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Post by whatagain on Apr 29, 2017 18:18:49 GMT
The restaurant 'la Bruxelloise' had as one of his best clients my father. He used to go there once a week - there was always a table for them. They moved to Phillipeville, wonder if they reopened the one at la ville basse. I don't miss this city actually... I will probably go to my mother's grave on tuesday, as I land to Brussels' south (pfff) and my mother is buried in Gosselies, about 10 min from the airport.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 29, 2017 22:34:58 GMT
Charleroi always reminds me of the poem of Arthur Rimbaud, Le Cabaret Vert. Here's the original in French and its translation in English (not by me obviously).
Au Cabaret-Vert, cinq heures du soir.
Depuis huit jours, j'avais déchiré mes bottines Aux cailloux des chemins. J'entrais à Charleroi. - Au Cabaret-Vert : je demandai des tartines Du beurre et du jambon qui fût à moitié froid.
Bienheureux, j'allongeai les jambes sous la table Verte : je contemplai les sujets très naïfs De la tapisserie. - Et ce fut adorable, Quand la fille aux tétons énormes, aux yeux vifs,
- Celle-là, ce n'est pas un baiser qui l'épeure ! - Rieuse, m'apporta des tartines de beurre, Du jambon tiède, dans un plat colorié,
Du jambon rose et blanc parfumé d'une gousse D'ail, - et m'emplit la chope immense, avec sa mousse Que dorait un rayon de soleil arriéré.
Arthur Rimbaud
Octobre 1870
At the Green Inn, Five in the Evening
For a whole week I had ripped up my boots On the stones of the roads. I walked into Charleroi; Into the Green Inn: I asked for some slices Of bread and butter, and some half-cooled ham.
Happy, I stuck out my legs under the green table: I studied the artless patterns of the Wallpaper - and it was charming when the girl With the huge breasts and lively eyes,
- A kiss wouldn't scare that one! - Smilingly brought me some bread and butter And lukewarm ham, on a coloured plate; -
Pink and white ham, scented with a clove of garlic - And filled my huge beer mug, whose froth was turned Into gold by a ray of late sunshine.
Arthur Rimbaud
October 1870
There is a rock music festival every year in Charleville-Mézières, French Ardennes, called Le Cabaret Vert - Arthur Rimbaud was born in Charleville-Mézières.
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Post by bixaorellana on Apr 30, 2017 2:56:07 GMT
I have to say after looking at this latest installment that Charleroi looks as though it might make a comeback, that in the right set of circumstances it could be "discovered" for low-impact manufacturing and the arts. That would be nice.
Lovely, lovely poem, Askar.
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Post by patricklondon on May 1, 2017 10:55:24 GMT
There is much lamenting in the UK of a similar decline in the "high streets" of many an old industrial town, where the combined impact of the loss of industry, internet shopping, big-box stores and purpose-built shopping centres is squeezing out old-style small businesses, leaving just temporary bargain shops, betting shops and the like. Not many places seem to find a viable new concept. My blog | My photos | My video clips"too literate to be spam"
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Post by bixaorellana on May 1, 2017 15:39:35 GMT
Huge swathes of the US look just as you describe, Patrick. For a while in the 80s city fathers were spending gobs of money on putting in brick sidewalks, fake gas lighting and other "olde" touches to turn those areas into places where theoretically people would flood in to dine and shop. There was one such commercial venture in Baton Rouge that managed to go belly up in @a year and a half. Later the Federal gov't. stepped in but ultimately failed to save it. That's a pretty typical story, where it was proved that a deserted shopping area couldn't be revitalized by putting in cutesy expensive stores and restaurants -- things that don't thrive in the vacuum of no jobs and no reason to live in an area. As you point out and as Bjd said, But if there is still high unemployment, people will not be shopping in the fancy shops.
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Post by kerouac2 on Feb 4, 2018 19:33:15 GMT
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Post by whatagain on Feb 6, 2018 11:09:00 GMT
No. Calarasi, Romania is worse.
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Post by kerouac2 on Nov 9, 2021 11:31:24 GMT
I had to look at this old report again to compare the photos with whatagain's brand new report -- some of them are identical!
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Post by whatagain on Nov 10, 2021 20:25:30 GMT
I had to look at this old report again to compare the photos with whatagain's brand new report -- some of them are identical! Yes indeed ! Les grands esprits se rencontrent.
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Post by kerouac2 on May 28, 2022 5:16:44 GMT
This is a look into another problem of Charleroi.
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Post by whatagain on Jun 17, 2022 18:34:34 GMT
I was today in Charleroi. Here ghecplace Buisset, in front of the trainstation. The side behind me has been rebuilt, that side not. That depicts Charleroi today : either it has been destroyed orcrepaired or is waiting for one of those... The trainstation, across the river Sambre. It seems itvis always being repaired, as every 5 years it is desyroyed and changed. They built nice wooden pontoons along the canal. Le café de Paris... there us one in Waterloo and ine in St Trop. And probably lots of others. We like cartoons in Charleroi. This oeuvre d art is inspired by chimneys, that were everywhere during the industrial past. Nowadays locals call it the phallus. Wondering why.
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