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Suggestions for photo ops in Benelux(Belgium and Netherlands)


dtmchan

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Hi all,

 

I am going to Belgium and Netherlands next month. I am going to stay

at Bruges, Brussels and Amsterdam cities about 3 nights each. I can

travel to other places in the region.

 

Please suggest what places are best/good for my photo ops. I am

taking Nikon D100/18-70dx/12-24dx/70-300af

 

Thanks your replies in advance.

 

Damon

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Your question sounds like the joky one: I am going to heaven this week, what places are good to photograph when I am there?

 

Bruges and Amsterdam (center parts) are as photographic as cities in Europe come. Get into their central old parts and photograph, maybe 1 film per hour minimum.

 

What photo ops do you need once you are in photographic heaven, come on. You must be joking.

 

Did you google to find some tourist sites with B and A pics. Did you see what heaven looks like?

 

But maybe you do not how to see. So sorry.

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Dear Damon,

 

Ardennes for landscapes (a lot of flat land otherwise).

 

Brugge is the prettiest of the cities you are visiting, in my limited experience.

 

'Heaven' would be an exaggeration from my point of view -- I could probably think quite quickly of 100 places I'd rather go, in at least 10 countries* -- but yes, they are all attractive. Better to concentrate on getting good pictures where you ARE going, than pining after places you aren't. Three days in one place usually delivers more good pictures for me than six half-days in different places.

 

Cheers,

 

Roger

 

*all right: limiting it to places I have been (and in three cases, lived), Bermuda, France, Greece, India, Malta, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia

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<p>I have been living in Ghent, a city nearby Bruges for several years but only visited Bruges a few times (so far ;o). Bruges in itself is a beautiful city and you will have lots of photo opportunities in the city itself. You can also hire a bike (among others at the train station), buy a map at the tourist board (with cycling and walking routes) and make a tour around the city that will bring you in smaller villages and through some really nice landscapes. If you're up to it, you can even cycle to the North Sea (but to be honoust the Belgian coastline is one of the ugliest around, hardly any dunes left and loads of appartment buildings polluting the landscape; the polder landscape before you reach the actual coastal zone however is very nice).</p>

 

<p>Brussels I don't know that well. I haven't been there much and personally I'm not too fond of that city, but depending on the type of photography you're looking for, you'll also have lots of opportunities there (the city itself and the surroundings). To give you a first idea of what there is to see: <url>http://www.visitbelgium.com/bxlhighlights.htm</url></p>

 

<p>And Amsterdam, well it's been over 15 years since I last went there, but I guess you'd better wait if someone who's been there more recently to give you advice on that destination ;o) </p>

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Hi Damon,

 

I live just outside Amsterdam and go to Bruges whenever I have the chance. I'm not much of a cityscape person, but I think you'll find lots of great people shots if you go to the various nightlife areas in Amsterdam...Leidseplein and around the Rembrandtsplein. The Museumplein also attracts some oddball characters. One thing I would caution...if you find yourself in the Red Light District, DO NOT take photos of the ladies in the windows. That's inviting trouble. There are georgeous buildings and the bridges over the canals are pretty, as well. As to Bruges, it's also a very pretty town. Maybe the prettiest I've seen. Off hand I can't think of anything specific I'd want to photograph, but doubtless you'll find lots.

I'd agree with Roger...go to the Ardennes for landscapes. It sort of reminds me of southern Illinois where I grew up. Rolling hills and picturesque villages. Try to get there if you can.

 

Hope this helps a bit!

 

Phil

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Brugge is great at night, so have some means of taking steady long exposures. Do the "tower" trip (telephoto is best). Also do not confine yourself to the immediate vicinity of the Market Square (Markt); for example, as a taster:

 

Leave 'Markt' eastwards via 'Philipstokstraat' (great beer shop here, and farther along cheap meals at "Den Fuchs" - The Fox) & head slightly north of east for 'Spieglerei' for a nice canal scene (stitch a panoramic together); Go farther north along 'Landerei' for architectural details, or head back to 'Markt' via 'Gouden Handrei'. (Enter 'street names' in multimap.com, etc)

 

Night photos of the Stadtshuis are good but a superwide is needed. Night scenes are especially good from 'Braambergerstraat'. 200m SE from <Braambergerstraat> there is a large wooden gate on S. side of 'Dijver' (in the college precinct) - nice footbridge in here.

