This has been a pretty hectic week. Nevertheless, I still had some time to read some interesting links which I share with you here. In this case, I also must thank some friends who send in interesting links. So if you find anything interesting don't hesitate to share. The first one comes from Franklin and relates to a 'giant' in French cooking, the great Paul Bocuse. Have you ever wondered why the lights are switched off on landing in aeroplanes. You have your answer here. Lists are always subjective and sometimes provocative. Here is one on the top 50 cities to see. How many have you seen> I've counted 18. A recipe in Italian on making a typical dish from Campania. Not the healthiest option but interesting nevertheless. Some tips on some food related books to read this summer. What is on your reading list this summer? And finally, a very inspiring video on Elon Musk, one of the most talked about entrepreneurs in recent years. … [Read more...]
Le Fruit Defendu
Booking a restaurant for a night out in Brussels can be quite a challenge especially for the really sought-out places. First you need to make sure that the restaurant is open on the day you want to go. Believe it or not this is a non-trivial issue. On one Saturday evening a few months ago, out of a list of seven restaurants we wanted to visit, six were closed, the seventh was fully booked. Therefore planning ahead is of utmost importance. The same thing happened last Monday evening. Our first preference was closed, our second preference was fully booked, the third option was also closed so we opted for the tried and tested Le Fruit Defendu on Rue Tenbosch in Ixelles. We were not disappointed. This was our second visit to this cosy restaurant in the area between Lepoutre and Chatelain. The food remained consistent and so has the service. Chef Pascal Frénot retained the same formula of six starters and six main courses which practically change on a daily basis depending on what is … [Read more...]
The mother of all defeats
A few minutes before the start of the semi-final between Germany and Brazil yesterday I tweeted that all statistics were pointing to a Brazil win. But these statistics are normally there to be broken. With the benefit of hindsight it seemed so obvious. Nate Silver, an American statistician who mines data was stating without any shadow of doubt that even without Neymar and their star defender Thiago Silva, the Brazilians still had all that it takes to make it through to the final. The expectations were huge. Most of their supporters were expecting Brazil to reach the final and win the World Cup. After all they were playing at home. But these statistics ignored the most basic premise. This Brazilian team was lucky to be in the semi-finals. They could barely scrape through the last 16 against Chile and only made it by a whisker and the match against Colombia was also a close encounter. With Neymar out because of injury, it was no wonder that they were panicking. But football is a team … [Read more...]
Chateau de la Hulpe – a place for all seasons
Living in a city means that sometimes you feel the urge to get out and experience nature. It must have something to do with the fact that after 30 years living in Malta, even after nearly nine years in the Belgian capital, we still feel the urge to explore what Belgium and its neighbouring countries have to offer. But when we run out of ideas or are too lazy to think, there is a place we turn to time and time again. Whether its winter, spring, summer or autumn, Chateau de la Hulpe and its surrounding land is a fantastic place to relax and enjoy peace and quiet. The Domaine Solvay de la Hulpe extends across 227 hectares of greenery, woodland and ponds. It is a perfect place to go for a walk, to cycle, to take children for a picnic or to lose yourself in the serenity of this Natura 2000 side which is also considered as an important heritage site in Wallonia. The Chateau is imposing but the lands are also impressive with every kind of vegetation and natural environment that can be … [Read more...]
Lac du Genval
I am always surprised at how few people know about or have been to Lac du Genval, just 20 minutes away from Brussels. In a way this is better since this scenic lake is not too crowded. The lake is part of the Rixensart and Overijse villages in Wallon Brabant and Flemish Brabant and is surrounded by beautiful turn-of-the century homes. There is also a hotel by the lake, the Chateau du Lac. For those looking for a day trip out of Brussels, then you could also visit the Chateau de la Hulpe which is not too far away. This small lake also has a number of restaurants and cafes and is therefore a perfect place to chill out either on a summer evening or during the weekend. The walk around the lake takes around 30 minutes and you will pass by a small yacht club, beautiful houses, fishermen enjoying the silence away from the hustle and bustle of central Brussels. You can just stroll and enjoy the scenery but many people also come here to jog or bike in this scenic environment. But the reason … [Read more...]
