# Everywhere else I go



## Hardcore Terrorist (Jul 28, 2010)

In this thread, I'm going to show pictures of everywhere outside of Belgium where I happen to make photos.

*Contents*
_Page 1_
1. Terborg and 's-Heerenberg (NL) and Emmerich and Kleve (D)
2. Nijmegen (NL) and Kranenburg and Kleve (D)
3. Tolkamer (NL)
4. Winterswijk (NL)
5. Doetinchem (NL)
6. Zuthpen (NL)
_Page 2_
7. Bronckhorst (NL)
8. Oost Gelre, Aalten (NL) and Bocholt (D)
9. Zwolle (NL)
10. Berlin (D) - Kreuzberg
11. Berlin (D) - Köpenick
12. Berlin (D) - Around the Wedding, Westhafen and Beusselstrasse S-Bahn stops
13. From Brandenburg an der Havel (D) to Ketzin (D)
_Page 3_
13. From Brandenburg an der Havel (D) to Ketzin (D) (continued)
14. Frankfurt an der Oder (D) and Słubice (PL)
15. Potsdam (D)
16. Berlin (D) - Spandau 
17. Berlin (D) - Tegel
18. Berlin (D) - Hansaviertel
19. Berlin (D)- Treptower Park
_Page 4_
20. Berlin (D) - Moabit and Charlottenburg
21. Berlin (D) - Steglitz
22. Tegelen (NL), Kaldenkirchen (D) and Reuver (NL)
23. Swalmen (NL)
24. Groenlo (NL)
25. Zwillbrock (D)
26. Enschede (NL)
27. 2015 New year's drive - part 1: Koksijde (B)
28. 2015 New year's drive - part 2: Veurne (B)
29. 2015 New year's drive - part 3: Cap Gris-Nez (F)
30. 2015 New year's drive - part 4: Wimereux (F)
31. 2015 New year's drive - part 5: Normandy (F)
_Page 5_
32. 2015 New year's drive - part 6: Paris - La Défense (F)
33. Roubaix (F)
34. Charleville-Mézières (F)
35. Müllerthal (LU)
36. Nancy (F)
37. The land of three rivers, Part 1 - Mettlach (D)
38. The land of three rivers, Part 2 - Losheim am See (D)
39. The land of three rivers, Part 3 - The Mosel and Sauer (D and LU)
_Page 6_
40. Timisoara (RO)
41. Sibiu (RO)


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## Hardcore Terrorist (Jul 28, 2010)

*1. Netherlands and Germany: Terborg, 's-Heerenberg, Emmerich and Kleve, part 1*

I will start with a post about a part about my native country, the Netherlands - albeit one that I had never visited until a few years ago - as well as a part of neighbouring Germany. Last July, a friend and I went for a bikeride past the Dutch towns of Terborg and 's-Heerenberg, and the German towns of Emmerich and Kleve, a 70 km round trip from my friend's house in the rural Achterhoek region of the eastern Netherlands. (photos taken on 2015-07-11)


1. Crossing the A18 motorway to the west of Doetinchem


2. Old shed in Terborg, a very small town in the Oude-Ijsselstreek municipality


3/4. Church in Terborg




5/6. Some nice townhouses in Terborg




7/8. I have a soft spot for slightly shabby looking townhouses, which are quite rare in the Netherlands




9. Another church


10. Presbytary


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## Hardcore Terrorist (Jul 28, 2010)

*1. Netherlands and Germany: Terborg, 's-Heerenberg, Emmerich and Kleve, part 2*

11. We're not far from Germany, but the architecture only sometimes has a slightly German touch


12. Garden furniture store on the way out of Terborg


13/14. The Oude Ijssel river on the edge of Terborg




15. The Oude Ijssel forms the border between the Achterhoek and Montferland/Lienders region to the south. Here the landscape is still quite similar to the Achterhoek, that is to say: a nice, empty classic Dutch landscape, minus the Ditches


16. But a few kilometers south, we come to some slight hills, which feels positively Alpine when having cycled through a plain for quite a few kilometres


17. On the other side of the hill, in the small town of 's-Heerenberg, it's funny to see such a Dutch-looking residential developpement from above (though of course this is also possible in Limburg)


18. The wind turbine is in Germany


19. 's-Heerenberg has a nice centre...


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## Hardcore Terrorist (Jul 28, 2010)

*1. Netherlands and Germany: Terborg, 's-Heerenberg, Emmerich and Kleve, part 3*

20/21/22/23/24. ... which sits around its castle










25. Germany seen from the path around the castle


26. Some villages around here are catholic, which is visible in the architecture of this hospital


27. Everything looks German straight away after crossing the border just 100 metres up the road from the last photo (actually this picture was taken about 2 metres before the border)


28/29/30. The first German town we get to is Emmerich, which is famous for its bridge over the Rhine


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## Hardcore Terrorist (Jul 28, 2010)

*1. Netherlands and Germany: Terborg, 's-Heerenberg, Emmerich and Kleve, part 4*

31. View towards Emmerich - population: +/- 30,000 - from the bridge


32. Wedding between Emmerich and Kleve


33. Like many German towns, Kleve - population: +/- 50,000 - was badly damaged in WW2. It nonetheless has quite a nice (rebuilt) centre


34. As well as a castle on a hill


35. It always strikes me that a lot of Nordrhein-Wesphalen would have looked quite similar to Belgium if it hadn't been so badly damaged in the war (because of pre-war houses like this)


36/37/38/39/40. Kleve's castle-hill 










I didn't make any pictures of the return journey, as it was dark by then.


