EUROPEAN FIREWORKS - SPECTRUM OF EXPERIENCE (PART TWO)
Literally just around the corner we go into (as I first thought) a candy store. Cakes, pastries and other sweets from... soap. That is, they look like edible, but they are soap. By smell, they also correspond to sweets - a chocolate cake smells exactly like chocolate, and nothing else. Anyuta immediately attracted me as an interpreter, and began a systematic tour of the store. I do not really understand the difference between just soap and soap with scrub, peeling, just oil tiles and other perversions. Therefore, the translation was very approximate. The consultant girl rubbed Anyuta's skin with some mixtures for a long time, demonstrated the effect of bath bombs (for men, I explain that when you throw a ball of the selected type into the bath, then all the water can become sparkling, chocolate, golden, etc. ). It looked like magic. After half an hour of demonstration, we (more precisely, one of us ; ) bought two types of soap and two bombs. Soap in the price range from 4 to 15 euros per kilogram, bombs from 3 to 10 apiece. Anyuta comes out in a great mood, just beaming.
We walk for a couple more hours, go to the cheese shop. Before that, we were treated to cheeses bought in the Netherlands, and we really liked the taste. We chose the cheeses pretty quickly - we just knew the exact name of the ones we needed. A special knife was also sold for cheeses, but it cuts only Dutch ones (made in Holland), and it does not cut the cheeses produced by us, but crumbles. Why so, I don’t know, probably different cooking technologies...
We sit down on a bench and have a snack. Opposite us, on the bank of the canal, there is a parked Ford minibus. It stands parallel to the canal, between two trees, while the distance to each of them, both from the hood and from the rear bumper, is no more than 10 (!!! ) cm. A virtuoso driver! I wonder how much time it takes him to drive him there? A wagon drawn by a pair of horses passes by. The driver looks in front of him with half-closed eyes with absolutely indifference, it seems that the horses themselves know the way and lead the cart.
Being in Amsterdam and not trying the products of its coffee shops is blasphemous! That's what I told Anyuta. After a little debate, we decide to go in and close this gap. Remembering the guide's instructions that it is better to try one at a time, I "courageously" offer my candidacy! Anyuta (already not eager to try this product) immediately agrees. Some of my wife's timid questions from the series - what should I do with you if you get rowdy - I brush aside easily and naturally - you will call the police! Anyuta looks at me suspiciously and says - just try to misbehave, I will arrange this for you, you will call the police yourself; ! We joked and that's enough. We go to the first coffee shop we come across. The cafe is like a cafe, only the smell is unpleasant. Considering that my wife and I do not smoke at all, any smell of cigarettes is unpleasant for us. Smoking marijuana is possible only for those who smoke at all (you need to inhale and hold the smoke of cannabis for as long as possible, which is absolutely impossible for a non-smoker). I choose from the menu "special cake", that is, a cupcake with weed. A somnambulistic Afro-Dutchman brought a cupcake in a couple of minutes and took 12 euros. Anyuta looks at this culinary creation suspiciously.
I take the cake and break it into pieces. Some greenish tint. Tastes like undercooked. I quickly finish eating the leftovers, Anyuta looks at me incredulously. The effect comes in an hour and a half. As long as we go out, we'll see. I was tempted to do something strange (this is not from a cake, but out of habit) to frighten Anyutik, but, looking at her tense look, I decide not to joke for the good of her nerves.
Our next stop was the Casa Rosso Porn Theatre. Anyuta and I had heated arguments about whether to go or not to go, but I still persuaded her to go to this nest of debauchery; . We stand in a short queue, pay 60 euros, and they let us into the middle. We pass into the hall where the show is going on. By the way, it lasts around the clock, so you can come at any time. The show left mixed impressions. On the one hand, as if you are sitting on the set of German porn of the nineties, you feel like a voyeur. On the other hand, all the “actors” do their numbers mechanically, without a “light” (with the exception of the Afro-Dutchman (number with a ribbon)). Summarizing, I can say this: I don’t regret that I went, but if I rewind time, I would refuse to go to this institution.
