The Passenger ⋆ Memories and hints of a travelling IT professional.

May 12, 2022May 13, 2022

Film-Shop

It is a relic from the old times, but someone needs to show the kids of today that there was a world before video streaming and without Netflix. That in the past we had to walk to a video store where we could be VHS (Video Home System), DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), BluRay media (and buy drinks, chips and fruit gum). That we needed to pay a penalty fee when we returned them too late. Many video rental stores have been killed by the streaming industry (and us as the customers), but one survived: the first, the world’s oldest.

May 8, 2022May 8, 2022

Im Schacht

The Erzgebirge (ore mountains) or Krušné hory is a mountainous region belonging to Germany and the Czech Republic. People get there to enjoy nature, for skiing, to learn more about mining history or to buy artisan products like Räuchermännchen (incense smokers) or Schwibbögen (candle arches) for their Christmas decorations. For me it was a long trip by car just for watching a soccer match at the Erzgebirgsstadion, home of the FC Erzgebirge Aue.

May 7, 2022May 9, 2022

Bratwurst Glöckle

Is it a clever idea to put a charcoal-fired grill into the stairway of your home and to sell grilled sausages from there? Well, in 1920 someone in Göttingen thought so and the fire is still burning! The Bratwurst Glöckle is easy to overlook if you don’t know where you have to search for it. Keep your eyes wide open at the intersection of Kornmarkt and Groner Straße/Lange-Geismar-Straße, not far away from the Gänseliesel fountain.

April 18, 2022April 29, 2022

Museums, Gardens, Atoms & Europe

ICE International, Gare du Nord, Bruxelles

The decision to visit Bruxelles was taken by the collector in me, wanting to visit all capital cities in Europe. I’ve been to Belgium in my youth and later visited Bruges on my way to the Mont-Saint-Michel, but so far, I had only been stuck in the traffic jam around Bruxelles. By that time, I didn’t know what kind of beautiful city I was surrounding and how many wonderful places I didn’t visit because I hadn’t planned a stop at the Belgian capital.

April 18, 2022April 27, 2022

Choco-Story

What would Belgium be without chocolate? When you’re walking through the city center of Bruxelles you can find numerous small chocolatiers offering their products (even in the shape of the Manneken Pis, obviously a famous souvenir) and the shops of famous brands we all connect with the country (like Godiva or Leonidas). Belgians love chocolate and say that theirs is the best; because they select the best cacao, use the best ingredients, and have the best production process.

April 17, 2022April 27, 2022

MIMA

The Millennium Iconoclast Museum of Art (MIMA) of Bruxelles is a contemporary visual art museum located in the buildings of a former brewery next the canal de Bruxelles. It is a small museum but offering art on four levels – works from their permanent collection and als changing exhibitions. The museum was founded in 2016 and is a private non-profit organization.

April 17, 2022April 27, 2022

Museum cluster

If you need to survive a rainy day in Bruxelles, the Musées royaux des Beaux-Arts de Belgique can be your safe harbor. Located at the Koningsplein it offers you a combination of wonderful museums that our interconnected: just buy a ticket and switch in underground passages between the Musée Magritte, the Musée Old Masters and the Musée Fin-de-Siècle. After the Belgian independence king Lépold I. wanted to create a museum about Belgian artists; the current museum building was opened in 1887.

April 17, 2022April 26, 2022

Dinosaurs

Muséum des sciences naturelles, Bruxelles

The natural sciences museum of Bruxelles dates back to the 18th century and is located near the Parc Léopold in the European quarter. With 38 million of items, it is one of the largest collections in Europe and the exposition area focusses on giving insight to the masses. Main topics are the human body, biodiversity in everyday life and mostly: dinosaurs. Yes, all the kids love them, and they seem to be the gateway drug into natural sciences.

April 17, 2022April 24, 2022

House of European History

Since 2017 you can find the House of European History in the European Quarter of Bruxelles. It focusses on the older and newer history of Europe as a continent and strives to present a historic line for all states on European ground. The museum starts with the definition of Europe, leads through the central struggles of the last centuries, and ends with current developments and conflicts.

April 17, 2022April 26, 2022

Musées royaux d’Art et d’Histoire

Musees Royaux d’Art et d’Histoire, Bruxelles

The royal museums for art and history at Bruxelles is a combination of state museums including the Art & History Museum at the Parc du Cinquantenaire (Jubelpark), the Porte de Hal, the Musical Instrument Museum in an art nouveau building and the Museums of the Far East located at Laken. The flagship is the giant Musée Art & Histoire (formerly called Musée du Cinquantenaire) which is one of the largest art museums in Europe.