Fighting the Cobbles - My trip to Belgium in 2018, Part 7 - About taking Photos

This blog continues the previous Part 6,

https://gerdiwanninger.blogspot.com/2018/07/fighting-cobbles-my-trip-to-belgium-in_27.html

   My 'very own' road movie continued to Brussels. It might be a strange way to walk during holidays when we could move so much faster and see much more. For me travel is an experience and should never be a rush; we should never be controlled by a long list of to-do's but rather follow our own instincts.

Belgians at work... 

   My way to travel is about discoveries and for them you only a little more than you eyes, your nose and ears. I need my legs to move and my fingers to take photos which are, without doubt, an extension of my mind; a result of all the impressions around me. When I came back from this tour i experienced the for the first time that my daughter looked at each and every picture I took with real interest which was easily seen by different expression, sometimes asking questions, sometimes even laughing. For me it was a strange thing but finally she said: "You've changed, I can see it from your photos".

   For this trip I bought a new compact & lightweight 4/3 mirror-less camera with a flip-up screen.

Compact: I could easily store it in my messenger bag with enough place for a shirt or a light jacket on the top to close it.

Lightweight: A joy to handle and even handheld shots in darker surroundings were possible; I barely noticed the few grams around my neck. I could even take my lightweight tripod in my messenger bag and still beat the total weight of camera & lenses & tripod of my old SLR camera.

The Flip-Up Screen let me experiment with different angles shooting photos. This screen let me shoot from the center of my body, low shots and of course selfies which I did seldom before. I even put the camera on the cobbles and could control the photo easily with the flip-up screen. I made this shots to show how uneven the surface is.

   My aim was to record what I see or think what is interesting for me. I took photos of people around me doing all kind of things like sweeping the street, painters of fences, workers on houses etc. The camera was very capable and a great support for everything I wanted to visualize.

   In this regard I had only good experiences except once during the whole three weeks in Belgium. Preparing to take photos of the train station a young man from the Middle East indicated with a gesture and by covering his head with a hoodie that he did not like to be in the photo. I replied with a gesture from my side that I understood and put the cover back on my lens for him to see. 

   I do not stick my camera in people's faces but ask before taking a photo if possible. Entering a museum or private property I also inquire politely if it is possible to take photos. Maybe also because of my 'unprofessional' equipment I have never heard a 'no'. On the contrary, museums like the Hergé (creator of the Tin Tin comics) Museum in Louvain-la-Neuve or the the Chocolate World in Belgium rather encouraged me to take photos.

Man starting his Harley in front of Comic Pictures covering Road Work

   Walking on a boulevard it was impossible to overhear a Harley Davidson riding along the road. Just when I prepared to take a photo of two large comic pictures covering road work the rider stopped and parked his bike exactly on the same sport I focused my camera. I thought this is nice and pressed the button after the rider left the scene. But he returned immediately and discovered me and my camera, made some funny poses and I continued shooting. He sat on his motorcycle and rode away. After he left I continued my way and suddenly the rider appeared in front of me.

   "Did you take photos of me?" He asked. 
   "Yes, I did!" I nodded. 
Some people might think a lot in this awkward moment and even possibly get threatened being approached by a man in a leather jacket with a helmet in his hand but I stayed calm. 

   "Could you send me copies?" he asked me politely.

   "Of course, if you would give me your email?"
   He wrote it on my map and after my return I've send him the photos. This is just one example how easy-going the Belgians are and how photos could serve as an ice breaker between humans.

   I had opposite experiences in Japan. While Japanese travelers can visit castles in Germany freely, most parts of the Kyoto palace are off limits for foreign tourists. Just to see some gardens it is not worthy to spend time and money for the trip. Not only people do not want to be photographed but even taking pictures of temples and temple workers are off limits. 
   Once I set up my tripod in an empty 'famous' temple yard on gravel because the weather was terrible on that day in Kyoto. A female employee came to me explaining that "this is not allowed because I would' hinder other (non-existent!) visitors'. Needless to say I traveled to Japan twice: the 1st and last time!   
   Because I had the time and took it easy in Belgium I can remember each and every photo very clearly; the story behind it which made the trip so much more valuable and enjoyable. Especially I would like to encourage my Taiwanese friends not only to run to famous destinations but take the time and their own God-given senses to experience this beautiful world. This let us not to see destinations like on TV but let us create our own impressions which should be shared and lived out. It is senseless to travel but stay the same after your return.

(to be continued @ 

https://gerdiwanninger.blogspot.com/2018/08/fighting-cobbles-my-trip-to-belgium-in.html) 

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! If not convenient to subscribe on Blogger.com, I've started my own homepage @ https://gerhardwanninger.wixsite.com/travel

Fighting the Cobbles - My trip to Belgium in 2018, Part 5 - Leaving Taiwan & Arrival in Brussels

This blog continues the previous Part 4, 

https://gerdiwanninger.blogspot.com/2018/07/fighting-cobbles-my-trip-to-belgium-in_24.html

   As mentioned I bought a cheap ticket from Taiwan to Hong Kong and from Hong Kong to Brussels. Why did I choose this particular airline? Because this particular airline has around 10 flights between the former British colony and the 'Beautiful Island' or Formosa. This comes in very handy in case of Typhoons, which are quite common during the summer holidays, and all other related weather problems. 