The fine rain that has been drizzling for the last hour begins to intensify. We decided to wait for him in a small cafe. We sat, ate, rested, and the rain does not end. We decide to go to the hotel. The “special cake” begins to act on me - the body has become light and I want to take off. But the effect is rather weak (at least I expected more). We leave and in the rain we go to the tram stop. In the meantime, the rain has ended and... the downpour has begun! The sky is overcast with clouds and there are no gaps to be seen. Since we are already wet, we do not buy an umbrella and run to the bus stop.
The veil of water parted in front of us, and we flew under a canopy at the bus stop. We shake water from our hair and look around. Near us is an international - two girls of Asian appearance are trying to achieve reciprocity from a GPS navigator with a map of Amsterdam, a portly German and a skinny German woman disgustedly move away from everyone and call somewhere, a couple of Poles stare into the distance, looking out for a tram. We have a hotel map of the city in our hands. Luckily, quite detailed and showing tram numbers leading to the hotel. Alas, there is no direct route, and I am looking for an approximately suitable tram number. Ten minutes later our number came and we went in through the front door.
The tram has separate doors for entry and exit. We pass a couple of stops, no one approaches us, and people leaving put some kind of magnetic coupons on the exit turnstile. I go up to the driver, hold out five euros and twenty cents, and in return I receive two yellow coupons. Received, standing, wondering what to do next. An elderly woman standing next to me with a slight smile took the tickets from me and held them through the entrance turnstile - registered. It seems that there are quite a few smart people like me in Amsterdam, and the residents are always happy to help visitors. Thank you. . . I make my way back to my wife, I reassure that everything is in order and we are driving legally ; . Behind the water-stained windows, the downpour does not stop. Finally, we arrive at the bus stop where we need to change trains. I give Anyuta a coupon and tell her to repeat my actions. We stop, pass the voucher through the turnstile, the green light turns on, I touch the turnstile and then Anyuta (afraid to stay in the tram) holds out her hand and swipes the voucher several times over the sensor!! ! Christmas tree sticks, woman and equipment!! ! What for? We are standing at the bus stop, I wonder if her ticket will work in another tram... We are not even hiding from the rain, we are just standing at the bus stop and waiting for our tram. We did not have to wait long, and we "float" into an empty tram. At the entrance we carry out coupons: mine worked, my wife is gone. Abydno... The Arab conductor looks at us sleepily, not revealing any interest. Well, okay, we'll drive a couple of stops. We've arrived, we're leaving.
Anyuta took off her sandals and, spitting on everyone, went barefoot through the puddles. I spank her. Where the hotel is, it is not very clear, I go up to a portly man in the form of a security guard at the bus station and get an approximate direction of movement. We wander through the downpour to the hotel, cars passing by sympathetically signal us. Our view is, of course, miserable… Thank God the camera has a waterproof case, probably the only dry thing we have. You can see the hotel, another five minutes and we are in the lobby.
The girl at the reception issues a card and moves Anyuta a box of napkins. No, we do not need napkins, but towels, preferably more; Thank you and go to the room.
Drying, warming up. I need to drink something hot, I go downstairs. Sandals are drying, I don’t have other shoes (I don’t like to carry too much), so I go barefoot. I get out of the elevator, I go to the reception, I want to ask where the bar is. I call out to the girl, she jumps in fright. It seems that due to the fact that she was walking barefoot, she did not hear me approach the counter. Sorry. . . The girl points me in the right direction to the bar, I go there, I take two coffees. Passing by the reception, I see that everyone in the hall is looking at my bare feet. I quickly jump into the elevator and go to my room. Enough adventure for me today, rest and sleep before tomorrow's excursion...
Rise, exercise, breakfast. During breakfast, we pay attention to a couple from our group - they carefully place fried bacon on bread and pack ready-made sandwiches in a bag. Having packed the provisions, they collect fruits in a bag and decorously leave under the disapproving glances of the waiters. Lord, how to convey to people, to get through with the information that the buffet means food IN THE RESTAURANT, and not the opportunity to heat up with you !! ! After all, this is the same as coming to visit, treat yourself at the table, and when you leave, take away what is left from the table with you !! ! Okay, everyone has their own understanding of the rules of decency...
