Belgium
Martin’s Relais Oud Huis Amsterdam – in Bruges.
Monday, April 22nd, 2013
Bruges really does have the best collection of historic hotels, which transfer you back to an era of decadence and drama. After a short walk along the picturesque Spiegelrei Canal, past a road of imposing properties and down cobbled streets, we finally arrived at the Martin’s Relais Oud Huis Amsterdam. The 13th century building was very imposing with large windows facing the opposite street across the canal.
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Belgium – Chocolaty and Mussel-Bound
Friday, April 19th, 2013
Those of you who have seen the film In Bruges know there are two different ways to look at Bruges. You can love it or hate it and it was about time for me to find out to which group I would be in. When thinking about Bruges I can’t help but think of the cliché: Chocolates, waffles, mussels and beer. But could a place really fulfil my expectations without Willy Wonka being involved?
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Footsteps in Flanders
Tuesday, April 2nd, 2013
My first ever Belgian journey began with a snowy Dover – Calais ferry crossing and a coach into Ypres. Ypres, or Ieper to the Flemish, is a lovely little town close to the French border, you definitely wouldn’t think it was the scene of so much destruction almost a hundred years ago. Ypres played host to some of the fiercest battles of the First World War, hence the workshop organised by Flanders Tourism in commemoration of the upcoming centenary. During my two and a half days in Ypres, I learnt about the Great War itself, visited memorials, cemeteries and former battlefields.
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700 Years of History in Flanders
Monday, March 25th, 2013
My wife Tiina and I really made the most of our time in Flanders; I had not been since childhood and Tiina only knew Brussels from one short visit. I am so glad that we could at least glimpse at 700 years of history during our weekend, starting before Rubens and finishing with MAS. Of course there was much we missed and which will tempt us back before long. The Diamond Museum and the Fine Arts one will surely draw the crowds as MAS has done.
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Bruges: the ‘Venice of the North’
Friday, March 1st, 2013
I had been to Bruges before but only briefly and after hearing so much about how lovely a place it is, I was extremely excited about having the opportunity to explore this World Heritage Site for myself. Getting there was so easy and without any of the hassle of flying. Not long after arriving at St Pancras I was in the departure lounge awaiting the call to board my 2pm Eurostar to Brussels.
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Bruges and Ghent – Two Medieval Marvels
Friday, January 25th, 2013
Having visited Belgium many times before but never really venturing out of Brussels, I was excited to be visiting Bruges and Ghent, particularly after watching the film In Bruges.
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The Battlefields of Flanders
Monday, June 11th, 2012
Even for non-experts like me, signs such as ‘Menin’, ‘Passendale’ and ‘Ieper’ made it clear that, as we drove towards the last of these three destinations, we were heading for an area now intrinsically linked with the Great War and the battles which took place here nearly a hundred years ago. I had never been to this part of Flanders before and I think I was expecting more obvious signs of what had happened here. But apart from the odd quiet graveyard with its ubiquitous lines of white markers and one or two concrete structures in the fields which may or may not have been bunkers, the agricultural landscape was fairly similar to anywhere else in Belgium. More than the cemeteries, the odd poppy dancing amongst the straw on passing verges moved me. And I wanted to be moved. Ypres in particular is a place of pilgrimage for many thousands of people from Britain and the Commonwealth who want to pay their respects to the soldiers who died here and also want to understand more about what happened to their ancestors.
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Crowne Plaza Brussels – Le Palace
Wednesday, April 4th, 2012
Strolling through the streets of Brussels at 9am on a Saturday morning is a surprisingly peaceful experience; it feels almost as if the city breathes a gentle sigh as it bids farewell to the throngs of corporate visitors before receiving an abundance of excited sightseers. It’s a beautiful time of day to make the walk from the Leopold district into the city centre, especially if you are lucky enough to do so on a sunny, spring day.
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A step back in time in Bruges
Monday, April 2nd, 2012
It all started when I boarded a Eurostar service at St Pancras station with my colleague Katerina last Thursday. We were travelling from London to Bruges and were excited by the prospect of exploring a medieval city steeped in history and drenched in old-world charm. The Eurostar reached Brussels Midi station on time, which allowed us plenty of time to transfer onto the SNCB train heading for the Belgian city of Bruges. Our first class carriage was very quiet with only the ticket inspector briefly interrupting our peace.
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London to Berlin via Cologne
Wednesday, January 25th, 2012
For nearly a year I have been selling the virtues of the German railway system based on my colleagues first hand experience, but finally it was my chance to try it out.
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