 

Some nice windmills on the E/NE edge of the old town - daffodils should be out for a while.

 

Brugge is often at its very best before 8:30am when it is relatively quiet, or for half an hour around dusk when the sky is (hopefully) indigo. If it rains, the cobbled streets at night can be classic.

 

Don't miss the Begijnhofs (Beguinage) in most Flemish & Dutch towns - usually havens of tranquility/antiquity (often poorly signposted).

 

Not far from Amsterdam (10 miles by car, 8 by bike!) 'Zaanse Schans' windmills are classic - you'll probably find a working one that presses/mills peanuts for oil, do the tour & inhale! The Zaanse 'craft village' is in part a recreation and a little commercialised, but has a good cheese shop (try the fenugreek flavoured cheese); plus clogmaking demo .... And lots more.......

 

If near Ieper (Ypres) the WWI museum is both interesting & depressing: Menin Gate Ceremony takes place every day at 8pm (http://www.fylde.demon.co.uk/menin.htm) Take a Kleenex.

 

Finally, if driving, beware of Belgian roadsigns: thay are often in the wrong place ... ie after the junction.

 

Enjoy.

 

Alan - "Ik houd van Vlaanderen"

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Quick update - Brugge: I shudda said head for 'Spinolerei' not 'Spieglerei' (sorta NE from 'Philipstokstraat' through cobbled streets).

 

'Spinolerei' is on the S side of the canal and affords a nice panoramic looking mainly W-N. Mornings are usually best.

 

Forgot to say - (civic) museums & art galleries in Belgium are mostly closed on Mondays.

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Roger! Don't get me started on Belgian drivers! Possibly the English term "Wally" derives from the Continent!?

 

Certainly the 'amusing' roadsign placement, choice of three official languages, two spellings of many place names, a high degree of food angst ... and some of the very best beer in the whole universe, all add to the charm of the country!

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Genuine dialog from an British expatriates' Bulletin Board/Website:

 

Poster A: "My wife needs to get a Belgian drivers license ... We've been told that English versions of the Road rules/Wegcode are available, does anyone know [where from]?".

 

Poster B: "I'd be amazed if you saw anyone else following the rules"

 

Poster C: "It has got to be the most comprehensive set of road rules - hardly abided by most Belgie drivers".

 

Poster D: "I was a traffic cop in the UK for 15 years before taking Belgian nationality and I now do the same job here, but on a motorcycle. In the begining I really tried to get the message home about careful driving but now I cannot be bothered ...."

 

Sorry moderator(s)but this is such a gem!

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OK OK, Can't let this one get over me without at least reacting! I was born in Belgium, lived there for many years (though at the moment living in China).

 

I agree with the Belgian road signs (not only in the wrong place, but way too many of them as well; at some crossings it's like a forest of road signs so don't blame us for not understanding anymore what we can/should do ;o), but if you really want to drive crazy, come over to China. I sometimes feel everyone in traffic has his own set of rules...

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Damon,

close to Bruges are some canals that are very nice; try Damme.

The coast is also close, if you like the sea; there is a birdsanctuary (the Zwin) in Knokke.

Brussels has the prettiest Grand Place in the world (or so they claim) with lots of medieval history. A short trainride will get you to Antwerp, antoher interesting city.

You'll find English tourguides locally and you won't have a problem making yourself understood in English. If you need more, mail me and I'll try to help.

A Belgian driver :-)

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Ilse, Thanks for the invitation to China, I'll book my tour ticket shortly ... you can drive! Excluding dangerous mountain passes, Italian cities remain my worst overall experience, apart from the Arc de Triomphe of course, then Zimbabwe bush roads with concoming "You-move-over-I'm-not-going-to" buses, and so on .... Belgium is pretty tame by comparison.
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Dear Alan,

 

Fair enough! Italy tops my list for sheer terror.

 

On my first visit as an adult, on a motorcycle, we were rear-ended within 45 minutes of arriving in the country and my wife Frances would be dead if she hadn't been wearing a good crash helmet.

 

On our second visit (in a Land Rover) we saw 5 serious or possibly fatal accidents in 3 days in Italy and someone tried to take our door off: if Frances had opened the door 3 seconds earlier and tried to step out, she would probably have lost a leg. We were in a hotel car park and I was one car-space (Frances's side) from the hedge.