Today we have an excursion called "Big Holland" (35 euros per person). It was decided to go on this excursion before departure. The opportunity to see all the main cities of the Netherlands, with a tour of their sights, was not to be missed! Collection at the bus, loading, departure. Clouds are floating across the sky, we cautiously glance at them, remembering yesterday's flood (looking ahead, I will say that it did not rain).
The first in line was Rotterdam. A city with a sad history and a beautiful present.
Rotterdam suffered terribly during the Second World War, more than other cities in Holland because of its economic and strategic importance. On May 14.1940, during a German air raid, the entire city and part of the suburbs were destroyed and burned: 25.000 inhabitants were killed, 24 churches, 500 hotels and restaurants were destroyed, the most important monuments of the city, such as a synagogue, a Scottish church, the building of the East India companies. Later, at least 125 Allied air raids, which wanted to expel the Germans from the city, brought more destruction and losses. In September 1944, before the Allied offensive, the German command blew up 7 km of the embankment with docks and practically disabled the ports (according to Otdysh. ru).
Along the way, we were introduced to architectural masterpieces. Buildings of the most bizarre shapes and colors (it seems that some projects were created right in coffee shops; ). In Rotterdam we are met by a guide Vladimir - our guide for this excursion.
Cube houses. This is the hallmark of Rotterdam. The author of these surreal houses is Peter Blom. Once it dawned on him - people should live in harmony with nature, so you need to make it closer. The houses were designed to mimic wood. Outwardly, they resemble cubes placed on a corner. Narrow first floor, next two residential. The stairs in such a house resemble a simulator for future Olympic champions - they are so steep and twisted. It’s better not to look at the windows with a hangover, their shapes are so bizarre. Several houses are combined into a colony with its own private courtyard. These houses are mostly inhabited by young families without children. As a rule, if a child appears in the family, the parents sell the house and buy housing more suitable for family life. The cost of one such house ranges from two hundred to two hundred and fifty thousand euros (for Holland, this is expensive housing). There is a constant demand for these houses and there are no problems with the sale. Some residents lead excursions to their home (from two to five euros per person). In the infrastructure of these complexes there are shops, hairdressers and other useful points. Some arrange gardens under their houses, it looks very beautiful. In general, it’s interesting, but young people with good physical fitness need to live here . The same architect designed a pencil house, standing a little further away. The building really resembles a thick, neatly sharpened pencil.
Near these houses stands the first skyscraper in Europe - Hett Witte Hayes, built in 1898. Its height is (impossible even to imagine) as much as 45 meters! The house is equipped with an elevator, which still works.
In the port, we examined the deserted embankment. The number of ships is incalculable. Patrol cars (WV Polo) are parked near the police station. The cars are painted in bright colors with intricate patterns. If it wasn't for the flashing lights on the roof, you'd never guess it was the police. Peacefully standing nearby, the policemen are waving hello to us. We wave in response and I, away from sin, remove the camera; .
Near the port there is a building with a large inscription "New York". This building belonged to the pilgrims who went to New York in the thirties and forties of the last century. In general, everything in the city, one way or another, is connected with the sea, the port and trade. As the Dutch say, Rotterdam is a beautiful city without a soul. In this city, there really is no sense of holiday and laziness inherent in Amsterdam. We leave this city without much emotion and head to Delft.
The city of Delft is famous, first of all, for its blue and white porcelain factory.
Delft porcelain (Dutch. Delfts blauw) - porcelain in blue and white colors, produced in the city of Delft (Netherlands) and is one of the symbols of the city and a popular souvenir.