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## christos-greece (Feb 19, 2008)

Beautiful, very nice photos :cheers:


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## Hardcore Terrorist (Jul 28, 2010)

*02. The Netherlands and Germany: Nijmegen, Kranenburg and Kleve*

Thanks Christos



As I visit my friend there a few times a year, I thought I'd continue posting pictures of the Achterhoek and surroundings before moving to other countries. 
Firstly, the area around the Dutch-German border again:
The Dutch town of Nijmegen (in Gelderland, pop.: +/- 170,000) and the German village of Kranenburg + some more Kleve. I like this region, and hope to explore more of it. I once visited the small town of Kevelaer, which is very nice, but I didn't make any pictures there. (pictures taken on 2014-11-28)

41. Nijmegen - the oldest town in the Netherlands - was destroyed at the end of WW2, but nonetheless has quite a special atmosphere. I've only visited it once or twice, and my only picture of it is of the main square:


42. Just over the border, Kranenburg has a castle ...:


43. ... and a nice church:


44. Church windows:


45. Typical house:


46. Kranenburg is probably the most Dutch-feeling village in Germany. People there also seem to speak both Dutch and German, as you can see on the sign on this snack-bar: 'eethuis' is Dutch, while 'Brötchen' and 'Lieferservice' are German:


47. This wedding shop looks more German though:


48/49/50. Lastlty, a nice building near Kleve:


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## General Electric (Sep 12, 2010)

Nice thread! opcorn:


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## yansa (Jun 16, 2011)

Oh yes - I like your night photography!


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## Hardcore Terrorist (Jul 28, 2010)

*3. The Netherlands: Tolkamer, Part 1*

Thanks for the comments General Electric and Yansa

Staying in the region around - Dutch province of - Gelderland-German border: the small town of Tolkamer, that lies on the Rhine in the Rijnwaarden municipality. The weather wasn't very good for pictures, but seeing as I probably won't visit Tolkamer again for a very long tome, if ever, I made some anyway. (pictures taken on 2013-12-01)


51. Looking across the Rhine towards Germany:


52/53. Houses on the promenade along the Rhine:




One-storey terassed houses such as these - and terassed houses in general - are typical of the Netherlands, even though these have a slight Gelderland look:

54. Late 19th/early 20th century:


55. 1930's:


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## Hardcore Terrorist (Jul 28, 2010)

*3. The Netherlands: Tolkamer, Part 2*

56/57/58/59/60/61/62/63. Very symetrical houses with a door in the middle seem to be typical of some parts of Gelderland:
















64. A typically Dutch 1930's house:


65. A less common - but not uncommon - style:


66. 1930's transformer house:


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## yansa (Jun 16, 2011)

So many fine buildings.
I especially like the one on pic 63 - it is extraordinary (and I love most shadings and nuances of the green colour ;-) ).


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## Hardcore Terrorist (Jul 28, 2010)

*4. The Netherlands: Winterswijk, Part 1*

Thanks for the comment Yansa Yes, that one's my favourite too.

As I still have enough photos to show you for a year of winter sundays, I thought I'd get on with my posts on the Dutch Achterhoek, so that I can soon move on to other parts of Europe. I'll now continue with the region's three "major" towns, starting with Winterswijk, which has about 24,000 inhabitants. (photos taken on 2015-07-12, the day after we cycled to Kleve - which was a Sunday, explaining the lack of people)


67. Station


68/69. The street running along the front of the station 




70. The railway line towards Groenlo


71. 'Winterswijk Agricultural Union' behind the station


72/73. The street back to the centre




74/75. Sidestreet




76. Not only Amsterdam, but every self-respecting Dutch town has a coffeshop (in the building on the corner)


77. 1930's building


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## Hardcore Terrorist (Jul 28, 2010)

*4. The Netherlands: Winterswijk, Part 2*

78/79/80/81. Along the main street








82/83/84/85. The main square








86. Town hall


87. Though not the kind of place you'd expect it, Winterswijk had quite a big Jewish community before WW2


88/89/90. Winterswijk is now a small town, but can't have been more than a village for a long time


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## Hardcore Terrorist (Jul 28, 2010)

*4. The Netherlands: Winterswijk, Part 3*

91. School


92.


93/94/95/96/97/98/99/100/101. Back on the main street,


















102/103/104. Winterswijk Synagogue


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## Hardcore Terrorist (Jul 28, 2010)

*4. The Netherlands: Winterswijk, Part 4*

105/106/107/108/109/110. And the street the synagogue's in, which leads back to the station


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## Hardcore Terrorist (Jul 28, 2010)

*5. The Netherlands: Doetinchem*

Now Doetinchem (pop: +/- 55,000), the Achterhoek's main town and a former centre for the textile industry. Allied bombers mistook Doetinchem for a German town on a number of occasions during WW2. As a result, the centre - which I don't have any pictures of - could have been that of any suburban Dutch town. Some pictures from around the centre:


102. Station, 2013-04-06


103. Bus-stop by the station, 2013-11-30


104/105. The Oude Ijssel river and some factories slated for demolition, 2013-04-08 and 2013-11-30




106. Artistic immitation pylon, 2013-11-30


107. 1930's building, 2013-11-30 


108. I think this is part of a prison, 2013-11-30


109. Mansion, 2013-11-30


110/111. Gelderland-style houses, 2013-11-30




112. 1950's church, 2013-11-30


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## yansa (Jun 16, 2011)

Hi, here I like 79 / 97 / 103 / 104 most.
And 108, nice photography (but prison is not nice, of course ;-)...


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## Hardcore Terrorist (Jul 28, 2010)

*6. The Netherlands: Zutphen*

Thanks Yansa

Zutphen, the Achterhoek's second largest town, and definately its most beautiful, has about 40,000 inhabitants and lies on the Ijssel river on the north-western edge of the region. Zutphen is in the province of Gelderland, but near the border with the province of Overijssel. Photos taken on 2013-04-07.


113. 1930's 'Amsterdam School'-style water tower on the edge of Zutphen's centre


114. Going into the centre


115/116. Street around the inside of the ramparts




117. ...


118. Nineteenth/early twentieth century houses along the waterfront


119. The Ijssel


120. ...


121/122. Ramparts and town gate




123/124/125.


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## yansa (Jun 16, 2011)

Lovely! 
No. 114, the little one in red and green is nice.
Two houses, united roof?


