Feature - wordpro.blog

gold, trap, chain, pit, 3d rendered, 3d rendering, cut out, trap, trap, trap, trap, trap

We Stay away from tourist traps We stayed off the tourist route and avoided the Grand Place, the Atomium,...

Charming window showcasing vintage maps, toy cars, and memorabilia in Brussels.

Comic Street On many streets of Brussels, you can find nearly 60 murals inspired by comic book characters. Most of these murals appear as part of the "Comic Strip Route" project of the Brussels-Capital Region, which started in 1991. According to the website introducing the capital of Belgium "bruxelles.be," at that time, the leaders of the Brussels administration launched a fierce battle against oversized advertising posters that had made the face of the city center ugly. These posters, when removed, immediately revealed walls that were also... unsightly due to stains. So we need to beautify them. In this context, the first comic book character murals jumped from the pages to the walls. First was the character Broussaille by Frank Pé, in the residential area of the Plattesteen district. After that, this initiative spread, and many other districts of the capital city followed suit. Initially, the murals seemed to be reserved for comic book authors living in Brussels, but then they expanded nationwide, including Belgian authors from other regions like Liège. Then it was the turn of foreign authors – Hugo Pratt, Zep, Dupuy-Berberian, Uderzo, Mezzo... Gradually, a tourist route has naturally formed – the "BD Parcours," an indispensable part of the urban landscape of Brussels. Visiting the capital city of Belgium, besides the traditional routes, you can follow this new route; from the city center to the Laeken district. According to the website "bruxelles.be," you can find most of the famous characters from Belgian comics and some equally famous characters from foreign comics on the walls of Brussels. The largest mural is the one depicting Captain Corto Maltese by the Italian author Hugo Pratt, inaugurated in 2009 on the Péniches dock, covering more than... 850 m2! I've heard that the list of murals keeps increasing year by year. Now it might have exceeded 60. In fact, comics in Belgium, and especially in Brussels, have almost been elevated to a religious status. It is a true art form, with many places dedicated to it. Just like the grocery stores in Ho Chi Minh City, each neighborhood in Brussels has a bookstore specializing in comics. Some of them regularly organize exhibitions; others invite authors to sign exclusive comic books. This specialized bookstore also offers many derivative products based on comic book characters. Want to buy a comic book as a keepsake? Surely the opinion of the bookseller is significant. It seems that daily exposure to comics has turned them into true experts! The capital city of Belgium also has a famous comic book museum, an essential stop for a tour into the world of comics. The Belgian Comic Strip Center in Brussels contains many beautiful treasures; it perfectly showcases the characters of the ninth art. For those aged 7 to 77 who love comics! Among the sketches of famous cartoonists, the life-sized illustration of Thorgal, the statues of Boule and Bill, Tintin, the Smurfs, etc.… For us, this special museum is a goldmine. Besides the paintings, there are also explanations about different techniques, various styles of composition, and the history of Belgian comics. However, we were just "scratching the surface" because we only stayed here for two hours. Visiting this place, you should spend a whole day or even more to truly appreciate it! Too many things to admire.

Comic Street On many streets of Brussels, you can find nearly 60 murals inspired by comic book characters....

london, uk, england, city, shoreditch, brick lane, street, art, graffiti, painting, winter, wall, colorful, cityscape, building, architecture, travel, tintin, spray, dog, winged, spotlight, man, shadow, hulki okan tabak, blue spotlight, tintin, tintin, tintin, tintin, tintin

Brussels More Than The Pee Boy

Brussels More Than The Pee Boy When following tours of the capital of Belgium, they will take you to...

black and gray concrete statue at daytime

Great Defeat at Waterloo

Great Defeat at Waterloo We also visited the windy hill of Waterloo, located 20 kilometers south of the...

napoleon, history, war, france, army, power, warrior, painting, napoleon, napoleon, napoleon, napoleon, napoleon

From Ajaccio to Waterloo Following in Napoleon’s Footsteps It is nearly impossible to escape Napoleon’s presence in Ajaccio France. The power of the Bonaparte family has never faded, and Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte remains an ever-present figure in the capital of the island of Corsica belonging to France. And when one visits Waterloo, not far from Belgium’s capital, Brussels, it is to imagine the final battle of the emperor often regarded as one of France’s greatest. Even at the waiting area of the international airport, a bust of Napoleon greets visitors. The airport, located about five kilometers east of Ajaccio’s port, has been renamed Ajaccio Napoléon Bonaparte, replacing its former name, "Campo dell’Oro." Once inside the city, one quickly notices that Napoleon’s statues and images are everywhere. He can be seen standing alone, alongside a lion, or even with a woman. There are statues of Napoleon on horseback, cast in bronze or carved from marble. At night, his statues glow under the bright beams of spotlights, keeping his legacy illuminated. Ajaccio, the capital of Corsica, is Napoleon Bonaparte’s birthplace. Situated on the rugged western coast of Corsica, Ajaccio has managed to maintain a balance between its past as a fishing village and its present as an administrative center. This balance has made it a tourist magnet, even before mass tourism became a phenomenon. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, massive cruise ships regularly docked in Ajaccio’s port, bringing in waves of visitors who would flood the city in large numbers. In Ajaccio, we chose to stay in the foreign quarter, renting a spacious Airbnb for two. Since it was in the city center, the price was steep—$100 per night, double the rate of accommodations in the suburbs. According to historical records, the last 30 years of the 19th century and the early decades of the 20th century marked the golden age of this international quarter, as Ajaccio expanded southward. Without taking time to freshen up, still carrying the scent of crowded airports and packed flights, we headed straight out to explore. Wandering through the foreign quarter alone was already worth the trip. This beautiful district is dotted with grand mansions, luxury hotels, and charming villas lining pine tree-shaded streets that stretch all the way to Ajaccio’s port. In the 19th century, many aristocratic European families owned second homes here, which is how the area earned the name "the foreign quarter." Napoleon is ever-present. In the expansive Général-de-Gaulle Square, which opens toward the harbor, a statue of Napoleon stands in Roman attire, flanked by equally grand statues of his brothers. Each figure exudes an air of authority. Yet the most fascinating sight - still tied to Napoleon - is the location that separates the foreign quarter from the rest of the city. It is perched on a hill. While a tram ticket could have taken us there, we opted to save money and embrace the challenge of a leisurely uphill walk, treating it as a bit of exercise.

From Ajaccio to Waterloo Following in Napoleon’s Footsteps It is nearly impossible to escape Napoleon’s...

Striking view of a Gothic cathedral tower, captured in black and white, showcasing intricate architecture.

A Very Big Christmas Tree

A Very Big Christmas Tree Back then, we visited many places, so we couldn’t make it back to the...

Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 Next