1. Breakfast in Riga airport - here, on the second floor is a good "Lido" eating-place which is adapted here to more international choice (basically, "Lido" is serving more of Latvian cuisine in Latvia, but it's adapting to local tastes in countries where it has opened it's restaurants). So, this meal was something close to traditional English breakfasts - just what I need from mornings. It costed about 4 Euros and it was cheapest meal in all my trip, because both in Belgium and Spain I couldn't find a meal below 7 EUR.



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2. Up above and looking down to Latvia countryside.



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3. I think it's Bornholm - Danish island on the Baltic sea.



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4. Some other Danish or maybe German island with close to beach looking even a bit tropical. I observed that clouds mostly stays above land areas, keeping sea free of them.



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5. Now we can start "Guess the city" here. I have no idea what is this one. Maybe you know? Maybe even live in it?



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6. Another city which we could decode here:




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7. Some countryside most probably in Western Germany:



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8.



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9. Charleroi airport (about 60 km from Brussels) has completely changed since I was there first time in 2005. The old small terminal has been closed and the new one opened instead. However, it is already outdated. CRL growth has been so rapid (last year - 32%, in 2009 - 33%) that it has exceeded it's capacity again (last year it had 5 195 372 passengers). And that can be felt when there - airport were overcrowded almost 24 hours a day (I spend my last day-night there).




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10. CRL has developed also very solid airport city around it and it's called very proudly as "aeropolis".



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11. And now we have arrived in Brussels. There are some interesting modern buildings around the Midi (Brussels-south) station.




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12.



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14. Brussels isn't a bicycle-city, I saw few bicyclists there. Rather weird, especially when knowing nearby Netherland's passion to cycling.



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15. One thing which surprised me here - how these trees looked so freshly green like in April. How that's achieved?



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16. I was surprised also about the vast areas built by this type of lovely houses in Brussels. This is already outside centre, but they still continues for kilometres. How old are they - really pre-WW2?



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20. Impressive building next to station



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21. I spotted this unusual painting on one of buildings walls. Later, on my plane to Madrid in Ryanair magazine I red that these are some popular Belgish comic characters Tin Tin.



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22.



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25. Moving farther, closer to centre, those historical buildings.



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26.



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27. I really like when buildings are different in colours.



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28. Click to see this pano larger:



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21. I spotted this unusual painting on one of buildings walls. Later, on my plane to Madrid in Ryanair magazine I red that these are some popular Belgish comic characters Tin Tin.



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29.



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30. Every city has it's "basic" architecture, and these houses are the "backbone" of Brussels. I believe that this "backbone" architecture defines and makes the city much more significantly than few grand top-objects. In this case, Brussels is lucky, imo. Should be cosy to live in such areas. Btw, what's called their architecture style/-s?




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31.



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35. Black cars army. Black cars very popular in Brussels?



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38. Boulevard Maurice Lemonnier which farther changes it's name, is one of main streets in Brussels centre



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42. On of metro stations



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47. It seems there another comic painted on the wall



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48. Looks like a Paris here:



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55. Interesting - lanterns beaming in daytime.



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68. Grand place was prepared for an impressive event in evening - a medieval festival




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76. Brussels most famous shopping arcade



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77.



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78. She-cats...




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79. This is some university building. Got attracted by green color and design



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80. Very coherent architecture



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81. This kind of buildings reminds me some Fascist architecture in Italy



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82. One of Brussels most famous buildings - cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula. It is considered to be the most outstanding example of Brabant Gothic style.



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87. Fountain with rainbow



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88. Another landmark - Royal palace of Brussels



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89. 2 shots of the street behind which my hotel was located - Rue Royale



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90.



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91. Now we are moving to EU institutions modern quarters. Along the Rue Belliard it's all in concrete, steel and glass. The stream of traffic between.



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92. Building with green plants immediately stands out here



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93.



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94.



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95. Buildings at European parliament




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96. EU is a bit like empire, so this is 20th Century Imperial style - huge, monumental buildings like all empires likes to build. Of course, I understand the practical need for it - somehow all those deputies and commissioners has to be housed.



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97.



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98. Sky bridges to navigate from one building to another without going outside.



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100. "European parliament" in all EU languages. In Latvian it is "Eiropas parlaments". Find yours!



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103. This modern building was very cosy and human-friendly compared to all others in this area.



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106. European Commission headquarters - Berlaymont



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107. Countless cars and almost no people on this street




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108. Beautiful building close to Justice palace. Palace itself was in renovation process (btw, it's interesting that also in Madrid Palace of Justice were being renovated).



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109.




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111. So massive commieblocks could be more appropriate to Moscow or Shanghai, not Brussels:



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115.



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116. There was some medieval festival happening exactly on that evening when I was there. It was great, actually one of my best experiences in Brussels. Differently dressed groups of people went in march in city's streets and played different rythms of ancient music - I could feel real medieval atmosphere, it was easy to imagine how it happened in those times. It seems she played some princess...but dressed too simple for that...?




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117.



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118.



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119. These girls were tired of me and some other guy who took several photos of them



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120. The central performance happened in Grand Place



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122.



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This time we see pics of Brussels at evening and night. I haven't tripod so not all night pics will be perfectly sharp, however I think most of them turned out nice.



123. Another thing I love about Brussels is it's famous foods - fruit beer and waffles. I didn't manage to enjoy a real, hot waffle though (another reason to return to Brussels) but I tasted a cherry beer in one of Old Town's street bars. This cherry beer (kriek - it goes by this name in menus) was tasty, honestly, didn't tasted much like beer, but great. There are some local versions of "cherry beer" in Latvia, but they are just awful compared to this one.




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124. Apparently a family - mother who works in one of Old Town's small cosy shops, and a father with a child.



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125. Another sweets shop.



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126. Different local beer brands



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127. Brussels main streets were quite lively at night, but not as half as lively as Madrid's



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128. These buildings reminds me Three Brothers in Riga.



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129.



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130. Kebabs are one of cheapest options to eat in any city.



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131.



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132. Cosy summer's nightlife



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133. I liked that quite many buildings were illuminated at night.. Something we could learn from Brussels in Riga...




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134.



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135. ...but this was especially impressive. The colours of lights in windows changed there.



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136. Power flu? Sounds weird enough in English



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137.



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138. Cinema



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139.



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140. Yes, Brussels is metropolis




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141. "Brussels Manhattan" at night. We will visit it next day.



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142. Beautiful church with beautiful roof... And especially beautiful at night. I have to say, Brussels in whole looks best at night.



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143. Street where my hotel located. Here I get absolutely amazed by the tone of street light. The light was absolutely white (maybe my photo don't show it precisely) - it was so much more beautiful than the yellow/red tones we are used here.




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144. The same church as in #142 in daylight



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145. Another cool palace-like building in the end of my hotel street to which sadly I hadn't time to get




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146. Brussels offers also some hilly perspectives



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147.



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148. A lonely Art Nouveau example



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149.



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