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## Hardcore Terrorist (Jul 28, 2010)

*7. The Netherlands: Bronckhorst, Part 1*

Thanks for your comment Yansa

Yes, it's most probably two houses, which is quite common in this part of Europe.
___________________________________________________________________

Bronckhorst, a rural municipality of about 37,000 inhabitant that stretches between Zutphen and Doetinchem, making it one of the largest by territory in the Netherlands.


126. Pumping station on the Ijssel near the village of Bronkhorst, between Zutphen and the equally picturesque town of Doesburg, which I don't have any pictures of, 2013-04-07


127. Farm near Bronckhorst, 2013-04-07


128. ..., 2013-04-07


129. The Ijssel, 2013-04-07


130. Near Vorden, 2013-04-07


131. Vorden's church, 2013-04-07


132/133. Vorden's castle, 2013-04-07




134. The 'Giant Oak of Vorden', 2013-04-07


135. Another manor near Vorden, 2013-04-07


136/137. 1930's transformer house between Halle and Vorden, 2013-04-07




138. X-files-esque scene caused by tractor lights, near Halle, 2013-11-29


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## Hardcore Terrorist (Jul 28, 2010)

*7. The Netherlands: Bronckhorst, Part 2*

139. Landscape near Halle, 2013-11-30


140. ..., 2013-11-30


141. Farmhouse between Halle and Zelhem, 2014-09-19


142/143/144/145. Early morning on the Wolfersveenseweg near Zelhem, 2014-09-20








146. Zelhem's 15th century church, 2013-04-06


147. The Achterhoek is much more traditional than most other parts of the Netherlands. A summer festival in traditional dress in Zelhem that was also a cultural exchange with an Austrian and English village. (I didn't stay for long, so I'm not sure what it was exactly), 2015-07-11


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## yansa (Jun 16, 2011)

128, 129 beautiful!
124 love the old oak and it's reflection
135 I would buy this if I could ;-)
Lovely fog in this last set...
(More fog from me to come later on today ;-)


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## openlyJane (Feb 3, 2010)

Your photos always convey a real sense of place and of history. They are very atmospheric.


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## Hardcore Terrorist (Jul 28, 2010)

*8. The Netherlands and Germany: Oost Gelre, Aalten and Bocholt*

Thanks for the comments Yansa & Jane That's nice to hear, because I do my best to make as representative as possible pictures which show what a place is like as well as possible

Oost Gelre, a rural municipality of about 30,000 to the east of Bronchorst.


148. 1930's Protestant church in Mariënvelde, 2015-07-12


149. 1930's school in Zieuwent, 2015-07-12


150/151. Zieuwent is a catholic village, and this is immediately visible in the architecture of the church. There are also quite big cultural differences (eg. which festivals they celebrate etc) between protestant and catholic areas in this region, 2015-07-12




152. Presbytary, 2015-07-12


153/154. Some houses in Zieuwent, 2015-07-12




155/156. Now Aalten, a small town near the German border. Aalten has quite a nice centre that is vaguely remeniscent of towns in Dutch Southern Limburg, but I only made a few pictures near the station (as you can see, it wasn't the best time of day or year for photos), 2014-11-29




157. We cycled to Bocholt (pop.: +/- 70,000), a rather uninteresting German town of mostly post-war 'reconstruction' architecture, seven kilometres to the south of Aalten. I only made one picture, of what must be a typical pre-war house, of which there aren't very many left (actually, Bocholt has a very small number of really nice buildings, such as this one), 2014-11-29


Next time, we will leave the sticks, and visit one more town in the (north) eastern Netherlands, before moving on to other countries (though we'll visit a number of other Dutch regions in the future).


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## Hardcore Terrorist (Jul 28, 2010)

*9. The Netherlands: Zwolle, Part 1*

One more post for today, so that I can continue posting the other places I visited around christmas and new year tomorrow evening (photos taken on 2015-12-28)

Two more photos of the Achterhoek (the last ones until I go there again):

158/159. Ruurlo station, where we took the train to...




Zwolle (pop.: +/- 125,000), another Dutch city I'd never visited before, and the capital of the province of Overijssel - a province I've barely visited either. Though small, Zwolle's centre - which is built within a star shaped fortress surrounded by a moat- turned out to be very nice, with too many things worthy of photographing for one leisurely afternoon.


160/161/162/163. The nineteenth century neighbourhood between the station and the centre








164/165/166/167. The 'Sassenpoort' city gate


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## Hardcore Terrorist (Jul 28, 2010)

*9. The Netherlands: Zwolle, Part 2*



168. This new building houses a MediaMarkt, by far the nicest I've ever seen! (it's built in one of the points of the star-shaped centre, mimicking the shape of a battlement)


169. The church known as the 'Peperbus', which means something like 'pepper pot'


170. 'De Fundatie' art museum


171. A nineteenth century park rather like the one around Utrecht's centre now occupies the space where the ramparts used to be,


172. The Sassenpoort again


173. ...,


174. No Dutch city would be complete without a canal, and Zwolle has a few of them


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## Gratteciel (May 4, 2008)

Very very nice!


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## Hardcore Terrorist (Jul 28, 2010)

*10. Germany: Berlin - Kreuzberg*

Thanks GratteCiel

Now some pictures of Berlin, where I stayed with a friend for a few days before christmas. I'd already been there a few times before, but this was the first time I made an effort to make good pictures. My friend wasn't home on the evening I arrived (when the aeroplane tickets cost 10 euros), so I booked one night in a hostel in Kreuzberg, which is where I'll start. (photos taken on 2015-12-17)


175. Arriving from the airport at Warschauer Strasse S-bahn station


It gets dark early at this time of year, so I thought I might as well try some night snapshots 

176/177/178/179. Some typical Kreuzberg streets that are rapidly gentrifying








180/181. Under the U1 line - my favourite because it runs aboveground through some very urban looking neighbourhoods - near the Kottbusser Tor station




182/183. Schlesisches Tor U-Bahn station


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## Hardcore Terrorist (Jul 28, 2010)

*11. Germany: Berlin - Köpenick*

As it was still early, I thought I'd use my three-zone public transport week ticket and visit Köpenick, on Berlin's eastern edge, because I liked the sound of the name.