 

On this latter journey we saw NO other significant accidents in the rest of the 3 weeks in other European countries...

 

I've ridden or driven in many allegedly difficult places, including Paris (the Etoile ain't that bad), central London, Mexico, India, Greece and Malta. Belgium really isn't in that class -- I have only been really scared once in what must amount in total to a (very) few weeks in Belgium over the last 20+ years.

 

After a recent trip to China (as a passenger only, not driving, but we covered hundreds of miles) I'd agree that the Chinese are crazy but at least as drivers they are not aggressive: they're laid-back crazy, like, um, Mexico, India, Greece, Malta... But Italians are aggressive.

 

The Land Rover now has a new chassis and rock sliders on the sills so we can drive to Malta through Italy with reasonable confidence.

 

Cheers,

 

Roger

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Hello Roger

 

Yup! some parts of the world offer unnecessary driving experiences. That's why I try to get off the big fast roads and onto the smallest that'll take my Land Rover. (Yes folks I'm a gas-guzzling, road-hogging, slow moving, gum-boot-wearing, straw-chewing 4x4 user! But it's a work-horse, not a show-pony).

 

Well, to stay a little On Topic {ha!): Land Rover servicing in Belgium is c.36 Euros per hour compared to around E120 here in the UK, though parts are a bit more expensive. Martin Vanderdonckt (garagevanderdonckt.be) in Ronse (Renais) services my 'old' L/R Discovery when I'm over there. This allows me to take a day trip to Gent (etc) by very cheap and efficient Belgian trains while he works away.

 

Maybe I should mail you on some related Landy issues? I'm off to the Dolomites on a mountain geomorphology/photography trip in June, with some stop-overs in Flanders and the Ardennes/Hohe Venn/Vulkan-Eifel nature-parks. Then in July possibly to Picos del Europa if you know it?

 

Might be time to start a new 4WD/AWD across Europe thread, or something: we're subverting this one a bit.

 

Cheers

 

Alan

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Dear Alan,

 

New thread started -- take a look.

 

Where do you get good LR servicing at 36 euros/hr?

 

And where do you pay 120/hr?

 

I was pleased with the people who put my new LR chassis in (Graywall) at maybe forty to fifty euros an hour VAT paid.

 

Cheers,

 

Roger

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Roger

 

Landrover 'Specialist' servicing costs me approx 35 Euros/hour in Belgium and (on average) 100 Euros in Derbyshire UK. My village garage charges 85 Euros/hour!

 

Garage Vanderdonckt in Ronse, Belgium charges me 180 Euros (inc materials, etc) for a full/major service; my nearby (East Midlands) L/R main dealer - and independent - charge 280 Euros for a less comprehensive service. The savings, including fuel, pay for the Channel ferry ...

 

See you on the new thread

 

Cheers

 

Alan

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Hello Roger

 

Oops I nearly missed this tail-ender. Sure, contact Martin Vanderdonckt (email ad. is on their website), he's on my Christmas card list!

 

Can I suggest you drop me an email, then I can mail you some specific information which may interest you? You can get my email address from the photo.net look-up.

 

I'll rough out some notes on Ronse and a few other topics, shortly.

 

Regards, Alan

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As you're already in Ronse, ever considered doing a trip in that region? The wider region is known as the 'Ardennes of Flanders' and though not as hilly as the real Ardennes, I found them also more than worth a visit (actually, they're on my 'to-go-to' list for when I'm back over in Belgium in a few weeks time).
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Hi Ilse

 

I think "we" have confused you. Roger and I are in England. I use Ronse as a nodal point on my trips to Europe - accomodation, place to have car serviced, friends nearby, etc. Some day I may even reocate there.

 

Yes, agree it is a nice district, with rolling countryside and woodland; very different to other parts of Flanders. However it's not really 4x4 territory; I think I only know of one dirt road that requires 4WD. And you're rarely more than 1km from a house or village hereabouts.

 

Regards, Alan

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Alan, from your previous posts I did figure out you didn't live in Belgium (didn't know in which country though). I only found it strange you were mentioning all these other places in Belgium worth a visit, without mentioning the region in and around Ronse where you had your car serviced.
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