2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

16.

17.

18.

19.

20.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

Yesterday, 10.10.2011 Mikhail Gorbachev held a conference in University of Liege.

2. He looks well for he’s 80th anniversary.

3.

4.

5. As a true politician he never gives a straight reply to any question.

6. In the end, Mikhail Gorbachev received the title of doctor honoris causa from University of Liege.

7.

2. The park developed from the playground for kids of pilgrims to an amusement park.

3. It was not aimed to big modern attractions but rather was an easily accessible and inexpensive park for children.

4. The main attraction of the park was 800 meters long suspended bridge along the perimeter of the park.

5. The bridge was the longest in Europe at the moment.

6. There’re still attractions in the park, but most of them are overgrown.

7. For several years there was attempts to breath the new life in the park.

8. New since 1980:
* Witch hut
* 3rd animal park
* Expanded Winnetou terrain
* Children paradise
// The management is not responsible for accidents.

9. The menu of the cafe – prices are in Belgian and French francks (Bfr and Ffr)

10. In 2000 a heartbreak accident happened in the park. A boy from Kortrijk has lost his arm riding the "Nautic Jet" attraction (on the picture).

11. This accident was the last in a row of accidents, and also the heaviest one in the history of the park.

12. After the accident many people began complaining about the safety of the park and the number of visitors falled down.

13. In 2002 it was announced that the park would be closed for one year renovation, but it was never reopened since.

14. Since 2004 many companies were interested in buying the park and reconstruct it to more modern amusement park with attractions like "Log ride".

15. After much discussions they were ready to sign the planning regulations.

16. But apparently it was hard for investors to come over the bridge. The area falls under the term "daily recreation" which means it should be easily accessible and should only have commercial profit from 15 to 20 percent.

17. In 2005 action committee "Save Dadipark" was established to accelerate the park redeveloppement and reopening.

18. After several meetings of the committee the developer promised a quick solution. The park would be revitalized in the short term, renewing a water system, a hall and game shops.

19. The bridge and the big slide should be preserved.

20. The only problem was the regional plan, where Dadipark is registered as recreation area. In 2011, there is no prospect of redevelopment of the park and it is becoming increasingly difficult to attract investors.

21. Reopening therefore seems more unlikely than ever. In the summer of 2011 a van was set on fire, showing that the security is inadequate.

22. On September 20, 2011 was therefore announced that the Municipality of Moorslede have a demolition permit approved and will organize clean-up.

23. Let’s walk around the park, anyway. It’s open for everybody and was quite vandalized. But some graffity are nice.

24. Skateboarders build a small skatepark inside a main hall.

25. Small pleasure train will never carry passengers again…

26. A small house in the middle of a labyrinth

27. Spiral staircase leads to the top of slide ride.

28. Small slide ride

29. A toilet.

30. Animal park house.

31. A train cart.

32. Some of attractions are still functioning. We got a ride on this rolling thing.

33. Rolling tubes are also fun!

34. Try to hold yourself upside down!

35. Overgrown swings

36. Another fun attraction – it can roll and tilt.

37. More swings

38. Swings

39. One of the swings were not overgrown enough, so we ride it!

40. Next there was a rope ride.

41. It’s awesome!

42. It becomes even better because one rides between trees

43. Model of a ship. Purpose unknown.

44. A big slide.

45. I did it once =)

46. Another rolling tube.

47. All building are rolled in graffity.

48. Spiral staircase

49. The cafe next to the park

50. The door

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

Set this picture as wallpaper on you desktop : 1920 x 1200 px

2. Genk, Belgium – 21 July 2011: Everts and friends charity race. Fun bikes race – the Superman.

3. Genk, Belgium – 21 July 2011: Everts and friends charity race. Fun bike race – the Tiger.

4. Genk, Belgium – 21 July 2011: Everts and friends charity race. Stefan Everts welcomes spectators.

5. Genk, Belgium – 21 July 2011: Everts and friends charity race. Sara Petterson on the welcome round

6. Genk, Belgium – 21 July 2011: Everts and friends charity race. Riders clear up the first jump after the start.

7. Genk, Belgium – 21 July 2011: Everts and friends charity race. Little boy plays with motocross riders figures and toys while watching the race.