The emergence of mass pottery production dates back to the 17th century, when Delft experienced a "Golden Age" associated with the rise of maritime trade. One of the six offices of the Dutch East India Company was located in the city, whose ships brought samples of Far Eastern blue-white and polychrome products to the country. At this time, the Delft potters did not have enough clay, and they were forced to import it, and until 1640 only ten potters were eligible to join the Guild of St. Luke. The rise in the production of ceramics was due to the deterioration of the quality of the river water used in the breweries, which led to the closure of breweries and the emergence of pottery workshops in their place (some breweries also suffered after the explosion of gunpowder stores in 1654, which caused serious damage to the city).
The delivery of porcelain from China was fraught with numerous difficulties (for example, in 1745, a Swedish sailing ship from the East India Company, having sailed nine hundred meters to the harbor, ran into an underwater rock and sank with a load of Chinese porcelain), this ensured an increase in demand and strengthened the position of the Delft potters, and after 1650, their products were affixed not only with a factory mark, but also with the mark of an individual potter.
A feature of Delft porcelain was repeated glazing with transparent lead glaze and final firing at low temperatures, which made the product closer to faience. The main products produced were tiles for wall cladding and tiled stoves, as well as tableware and decorative utensils. Delft craftsmen imitated the decor of blue and white Chinese porcelain, popular in Europe. In addition to Chinese drawings, craftsmen decorated their products with traditional Dutch landscapes, biblical scenes and flower arrangements.
The decline of Delft porcelain occurred at the end of the 18th century due to the growing popularity of English cream-colored ceramics. Dutch craftsmen began to close their workshops, unable to compete with English factories that used printed designs instead of hand painting. In 1876, two Dutch entrepreneurs revived porcelain production in Delft by opening the Royal Delft Porcelain Manufactory.
The white-and-blue gamut of painting products by Delft masters was copied in Russia at a faience factory founded by A. Grebenshchikov in 1724, and then served as a theme for Gzhel ceramic products (according to Wikipedia).
The bus stopped at an inconspicuous building. Modest entrance, no huge signs. We go to the middle, the year buys tickets and we go to the middle. This is an exhibition-museum of the factory's products. Porcelain products are very diverse - plates, vases, tiles, handrails, clogs and... paintings. The paintings are made up of many tiles carefully fitted to form a single pattern. The themes of the paintings are different, mostly nature and factory sketches. One of the paintings depicts children riding in a wagon, according to the guide, the models were the children of the artists themselves. Remember for ages. . .
There are three types of porcelain - handmade, handmade with flaws and stamping. Visually, the difference is not visible to non-specialists, but the difference in price is noticeable to everyone. For example, a small handmade plate costs 200 euros, the same one, but with some invisible defect - 100 euros, and stamping costs only 30 euros. Feel the difference! Each craftsman next to the brand of the factory puts his personal. The year of manufacture is also stamped there.
The white-blue color of the products is obtained as a result of special firing. The guide fell out for a long time in chemical terms, but I understood one thing, the color of the product depends on the duration of exposure in the oven - the longer, the richer the color will be.
One of the paintings in the museum has an interesting history. The painting "Night Watch" (approximately 6x4 meters in size) was commissioned by a wealthy merchant at the beginning of this century. He made a full prepayment and specified the date when to pick up. The picture was drawn, fired and stacked for about two years. When the painting was finished, it was carefully packaged for delivery to the customer. But the merchant never showed up for the painting (the times were troubled, ships sank, pirates robbed, so anything could happen in a couple of years). After some time, the picture was collected and exhibited in the gallery. There she hangs to this day. But if tomorrow a person comes and shows a receipt for the painting, then they will carefully pack it and give it back!! ! So look in your old documents, what if there is such a receipt... By the way, the cost of the painting at the moment is about one and a half million euros!
We go into the room dedicated to the royal family of the Netherlands. Pictures of kings and queens are hung on the walls, along with photographs of their visits to the factory. The quality of the engravings is amazing, the resemblance to the photographs is 100%. It was curious to look at the image of Queen Beatrix now and forty years ago...
The prices for handmade paintings are impressive - a painting with the signature “Tegelplaat” (I don’t know how it is translated, my translator gives the option “slab tile”) 55x45 cm in size costs 1.980. 30 euros, a larger painting 45x55 (Tegelplaat Stier) already costs 6.871 euros .
