Brussels
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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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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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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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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Brussels and Bruges
Monday, October 3rd, 2011
I began my trip to Brussels with an early journey on the Eurostar train. Your first introduction to Belgium is the trilingual service announcements, in English, French and Flemish. We made on brief stopover in Lille, and before I knew it I was gazing out at low-lying Belgium, and the handsome town-houses on the outskirts of Brussels.
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A Journey to Cologne
Wednesday, September 14th, 2011
Leaving London on a Sunday to head to Cologne I really should have headed Railbookers advice and checked the Transport for London website to see if the tubes were running OK, I didn’t and they weren’t! All was not lost as I was just doing the short hop from the city to St Pancras so jumped in a cab but if I was travelling from further afield perhaps I would have been more anxious!
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Hotel of the Week – Hotel Amigo Brussels
Wednesday, March 31st, 2010
Located within arm’s reach of one of the most beautiful squares in Europe, the Grand Place, the newly refurbished Hotel Amigo provides a stylish and central base to explore Brussels. Definitely one of my favourites of the city with its flawless “Art of Simple” décor throughout, you know as soon as you walk into the lobby that you have arrived at a 5 star establishment!
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Bruges & Brussels at Christmas
Wednesday, December 30th, 2009
I had previously been to Bruges during the summer, and whilst it’s great to wander round Bruges in the sunshine and have coffee and pastries in the cafes on the cobbled streets, it is nearing Christmas and I hadn’t started my Christmas shopping. I hadn’t seen Bruges during Christmas before, and the Christmas markets are always so popular I thought that I would go and see what all of the fuss was about.
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Hotel of the Week – Crowne Plaza Brussels – Le Palace
Tuesday, November 17th, 2009
Feel like a King and put a Crowne (Plaza) on your head…Crowne Plaza Brussels – Le Palace has just been totally renovated, and it shows at least from the inside. You might walk past the unimposing building, as I have done for years’ not knowing the sparkling gem that lies within.
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