8. Genk, Belgium – 21 July 2011: Everts and friends charity race. Danny Theybers and Pascal Rauchenecker fight for leading position in American Race.

9. Genk, Belgium – 21 July 2011: Everts and friends charity race. Pascal Rauchenecker flies over heads of spectators.

10. Genk, Belgium – 21 July 2011: Everts and friends charity race. Rui Goncalves is followed by Stefan Everts.

11. Genk, Belgium – 21 July 2011: Everts and friends charity race. Stefan Everts leans into a turn.

12. Genk, Belgium – 21 July 2011: Everts and friends charity race. Riders jump over the trampoline.

13. Genk, Belgium – 21 July 2011: Everts and friends charity race. Riders following each other in the air.

14. Genk, Belgium – 21 July 2011: Everts and friends charity race. Tanel Leok looks to the exit from the turn.

15. Genk, Belgium – 21 July 2011: Everts and friends charity race. Bearded man plays trompet.

16. Genk, Belgium – 21 July 2011: Everts and friends charity race. Boy wearing cowboy hat and Suzuki team shirt stands next to Suzuki motorcycle.

17. Genk, Belgium – 21 July 2011: Everts and friends charity race. Riders enjoy a pause between races.

18. Genk, Belgium – 21 July 2011: Everts and friends charity race. Brad Lackey prepares for welcome round. He is followed by Eric Geboers.

19. Genk, Belgium – 21 July 2011: Everts and friends charity race. Girl watching to a camera.

20. Genk, Belgium – 21 July 2011: Everts and friends charity race. Cyclo MX race.

21. Genk, Belgium – 21 July 2011: Everts and friends charity race. Cyril Despres jumps on his big Paris-Dakar KTM

22. Genk, Belgium – 21 July 2011: Everts and friends charity race. Johan Boonen jumps out of the turn, followed by Steffi Laier

23. Genk, Belgium – 21 July 2011: Everts and friends charity race. Marten Yentl slides into a turn.

24.

25. Genk, Belgium – 21 July 2011: Everts and friends charity race. Two riders on one bike.

26. Genk, Belgium – 21 July 2011: Everts and friends charity race. Two riders on one bike.

27. Genk, Belgium – 21 July 2011: Everts and friends charity race. Pascal Rauchenecker leans while riding a berm.

28. Genk, Belgium – 21 July 2011: Everts and friends charity race. Rider accelerates hard while going out of the turn with front wheel not touching the ground.

29. Genk, Belgium – 21 July 2011: Everts and friends charity race. Benoit Pauwels leans into a turn.

30. Genk, Belgium – 21 July 2011: Everts and friends charity race. Eddy Seel lands a jump and opens throttle.

31. Genk, Belgium – 21 July 2011: Everts and friends charity race. Jeremy Vanhorenbeek does a moto whip.

32. Genk, Belgium – 21 July 2011: Everts and friends charity race. Benoit Pauwels in the air. Pauwels has only one hand but have excellent control over his bike and big amplitudes.

33. Genk, Belgium – 21 July 2011: Everts and friends charity race. Benoit Pauwels lands jump. Pauwels has only one hand but have excellent control over his bike.

34. Genk, Belgium – 21 July 2011: Everts and friends charity race. Pascal Rauchenecker jumps out of a berm.

35. Genk, Belgium – 21 July 2011: Everts and friends charity race. Fun bike race. The guy with naked ass.

36. Genk, Belgium – 21 July 2011: Everts and friends charity race. Fun bike race. Monkey on the bike!

37. Genk, Belgium – 21 July 2011: Everts and friends charity race. Rui Goncalves flies in the air.

38. Genk, Belgium – 21 July 2011: Everts and friends charity race. Future stars race. Jan Geboers airborne.

39. Genk, Belgium – 21 July 2011: Everts and friends charity race. Future stars race. Jan Geboers airborne.Future stars race. Jan Geboers airborne.

