoul]

Visiting medieval cities, quaint towns, gothic cathedrals and town halls, castles and carillons will keep you busy during the day. At night go to a pub, there are more than 350 delicious beers to chose from. The reputation of our gourmet food makes the French jealous and it is almost impossible to find chocolates as good as ours !

Belgium, a kingdom no bigger than Maryland, is Europe in a nutshell, multicultural and multilingual. Flanders in the north, a flatland criss-crossed by canals, is proud of its great art cities, Antwerp, Bruges and Ghent. To the south in Wallonia, you will find the rolling hills of the Ardennes, numerous castles, and the cities of Liege, Namur, and Tournai. Its capital city of Brussels is one of the world's great cosmopolitan cities, home to both the European Union and NATO, as well as a wealth of international trade and finance companies.

Belgium's history has always been linked to both commercial and cultural exchange, and much of its character is due to its role as the great meeting place of Western Europe. Traces of the Austrians, Spanish, French and Dutch can still be seen in its architecture and in the lifestyle of its people. You will see superb examples of art and architecture past and present - Romanesque, Gothic, Baroque, Nouveau. Cities teem with museums, historical buildings, theatre, music and festivals.

Much has been said about Belgium's hospitality and it's all true. Because of the country's location as an international center of commerce and culture, Belgians are at ease with travelers from all over the world. They are proud of their homeland, and anxious to help get to know it better. You'll find them always personable, cooperative and courteous. The Flemish speak Dutch and the Walloons speak French. In Brussels, the capital, both languages are spoken. But to make it easy, everybody speaks English, albeit with an accent.

Folklore is an important part of life in Belgium. Carnivals, festivals, pageants, plays and religious processions are held all year long. Almost any occasion is cause for a parade and almost every parade includes a giant or two.

Somehow, Belgium has maintained a low-key approach to all of this international sophistication. It is a country for connoisseurs, but connoisseurs who do not take themselves too seriously. Because the Belgians certainly do not.

 

[castlegazer]

OOoooooo! I am at least versed in Belgium. I KNOW exactly what we are having for breakfast!

Belgian Waffles - and these are not your Aunt Jemima's! They are sold in carts along the streets and are piping hot, and SWEET! They are to die for. There is nothing to compare it to here in the States. I have come clse with a waffle mix sold at Williams Sonoma, but even that is just not IT.

 

[castlegazer]

Oh, and while in Brussels, we have to track down the Mannekin Pis. It took me a long walk and many wrong turns to find this with my 16 year old nephew who I took to Europe with me when I was 26 or so. It was an interesting trip. But funny detours like this kept him amused.

The Belgians dress him up for deifferent occassions - he's a big deal to them. By the end of today you may develop the same impression as I got about Bellgians.

Originally called "le petit Julien" (French for "the young boy Julien"), this fountain is now commonly known as Manneken-Pis and is a very famous landmark in Brussels. It is located on the Rue de l'Etuve (on the corner of Rue du Chêne), close to the Grand' Place.

It is not known exactly why the statue was created, but there are many different legends. One is that the 5-year old son of a Belgian nobleman got lost in Brussels. His father desperately searched for him, but he couldn't be found anywhere. Eventually, two days after he went missing, he was found - at that time he was urinating. His father was very happy to get his boy back, so he paid for a fountain to be made showing the boy as he looked when he was found. Another story is that hundreds of years ago some enemy soldiers surrounded Brussels, placed barrels of gunpowder under the town walls, and lit the fuse. A local boy saw this and put out the burning fuse by urinating on it, saving the city.

Over its 300 years of existence, it has become a popular tradition for clothes to be made for the statue. You can see many of these costumes in the Salle du Mannequin-Pis at the City Museum (Musée de la Ville de Bruxelles, Maison du Roi, Grand' Place).

 

[deadheadbelle]

Those waffles look awesome! I am starvin' marvin. Oh yeah, the buildings look pretty cool too...LOL!

 

[castlegazer]

The heart of Brussels and the place to start getting to know the city is the Grand'Place (Grote Markt). This historic market square with its splendid guild houses and the impressive Gothic beauty of the Town Hall, is widely considered to be one of the most beautiful town squares in Europe.

The fame and beauty of the Market Place do not lie only in the Town Hall and the King's House, but perhaps first of all in the presence of a remarkably beautiful set of elaborately decorated guild houses. The name "guild houses" is most commonly used for the entire set of houses, although in reality they did not all belong to the medieval guilds. Some of the houses were always privately owned.
During the Middle Ages and later every city in the Low Countries had guilds or corporations which always had a stake in the city administration. Because they were very wealthy and politically powerful , their importance had to show in their houses in which they regularly met to discuss new rules or regulations within their specific trade or commerce.

