Trip to Europe part 3: Bruges

Posted on September 26, 2024 by myeye1

On our third day we wanted to explore more of Belgium so we decided to spend the day in Bruges. It’s only an hour and half from Brussels so we got there in good time.

We went to Markt square where there are museums and a cathedral. You can also get rides on horse drawn carriages. The buildings were gothic looking and dramatic but quite beautiful I thought.

We decided to go on a canal boat ride after looking around. It was nice to hear some history of the town and feel the breeze and relax. I heard about Bruges from the film In Bruges that came out a few years ago. The brown wooden front building is featured in the film, which was cool to see. The Belfry of Bruges with it’s tall viewing tower is not too far either.

After our boat ride we looked around some shops on the main street before heading home. I really enjoyed our day trip, there were lots of shops, beautiful buildings and it looked well kept. Would certainly recommend a visit.

Trip to Europe part 2: Luxemburg City

Posted on September 25, 2024 by myeye1

It’s really great how you can drive to from one country to another in a few hours in Europe. On our second day of our Europe trip we drove to Luxemburg City (only 2.5 hours from Brussels) and had a look around.

One of the first things we spotted was the Adolphe bridge surrounded by greenery. I thought the gardens nearby was also pretty. Close to the garden was a gilded statue on a towering obelisk called the Golden Lady.
There were lots of viewpoints around the city to look out from, the district aptly named ‘High City’.

The best viewpoint that I liked was from the Sky lift. The end of the walkway has a glass panel around so you can get a panoramic view. There’s a lift that takes you down to the ground too where there is a play area and some fun statues.

Pfaffenthal Panoramic Elevator or Skybridge viewpoint

Children statues, one sitting one standing

Later on we looked around the city square shops and had lunch and then went to the funfair that the city holds every summer. Transport is free so you can take the tram to the location. We had a ride on the huge Ferris wheel and brought some tasty snacks. I really liked the grand looking buildings which seemed to shine in the sun.

I enjoyed my day trip to Luxemburg, not really having any expectations. It was an affluent city and well looked after and it felt safe which is always good too.

Trip to Europe part 1: Brussels

Posted on September 23, 2024 by myeye1

I don’t get to travel abroad very much and haven’t for most of my life, but I recently joined a trip with my sister and her family to Europe. I say ‘Europe’ as we decided to visit different countries. We drove to Dover and took the ferry to Calais before making our way to the Belgium capital Brussels where we were staying.

We looked around Brussels and the typical tourist locations such as manneken pis and Grand Place but we also managed to find some quirky activities like a flea market that had everything from African style masks to jewellery and paintings.

neo-Gothic King's House or Bread House building

Maison des Ducs de Brabant or House of the Dukes of Brabant building

One of the activities I really enjoyed was the Comic strip trail, where there are scenes in comic book style dotted around the city for you to find. There was also lots of other street art and murals that decorated the city that I enjoyed. And there was also, of course, lots of waffle and chocolate shops that we went into to try some samples.

In the evening we visited the Atomium, we didn’t go inside but the structure itself was quite surreal (centrepiece of the 1958 Brussels World’s Fair).

We also looked around some shops, and got some souvenirs. There was also museums in the city but we didn’t go into any.

Colourful Bride

Posted on August 12, 2024 by myeye1

I was asked to take photos at a mendhi at the weekend. A mendhi or henna party is a South Asian custom where brides get their henna done before the wedding day and is celebrated by family and friends.

The bride to be hasn’t had her henna done on her hands yet but I liked the colours of her outfit and the embroidery and flowers that give extra detail. May the bride to be have a lovely wedding and a happy future.

London Central Mosque

Posted on July 18, 2024 by myeye1

On the edge of Regent’s Park is the London Central Mosque. I have glimpsed the golden dome many times from the park but I never ventured in, until recently that is.

The interior of the mosque was beautiful as many mosques are. I loved the colour of the blue carpet and the intricate detail of the Arabic scripture written around the base of the dome.