The guide takes us to the workshops where craftsmen create. They study to become a master for ten or fifteen years, gradually going through all the stages of studying this business. Workshops look ordinary, all semi-finished products are white and do not attract attention. Everything around is smeared with white clay and covered with white crumbs. Vladimir tells us about the factory for a long time and in detail - it is noticeable that this topic has been well studied for him.
After that, we inspect the souvenir department and go outside. Some bought small souvenirs for themselves, but the majority of tourists are light. There is practically no traffic on the street, we cross the road and get on the bus.
The next point of interest in Delft is the Market Square. Every Thursday there is a big fair. The guide recommends us to try fried fish and seafood, explaining that they are very tasty and the prices are the lowest in the Netherlands.
Near the square there is a large blue heart made of many small pieces of glass. I don’t know if the guide was joking or not, but according to his information, this is a monument to... sexual minorities! Everyone laughed, took pictures and dispersed around the market.
Anyuta has a passion for shopping, so I did not even try to keep her in one place. In an hour we walked around the entire market. We stop at one of the many fish stalls, buy ourselves fried flounder (two large pieces - 3 euros), herring (a piece weighing three hundred grams - 3 euros) and something else incomprehensible, but appetizing for five. Quite famished, we pounce on food and destroy almost everything in about fifteen minutes. You can go further.
We stop near the tent with fur products. Anyutik noticed beautiful ponytails from a distance. Some fifteen minutes of viewing the goods and finally, HE is chosen - the one and only!! ! I ask about the price and get the answer - five euros! Almost free of charge... We pick up, move on.
Inexpensive fruits and vegetables. We buy ourselves a carrot to crunch, sweetie. We stop at the layout with various types of sweets and sweets. Chocolates attract attention. The price is the same for everyone – five euros per kilo. We collect four hundred different grams, we will try on the bus, by the way, it's time to go to him...
We arrived at our next sightseeing destination - the village of Gravenhaage (S`Gravenhaage (Count's fence)). For Europeans, this place is known as the city of The Hague. In fact, the name "The Hague" was invented to simplify pronunciation by Europeans, and this settlement does not have city rights. So, formally, this is a village with a population of 400.000 people...
We examined the Queen's Palace for about two hours. The lowered flag symbolized the queen's absence from her workplace. We walk under the arches of ancient buildings, we consider architecture. The castle is like a castle, you can’t go into the middle, the courtyards are deserted and empty. The palace is surrounded by a moat, which, combined with beautiful architecture, looks beautiful. The ditch is quite wide, it was chosen by ducks and geese, which, at the sight of tourists, swim up to the shore in the hope of getting a handout. A huge oak door with steps draws our attention. As it turned out, not in vain - this is the entrance to the queen's waiting room. On certain days, she receives citizens of the country with their questions. And (according to the guide) getting to her appointment is quite real. True, for this you must have a serious reason, which you will tell her secretary about...
There are many embassies near the palace. Vladimir immediately warned: you can’t take pictures of the American embassy, there was a case that the group took a photo, two marines jumped out of the building and, having taken the camera from the nearest tourist, smashed it on the asphalt. Now the staffers have demanded from the government of the Netherlands a large piece of land in the distance and there is a new embassy building there, more protected from any enemies.
We walk through the park lined with monuments and sculptures. The very first sculpture, depicting a head without a face with large square ears, was called the "Monument to Cheburashka". Other sculptures also reminded us that we are in a country where drugs are allowed; .
We are heading to the Palace of Justice (International Court of Justice). We are told for a long time about this building, about how countries all over the world chipped in for its construction and gave various souvenirs. Even to approach this building is impossible, and we examine the surroundings. Opposite the building, an ice cream man is bored. Big politics and small business. . . Tasting ice cream, looking at stones from each country near the obelisk with the inscription "Eternal Flame of the World". Boring…
Next, we were faced with the choice of going to the North Sea, or visiting the Madurodam miniature park.
