Travelrific® Travel Journal
Picture postcards in prose.™ Check out the blogroll on the front page for official merchandise and other resources!Archive for belgium
The Glass City
By Linda Tancs
In the 19th century, architect Alphonse Balat designed a complex of greenhouses for Belgian King Leopold II to complement the castle of Laeken. Known as the Royal Greenhouses of Laeken, the sweeping collection of rotundas, cupolas and galleries comprising metal and glass resembles a glass city. Some of the king’s original plant collections still exist, surrounded by rare and valuable plants meticulously labeled. Continuing a century-old tradition of opening the luxurious collection to public view for a limited time, this year’s opening–punctuated by blooming azaleas–began on 17 April and continues until 8 May.
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The Most Stolen Artwork in the World
By Linda Tancs
The world’s first major oil painting is Hubert and Jan van Eyck’s Adoration of the Mystic Lamb. Also known as the Ghent Altarpiece, it’s a 15th century early Flemish polyptych panel painting of the history of Christianity located at St. Bavo’s Cathedral in Ghent, Belgium. It’s also one of the most stolen pieces of artwork in the world, having been sold various times and looted during both world wars. In fact, eight of the looted panels were returned to Belgium after World War II thanks to the efforts of the Monuments Men. Of its twelve panels, only one–the Just Judges–remains lost from an unsolved heist in 1934. A copy by the Belgian painter and restorer Jef Van der Veken takes its place.
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The History of Photography
By Linda Tancs
Photojournalist Dorothea Lange once remarked that a camera is a tool for learning. That’s certainly the goal at the Museum of Photography in Charleroi, Belgium. Touted as the largest photography museum in Europe, the facility’s learning tools include a discovery trail, digital laboratory, darkroom and mobile studio. Housed in a former Carmelite monastery, the museum is home to 80,000 prints and three million negatives representing the entire history of photography from the 19th century to the present day. The collection is spread across the renovated monastery and a newer contemporary wing.
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The 2015 European Capitals of Culture
By Linda Tancs
Welcome to a new year and two new European Union capitals of culture: Mons in Belgium and Pilsen in the Czech Republic. The major exhibitions in Mons feature Van Gogh’s emergence as an artist in the Borinage, the poetic metamorphosis of Paul Verlaine, and the Battle of Lumecon in the main square where St. George slays the dragon. The opening ceremony for Mons 2015 will be held on 24 January. Like Mons, Pilsen will promote great personalities associated with the city, like Jiří Trnka (the Walt Disney of the East), Ladislav Sutnar (a pioneer in information graphics) and the architecture of Adolf Loos. The festivities officially launch in Pilsen on 17 January.
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The Belgian Coast Tram
By Linda Tancs
Belgium’s Kusttram (Coast Tram) is the longest single-path tram line in the world, gliding between De Panne and Knokke on the Flemish coast. It’s convenient (a connection every 20 minutes), which means that you have no excuse not to explore the many holiday romps along its 43-mile trek. Did you know that Knokke was a favorite among the Hollywood elite like Frank Sinatra and Marlene Dietrich?
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A Gutsy Hotel in Belgium
By Linda Tancs
Ever wonder what Jonah must have experienced when he got swallowed by the whale? You might get a sense of that at Hotel Casanus, a one-room hotel shaped like a giant intestine. Located at Verbeke Foundation Art Park near Antwerp, Belgium, this colonoscopic wonder features a double bed, windows, heating, and working plumbing in a pastoral setting. You’ll have all the creature comforts of home, *butt* do you have the guts to stay there?
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World War Museum Opens
By Linda Tancs
In Bastogne, Belgium, thousands of soldiers died in WWII during the Battle of the Bulge. Their valor is commemorated at the Bastogne War Museum. Opening tomorrow, this new museum will feature interactive exhibits dedicated to the battle and World War II.
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New Flower Show in Brussels
By Linda Tancs
Brussels believes in flower power. In addition to the Flower Carpet that graces the Grand Palace in even-numbered years, the city has plugged the odd-numbered years’ gap with a new show for those years. Today through 18 August, Floraliëntime debuts with a major international plant and flower arrangement event in Brussels City Hall and at the Grand Place. The inaugural theme is “Colors of Life.” With 100,000 flowers adorning City Hall, you can be assured of that.
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A Distinctive Hue in Brussels
By Linda Tancs
Most hotels pander to your palate. In Brussels, though, the Pantone Hotel caters to your palette. This hotel of colors features a distinctive hue on each guest floor. Feeling a little blue? There’s a suite just for you.
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Tipping the Tankard in Belgium
By Linda Tancs
The oft-quoted comment that beer is proof that God loves us is often attributed (erroneously) to U.S. founding father Ben Franklin. Nonetheless, it’s a sentiment heartily espoused in Belgium, particularly during Belgian Beer Weekend on the Grand Place. Taking place from 3 to 5 September, the event features some 240 kinds of Belgian beer. Surely you’ll find something to suit your palate among the pils, amber, white, trappist, abbey, geuze, fruit, strong pale, strong brown, red-brown, regional or assorted sundries. Cheers!
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