My top patisseries in Brussels
When you live just around the corner from Le Saint Aulaye it is extremely difficult to justify a detour to try other bakeries in Brussels given that this patisserie is one of the most well known in the Belgian capital. There is a risk of disappointment given that this bakery/patisserie sets the bar extremely high. There is a reason why there are queues every morning and especially on the weekends. Whatever you try here is of exceptional quality. Whether you buy bread (for which he is famous for), his pastries or cakes, you will not be disappointed. He uses bio ingredients but on top of it is is obvious that the ingredients used are excellent. I have yet to come across a pain au chocolat which is better than the one of Le St Aulaye. You can actually taste the quality of the butter used. A trip to Le Saint Aulaye is also worthwhile because of the other shops in this neighbourhood (more about that in a future post). So my recommendations for the patisseries are what the Michelin guide … [Read more...]
What I enjoyed reading this week
Every week I will try to post a few links of what I enjoyed reading the week. Here is a short mix on travel, food, a controversial application which makes a reservation in popular restaurants and then sells them for a small fee and what looks like a fantastic ice-cream recipe. Some tips on the Costa Amalfitana A great article on work life balance A fantastic article on the Sicilian island of Pantelleria A great ice-cream recipe A controversial application … [Read more...]
One of the 50 places to visit in Europe is in the Island of Gozo
I haven't really written about my home country yet, that will come at a later stage but I wanted to highlight one idyllic spot which has been earmarked by the website Business Insider as one of the fifty places to visit in your lifetime. http://www.businessinsider.com/places-in-europe-to-visit-2014-6?nr_email_referer=1&utm_source=Triggermail&utm_medium=email&utm_content=emailshare#snap-a-photo-at-the-azure-window-a-natural-limestone-arch-on-the-maltese-island-of-gozo-7 The Azure Window as it is known is indeed stunning and worthy of the recommendation. Make sure to visit sooner rather than later because the arch is suffering the effects of weathering … [Read more...]
Does anyone really care about tourist traps?
One of the most famous streets in Brussels among tourists or people on business trips is the Rue de Bouchers. It can be found just a few metres away from the Grand Place. Walking from the street at the Grand Place area last week on the evening when Belgium was playing against South Korea and locals were obviously nowhere near any restaurant without a television set, I could not help but wonder what makes people visit such restaurants around the world. What are they looking for? Why would locals consider such places a tourist trap but so many have no qualms in sitting down and eating there. What is so attractive about waiters greeting you in all languages as they try to guess your nationality to try and get you in? In the case of Brussels, are the mussels and fries served in such places so different in quality to restaurants which cater mainly for locals? Do the tourists who sit down to eat in such places care about the difference? Are they more interested in the experience of eating … [Read more...]
Five of the best ice-cream shops in Brussels
Brussels has its fair share of ice-cream parlours. And while the thought of ice-creams in Italy make you salivate even at the mere mention, there are a few ice-cream shops in the Belgian capital which are worth trying given they take their ice-cream very seriously. Some, like the Comus & Gasterea are even worthy of a trip to the centre just for the sake of trying new flavours. When we went for the first time to Comus & Gasterea I was trying to convince the children that they could try some exotic ice-creams like aubergine, basil, carrot, mustard or olive oil ice-cream. The eldest (5 years old) was tempted even though he still has a love hate relationship with vegetables. Nevertheless, on the day we visited there were no exotic flavours. Instead what he had were 8 different ice-creams including chocolate, speculoos, lemon, 'roasted coffee', salted caramel, cassis, strawberries and vanilla. The ice-cream maker is part of the Slow Food movement and there is no question as to … [Read more...]