In Brussels the guilds built their houses, of course, around the main town square. After the French bombardment of August 1695, the city ordered the guilds to submit the restoration plans of the houses before a final approval could be given for the construction. Because of this wise decision the unity of style could be preserved and former irregularities could be done away with.
In the Middle Ages no house numbers were given , but names. There were so few stone houses that most people could locate a house just by its name. On the Grand-Place the names of the houses are often indicated by a little statue or some part of the decoration. Here follows a list of the houses with their names and eventual specific historic details. The list starts at the group of houses on the left side of the Town Hall and continues clockwise:


The MOUNTAIN OF THABOR - The ROSE -The GOLDEN TREE - The SWAN (Now a renowned restaurant "La maison du Cygne (house of the swan). Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels stayed here in 1847 during meetings of the Deutsche Arbeiterverein (the German labourers union) - The STAR (In the Middle Ages this house was occupied by the Amman, the Duke's representative in the city. Under the arcade is a statue of Everard 't Serclaes, a medieval Brussels hero. Legend has it that striking the arm of the statue brings luck.

(The TOWN HALL)- The FOX (House of the traders guild with the statue of St. Nicolas on top) - The HORN (House of the sailors. The upper floor looks like the rear end of a ship) - The SHE-WOLF - The SACK - The WHEELBARROW
These last three houses were not completely destroyed in 1695. Because of the partially preserved facades, they rank among the most beautiful houses on the Grand-Place.

The KING OF SPAIN (House of the guild of the bakers ) - The MULE - SAINT BARBARA - The SAMARITAN
- The OAK - The PEACOCK - The HELMET - (The KING's HOUSE) - - The MERCHAND OF GOLD - The PIGEON - The GOLDEN SLOOP - The ANGEL - JOSEPH and ANNA - The DEER

The HOUSE OF THE DUKES OF BRABANT
(This is actually a group of 7 houses, each with a different name. The ensemble is called "The Dukes of Brabant" because on the first floor, under the windows, the statues of the dukes can be seen. No duke or king actually lived here. The names of the houses are: The FAME - The HERMIT - The FORTUNE - The WINDMILL - The TIN POT - The HILL - The BEURS ) (See picture on top of page)

 

[castlegazer]

And for why I really travelled to Belgium:

Brussels, City of Beer:
Belgium is the country with the best beer in the world (we try to be objective). Therefore, your stay in Brussels cannot be complete without a visit to one of the many typical and beautiful cafes and pubs that you will find here. Try the local beers of Brussels Gueuze or fruit beer (cherry beer, raspberry beer, peach beer ) or a wonderful Trappist beer, made in one of the Abbeys of Belgium. Be Careful when drinking a Trappist beer. These beers tend to be very strong (between 8 and 11.5 percent of alcohol !!).

For more information about Belgian beers we suggest you read :"The great beers of Belgium, a complete guide and celebration of a unique culture", by Michael Jackson (No, not the MJ !). Here follows a (non-exhaustive) list of some of the most renowned beer pubs and cafes in Brussels.

cafe sitting on the Grand Place - sipping beers here is very cool!

 

[edcrbnsoul]

Lets hope this girl isnt near pis boy what a visual that would be

 

[edcrbnsoul]

Wow whats with the people of Belguim they never see a thong before

 

[castlegazer]

No, they're just amazed an American can dress like them!

Hey Ed! You would love to be here today! My company is being treated to Jimmy Buffett music all day here in our parking lots with free samples of Island Lime shrimp from Margaritaville. Its great! It makes you have a hard time going back into the office.

 

[castlegazer]

Ladies, we'd be extremely remiss if we didn't stop and buy some chocolate.

 

[castlegazer]

I've gotta tell anyone who cares on a Friday afternoon that I am short of time today (got to actually do some work today), so I have to tell you that a trip to Belgium is not complete without a stop in Brugge - one of my favorite cities of all time. So.... I have booked us a room at the hotel I stayed at when I was in Brussels, and over the weekend you all can get to know the complete and utter Quirkiness of Benelux people. Then on Monday, if Ed says it OK, we can travel to Brugge - which makes Brussels look like a distant memory.