Madurodam (Dutch. Madurodam, Madurodam is also found) is a miniature park, a miniature city in Scheveningen, The Hague, in the Netherlands. It is a model of a Dutch city on a scale of 1:25, consists of typical Dutch buildings and structures, the originals of which are located in various parts of the Netherlands. The staff of 35 people is engaged in the construction and care of the models. Work on some exhibits took up to 4 years. Models are made mainly of plastic, real plants are used for the green spaces of the mini-city, mainly small-leaved trees and shrubs, which are maintained at a height of up to 60 cm by intensive shearing.
The town planning plan of Madyurodam was created by the architect Sibe Jan Bauma. In the center of Madurodam is the old center, around which there is a new area, a port and industrial zone, as well as a recreation area. In the center are churches, museums, a cheese market and characteristic Amsterdam canals, as well as the government buildings of the Binnenhof, the Rijksmuseum and the Basilica of Our Lady of Maastricht. In Madurodam Polder, a new modern residential area of Madurodam, among the old farms and mills of Leidsendam, public transport in the Netherlands is represented by the Rotterdam Blaak station. In the port of Madurodam, you can find large Dutch enterprises, oil refineries, Amsterdam Airport Schiphol and a number of large office buildings.
Madurodam was built in 1952 and has since been visited by tens of millions of tourists. This is not only a tourist attraction of The Hague and the Netherlands, but also a monument to the victims of the war. The miniature city is named for George Madurodam, a law student from Curaç ao who fought against the Nazi occupation forces, was a member of the Dutch resistance and died in Dachau in 1945. His parents donated funds to start the Madurodam project so that the proceeds from Madurodam would go to charities. purpose, namely the student sanatorium. The Madyurodam Support Fund is currently working with youth.
On July 2.1952, Princess Beatrix was appointed mayor of Madurodam, after which she took a tour of her city. Betrix held this post from the day the city was opened until her accession to the throne in 1980. Currently, Queen Beatrix is the patroness of Madurodam. Today, the mayor of Madurodam is elected by the municipal youth council, which consists of 22 students from The Hague secondary schools. The duties of the mayor of Madurodam include the opening of new models and expositions (according to Wikipedia).
I didn’t mind going to this park, but Anyuta really wanted to swim in the sea. When my wife REALLY wants something, I don’t have the strength and desire to argue and resist. Therefore, I agreed with my beloved, and we went to the sea.
Scheveningen is a popular seaside resort on the North Sea. About fifteen years ago it was a simple fishing village, gradually developed into a large resort facility. As soon as we passed the sign indicating the end of The Hague, the Scheveningen sign immediately appeared. The town impresses with its novelty and cleanliness. Five minutes and we are at the bus stop. We unload and go to the sea.
The beach strip is well-groomed and at least a hundred meters wide. Looking to the left - an endless beach, to the right - the same. Along the waterfront are small cafes, all open but empty. Anyutik busily decides to change clothes. An inspection of the area did not reveal changing cabins (later it turned out that there were none at all, why is a mystery). Such a trifle can not stop the wife, and she changes clothes under my cover. The weather is cool, somewhere around twenty degrees, no more. The sea is also cold. But the love for water in particular and the seas in general overpowers, and the beloved boldly steps into the waves. I shiver chilly under a strong wind, I can swim only in very warm weather. Huge waves roll on Anyuta, I anxiously watch her swim. Considering that my buoyancy is equal to the buoyancy of a small iron anchor, I am ready to rush into the sea only in case of serious danger to my wife. Bored on the shore, I notice a sign showing hands hiding under water and some kind of inscription in Dutch. A rough translation said that swimming in a storm is prohibited. Hmmm, but what about the huge waves on the sea considered a storm, or not? It is useless to shout, the waves are incredibly noisy, I show my wife with signs to go ashore, she in response negatively shakes her head. Well, I didn’t count on anything else... I patiently wait, finally, Anyuta has bought herself and goes out.
