B# .NET Blog

Microsoft Virtual Earth is cool - it really is. But did you - fellow Belgians - know it's closer that you might have expected? I collected a few links to a number of interesting places in Belgium that I really like (because of various reasons). An overview...

Ghent

The place where I studied and lived for the last couple of years. Also known by the Belgian Developer & IT Pro community for hosting the Developer & IT Pro Days this year and last year. Photos were taken on a sunny Sunday somewhere in July last year during "De Gentse Feesten" (click the links to collect evidence):

• Sint-Jacobs (with dirty streets due to the "Feesten")
• Vrijdagmarkt and kermis
• Gravensteen
• Graslei/Korenlei (with Polé Polé festival)
• The three towers
• Kouter
• Opera and Palace of Justice
• Gent Zuid shopping center
• Bijloke
• Blaarmeersen
• Sint-Pietersplein (underground parking construction work almost finished)
• SMAK and International Convention Center (Developer & IT Pro Days venue)
• Gent Sint-Pieters railway station
• Train driving to Ghent, possibly coming from Zottegem (my home town which unfortunately isn't on Virtual Earth yet)

University places:

• Boekentoren and Faculty of Engineering
• Entrance of Technicum
• Sint-Pieters church and Faculty of Economy
• Zuiderpoort
• Sterre campus - S9 building
• Watersportbaan and GUSB
• My place (center window in the picture)
• Julien (center of the picture, famous French Belgian fries in Ghent)

Antwerp

I do not come to Antwerp that often, but it's a nice place nevertheless (especially according to citizens of Antwerp). A few interesting places that pop in my mind directly:

• Railway station and Zoo
• Groenplaats, Cathredral and Boekentoren
• Grote Markt, Steen, Schelde

Mechelen

• Sint-Rombouts
• Utopolis (a few Microsoft Belux MSDN events are taking place here)
• Tivoli Castle (where I presented IIS 7.0 to the VISUG user group)

Ostend

Popular tourist places at or near to the Belgian coast:

• Casino
• Casino once more (observe Dirk Frimout on the roof in front of the casino)
• Thermae Palace Hotel and Koninklijke Gaanderijen with pinguins on the roof border (no joke!)
• Katholieke Hogeschool Brugge (presented an MSDN Security Evening session over there)
• Domain Prins Karel (remainder of the Atlantikwall)
• Fort Napoleon (nice less-known attraction and restaurant)
• Railway station, a few boats, Cathedral
• Mercator

Bruges

Undoubtly (one of) the most popular places in Belgium for tourists, especially the Japanese. Since I'm sure the latter ones have a zillions of photographs already I limit myself to two links:

• Belfort
• Minnewater

Redmond

Where I'll stay from October on:

• Microsoft Corporation HQ Redmond, WA - Building 10

Enjoy!