   Once we had the 'pleasure' to experience the very chaotic and slow service (someone called the personnel the 'Koalas of Asia' due to the 'speed' of the workers) when we were trapped in the Manila Ninoy Aquino Airport due to a Typhoon for three (!) days. Since then I would rather pay a premium and pay attention to a proper flight connection than to choose Philippine Airlines.

   And indeed, when I checked in Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport the lady at the check-in counter told me that there is some turbulence to be expected in Hong Kong. Therefore they decided to put me on a flight one hour earlier (!) than planned so that I would not miss my connection flight to Brussels. This information might for some people be a hassle but for me it was a kind of expected and a relief.

Aircraft Museum near Taoyuan International Airport with the Taiwanese, not the Mainland Chinese, Flag!

   

   The flight went smooth without the feared turbulence' to Hong Kong but I had not only to wait one hour longer. The plane delayed due to 'late passengers' 1/2 hour! This actually happens in my experience often In Hong Kong. During both of my three flights to Australia with my family I faced the same problem: 

- we were running (!) to our connection flights due to the long safety checks and the nature of the large airport (long ways).

- a few minutes before the flight the gate changes and we had to run again.
   Before the flight to Brussels the gate changed, as the years before, to a very remote location within the airport. Some passengers did not take notice and therefore let all other passengers wait. Finally we took off, around 40 minutes after schedule.

Inside Hong Kong International Airport

   Long before I flew to from Taiwan to Europe the planes took a route over Southeast Asia across the Middle East and then into Europe; this took around 14 hours. At that night we flew over Mainland China and Russia (!) and arrived in Brussels after only 12 hours, a total saving of around 2 hours (!) over the previous route! 

   On the plane I had a nice place without any front passenger right beside the window. I had two young passengers as neighbors but we had a serious language barrier. They spoke Flemish and no English at all. I can not speak Flemish, a kind of Dutch dialect spoken in Belgium. So I had a quiet time. Thankfully most Belgians I met during my trip put some more effort to break the language barrier and tried to communicate sometimes even with their hands!

   When buying the ticket I've ordered vegetarian food. I was one of the first who got the 'special meal' with some red wine while the other passengers had to wait. When I was finished their food arrived! It feels great to be treated differently in economy class...

My Vegetarian Food on my Flight to Brussels

   It is actually a kind of strange feeling when you fly in a dark plane when outside the sun is shining before a very blue sky! 

   I started watching Henry Fonda's '12 angry men (十二怒漢), later 'Bay Watch' (海灘救護隊) with 'the Rock' Dwayne Johnson and half of Robert De Niro's Taxi Driver (計程車司機). Strangely there is not much music but many films to choose from... 

   Arriving at Brussels Airport we had a delay of around 30 minutes in the early morning. When I left the airplane I already smelled the early fresh and dry air of Belgium. I closed my eyes and inhaled the very different air! 

   I passed the customs without any problems. There were a big line for non-EU citizens and one empty line for EU citizens which I took with my German passport. The female police officer asked me where I came from and he wished me a pleasant stay in Belgium! I don't understand why people are still against the European Union! Of course there are problems but is the EU not the step in the right direction?

   My luggage arrived without problems and I was ready to leave the airport! I could have taken the train or bus to Brussels but I preferred to walk. I wanted to see and experience the country I would stay for the next three weeks immediately! So I decided to depend on my  own two legs and could check if the luggage (sports bag & camera bag) would work as planned. Thankfully it did!

   Leaving the airport I came immediately to notice and appreciate the road system in Belgium. Even for bikes and pedestrians there are road numbers marked clearly with signs beside the road. If you know the road numbers and the destination you would find your destination without problems. How much time and effort has gone into the system to give the citizens a better way to commute? I can only imagine and don't understand why other governments do not want to serve their citizens in the same way...

Road Signs in Belgium near the Airport

   My reservation for the hotel was for the evening; I had around 8 hours time to find it! So I was not much in a hurry and took the chance to have a good look! As I was walking I noticed a Chinese following my steps. When I took some photos he caught up and we started to communicate. He was working for DHL in China somewhere and was sent by the company to work for DHL near the airport to gain international experience. The Mainlander wanted to check out the environment and decided to walk like me. He did not depend on his instinct or sense of direction but rather relied on his smartphone and Google Maps. After some discussions and corrections that Taiwan is not a part of China and Chinese in general do not want to talk clearly and not cooperate but rather order others we not much later separated. He took a left turn and I continued to walk straight to Schaerbeek or Schaarbeek (斯哈爾貝克), already a suburb of Brussels. 

(to be continued @ https://gerdiwanninger.blogspot.com/2018/07/fighting-cobbles-my-trip-to-belgium-in_27.html)

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! If not convenient to subscribe on Blogger.com, I've started my own homepage @ https://gerhardwanninger.wixsite.com/travel