184/185. Köpenick S-Bahn station




186/187/188/189/190/191/192/193. Köpenick turned out to have quite a nice 'Altstadt' (old town) on the Spree river, a kilometer or two from the station. (the proper Altstadt is on the other side of the river, on the last three photos)
















The next day was rather grey and not very good for photos, so next time I'll show you some photos of my friend's neighbourhood in the western part of Berlin which I took on my second and third full day.


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## Hardcore Terrorist (Jul 28, 2010)

*12. Germany: Berlin - Around the Wedding, Westhafen and Beusselstrasse S-Bahn stops, Part 1*

Now some pictures of the area around and between the Wedding, Westhafen and Beusselstrasse S-Bahn stops, on the north-western quarter of the ring-line. (Beusselstrasse being my friend's stop) Pictures taken on 2015-12-19 to 2015-12-21.


194. Balcony by the entrance to the Nettorama supermarket in Wedding, near to the S-Bahn stop of the same name


195/196/197. A small area of semi-abandoned industrial buildings which I decided to explore after seeing it from the S-Bahn (on the south side)






198. The nicest building was on private property, so I couldn't make any pictures of its facade


199. An interesting new-ish building near the north side of the Wedding S-Bahn stop


200. I don't know why there are so many casinos (with slot-machines) in former West-Berlin


201. The first time I saw a one-man demonstration, for voting rights for TISPJG, whatever that may be. It was actually quite noisy


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## Hardcore Terrorist (Jul 28, 2010)

*12. Germany: Berlin - Around the Wedding, Westhafen and Beusselstrasse S-Bahn stops, Part 2*

202/203/204. I like these appartment buildings, which I think are probably from the '80's or '90's






I'm always surprised by how many nice pre-war buildings there are in Berlin, seeing as it was almost totally destroyed in WW2. There's a whole neighbourhood of them on the north side of the tracks between Wedding, Westhafen and Beusselstrasse. The fact that Wedding's got a bad reputation while some parts of it are really nice reminds me a bit of Schaerbeek in Brussels (by coincidence, I later discovered that this small neighbourhood is called 'Brüsseler Kiez'. )

205.


206.


207.


208.


209.


210.


211. 


212.


213.


Next time, I will show you some more of this neighbourhood, as well as some of the industrial area to the north of the tracks between Westhafen and Wedding.


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## Hardcore Terrorist (Jul 28, 2010)

*12. Germany: Berlin - Around the Wedding, Westhafen and Beusselstrasse S-Bahn stops, Part 3*

214/215/216/217/218. The Vattenfall power station, on the opposite side of the canal from the last pictures, and next to the Westhafen S-Bahn stop (where we will be at the end of this post)










219. Back on the side of the canal we were on first, the entrance to the Westhafen (harbour)


Heading to the north, back into the neighbourhood on photos 2012-2013

220.


221.


222.


223. 


224.


225.


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## Hardcore Terrorist (Jul 28, 2010)

*12. Germany: Berlin - Around the Wedding, Westhafen and Beusselstrasse S-Bahn stops, Part 4*

226.


227.


228. Interesting looking modernist 'Technical Vocational School'


229/230/231/232. I think this large complex is an academic hospital








233/234/235/236. Residential buildings opposite the hospital








237. Another building in the style of the ones on photos 202-204


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## Hardcore Terrorist (Jul 28, 2010)

*12. Germany: Berlin - Around the Wedding, Westhafen and Beusselstrasse S-Bahn stops, Part 5*

238/239/240. The back of the academic hospital complex






241. Westhafen seen from the west


242. Signal box at Beusselstrasse S-Bahn stop


243. View towards Westhafen S-Bahn stop from the bridge over Beusselstrasse S-Bahn stop


244/245/246. Walking from Beusselstrasse to Westhafen on the other (southern) side of the tracks






247. View towards Beusselstrasse S-Bahn station from the bridge over Westhafen S-Bahn station


248. With some typical Berlin 'Schrebergarten' (allotments) between the tracks


249. View back towards Wedding


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## openlyJane (Feb 3, 2010)

Interesting pictures. I'm not 'grabbed' by Berlin though......even though I know many really love it.


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## Hardcore Terrorist (Jul 28, 2010)

*Bike ride in Brandenburg, Germany, Part 1*

I spent 4 days with a friend in Berlin in the middle of December, and as I have already explored much of the city itself, I borrowed my friends bike and started to explore the part of the former DDR (the former communist East Germany, for those of you who don't know) just outside the city. It was an interesting experience, due to both the authenticity and picturesqueness of some of the places I saw, and the grimness that could be expected of others.
Photos taken on 14-12-2016

Brandenburg by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

1. We will start at the Brandenburg an der Havel Hauptbahnhof (in the Brandenburg state), to where I took a train in order to cycle the 70 kilometres back to my friend's appartment in Tiergarten.
01 Brandenburg an der Havel (1) by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

2. I was pleasantly surprised by the centre of Brandenburg an der Havel (71,574 inhabitants), especially considering that, like many other German towns, 70% of it was destroyed in WW2. It is in some ways similar to the state capital of Potsdam, but felt more 'authentic' to me. This is the Steintorturm (Stone Gate Tower) to the centre's 'new town'.
01 Brandenburg an der Havel (2) by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

3. The moat surrounding the new town seen from in front of the Steintorturm
01 Brandenburg an der Havel (3) by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

4.
01 Brandenburg an der Havel (4) by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