While she was swimming, I had a dialogue with our guide. I ask:
- Is the profession of a policeman prestigious in the Netherlands?
- No, a small salary, but significant benefits.
- And if, for example, a police officer commits a serious offense, is he covered or vice versa?
- In no case! He will be fired immediately, and the fact that he worked in the police will be an aggravating fact in court (a little different from our realities, isn't it? ).
- If you smoke a cigarette with marijuana, or just be under the influence of drugs, can you drive?
- In principle, no one will stop you on the road and check for drugs, but if you get into an accident and narcotic substances are found in your blood, this will do you a disservice in court.
- They don't check for drugs while driving?
- Once a year I arrange a raid on drivers, but at the same time, the press reports on the time and place of such checks. That is, in order to fall for such a raid, one must be blind and deaf.
How can you get Dutch citizenship?
- You have to LEGALLY live and work in the country for five years, and then apply for citizenship. Or find a wife and live in the country for three years.
- Yeah, I'm coming, marrying a Dutch woman and that's all?
- Well, you don't have to marry a Dutchwoman, you can marry a Dutchman.
- Valuable clarification. . . Thanks for the answers.
- My pleasure…
I take Anyuta from the beach, we go to a cafe. We order ice cream, sit, enjoy the rest. We finished eating, go to the bus and go home to Amsterdam. We pass by the state casino. Vladimir reports that casinos are not very popular among the Dutch, and there are always few people there.
At the exit from Scheveningen, we are stopped by the police, a terrible accident happened at the intersection ahead - a girl on a WV Polo caught a cyclist, as a result of which she received a couple of scratches on her arm. SIX police officers processed the accident by blocking all entrances to the intersection. Event of the year. . .
We drive a couple of kilometers, and we see an old Opel Cadett, at the open hood of which a woman stands sadly and looks thoughtfully into the middle. There is a revival in the bus cabin - the male part demands to stop and help the woman. Our guides refuse, arguing that it is impossible to stand here. Okay, not broken in the desert, someone will help.
We arrive at the hotel, walk a little on the street and sleep...
Breakfast, departure to Brussels.
Bruxelles (fr. Bruxelles, Dutch Brussel) is the capital of Belgium and the Brussels-Capital Region. Brussels houses the institutions of the French and Flemish communities and Flanders, the headquarters of the European Union, the NATO office, the secretariat of the Benelux countries and the Western European Union.
Together with 18 other communes, the city of Brussels forms the Brussels-Capital Region, which is actually a single city with a population of one million people, although the population of the commune of Brussels is approximately 150 thousand people. Usually the name "Brussels" is extended to the entire district.
One of the main attractions and symbol of the city is the Atomium, built for the 1958 World's Fair. The Atomium is located in the north of the city in the Laeken district and is a model of a 102 m high iron crystal enlarged 165 billion times.
In the 1960s and 70s, thanks to the law on payment for the demolition of old buildings by the state, motorization and the relocation of European institutions to Brussels, many historical buildings were demolished, as well as entire neighborhoods. In their place, new high-rise buildings made of concrete and glass have grown. So, during the laying of the underground railway between the North and South stations, the center of Brussels was built up with modern office buildings. Part of the Marolla quarter was cleared for the Palace of Justice, and the Palace of the People, one of the masterpieces of the founder of Art Nouveau Victor Horta, was also destroyed. Belgian ministries were built on the site of the destroyed Northern Quarter. For EU institutions, the European Quarter was built in the eastern part of the city.
Now, during the reconstruction of historical buildings, facadism is practiced - the preservation of the facade with a complete reconstruction of the rest of the building.
In the immediate vicinity of the Atomium there is a miniature park "Mini-Europe" with copies of the most famous buildings in Europe on a scale of 1:25. There are also six royal residences in the Laeken area.
Not far from the Grand Place / Grote Markt is the famous fountain - Manneken Pis, a bronze statue 61 cm high. There are many legends about its appearance. According to one of them, four centuries ago, a boy saved the city from a fire in this way.