40. Genk, Belgium – 21 July 2011: Everts and friends charity race. Jens Carlier splashes the spray of mud.

41. Genk, Belgium – 21 July 2011: Everts and friends charity race. J.J. Bruno hits a turn.

42. Genk, Belgium – 21 July 2011: Everts and friends charity race. Golden heroes race.

43. Genk, Belgium – 21 July 2011: Everts and friends charity race. Willy Verhaegen jumps on his old MX Suzuki.

44. Genk, Belgium – 21 July 2011: Everts and friends charity race. Jeffrey Herlings urges to the finish line.

45. Genk, Belgium – 21 July 2011: Everts and friends charity race. Jeffrey Herlings leans his bike in the air.

46. Genk, Belgium – 21 July 2011: Everts and friends charity race. Rui Goncalves goes big – he was the first to jump big step down in Wrong Way Reverse Race.

2. Moët client portfolio contained such noble figures as Tsar Alexander II of Russia, Emperor Francis II of Austria, the Duke of Wellington, Madame de Staël, Queen Victoria, and the Prince Royal of Prussia (later to become emperor of Germany) among many more. Sales during the 1820s are believed to have been on average 20,000 bottle annually

3. In 1792, on Claude Moët’s death, grandson Jean-Rémy Moët expanded the business buying the vineyards of the Abbey of Hautvillers, where Benedictine monk Dom Perignon perfected double-fermentation for creating champagne. Thou Dom Perignon is mistakenly promoted as the inventor of the sparkling wine, he didn’t really invent it. He does sucessfully and tirelessly worked on the improvement of the champagne. Contrary to popular belief, Dom Pérignon did not introduce blending to Champagne wines but rather the innovation of blending the grapes prior to sending them to press.

4. A gigantic chandelier made of "flutes" (specially formed champagne glass) welcomes all visitors at Moët & Chandon.

5. Spacious bright waiting hall where visitors wait for their guided tour to the Moët & Chandon cellars.

6. This was a working room of the founder of a company, Claude Moët. The interior of the room is recreated to resemble the original interior of that time.

7. In this room Napoleon I was welcomed in Moët & Chandon.

8. In the meantime, lets go down to the famous cellars of Moët & Chandon.

9. Endless cellars are filled with maturing sparking champagne wine. Every "street" has its own name and every arc has a number as if we were in a small underground town.

10. On the previous picture, in the end of the passage the big barrel can be seen. Here it is, closer. This barrel was found by Napoleon I in Portugal. Napoleon tasted the wine inside the barrel and liked it so much, that brought it all the way to Epernay to present it to Jean-Rémy Moët in 1810. Inside the barrel was perfect portugese porto.

11. Remouage stands. Partly the caves of Moët & Chandon are natural. The chalky land of Champagne has a lot of catacombs.

12. The really important champagne bottles are closed from the visitors by rusty and dusty doors with bug locks.

13. Memorable plates are happens everywhere. This one tells that on 26 July 1807 the Imperor of France Napoleon I visited this cave accompanied by J.R. Moët

14. Every stand and stack of bottles has a plate with strange numbers and letters. This plate encodes which champagne is on this stand, from which year and which region. Except for book keepers nobody is able to say which champagne is it.

15. Most expensive champagne in the world – Dom Perignon. It’s still produced by hand based on the ancient recipe. No modern technology is used to produce this champagne. You can see it still closed by cork instead of bottle cup, and residue removed from the bottle manually to avoid any neck freezing.

16. Only vintage champagne are sold under this brand, and it will be at least 5 years old. This champagne will mature up to eternity and will only get richer and richer taste. Dom Pérignon brand of vintage champagne was introduced in the late 1920s and it’s still recognized as most perfect champagne available, as well as most expensive.