5. On the inside of the moat
01 Brandenburg an der Havel (5) by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

6. It seems that only the main thoroughfares were reconstructed after the war, as many of the buildings behind them are in a more inconspicuous post-war style (I didn't make any pictures). But, even though the town's main square (again, no pictures) is quite ugly, I have the feeling that the East Germans did a better job of reconstruction than did the West Germans. Looking back to the Steintorturm down Steinstrasse.
01 Brandenburg an der Havel (6) by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

7. A house from 1565 on the Steinstrasse
01 Brandenburg an der Havel (7) by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

8. I can imagine that most of the houses in Brandenburg an der Havel still looked like this one on Steinstrasse 15 years ago
01 Brandenburg an der Havel (8) by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

9. A side street of Steinstrasse
01 Brandenburg an der Havel (9) by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

10. The Hauptstrasse ('Main Street'), which leads off the western side of the main square
01 Brandenburg an der Havel (10) by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

11. Looking back down Hauptstrasse towards the main square and Saint Catherine's church
01 Brandenburg an der Havel (11) by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

12. The Havel river
01 Brandenburg an der Havel (12) by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr


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## Hardcore Terrorist (Jul 28, 2010)

*Bike ride in Brandenburg, Germany, Part 2*

13. Ritterstrasse, the continuation of Hauptstrasse on the western side of the Havel
01 Brandenburg an der Havel (13) by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

14. One of the old side streets on the western bank of the Havel
01 Brandenburg an der Havel (14) by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

15. Now on the edge of town, some of the houses on Grabenstrasse are as dilapidated as one might expect of some places in the former "eastern bloc"
01 Brandenburg an der Havel (15) by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

16. The Havel again
01 Brandenburg an der Havel (16) by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

17. Looking back down the Ritterstrasse towards Saint Gotthardt's church
01 Brandenburg an der Havel (17) by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

18. Before we leave town, here's a view of the 'Dominsel', the oldest part of town, which lies on an island to the north-east of the new town
01 Brandenburg an der Havel (18) by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

19. Old factories that have been converted to apartments seen from the bridge to the Dominsel
01 Brandenburg an der Havel (19) by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

20. On Krakauer Landstrasse, the road out of town
01 Brandenburg an der Havel (20) by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

21. Some 10 kilometres to the east, near the village of Saaringen
02 Saaringen (1) by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

22. Bus stop
02 Saaringen (2) by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

23. Looking back west, a typical Brandenburg landscape
02 Saaringen (3) by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

24. The village of Saaringen
02 Saaringen (4) by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

To be continued...


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## yansa (Jun 16, 2011)

Beautiful Brandenburg an der Havel!
Love the last pic in #37, wonderful tree reflection! :applause:

This poem about "Herr von Ribbeck auf Ribbeck im Havelland"
is know and love since my childhood. 
There is a link to other languages on the page.
I show the German version because of the nice illustrations.

http://www.vonribbeck.de/gedicht-herr-von-ribbeck-auf-ribbeck-im-havelland/

*


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## Hardcore Terrorist (Jul 28, 2010)

*Bike ride in Brandenburg, Germany, Part 3*

Thanks for you're comment Yansa, and thanks for the poem (some of it's in dialect no?), it's nice to have some background to the places I visited (and I would have passed through Ribbeck if I hadn't taken a side road). 

25. The western end of the village of Weseram, the first village which to me felt rather 'eastern bloc', though only slightly so compared to the next two villages (strangely enough, it felt a bit like an 'eastern bloc' version of some villages in the Dutch province of Gelderland).
03 Weseram (1) by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

26. Farmhouse for rent as a holiday house (ferienwohnung)
03 Weseram (2) by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

27. A semi neo classical style that seems to be typical of this region
03 Weseram (3) by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

28.
03 Weseram (4) by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

29. I assume this one is from the DDR era
03 Weseram (5) by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

30.
03 Weseram (6) by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

31. Overview of the main street
03 Weseram (7) by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

32. Weseram´s 18th century church
03 Weseram (8) by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

33. 
03 Weseram (10) by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

34.
03 Weseram (9) by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

35.
03 Weseram (11) by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr


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## General Electric (Sep 12, 2010)

Very beautiful pictures, nice places you've visited... kay:


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## Hardcore Terrorist (Jul 28, 2010)

*Berlin - Moabit and Charlottenburg, Part 1*

Thanks for your comment, General Electric

A walk from my friend's area (Moabit) to the upmarket Charlottenburg, 2015-12-19

1. Church on Beusselstrasse
01 P1610453b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

2. Also on Beusselstrasse, a typical Moabit housing block with typical Moabit casinos on the ground floor
02 P1620076b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

3. An old house on a side street
03 P1620589b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

4. When I'm in Germany, I always think it's funny that you see logos on older buildings that you would only see on washing machines and other household electronics in other countries. We've already had Siemens, and I now AEG
04 P1620081b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

5. 
05 P1620087b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

6. 1930's architecture
06 P1620091b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

7. Water tower on an industrial estate between Moabit and Charlottenburg
07 P1620100b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr


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## Hardcore Terrorist (Jul 28, 2010)

*Berlin - Moabit and Charlottenburg, Part 2*

8. Now Charlottenburg:
08 P1620134b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

9. Schloss Charlottenburg
09 P1620150b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

10. Rathaus Charlottenburg
11 P1620184b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

11.
12 P1620207b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

12.
13 P1620252b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

13. One of the few remaining older houses, right next to the Rathaus
14 P1620254 by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

14. Charlottenburg is sort of Berlin's Versailles, but postwar reconstruction have made Otto Suhr Allee, the wide street on which the Rathaus sits, quite a lot less elegant than Paris
10 P1620173 by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

15. 
15 P1620267b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr


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## christos-greece (Feb 19, 2008)

Once again great, very nice updates


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## Hardcore Terrorist (Jul 28, 2010)

*Berlin - Steglitz*

Thanks again Christos, and all the others thanks for the likes

Now my last post on Berlin, photos taken in the southwestern bourough of Steglitz on the last evening of my most recent visit, 2016-12-16

1. One of Steglitz's landmarks, the 'Bierpinsel' ('Beer Brush'), which was built in 1976 and I think houses a restaurant
DE Berlin-Steglitz 2016-12-16 (4) by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

2. Steglitz main shopping street, Schlossstrasse, is lined by both ugly commercial buildings and rows of elegant pre-war houses (the side streets, which we visited in the dark, are quite upmarket, and there are many more nice buildings)
DE Berlin-Steglitz 2016-12-16 (5) by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

3. Rathaus Steglitz, which was completed in 1898
DE Berlin-Steglitz 2016-12-16 (9) by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

4. A last picture before it got too dark 
DE Berlin-Steglitz 2016-12-16 (11) by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

Back soon with other places...