The mosque is open to everyone, regardless of faith and I found a diverse range of people taking in the building and the prayers. It was a very peaceful visit I hope to come back to again soon.

Eid-ul-Adha 2024/1445

Posted on June 17, 2024 by myeye1

Happy Eid to Muslims around the world. It’s another tough Eid for so many; facing wars, oppression and loss of loved ones. As we cherish times with our families and friends during this special time let us think of and pray for those that need reprieve, safety and happiness the most.

Eid Mubarak. Taqabbal Allahu Minna Wa Minkum (May Allah accept it from you and us).

Colours of Spring

Posted on May 23, 2024 by myeye1

I love walking around and seeing all the flowers that awaken in Spring. All the different colours and shapes are beautiful in their own unique way. I came across these bushes with wonderful, vibrant colours and just had to take a closer look.

I love how the flowers have an ombre effect and have touches of difffernt colours.

Seeing all the bright colours makes my walk in the park all the more relaxing and enjoyable I find.

Eid-al-Fitr 2024/1445: Eid Mubarak

Posted on April 10, 2024 by myeye1

Eid Mubarak everyone. The month of Ramadan seems to have gone by quicker than expected and while challenging it has also been rewarding God willing. It was a tough month seeing so many Muslims around the world facing war and harsh conditions, may Allah make it easy for them. It makes me and I’m sure many others grateful for everything we have. I hope everyone has a lovely day with family and friends and remembers those that can’t be part of our celebrations this year and those that are less fortunate.

Palestine heroes

Posted on April 2, 2024 by myeye1

This cool street art has emerged not far from where I live. Palestinian journalists have been vital in getting information out of Gaza and they truly are heroes for risking their lives to do so. A great piece of art to honour them I think.

Barcelona birthday trip

Posted on February 29, 2024 by myeye1

I don’t get the chance to travel abroad very often so when it was my niece’s 21st birthday and she and her mum invited me along to their long weekend trip to Barcelona I had to say yes.

We managed to fit in quite a lot in the few days that we were there. We arrived Friday night and after a good night’s sleep we were up ready to go. On the first day we decided to go have a look at Antoni Gaudí’s Casa Batllo and Casa Milo. We then made our way to La Rambla which is one of the main shopping areas in Barcelona. There we lots of smaller roads going off the sides and even a really pretty square with palm trees. We found a great food market too with amazing fruit. We walked all the way down La Rambla which lead us to the coast. The weather was warm but we still needed a light jacket. We bought a blanket and stayed until the pretty sunset before heading back and looking for dinner.

The second day we decided to go further out and go to Montjuïc. Here there is a castle on the hill so we decided to take the cable cars up. You can get a fantastic view of the city and you can see just how huge the Sagrada Familia is compared to everything around it. The castle was quite big and the rooftop allowed for some more great views. Leaving the hill we came across the Olympic stadium and a pretty park so looked around there too. There were several art galleries but we didn’t go in any. In the afternoon we headed back La Rambla for lunch and then decided to go to the Banksy museum. It was great with lots of interesting artwork. I especially liked the Walled off art exhibition that he did in Palestine. In the evening we wandered around the Gothic quarter before getting some dinner.

On the third and final day we decided that one of the must see things was the Sagrada Familia and we had to see it before we left. We bought tickets on the day (via their app). Walking up to the building was quite imposing. There all sorts of different things going on. There’s fruit, towers, people, the more you look the more interesting parts there are to look at. The building is still being finished, more than a hundred years since it was started. I can see why.
Inside the Sagrada Familia was completely different to the outside. Where the outside looked chaotic, the inside was beautiful and serene. The colourful stained glass windows shining on the long tall pillars created a breathtaking affect. There was also a museum inside where you could learn about Gaudi, techniques and history, all which I found really interesting.

Coloured light inside inside Sagrada Familia

After having our fill of the church we had a late lunch and then made our way to the airport. I had a great time in Barcelona and look forward to hopefully one day going back to see so much more that we didn’t get to see.