(the only way I could afford this hotel was that I was doing corporate real estate for Hilton hotels at the time and they put me up at their hotels for next to nothing around the world)
The Conrad hotel is undoubtably the best hotel in Brussels.
The Conrad® Brussels is located on the famed and highly fashionable Avenue Louise, with the main tourist attractions, the airport, the station and the most elegant shops in the city all easily accessible.

The largest, most sophisticated bedrooms in Brussels, an unrivalled guest service commitment, and the outstanding culinary delights offered in Cafe Wiltcher's, all come together at the Conrad Brussels.

So from here you can check out the European Union buildings, the shopping plazas, the unique and varied in flavor restaurants (I prefer France in the food business), and of course the even wierder and more evidence of Benelux wackiness, the Atomium. So over the weekend we can go to an IMAX movie at Kinepolis, soo the mini-europe exhibit and hike to the top of the Atomium (all very wierd stuff that will fill our time)

Nowadays the Heysel park is still visited by many. Next to the football stadium is KINEPOLIS, a major movie complex with 28 cinema rooms and a giant IMAX screen. Another main attraction is the beautiful MINI-EUROPE park, which contains miniature models (scale 1:25) of major monuments from the member states of the European Union.

THE ATOMIUM

This monument from 1958 has become the Eiffel Tower of Brussels. The Atomium is the visual representation of the concept of an "atom". It symbolizes an elementary iron crystal with its 9 atoms and magnified 150 billion times. It honored the metal and iron industry and the belief in the atomic power. The architect was André WATERKEYN. It took 18 months to conceive and another 18 months to construct. The monument is coated with aluminum, weighs 2.400 tons and<<Selectie in document>> is 102 meters high. Each sphere has a diameter of 18 meters. An elevator takes visitors to the upper sphere where one can enjoy a panoramic view of the Heysel area and (if the weather is good) the city of Brussels. There is also a good buffet-restaurant (Chez Adrienne) in the upper sphere.[/i]

I thought this review was completely appropriate for Mini-Europe:
As Mark Morris writes in the latest issue of Frieze, the park of meticulous scale models of landmarks--selected by art historians to celebrate "[European] Union in diversity"--seems to bore kids, tire adults, and frighten away hipsters: "The place is really best suited to architects, designers and literati, just the sort of people who wouldn't be caught dead in a mini-anything (save, perhaps, for a car)."

It's apparently unintended saving grace: in the background of any photo you try to take at Mini-Europe is the massive molecule-next-door, André Waterkeyn's 1958 Atomium

 

[deadheadbelle]

Wow castlegazer! Thanks for getting us into that hotel. Looks like the perfect place to get rested up for next week. Have a great weekend everyone!!

 

[edcrbnsoul]

OK by me, oh Queen of Belgium

 

[edcrbnsoul]

Good Morning and welcome todays tour director is Castlegazer aka (deleted) to The Jerry attendees.

 

[castlegazer]

Thank you Ed - Cruise director Julie says, here we go (you almost blew my cover there )

Today we will explore one of the most romantic and beautiful cities in Europe, Bruges (Brugge) Belgium. (bear with me as I am buried in work this week so I will check in with more sites as I get time today).

This is what the Belgians call a "brief history" of Brugge:

The history of Bruges begins around 2000 years ago. At that time there was a Gallic-Roman settlement on the site of the city. The inhabitants did not live by agriculture alone, they also traded with England and the rest of Gaul. Around 270 the Germanic people attacked the Flemish coastal plain for the first time. The Romans probably still had a military fortification here at the end of the third century and during the fourth century. So it is very possible that Bruges was inhabited in the transition period to the early Middle Ages. When Saint Eligius came to spread Christianity in our area around 650, Bruges was perhaps the most important fortification in the Flemish coastal area.

Around a hundred years later trade started with Scandinavia in Bruges. The name Bruges in fact comes from the Old Norse "Bryggja" which means landing stage. The name Bruges has appeared on documents and coins since the middle of the ninth century. At that time there was already a strong citadel in Bruges (the Burg). And the city was not plundered by the Norsemen. The overseas trade between Bruges and Scandinavia, the Norsemen's home, probably continued.

So Bruges has a long tradition of international port activity. The oldest trade settlement of Bruges and the early middle age port was accessible from the sea until around 1050. The second area of occupation outside the Burg was close to the present day Steenstraat and the Oude Burg. It was here that the city grew fastest until around 1100. The two oldest parish churches in Bruges, the Church of Our Lady St.-Saviour's, were then at the edge of this district. They date from the ninth century.