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## Benonie (Dec 21, 2005)

You have a good eye for both 'ordinary' and 'special' architecture, HCT!


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## Hardcore Terrorist (Jul 28, 2010)

*Tegelen (NL), Kaldenkirchen (D) and Reuver (NL), Part 1*

Thanks Ben Yes, I think that the last few Berlin posts where relatively normal places for my doing

Anyway, now back to some more obscure places, first in the Dutch-German border region, before we start to go further south and west.

I was going to go to a concert in Düsseldorf (Wilco, if anyone knows it) with a friend in late October, but my friend called shortly before I was going to leave to say that he might not make it due to private circumstances. This is why I took my folding bicycle with me so that I could explore a part of the Dutch-German border area in the case that he didn't come (which was the case). I was supposed to change trains in Venlo (I could also have gone via Aachen, but I chose this route as I had never been on it before), and I planned to cycle from there to the German town of Kaldenkirchen. I ended up cycling from nearby Tegelen instead, as service was temporarily suspended for the last few kilometres. Pictures taken on 2016-10-29

Tegelen by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

1. I always find this region really interesting because it looks Dutch, but somehow also un-Dutch. This is a typically Dutch 1930's house, but I find the veranda with the café to be more typical of this area
01 P2010949b (2) by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

2. The Venlo area was once an important industrial region, and the many remaining factories, such as this one on Kaldenkerkerweg, serve as reminders
02 P2010710b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

3. A typical regional style of house, which I find more reminiscent of Flanders than of the Netherlands, on Kaldenkerkerweg
03 P2010717 by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

4. I also ascociate houses with towers more with Belgium than with the Netherlands
04 P2010730b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

5. Especially if they have a petrol station in their front garden
05 P2010757c by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

6. The last metres of Kaldenkerkerweg, where it turns into Steyler Strasse (after Steyl, a part of Tegelen)
06 P2010786b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

7. Looking back towards the Netherlands down Steyler Strasse/Kaldenkerkerweg
07 P2010812b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

8. And a cross-country view back to Tegelen
08 P2010797b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

Some older houses on the edge of Kaldenkirchen:

9.
09 P2010816b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

10.
10 P2010820b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

11.
11 P2010832b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

12. 
12 P2010836b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr


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## Hardcore Terrorist (Jul 28, 2010)

*Tegelen (NL), Kaldenkirchen (D) and Reuver (NL), Part 2*

The centre of Kaldenkirchen (which again, I found slightly reminiscent of Flanders) seemed to be at least partially preserved

13.
13 P2010910b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

14.
14 P2010894b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

15.
15 P2010881b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

16.
16 P2010898b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

17.
17 P2010901b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

18.
18 P2010907b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

19. Back in the Netherlands, on the road from Tegelen to Belfeld
19 P2010961b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

20. 
20 P2010950 by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

21. Former town hall of Belfeld (which, like Tegelen, is now part of Venlo)
21 P2010968b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

22. I actually had a reason for cycling the way I did: to make a picture of this abandoned factory in Reuver, which I had seen from the train on a number of occasions, before it got dark. Sadly I had had a puncture in Belfeld, and arrived in Reuver a bit too late (despite having been helped by a friendly passer by who had a pump)
22 P2010983b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

23. Roman Catholic Cooperative 'Our Interest'
23 P2020005b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

24. Reuver station, from where I took a train home (via Maastricht)
24 P2020034b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr


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## Hardcore Terrorist (Jul 28, 2010)

*Swalmen (NL)*

I'll now continue with a few pictures of nearby Swalmen (Roermond municipality). The train I was on broke down there on August the 31st 2014, so I had a short look around while I waited for the substitute bus.

Swalmen by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

1. The station


2.


3. Swalmen's skyline is dominated by this malt house


Typical regional style of houses on the Stationsstraat

4. 


5.


6.


Cattle feed factory

7.


8.


9.


10.


11.


12.



13. An older part of the malt house


14. Stained-glass windows


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## Benonie (Dec 21, 2005)

Interesting posts and pictures again! kay: Some quite _"un-Dutch"_ architectural styles, indeed.


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## Hardcore Terrorist (Jul 28, 2010)

*Groenlo (NL)*

Thanks for your comment Benonie

Now the last pictures I have of the Dutch-German border region (for now): the small Achterhoek town of Groenlo (see page 1 & 2), and the nearby German village of Zwillbrock. Pictures taken on 2016-10-01

First Groenlo, a star-shaped, formerly fortified town which is famous for being the birthplace of Grolsch beer.

Groenlo by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

1. The Basilica of Saint-Calixtus, which was built between 1906 and 1908
01 P1980877b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

2. The moat surrounding the old town
02 P1980919b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

3. Groenlo seems to have an ageing population, and also seems to mainly atract older tourists, many of whom can be seen taking pleasur cruises on the moat
03 P1990103b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

4. Groenlo was bombed in 1945, and as a result, much of it looks like it could have been a suburb of any other Dutch town. This is right next-to the Basilica of Saint-Calixtus
04 P1980948b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

5. It does have a small historic centre though
05 P1990021b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

6. The town hall
06 NL GL Oost Gelre-Groenlo 2016-10-01 (17) by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

7. Opposite the town hall, the old church of Saint-Calixtus (he must have been an importan person here), which was completed around 1520
07 P1990079c by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

8. 
08 P1990027 by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

9. 19th or early 20th century houses on the outside of the moat
09 P1980895b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr


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## Hardcore Terrorist (Jul 28, 2010)

*Zwillbrock (D)*

Driving seven kilometres to the east through a sometimes strangely hilly country brought us to the German village of Zwillbrock (Vreden, North Rhine-Westphalia). Thankfully, the weather started to get a bit less boring somewhere along the way.

