Archive For The “European Travel” Category
The mountains have been here for 80 million years; humans have been using the mountains for a lot less time than that, but nevertheless for a long time, historically speaking. The Romans used one of the peaks as a military fort. Later, in the 14th century, a monastery was built that gave birth to this…
Antwerp is the capital of the Belgian province of Flanders. It is one of the most populous cities in Belgium, although the old city centre gives the impression of a much smaller and more intimate town. It is about 40 kilometres north of Brussels, and only 15 kilometres from the border with The Netherlands. The…
9 December 2019 – Tevuren – near Brussels. Originally inaugurated for the Brussels International Exhibition of 1897, Charles Girault, architect of the Petit Palais in Paris was called upon to design the Africa Museum , completed in 1910. In 2013, the Museum closed for an extensive renovation and rebuild. Some 5 years later, the building…
Honey BEEingPure and Sweet? Sounds like advice for a good life. In reality, BEEingPure is the name of a small yet influential honey-making (or is it gathering?) company in Limburg in the Netherlands. We visited the site where some hives are kept in a tranquil environment which rather resembles an allotment. Bee-attracting flowers bloom, insects…
In Flanders Fields Museum – To End all Wars – Ypres 27 October – 15 November 2019 To End all Wars – Ypres Timed with the end of the centenary of the Great War approaching, the In Flanders Fields Museum takes a look at the real consequences of this great battle. The peace that ensued…
I have said it before, and I will say it yet again – The Netherlands has amazing food! It’s not all gin and cheese, although both are very good. There is a wealth of dining opportunities in this country so why do we overlook such gastronomic treasures? I have no idea, but I think Mes…
Drawn from life 12 Oct 2019 – 19 Jan 2020 The exhibition Drawn from life features many seldom exhibited drawings, pastels and watercolours from the collection of the Kröller-Müller Museum. The works provide an insight into life in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. The collection of the Kröller-Müller Museum is famed worldwide for…
Nestled in the historic streets of Maastricht is the Bisschopsmolen or, in English, the Bishop’s Mill. It truly was once a mill and its reputation grinds on in the guise of its bakery and restaurant. The mill was built in the 7th century and has had different roles since its construction. In the 11th century…
Kruisherenhotel Maastricht is one of the most noteworthy hotels in which I have stayed in the Netherlands. Perhaps it’s one of the most memorable hotels I have ever visited anywhere. It’s a unique marriage of 15th century architecture and ultra-modern design. It truly is a matter of taste, but Kruisherenhotel was, for me, heavenly in…
It’s true – one hardly expects to find castles in The Netherlands! But they do exist and there are many of them, along with stately homes of grace and beauty. Few historic buildings in The Netherlands can equal De Haar for its representation of a fairy-tale castle. It is among the top twenty most-visited Dutch…
Pieter Bruegel produced unique works which are still easily recognised today. They reflect the reality of the 16th Century in northern Europe – and that was often brutal. Brussels and Bruegel will forever be associated. He undertook some of his most important works there and he is buried in the city. He had needed to…
Middachten Castle or Kasteel Middachten in Dutch, is a significant and beautiful manor house, located on the Middachten estate, De Steeg, Netherlands. The building we see today dates from 1698. Since 2004 the castle has been a rijksmonument which is a register of Dutch sites of interest. Middachten Castle is part of the Top 100…
Edvard Munch Love and Angst British Museum from 11th April – 21st July 2019 “We do not want pretty pictures to be hung on drawing-room walls. We want… an art that arrests and engages. An art of one’s innermost heart.” – Edvard Munch The creator of art’s most haunting and iconic face. A radical father…
This is said to be the most famous castle in the Netherlands. That will come as a surprise to most tourists, who will likely not have realised that Holland even had any castles. Loevestein Castle will intrigue and delight and have visitors wanting to learn more about the history of this relatively undiscovered region of…
OK, I had not heard of Lambic and that’s mainly because I am not a big beer drinker, but this was something of a revelation …and a delicious one. Lambic is a style of beer brewed mainly in the Pajottenland region of Belgium. These beers include gueuze and kriek lambic, which are both striking and…
A guided tour of Blandy’s 17th century Wine Lodge and its associated Wine Museum, in the centre of Funchal, will reveal some of the art and science that generations of producers have developed, to make a range of delicious, rich and long-lasting wines out of the grapes grown here. There are several excellent table wines,…
From 1 June to 29 September 2019 at The Kröller-Müller The summer exhibition The Beginning of a New World The development of modern sculpture is the perfect occasion to visit the Kröller-Müller. For the first time ever, the museum tells the story of the modern sculpture collection, seen through the eyes of Bram Hammacher, director…
Gaasbeek Castle for a Feast of Fools: Bruegel Rediscovered 6 April 2019 – 28 July 2019 Gaasbeek Castle isn’t far from the thronging city of Brussels, but it is a million miles away with its calming ambiance and leafy location. It’s a former stately home of charm and architectural beauty, and serves as a venue…
Funchal in Madeira is one of my favourite cities and Quinta da Casa Branca has one of my favourite restaurants. That is surely a recipe for delicious contentment and a very happy reviewer. I have not actually stayed at Quinta da Casa Branca but dream of doing so. It is perhaps one of the most…
Aegina is perhaps the most accessible of Greek island idylls. It’s the playground of holidaymakers from Athens, but has also long been popular with European tourists who are looking for a quintessentially Greek experience. The island is named after Aegina, one of the 50 daughters of the river god Asopus. It is located only 25…