Today, the world-famous Manneken Pis is the owner of a wardrobe consisting of more than 800 outfits, which are stored in the "King's House" in the Communal Museum. So, on the birthdays of Mozart and Elvis Presley, he is dressed up in appropriate costumes, and during international matches, Manneken Pis tries on the uniform of the national football team.
Since 1987, there has been a statue of Pissing Girl, the pandan Manneken Pis, a few streets down the road. In 1999, the Pissing Dog also appeared, symbolizing the unification of different cultures in Brussels (according to Wikipedia).
From Amsterdam to Brussels, nothing at all - 170 km. A couple of hours drive, and we are in the capital of Belgium. The first in line was the Museum of Weapons. On the street near the entrance there are old cannons, they are freely accessible - take pictures as much as you want. This museum contains everything related to the armies of all countries of the world over the past couple of centuries. Soviet TT, German Schmeiser, military uniform, types of cartridges and shells. Large panels illustrated the greatest battles. A lot of uniforms of the Wehrmacht and Luftwaffe (captured? ).
In another room, there are many models of sailboats and steamships. Since the models are large (one and a half to two meters long), it is possible to consider equipment and weapons in detail.
The next room contains real anti-aircraft guns, small tanks and armored personnel carriers. Mostly Belgian made.
The equipment is exhibited in a chaotic manner - a glider from the beginning of the last century is adjacent to a jet fighter, then there is a German ME-109 from the time of the BBB and again a glider. American helicopters, you can go into the middle and look around. You can sit behind the wheel of the legendary "Willis". WWII propaganda posters are also presented.
The interior of the German transport Yu-88 struck with its tightness, yes, for half a century humanity has stretched out great, and the seats in the cabin look like teenagers. Soviet technology is not presented in this hall at all. Strange, so much WWII equipment, but they couldn’t (or didn’t want to) get the Soviet one. Many exhibits are presented with a detailed description of their fate. This engine was left over from a burned-out German bomber that bombed Rotterdam, this anti-aircraft gun defended Amsterdam during raids, these gloves belonged to the famous Belgian pilot, etc. etc. Very exciting…
Worked up, were, go out into the street. The group is already converging on the bus, although there is still plenty of time. We walked near the car museum, but did not go in, because the entrance is paid, and there is not enough time, and it will not work to see everything.
The city tour turned out to be somewhat insipid. It's not about the sights, but about our mood. Brussels wasn't on our wishlist, and perhaps that's why it didn't impress. Yes, clean, yes beautiful, but of the memorable sights, only the Manneken Pis statue is world famous. NATO headquarters did not look as sinister as it seemed; . Ice cream of average quality at an average European price (I know, I probably already got it with a story about ice cream, but we really wanted to try it in all countries).
We check into the hotel "Congres 3 *" (Rue du Congres, 42). It is nothing special, a tiny room, a view of the wall of the house and a bathroom, almost the size of a room.
We rested and forward to the overview of the city. The Cathedral of Our Lady of Sablon impresses with its ancient Gothic style and beautiful sculptures. Monumental building! In the cathedral itself, the sculptures looked very unusual - white statues held hatchets and swords of golden color in their hands. Looked original. Here you can light a candle and ask the Lord for whatever you want. New candles stand in even rows, next to them is a tin box with the inscription "1 euro". Everything is built on trust - you take a candle, you throw one euro into a box.
We go down to the Maly Sablan square. In the center of the square there is a monument to King Baudouin. At the word KING, everyone associates with the crown, many mantles and the majestic pose of the sculpture. But this has nothing to do with the statue of King Baudouin. The sculpture represents the torso of a man in a business suit with clasped hands. This is not surprising, this ruler ruled Belgium from 1951 to 1993. He died childless, and the rule of the country passed to his younger brother Albert II.
While the group was actively taking pictures, we noticed a lot of young people sleeping on the grass (!!! ) with backpacks and folders. Either the students are resting, or the office plankton is relaxing. The square has wooden models of elephants, giraffes and horses. They are clumsily executed, and (for my taste) do not really fit into this landscape.
Belgium is known as a country
