Sunday, February 22, 2009

Carnival - Feast before Lent...

...which begins on Ash Wednesday, this year, the 25th of February. Lent will last till the day before Easter Sunday. This is a Fasting Season which lasts 40 days, from Ash Wednesday to Holy Saturday (excluding all Sundays in between). Binche is a little town south of Brussels in Belgium. The town celebrates Carnival starting on Sunday before Ash Wednesday, this year, the 22nd of February. People dress up in various customs (mostly men and children) and kick the celebrations with a parade which starts at 3:30pm from the train station square. Below are several pictures taken today...





Yep, Uncle Sam was in the parade as well!

You want to know what is up with the windows protected with chicken wire? Weeeel, on Tuesday, during the Mardi Gras parade, there will be all kinds of throwing of blood oranges around so most of the parade route buildings have been protected.

The police riding horses will open the parade.

That is sure a very nice smile!

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Trip to Dublin

This is the World Famous Trinity College. This is the Harvard or Oxford of Ireland.

A very beautiful setting just outside of town. Very unusual as it is right on the coast.

Just to show the typical street environment.

Charles Stewart Parnell, known as the un-crowned King of Ireland. He was one of the most important figures in 19th century Ireland and Great Britain.
This is a monument to commemorate the famine period in Ireland.

Dublin, as you can see, has no shortage of rowing teams.
Daniel O'Connell, 19th century nationalist leader, whose statue by John Henry Foley, stands on the street named after him. O'Connell Street (Irish: Sráid Uí Chonaill) is Dublin's main thoroughfare.
William Smith O'Brien (17 October 1803 – 18 June 1864) was an Irish Nationalist and Member of Parliament (MP) and leader of the Young Ireland movement.

The statue celebrating Sir John Gray (1816-75) for his efforts in bringing a water supply to Dublin in 1868.
Indicating we have to rise up and be free. The plaque on the monument says something like this, The great appear great only because we are on our knees... arise! This monument is of James (Big Jim) Larkin (Irish: Séamas Ó Lorcáin; 21 January 1875 – 30 January 1947), an Irish trade union leader and socialist activist.

This tall monument was built to commemorate the new millenium but was not finished until 2003. The official name for it is The Spire of Dublin but Irish people have several names for it but I cannot remember a single one! It sure looks pretty at night when its top is lit!
I just found the following at another web site:

Other nicknames:
The Spike
The Spire in the Mire (a reflection on O'Connell Street's unsavoury reputation)
The Binge Syringe ( a reference to contemporary public project overruns, and the use of public money to construct projects that have no direct utility to the public), (also a reference to the levels of drug abuse in contemporary Irish society, and in the local streets)
The Stiletto in the Ghetto (O'Connell St, on the predominately working class northside area of the city, is a very short distance from some of Dublin's poorest and most drug-ruined communities).
The Nail in the Pale
The Stiffy by the Liffey
The Pin in the Bin (a reference to the perceived amount of litter in O'Connell Street)
The Stick
The North Pole (It is located on Dublin's Northside)
The Poker near Croker (A reference to nearby Croke Park)
The Erection at the Intersection
Like the Flemish say: Heel interesant!!!
As you can see from these few photos, Dublin has no shortage of statues. There are hundreds, if not thousands.

Monday, February 9, 2009

AutoWorld Brussels








Just a few photos to show this impressive collection. I am particularly fond on the red 1965 corvette.