This
blog continues the previous Part 9,
The 'Lift van
de Marollen (Dutch)' took me down to the Marolles (French), an old but
very lively neighborhood between the Palace of Justice and the South Railway Station or 'Gare de Buxelles-Midi (French)' or 'Station Brussel-Zuid (Dutch)'.
In the heart of Marollen is the Eglise Notre Dame de la Chapelle/Kapellekerk and the Place
du Jeu de Balle/Vossenplein.
This disctrict originated when a leper colony was set up by the nuns of the abby Maria Colentes (Marikollen). The Marollen became a working class neighborhood the following centuries but recently become very fashionable.
This disctrict originated when a leper colony was set up by the nuns of the abby Maria Colentes (Marikollen). The Marollen became a working class neighborhood the following centuries but recently become very fashionable.
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Street Art in Marolles
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Leaving the lift I walked over cobbles down
to the Rue de l’Epée, on this Sunday afternoon lined with guests from
coffee shops and restaurants sitting outside under the open sky. This gave the
area a very Mediterranean touch and stood in sharp contrast to the historical streets
I walked a few minutes before. The seriousness of historical buildings gave way to a more
relaxed lifestyle with sometimes very lively conversations.
I
turned left into the 'Rue Haute' one of the lifelines through the district. I
pulled my luggage along and turned right into the 'Rue de Renards' to my hotel.
The whole way was lined with more or less restaurants, most of the guests
sitting beside the road seemed to be men from the Middle East.
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Street Musicians performing beside a Bar at the Marolles Flee Market
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To
go to the hotel I passed the open air Marolles Flea Market which is, to my
surprise, open 365 days a year. This means every morning the market is set up by the
dealers and every evening the market has to be emptied and cleaned
up.
Actually the term 'flea market' is quite an understatement. I am not an art expert but I've discovered many original photos, postcards and books from many years ago in good quality and complete!
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Marolles
Flee Market on a Sunday Afternoon
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As I had a reservation for two nights the
check-in was a on-brainer. Actually I did not have my own room but only a bed
in a room, more like a youth hostel. This sounds not private and as we have to
share the same shower and toilet maybe inconvenient but it was cleaned every
day.
Contrary to my previous experiences in
Belgium the young son of the owner spoke English very well. After some details
he handled me the keys to my room with a number for the electric lock after
10:00 pm.
I carried my luggage through a narrow hallway
in the back of the hotel to the 2nd floor. To my surprise the whole room was
empty and I choose a bed convenient for me. With the bed my around 7-hour Odyssey
from the airport to the hotel across the suburbs and the city of Brussels
ended, I could finally lay my head on my pillow to take some rest.
Thinking about it I was glad that I did not
take public transportation but could already experience and breathe Belgium as
it is, not out of a window but in true colors! I was glad that my sense of
direction and the small signs beside the road worked well, that my equipment
worked fine and the camera with all the other stuff held up very well! It was a nice experience on this 1st (!) day and my life in Taiwan seemed already very far way!
Before the 1st day came to an end I locked
the door and went exploring the neighborhood. The hotel had a free map and with
it and my camera I discovered the streets and sights of this not too large city.
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Painted Windows
under real Trees in the Belgium District of Marolles
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Roaming the streets I felt here is a great melting point of different cultures. There were Europeans, people from Africa, the Middle East but nearly no Asian. Some workers of the hotel came from Russia and Tunisia and all the people lived together peacefully. There were different smells following me, many street details testify that the people see this place as their home. Different people and cultures mean more interesting impressions quite contrary to many people's believe. It was a good and right decision to drop of my anchor in this environment for a while...
(to be continued @
Disclaimer: I traveled Belgium by myself, I am not sponsored by anyone. Interested subscribers and/or followers in traveling an in this small but beautiful country are more than welcome!
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If not convenient to subscribe on Blogger.com, I've started my own homepage @ https://gerhardwanninger.wixsite.com/gerhardwanninger
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