17. Regular bottle of Dom Perignon champagne costs from 200 euro. One should be really happy to open a bottle. =)

18. And this jeroboam (4 standard bottles, or 3 liters) bottle of Dom Perignon vintage 1999 costs no more no less than 2550 euro.

19. Well, I’d probably left you for a minute to enjoy the silence and coolness of Moët & Chandon cellars

20.

21.

22. Wow, somebody was here =) Presumable, somebody russian =)

23. Here we leave Moët & Chandon cellars and go for champagne degustation!

24. Most popular types of Moët & Chandon champagne is Impérial (brut), Rosé Impérial (rose) and Nectar Impérial (millesime). The motto of Moët & Chandon is "Fruity, Elegant, Seductive".

25. A votre santé!

26. And in the end a small quiz – what do you this is on this picture? Try to guess in comments

27.

Also check out the post about the champagne creation process

Vineyards of Champagne, France. Here it all starts.

2. There 3 kinds of grapes grow on the sunny slopes of Champagne – Chardonnay, Pinot noir and Pinot meunier

3. There are several gradations of quality of grapes, based on the quality of soil, amount of sun and other factors. The top quality rank, Grand Cru, are only given to about 10 villages in Champagne.

4. The baby-grapes of pinot noir. Every vine has different leave shape.

5. After autumn harvest grapes are smashed and their juice is put into big barrels to become wine.

6. Some barrels are state of art themselves. To make this amazing work, master needed at least a half year!

7. Wine sits in the barrel from 3 to 6 months. Every barrel has its own unique number.

8. From time to time barrels should be cleaned from inside. They are big enough to fit a man. You can see a picture of guy cleaning in front of the barrel.

9. That’s the fragment of carbonic acid which covers walls of an old barrel. It affects the taste of wine and thus has to be removed.

10. After 6 months barrels are opened. Wine is tasted and blended by a specialist (don’t try this at home! ) Then the wine is bottled.

11. Yeast and sugar are also added to the bottle. Depending on the quantity of added sugar champagne will have different sweetness. Extra Brut (0-5 mg sugar per liter), Brut (5-15 mg/l), Demi-Sec (35-55 mg/l).

12. Then wine is put in cold and dark cellar. Yeast consumes sugar and produces carbon dioxide.

13. Champagne should stay in the cellap for at least 1.5 year.

14. Vintage and millesime (wine from only one year) can stay longer, almost to eternity.

15. Yeast develops pressure up to 6 atmosperes in a bottle. So that’s not a secret that bottles explode some times. And, yes, there’s champagne on the floor.

16. Thanks to new technologies, natural cork used only in the last stage. Most of the time champagne matures with a metal beer-like cork.

17. The amount of dust on bottles can say much about the expectations of this champagne.

18. After the desired time in cellar dead yeast produces nasty sediment in the bottle.

19. In old bottles sediment can be really hard to come off the glass, so the bottle has to be shaked hard.

20. When maturation of champagne comes to the end, the bottles put upside down into special racks. This needed to let the sediment to fall down to the bottle neck.

21. Two centuries ago, special man, called Le Remueur was turning each bottle a fraction every day. Now, of course, this work are made by a machine.

22. After the sediment is all the way to the bottle neck, the sediment has to be extracted.

23. In old times, removal of sediment was slow and accurate process. Nowadays it’s simplier – the neck is frozen and the cap is removed. Pressure pushes ice out, and the bottle quickly corked with final cork.

24. Actually, before final closing of the bottle, some syrup (same wine the champagne made with same amount of sugar) is added to maintain the level of champagne in bottle.

25. Some grand-pa’s instruments for champange making. These are beautiful devices with lots of weird handles. Awesome!

26. That’s a big barrel! One can even live inside it. And above the variety of sizes of champagne bottles. Each bottle has a name, such as Jeroboam or Napoleon.

27. A votre santé!