Zwillbrock by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

1. Looking back towards the border, which lies slightly beyond the corner
18 P1990205b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

2. The landscape and the farms still look pretty Dutch, even though everything's much more spacious
19 P1990230b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

3. The Church of Saint-Francis, which was built in the first half of the 18th century. A wedding was underway when I was there
20 P1990178b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

4. 
21 P1990157b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

5. 
22 P1990142b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

6. Zwillbrocker Venn nature reserve
23 P1990124b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

7. Zwillbrocker Venn itself, home to a large number of flamingos which we didn't see
24 P1990107b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

Back soon with the third place we visited on that day.


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## Hardcore Terrorist (Jul 28, 2010)

*Enschede (NL)*

A 32 kilometer drive brought us to our third and final destination for the day: Enschede, a town of 157.999 close to the German border in the Province of Overijssel that I have barely visited before. Being the most important town in Twente, one of the Netherlands' oldest industrial regions, Enschede is one of the few places in the country to feature grand, Belgian-style 19th century industrial buildings along the road to the centre. I don't have any pictures of these as we parked the car in the centre, of which I'll give you a short tour instead.

Enschede by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

1. The post war station and some recent constructions
01 P1990275b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

2. Out of all other Dutch cities, Enschede's streetscape, which is mainly made up of 1930's and post war buildings as well as more village-like older buildings, reminds me most of Eindhoven
02 P1990254b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

3. One of the said older buildings
03 P1990277b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

4. 
04 P1990258b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

5. Like other towns in the region, Enschede has a spacious central square, the 'Oude Markt', in the middle of which sits the 'Oude Kerk' ('Old Church'), parts of which date back to the 13th century
05 P1990303b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

6. The shopping streets were quite empty as the shops had closed about half an hour before
06 P1990329b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

7. 
07 P1990333b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

8. 
08 P1990344b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

9. One of the centre's side streets
09 P1990352b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

10. 
10 P1990356b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

11. 1980's architecture, of which there is quite a lot in Enschede
11 P1990358b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

12. The 'Nationaal Muziekkwartier' (Music Quarter), which was opened in 2008 and contains, among other things, the conservatory and a concert venue
12 P1990373b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

I still have to prepare my photos for a number of other posts about the Netherlands, which is why we will soon start moving south and west to more exotic destinations (for me) instead, starting in a part of Belgium so far from everywhere I know that it might as well have been another country.


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## Hardcore Terrorist (Jul 28, 2010)

*2016 new year's drive, part 1: Koksijde (B), part 1*

What to do on new year's day? Party until 11 in the morning and sleep for the rest of the day? Visit family and friends? Go for a walk? Or why not go for a 1300 kilometre drive, along as few as possible motorways, and include as many as possible pointless detours? A friend and I decided to do the latter, and can definitely recommend it!

My trip started in Zeist, the Netherlands, where I was staying with a friend, and where another friend - who had left Amsterdam 45 minutes earlier - came to pick me up around 5 in the morning. 

Towns like Brussels and Ghent were already far behind us by the time the 10 o'clock winter sunrise greeted us on the empty E40 motorway through the polders of western Belgium, illuminating a landscape that, if it weren't for the endless wall of apartment buildings lining the seafront in the distance, could have come straight out of a painting by Breughel. 

Koksijde by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

1. The entrance to a petrol station near Koksijde
01 BE WV Kokzijde-Motorway 2016-01-01 (9) by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

2. The polders of West-Flanders with the seaside resort town of Koksijde in the distance
02 BE WV Kokzijde-Motorway 2016-01-01 (7) by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

3. 
03 BE WV Kokzijde-Motorway 2016-01-01 (8) by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

4. 
04 BE WV Kokzijde-Motorway 2016-01-01 (13) by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

5.
05 BE WV Kokzijde-Motorway 2016-01-01 (14) by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

6.
06 BE WV Kokzijde-Motorway 2016-01-01 (5) by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

to be continued...


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## Hardcore Terrorist (Jul 28, 2010)

*2016 new year's drive, part 1: Koksijde (B), part 2*

The Belgian coast has a reputation for being ugly. Its main town, Ostend, is infamous for its post-war transformation from elegant 'queen of seaside resorts' into part of the 70 kilometer long wall of apartment buildings that is affectionately known as 'the Atlantikwal'. It is also known that this transformation is far from finished.

Nothing can prepare you for how ugly it is though. Despite having visited Koksijde as a child (and having fond memories of it), my mouth fell open at seeing it again. These pictures don't do justice to its ugliness (I partly concentrated on the remaining older buildings), which means I will have to get back there to try again 

7. Typical Koksijde streetscape at the end of the main street (which runs parallel to the coast a few blocks from the seafront)
07 BE WV Kokzijde 2016-01-01 (7) by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

8. 
09 BE WV Kokzijde 2016-01-01 (8) by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

9. The main street, which was already quite lively at 10:50 on this new year's morning
10 BE WV Kokzijde 2016-01-01 (11) by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

10. 
11 BE WV Kokzijde 2016-01-01 (15) by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

11. 
12 BE WV Kokzijde 2016-01-01 (5) by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

12. 
13 BE WV Kokzijde 2016-01-01 (3) by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

13. 
14 BE WV Kokzijde 2016-01-01 (16) by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

14. 
15 BE WV Kokzijde 2016-01-01 (10) by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

15. 
16 BE WV Kokzijde 2016-01-01 (18) by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

16. 1950's church on the edge of Kokzijde
17 BE WV Kokzijde 2016-01-01 (19) by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

17. Some typical recent developments
18 BE WV Kokzijde 2016-01-01 (21) by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

We didn't get round to visiting the seafront, which gives me another reason to revisit Koksijde in the future.

