Hi,
had my day trip to Brussles yesterday, and thanks to everybody who
made suggestions about things to do.
I went straight from the railway station to the Botanique for the
Salgado exhibition, where I spent 2 hours looking at the photos. I
think I've worn out my eyeballs.
>From there I walked to the Grande Place along rue Royale then down,
taking a few humble snaps along the way. I'm an old cynic who's been
around a bit, and I thought I was impossible to impress. So although
I've seen photos of the Grande Place I had no expectations of it. But
my first sight of it was breath-taking. I can't imagine how much more
exciting it must be to Americans, Aussies and so on who aren't
surrounded by and steeped in old European culture all the time - I
rather envy how freshly you must see many things when you come over
here.
I then spent some time in the exhibition by James L. Stanfield of
National Geographic at the Town Hall. Another excellent selection, and
the colour reproduction of the prints was very good, revealing so much
more than you can get from the book.
Following advice from the list I had a look at the famous Falstaff
restaurant, and finding the prices reasonable I had lunch there, very
late. Compared to London it was well priced, but the food was nothing
special. Certainly the setting is quite spectacular, but later in the
day, in my hunt for some gueuze beer, I went to the irresistibly-named
(for me) Greenwich Tavern. This place is fantastic. It is untouched,
pure Art Nouveau, with a great atmosphere. People play chess,
backgammon and cards, and although there were one or 2 other tourists
in there it had the relaxed feel of a place mostly enjoyed by locals.
According to my pocket guide book it was popular with Rene Magritte
and other surrealists. If you're familiar with the photos by Peter
Turnley of his local bar in Paris you will understand something of how
the Greenwich Tavern feels.
http://digitaljournalist.org/issue0009/frame_cover.html
I shot a few frames with my Leica M3 and 50/2 lens on Tri-X (what could
be more appropriate!), but really it is the kind of place where you would
need to get to know the regulars to be able to get the best photos. According
to some of the faded cuttings on their notice board it is a popular location
for shooting feature films. The toilets are also completely original - well
worth a visit, but they are men only, and appear never to have been cleaned!
The smell reminded me of Ethiopia :o)
A walk in the Parc de Bruxelles resulted in a few more snaps that may
be quite interesting. Then just before I had to get the train home I
decided I needed - purely in the interests of science - to research
some more beers. Many of the bars which have gaudy, ugly,
plastic-seated terraces hide exquisitely beautiful, original Art Nouveau
interiors, which is certainly a convenient excuse to go into as many bars as
possible!
The people of Brussels were very kind and patient, and for a city that
seems to have as many tourists as London I was very impressed by the
friendliness and forebearance of the waiters and other people. In the
Falstaff the waiter admired my Leica and we discussed photography a
little. I asked if he was a photographer. 'Ah no - I'm a professional
waiter' he said proudly, 'but I dream of owning a Leica one day'.
Salut!
Bob
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