brussels

February 9, 2016UncategorizedArchitecture, artandculture, belgium, blogger, brussels, cathedral, eu, europe, instapassport, instatravel, Love, perfect, perfection, Travel, traveladdict, travelblogger, travelinsights, traveller, traveltheworld, work, workethic

The cathedral is huge. As I walk towards it, it seems to peep at me between concrete and glass in the elegant Brussels.
Suddenly I am upon it. It is a massive structure. Built in the 11th and 12th centuries. And later on embellished and rebuilt through the 15-16 centuries.
It stands tall, majestic and against the autumn air, with a bit of a brusque pride.
I walk on, climbing many stairs and two giant doors appear. I look on closely at the door and click a picture.
The picture that you see. A part of the doors of the cathedral. Just one part, zoomed in.

It is both ornate and simple. Intricate and elegant. I stare at it for a while. The massiveness of the structure is subsumed by the elegance of the door.

I learnt the lesson long ago. Large structures by themselves aren’t glorious structures. It is when you add many perfect structures that can be independently glorious, do you get a large glorious structure.
Perfection is not about size. Art, design and glory takes many year of work. Hard work. .

#travel #traveller #instatravel #instapassport #blogger #travelblogger # blogging #travelinsights #traveladdict #traveltheworld #brussels #cathedral #Europe #EU #artandculture #architecture #perfect #perfection #Belgium #love #work #workethic (at The Cathedral Of St. Michel And St. Gudula)

January 25, 2016Uncategorizedarchives, belgium, birds, brussels, dreams, eu, europe, memory, Nature, openspaces, oxygen, parks, pigeons, Travel, travelblogger, travelblogging, wanderlust

There is character to much of Europe and its people. The open spaces define it.

It invites you to come in, stretch the muscle and the mind. Indulge in conversation. Catch up with a book. Sit back cuddling a coffee. Or watch people do all of the above and more.

Suddenly from nowhere, you realise the space has given a flight to your dreams. The asynchronous flutter of wings of pigeons announce lift off.
Suddenly much around you seems different.

#parks #OpenSpaces #Europe #pigeons #birds #dreams #Belgium #Brussels #travel #travelblogger #travelblogging #archives #memory #nature #oxygen #EU #wanderlust (at Brussels, Belgium)

November 29, 2015Uncategorizedarchives, blogger, brussels, europe, History, memory, passion, People, statue, Travel, travelblogger, traveler, Writer

Charles Karel Buls became Mayor of Brussels in 1881 and remained in office until 1899. His statue reminds the casual passerby of his stature, in his intense look and remarkable countenance. He sits close to the Grand Place with a book in hand.
He was a world traveler and writer too. But amongst these tufts of information lie hidden his efforts to bring reform to Brussels.

Several of these changes have changed the contours of the city. Much more than they are recognised now. Such is the nature of passionate work. Results that live on, long after the effort is done.
#traveler #travel #Blogger #travelblogger #Brussels #people #Passion #writer #statue #history #Europe #Memory #archives (at La Grande Place Bruxelles)

October 24, 2015Uncategorizedbrussels, entertainment, eu, europe, europetravel, ferriswheel, nightlife, Travel, traveldiaries

The Ferris Wheel. The wheel that made its debut in 1893 brought alive by a gentleman names George Ferris never fails to get me to stop, stand and stare. And by the way, I don’t enjoy the ride in but. So standing and staring comes as an easy substitute too!
There is something about it beyond words. Something about the symmetry of movement of a string of disjointed yet connected pieces.

And when it is lit up like how it was in #Brussels, it causes you to just sit there and watch the dizzy array of lights do their dance. Just as the night buzzed in full life.
#Brussels #FerrisWheel #entertainment #Europe #EU #Travel #Traveldiaries #Nightlife #Europetravel

October 22, 2015UncategorizedArchitecture, brussels, eu, europe, History, Nature, sunrise, Travel, traveldiaries

Brussels at dawn. History and architecture wake up and say hello to the Sun.
The colours that populate the lens makes the eye squint. Three quarters in delight. And the balance at how little the lens can capture.

So I click a picture and switch off the equipment. Switching on the eyes and becoming present to the splendour of the morning.

#Brussels #sunrise #EU #Europe #travel #traveldiaries #nature #history #architecture #sunrise #

October 21, 2015Uncategorizedbeer, belgium, brussels, Cafe, character, city, coffee, eu, europe, History, Travel, traveldiaries

What gives character to a city beyond its buildings is what happens on its pavements.
It is always a sight to SEE conversation. HEAR exchanges of glances and smell Coffee. OK, beer in this case.

Imagine a character rich pavement complemented by a colourful history as a backdrop.
Just jaw dropping awesome.
A cafe with the St.Michael and St.Gudula cathedral as a backdrop in the heart of #Brussels .

Whatay setting.
#Travel #Traveldiaries #Belgium #Brussels #europe #city #character #history #cafe #coffee #beer #EU

October 20, 2015Uncategorizedamsterdam, amsterdamcity, bikes, biking, brussels, Children, culture, cycle, cycling, daughterdiaries, eu, health, mothers, Travel, traveldiaries

There are many parts of a culture that you become instantly present to when you notice how apart from your own they are.. One such is the culture of cycling that is so present in Amsterdam and other parts of the Europe. It’s obvious that a combination of different things that has come together to make it possible : a tradition. A mindset. Investments. Laws. Infrastructure. Etc et!

I haven’t been more taken as when I get to see babies clinging on to their seats, securely strapped and safely saddled. With love, care and a bit of a frenzy that their mom’s legs kick up as they pedal away.

Completely oblivious to this stranger standing in awe.

#Cycling #bikes #biking #daughterdiaries #culture #Brussels #amsterdamcity #Amsterdam #EU #Mothers #Children #cycle #Health #Travel #traveldiaries

October 20, 2015UncategorizedArchitecture, Art, belgium, brussels, culture, eu, europe, grandplace, History, market, square, Travel, traveldiaries, War

It’s called the ‘Grand Place’, sitting pretty at the heart of Brussels. There is abundance of history to it, and its seen its share of bombs, bruising and resurrection!
Tonight, it glitters with ease as tourists click their selfies and wield powerful lenses to capture it’s majestic arc. This has been a place of trade. Now it is of the ‘touristy’ trade!
Of course, it has some awesome credentials to it. Like it being a UNESCO Heritage site and being voted as the ‘best square in Europe’ in 2010 beating Red Square of Moscow and Place Stanislaus, Nancy, France.
There us something to it. It exudes an air of quite charm. An air that seems to be happy with the way it is and let’s you be the way you are. That is a precious beauty in our time

#GrandPlace #Brussels #Travel #traveldiaries #Europe #Belgium #EU #History #art #architecture #culture #war #square #market

October 19, 2015UncategorizedArt, brussels, eu, europe, music, street, streetmusic