Day 208: Atomiun
Date: 28 MARCH 2009
Had a famous delicious Belgium Waffles for breakfast.
Together with Sabrina and Clayton, we made our way to the Atomiun, the most astonishing building in the world.
We took the subway there. A little information about the subway. There is no barrier or gate between the ticketing area and the train area other than a red line on the floor which seperates the 2 areas. So basically we can just enter the boarding area and hop onto any train without buying a ticket. But did we?
Then it started raining but that did not dampen not mood! :)
Presenting the ATOMIUN!!!
The Atomium is a monument built for Expo '58, the 1958 Brussels World's Fair. Designed by André Waterkeyn, it is 102-metres (335 ft) tall, with nine steel spheres connected so that the whole forms the shape of a unit cell of an iron crystal magnified 165 billion times.
Tubes which connect the spheres along the 12 edges of the cube and all eight vertices to the centre enclose escalators connecting the spheres which contain exhibit halls and other public spaces. The top sphere provides a panoramic view of Brussels. Each sphere is 18 metres in diameter. Three spheres are currently (2008) closed to visitors, others are easily reachable with escalator. The vertical vertex contains a lift which was considered very fast and advanced at the time of building (the speed is 5 m/s).
One of the original ideas for Expo '58 was to build an upside-down version of the Eiffel tower; however, Waterkeyn felt that an atomic structure would be more symbolic of the era. The monument was originally planned to remain standing only six months. However, it soon became a symbol not only of the World's Fair, but of modern architecture and Brussels. The monument stayed the same for almost 50 years.
A wedding photoshoot taking place inside the Atomiun.
Views from the Atomiun.
Within the tube that connects sphere to sphere.
Inside one of the exibition halls.
Leaving the Atomiun.
Bright and sunny, thus we made our way to the grand place, once again.
Me and clayton started the magnum thingy again.. haha..
But since now that we are three, we can so something even better!! Lots of eyes were on us then. Haha..
For your information, every two years in August, an enormous "flower carpet" is set up in the Grand Place for a few days. A million colourful begonias are set up in patterns, and the display covers a full 24 by 77 metres (79 by 250 ft), for area total of 1,800 square metres (19,000 sq ft). The first flower carpet was made in 1971, and due to its popularity, the tradition continued, with the flower carpet attracting a large number of tourists.
Too bad I did not see it for myself but heres a photo found online and it gives us an idea of how grand and beautiful it is.
More interesting things around the Grand Place.
Lots of people were touching this as they believe it will give good luck.
Belgium, the creator and home of Tin Tin!!
The famous peeing boy of Brussels!!! Manneken Pis (Dutch for little man urinating), also known in French as the petit Julien, is a famous Brussels landmark. It is a small bronze fountain sculpture depicting a naked little boy urinating into the fountain's basin. It was designed by Jerome Duquesnoy and put in place in 1618 or 1619.
There are several legends behind this statue, but the most famous is the one about Duke Godfrey III of Leuven. In 1142, the troops of this two-year-old lord were battling against the troops of the Berthouts, the lords of Grimbergen, in Ransbeke (now Neder-over-Heembeek). The troops put the infant lord in a basket and hung the basket in a tree to encourage them. From there, the boy urinated on the troops of the Berthouts, who eventually lost the battle.
Another legend states that in the 14th century, Brussels was under siege by a foreign power. The city had held its ground for some time, so the attackers conceived of a plan to place explosive charges at the city walls. A little boy named Juliaanske happened to be spying on them as they were preparing. He urinated on the burning fuse and thus saved the city. There was at the time (middle of the 15th century, perhaps as early as 1388) a similar statue made of stone. The statue was stolen several times. In 1619 it was replaced by the current bronze statue, created by Franco-Flemish Baroque sculptor Jerome Duquesnoy, father of the more famous François.
Another story (told often to tourists) tells of a wealthy merchant who, during a visit to the city with his family, had his beloved young son go missing. The merchant hastily formed a search party that scoured all corners of the city until the boy was found happily urinating in a small garden. The merchant, as a gift of gratitude to the locals who helped out during the search, had the fountain built.
Another legend was that a small boy went missing from his mother when shopping in the center of the city. The woman, panic-stricken by the loss of her child, called upon everyone she came across, including the mayor of the city. A city-wide search began and when at last the child was found, he was peeing on the corner of a small street. The story was passed down over time and the statue erected as tribute to the well known fable.
Another legend tells of the young boy who was awoken by a fire and was able to put out the fire with his urine, in the end this helped stop the king's castle from burning down.
Well, enough said. This is HIM!!!
Time to chill.
Sabrina made us dinner!! :P For once I do not need to cook.
We then went for a house warming party, the theme, Hippies. So here I am trying to be a gay hippy!! How? Do I pass?
CLayton trying to do a heel stretch in the house.
More pictures taken in the house party.
I always believe in making more friends and knowing more people. There is a chinese saying, knowing one more friend is getting than making one more enemy. Its true. Siew Han, the guy in this picture, is a friend of Sabrina's and I just got to know him at very night. But he was really kind to take me in and let me stay at his house when I get to Amsterdam in a few days time. Cool!! More about it when I get to Amsterdam.
*Click HERE to return to the Main Page of The Cold Journey.*
Had a famous delicious Belgium Waffles for breakfast.