In the eleventh century Bruges had expanded to become a commercial centre for Europe. But during this period the natural link between Bruges and the sea silted up. A storm flood in 1134 changed the appearance of the Flemish coastal plain however. A deep channel appeared, the Zwin, which at the time reached as far as present day Damme. The city remained linked to the sea until the fifteenth century via a canal from the Zwin to Bruges. But Bruges had to use a number of outports, such as Damme and Sluis for this purpose.

So in the Middle Ages it was possible for Bruges to become the most important trade centre of north-west Europe. Flanders was then one of the most urbanised areas in Europe. Flemish cloth, a high quality woollen material, was exported to the whole of Europe from Bruges. From the thirteenth to the fifteenth centuries Bruges had between 40,000 and 45,000 inhabitants, double the number now in the historic inner city. In the fourteenth century Bruges had expanded to become a rich international port city. Merchants from northern and southern Europe came together here. For their business they used Bruges brokers and landlords. In the city itself there was not only Flemish cloth manufacture but all kinds of other (craft) trades had developed. It is significant that in Bruges at that time there were already real bankers in operation, both natives of Bruges and Italians. Merchants could open a current account here, transfer large sums, change money and even pay with notes.

But we should not forget that hard times also occurred regularly in Bruges. The differences in income between the ordinary people (the tradesmen) and the merchant entrepreneurs (the patricians) were huge, regardless of those in the middle. Violent revolts, like those of 1280 and 1436-1438 were roughly suppressed. In the 1302 uprising the ordinary people took the side of the Flemish count against the king of France and the propertied classes. This struggle, in which Bruges played a prominent role, resulted in a victory for the tradespeople and the Flemish count in the Battle of the Golden Spurs on 11 July 1302. This historic date is now the feast day of the Flemish community in Belgium.

The fourteenth century, a period of crises for Bruges and Flanders with revolts, epidemics, political unrest and war, ended with the dynastic merger of Flanders and Burgundy. The Burgundian period in Bruges started in 1384. Bruges would remain the most important trade centre to the north of the Alps for another century. Cloth production was partly replaced by luxury goods, banking services, crafts. The Burgundian court provided a great deal of local purchasing power. This was promoted further by the foreign merchants with their international contacts from Portugal to Poland. Prosperity increased, travellers came and were deeply impressed by the sumptuousness and luxury of the city scene. Art and culture flourished as never before. But all this came to an end with the sudden death of Mari of Burgundy in 1482. The revolt against her widower Maximilian of Austria meant that Bruges suffered political uncertainty and military force for ten years. Local prosperity disappeared from the city along with the Burgundian court and the international traders.

In the sixteenth century Bruges recovered to an extent. But the city had clearly lost its leading position to Antwerp. However Bruges remained important as a regional centre with a lot of international commercial contacts and a flourishing art sector. The split from the Netherlands, final from 1584, led to the final decline of Bruges.

Around 1600 Bruges was a provincial city with a modest maritime reputation. The Bruges merchant spirit had still not disappeared in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Commercial life had international roots. Bruges shipowners and merchants still traded with the Spanish empire, England and the East and West Indies.

Bruges experienced the revolution period from 1789 to 1830 in a passive way. The first industrial revolution hardly disturbed the city. Around 1850 Bruges was the poorest city in the country. The middle classes spoke French, the illiterate people only knew their local dialect. French was decreed to be the official language for public life in 1885. But Guido Gezelle (1830-1899), the most important Dutch speaking poet of the nineteenth century, was a native of Bruges. In European literature Bruges was made famous by the French language novel "Bruges la Morte" by Georges Rodenbach (1892). The book describes Bruges as a sleeping, dead, but mysterious city.

When "Bruges la Morte" appeared, Bruges had just begun some ambitious new projects. The new sea-port, inaugurated in 1907 in Zeebrugge, did not achieve full prosperity until the last quarter of the twentieth century. Since the end of the nineteenth century Bruges was also known throughout Europe as a city of art and a tourist centre. The Bruges monuments, museums and particularly the unspoilt historic cityscape attract millions of visitors every year. The port of Zeebrugge and the cultural/historic patrimony of Bruges give the city a European and international dimension.


Our first stop will be at City Hall. City Hall, Burg 12 : one of the oldest gothic city halls (1376-1420) of the Low Countries. On the first floor is the prestigious Gothic Hall, with an impressive wooden and polychromed vault ceiling and historic wall-paintings. In the Historic Room a collection of items, documents and paintings relating to Bruges' history are on display.

 

[edcrbnsoul]

Good job CG and tell those people at work you have important stuff to do

 

[deadheadbelle]

Never been to Belgium, What do we eat here?