Stay tuned for our next stop, the beautiful town of Veurne, which lies just a few kilometres from Koksijde.


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## Benonie (Dec 21, 2005)

Although some beauty has remained (Het Zwin, De Haan, Westhoek reserve, Uitkerkse Polders...), the Belgian coast is one of the ugliest among the world. I seldom visit our coastline, I prefer the Zeeuwse Kust in the Netherlands. 
I summer it's overcrowded, but public transport is okay and the central city Ostend has got a lively cultural scene and urban feeling. But most of the coastal towns are really depressing.


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## Hardcore Terrorist (Jul 28, 2010)

*2016 new year's drive, part 2: Veurne (B)*

I've only been to Zeeland a few times myself, but I agree that the Dutch coast is much more beautiful than the Belgian one (the last time I had visited it was also when I was about 10). This also goes for the French north coast, as we will see in the next post. I suppose this is somehow logical, seeing as both countries have much longer coastlines, and therefore didn't have to cram all the resort towns into just 40 kilometres.

But, in contrast to the Belgian coast the area directly behind it is beautiful, as is our next stop, the small town of Veurne, 7 kilometres inland from Koksijde. Being in the same region as Ypres, Veurne (FR: Furnes, population: +/- 11,000 ) was badly damaged in WW1. As is the case with many Belgian towns that met the same fate (Leuven, Ypres, Dinant etc.), Veurne was tastefully reconstructed afterwards, and nowadays seems to be like it has never been different.

Veurne by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

1. 
01 P1630759b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

2.
02 P1630755b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

3.
03 P1630990b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

4.
04 P1630815b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

5.
05 P1630818b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

6.
06 P1630802 by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

7.
07 P1630849b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

8.
08 P1630861b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

9.
09 P1630887b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

10.
10 P1630896b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

11.
11 P1630910b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

12.
12 P1630801b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr


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## Hardcore Terrorist (Jul 28, 2010)

*2016 New Years drive, Part 3: Cape Grey Nose (F)*

A 90 kilometre drive past Dunkirk and Calais, taking a route which I had seen quite often on the way to England as a child, brought us to England... Well it's not really England, but the landscape at Cap Griz-Nez ('Cape Grey Nose') suggests otherwise, while England itself is visible just 33.3 kilometres away across the Strait of Dover/Pas de Calais (the closest it gets to France or continental Europe).

Cap GN by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

1. Looking west
01 P1640002b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

2.
02 P1640021b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

3. Cap Griz-Nez was busy this new year's day (mostly locals enjoying the midday sunshine)
03 FR NPP PC Cap Blanc-Nez 2016-01-01 (14) by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

4. The monument (I didn't look up what it's for)
04 FR NPP PC Cap Blanc-Nez 2016-01-01 (20) by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

5. Looking north, a ferry from Dover makes its way to the port of Calais
05 P1640081c by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

6. Looking east, towards Calais, with the village of Sangatte in the foreground
06 FR NPP PC Cap Blanc-Nez 2016-01-01 (24) by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

7. The famous white cliffs of Dover were more visible in reality than on this photo, but I'd need a bigger zoom to properly photograph it
07 P1640102b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

8. Looking west again...
08 P1640155b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr 

9. ...along the road we'll be following next time, when we visit the small town of Wimereux
09 P1640174b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr


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## Hardcore Terrorist (Jul 28, 2010)

*2016 New Years drive, Part 4: Wimereux (F)*

Thanks for the likes guys

Driving on, we passed villages and small towns that seemed to have looks alternating between French, English and Flemish, all of them equally pretty. Now travelling by car makes me a bit too lazy to get out and make pictures, but we thought Wimereux, on the edge of Boulogne-sur-Mer, was so nice that we didn't have a choice.

Wimereux by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

1. The short Wimereux river shortly before its mouth
11 P1640199b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

2. 
12 P1640212b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

3.
13 P1640209b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

4. Some nice houses with varying French and Belgian looks
14 P1640231b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

5.
15 P1640237b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

6.
16 P1640239b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

7.
17 P1640242b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

8.
18 P1640255b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

We could have explored Wimereux a while longer, but still wanted to have daylight left further along. To be continued...


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## Hardcore Terrorist (Jul 28, 2010)

*2016 New Years drive, Part 5: Normandy (F)*

Thanks again for the likes

We passed into territory totally unknown to me after Boulogne. Sadly, the weather got less nice before we reached Normandy, which, while another 200 kilometres to the south-west, to my surprise looked like a very spacious version of to the Ardennes.

Normandie by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

1. We saw many traditional buildings similar to this one in the village of Sainte-Foy (I'm grateful to Google streetview for making it possible to find where this was)
01 P1640257b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

2. Longueville-sur-Scie - the first village in Normandy where we got out for a short walk
02 P1640279b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

3. As some of you might remember, I try and photograph as many as possible of these old-fashioned adverts
03 P1640280 by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

4. I really thought this could have been in the Ardennes
04 P1640283b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

5. 
05 P1640289b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

6. The River Scie
06 P1640301b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

7. 
07 P1640308b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

8.
08 P1640319b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

9. The town of Fécamp
09 P1640369b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

10. 
10 P1640349b by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

11. We went for a walk from the town of Etretat to the rocks of the same name, but it was too dark to make pictures, which is why my last picture of Normandy is of Le Havre town hall 
11 FR NO Le Havre 2016-01-01 by Ruben Alexander, on Flickr

As I had previously seen on SSC, Le Havre, much of which was rebuilt in a modernist style after WW2, is definitely a place I want to visit again (and properly). The same goes for its industrial surroundings, which looked like Mordor when we drove through them in the dark on the way to our last destination for that day.


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