Prowling my world, camera in hand

18 September 2011

Week 36: Benidorm and Brussels

Filed under: — Administrator @ 17:59

Week 36 had two major events: on Sunday I cycled up to Benidorm and back, about 85km in the heat. And on Wednesday I flew to Brussels to attend a conference at the Université Libre. These two events provide the images for the week.

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On the way to Benidorm, I stopped at the harbour of El Campello. When I started cycling in September 2009, I needed to stop there for a rest. Now I can go 50-70 km without stopping, so this stop was just to have a look:
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A short rest stop along the N332, the old Valencia road:
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After cycling about 40 km, the view of Benidorm unfolded before me:
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The beach promenade in Benidorm has been spiffed up recently, probably because the Vuelta a España started here this year:
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Traditional Benidorm cuisine:
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The sign refers to fresh water, nowhere to be seen:
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The beach was crowded indeed:
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One nice aspect of bicycle touring is that you move slower and notice more things. It is also easier to stop and take pictures. This house, for sale, can best be described as a “fixer-upper”:
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A restaurant along the Carretera de Valencia has bitten the dust:
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The rest of this week’s blog consists of pictures from my trip to Brussels.

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My routing was Alicante-Madrid-Brussels. This is the departure hall at Madrid’s Barajas airport:
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Sleepy couple in the VIP lounge:
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My first order of business in Brussels was to check into my hotel. Next up was a visit to the Poechenellekelder, an important beer temple near Mannekin Pis:
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Charming couple at the Poechenellekelder:
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Smoke break:
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“Head in the stars, feet in the shit”:
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Two economists looking for directions:
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Pedestrian crossing, Avenue Louise:
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Friday night, after the conference ended, I went to have dinner at the restaurant ‘t Kelderke on Grand’ Place. It is THE place to go for traditional Belgian food:
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This is the kind of food you eat at ‘t Kelderke. Stoemp with boudins:
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Tourists on Grand’ Place:
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Cyclist with interesting hair, Avenue Louise:
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Brilliant marketing. The theatre banner says “all our shows are in 3D”:
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Before heading for the airport on Saturday, I went to see an exhibition of modern Polish art at BOZAR, the principal modern art gallery in Brussels. This particular installation is centred around a Fiat 126, an object of desire during Communist times:
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A model of 70s apartment buildings, in hemp. My sister lives in a place that looks like this:
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Mr. Kowalski, the Polish equivalent of Mr. Smith:
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Señorita with bicycle:
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Señorita waiting for the bus:
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There was a balloon festival going on. This is Mannekin Pis, more or less anatomically correct:
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Balloons are not just for children:
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More Brussels pictures are here.

1 Comment »

  1. Do I write in english or danish? Im not sure…..

    Jeg synes det er imponerende at læse om dine aktiviteter. Jeg kender en del mennesker som rejser meget, men du slår da alle rekorder. Det er ret utroligt, at du også har overskud til at se byen og opleve så meget.

    Comment by Jens Drejer — 23 September 2011 @ 14:54

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