In the evening we're visiting the 'Mijn.Kracht' (Mine Power)festival at the square in front of coalmine Heusden Zolder. A cold wind is blowing, people gather together in the small tents around the square. A performance by 'Tol Theatre'
In Genk Winterslag we (my brother Ton and I) are visiting C mine complex. The former coalmine is now a combination of restored and new buildings, housing a restaurant, a museum, a cinema, an art and design academy
In Liège Val Benoit there's much renovation activities. A former hydro-energyplant is center of a large area. New parkinglots, benches and trees, small hills, new bridges across the river. Very strange; the infrastructire is new or renovated for
A day of cycling against the wind . On the road I pass by the old coalmine of Cheratte, which still looks like a castle. The buildings are restored, but not much activity is shown today. I enter
In 1979 I took photo's of the beautiful coalmine remnants here. Nowadays there's nothing that remains of the coalmine history. Only big 'shoeboxes', car dealers, construction companies. Finally I see a brutalist sculpture from the 50s-60s, lost on
Along the river Worm there's a nice landscpe with trees, pastures, wetlands and hills. I was here in 2006 with a mining engineer and saw coalseams. I couldn't find this spot now, but I enjoy the scenery, lots
Heerlen Beersdal. I was in this neighborhood in 2006 with city architect van Mastrigt. Beersdal had just been released and was no longer protected by monumental care, which meant that people could renovate to their own taste. There
Maankwartier (Moonquarter ) Heerlen, the brainchild of artist Michel Huisman, is still under construction. The migration museum is located in one of the still empty stores as a kind of pop-up store, with an interesting exhibition about the
In Heerlen it is Easter Saturday and especially: partytime! A medieval market with calligraphers and stand workers, a bagpipe orchestra but also book sellers present their delicacies. All this against the backdrop of Schunck, the first real department
Duisburg Homberg. A kind of deserted village with a Rhine promenade, beautiful trees, a cycling and walking path and benches to relax. Behind the housing you see industry, aside the bridge of the A40 across the Rhine, where