Together with Sabrina and Clayton, we made our way to the Atomiun, the most astonishing building in the world.
We took the subway there. A little information about the subway. There is no barrier or gate between the ticketing area and the train area other than a red line on the floor which seperates the 2 areas. So basically we can just enter the boarding area and hop onto any train without buying a ticket. But did we?
Then it started raining but that did not dampen not mood! :)
Presenting the ATOMIUN!!!
The Atomium is a monument built for Expo '58, the 1958 Brussels World's Fair. Designed by André Waterkeyn, it is 102-metres (335 ft) tall, with nine steel spheres connected so that the whole forms the shape of a unit cell of an iron crystal magnified 165 billion times.
Tubes which connect the spheres along the 12 edges of the cube and all eight vertices to the centre enclose escalators connecting the spheres which contain exhibit halls and other public spaces. The top sphere provides a panoramic view of Brussels. Each sphere is 18 metres in diameter. Three spheres are currently (2008) closed to visitors, others are easily reachable with escalator. The vertical vertex contains a lift which was considered very fast and advanced at the time of building (the speed is 5 m/s).
One of the original ideas for Expo '58 was to build an upside-down version of the Eiffel tower; however, Waterkeyn felt that an atomic structure would be more symbolic of the era. The monument was originally planned to remain standing only six months. However, it soon became a symbol not only of the World's Fair, but of modern architecture and Brussels. The monument stayed the same for almost 50 years.
A wedding photoshoot taking place inside the Atomiun.
Views from the Atomiun.
Within the tube that connects sphere to sphere.
Inside one of the exibition halls.
Leaving the Atomiun.
Bright and sunny, thus we made our way to the grand place, once again.
Me and clayton started the magnum thingy again.. haha..
But since now that we are three, we can so something even better!! Lots of eyes were on us then. Haha..
For your information, every two years in August, an enormous "flower carpet" is set up in the Grand Place for a few days. A million colourful begonias are set up in patterns, and the display covers a full 24 by 77 metres (79 by 250 ft), for area total of 1,800 square metres (19,000 sq ft). The first flower carpet was made in 1971, and due to its popularity, the tradition continued, with the flower carpet attracting a large number of tourists.
Too bad I did not see it for myself but heres a photo found online and it gives us an idea of how grand and beautiful it is.
More interesting things around the Grand Place.
Lots of people were touching this as they believe it will give good luck.
Belgium, the creator and home of Tin Tin!!
The famous peeing boy of Brussels!!! Manneken Pis (Dutch for little man urinating), also known in French as the petit Julien, is a famous Brussels landmark. It is a small bronze fountain sculpture depicting a naked little boy urinating into the fountain's basin. It was designed by Jerome Duquesnoy and put in place in 1618 or 1619.
There are several legends behind this statue, but the most famous is the one about Duke Godfrey III of Leuven. In 1142, the troops of this two-year-old lord were battling against the troops of the Berthouts, the lords of Grimbergen, in Ransbeke (now Neder-over-Heembeek). The troops put the infant lord in a basket and hung the basket in a tree to encourage them. From there, the boy urinated on the troops of the Berthouts, who eventually lost the battle.
Another legend states that in the 14th century, Brussels was under siege by a foreign power. The city had held its ground for some time, so the attackers conceived of a plan to place explosive charges at the city walls. A little boy named Juliaanske happened to be spying on them as they were preparing. He urinated on the burning fuse and thus saved the city. There was at the time (middle of the 15th century, perhaps as early as 1388) a similar statue made of stone. The statue was stolen several times. In 1619 it was replaced by the current bronze statue, created by Franco-Flemish Baroque sculptor Jerome Duquesnoy, father of the more famous François.
Another story (told often to tourists) tells of a wealthy merchant who, during a visit to the city with his family, had his beloved young son go missing. The merchant hastily formed a search party that scoured all corners of the city until the boy was found happily urinating in a small garden. The merchant, as a gift of gratitude to the locals who helped out during the search, had the fountain built.
Another legend was that a small boy went missing from his mother when shopping in the center of the city. The woman, panic-stricken by the loss of her child, called upon everyone she came across, including the mayor of the city. A city-wide search began and when at last the child was found, he was peeing on the corner of a small street. The story was passed down over time and the statue erected as tribute to the well known fable.
Another legend tells of the young boy who was awoken by a fire and was able to put out the fire with his urine, in the end this helped stop the king's castle from burning down.
Well, enough said. This is HIM!!!
Time to chill.
Sabrina made us dinner!! :P For once I do not need to cook.
We then went for a house warming party, the theme, Hippies. So here I am trying to be a gay hippy!! How? Do I pass?
CLayton trying to do a heel stretch in the house.
More pictures taken in the house party.
I always believe in making more friends and knowing more people. There is a chinese saying, knowing one more friend is getting than making one more enemy. Its true. Siew Han, the guy in this picture, is a friend of Sabrina's and I just got to know him at very night. But he was really kind to take me in and let me stay at his house when I get to Amsterdam in a few days time. Cool!! More about it when I get to Amsterdam.
*Click HERE to return to the Main Page of The Cold Journey.*
posted by ZeeVinCeZ at 8:30 AM
1 Comments:
very useful article. I would love to follow you on twitter. By the way, did any one know that some chinese hacker had busted twitter yesterday again.
Post a Comment
<< Home