The Brussels Times Magazine - Sep/Oct 2021 by The Brussels Times

The Brussels Times

M A G A Z I N E N 41 o

September / October 2021

Will Brussels bounce back from the pandemic? Gare Maritime: the city’s most exciting new architectural project The secrets of dining like a Belgian royal

Becoming Belgian

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From the editor We may be past the pandemic’s peak, but this is still an extraordinary time for everyone. And that includes The Brussels Times, which has used the moment to look at Belgium from a slightly different angle. This edition goes a little further in exploring what it means to be part of this strange and wonderful country at the crossroads of Europe. Belgium is often overlooked by its neighbours, or worse, mocked for its seemingly undefinable identity. But as our contributors show, it is a fount of creativity, cool, charm, chaos and contradictions. Belgium is bewildering. It is quirky. It is messy. And it is glorious. We want to celebrate it in all its forms. Our cover story, by Geoff Meade, is about what happens to a quintessential English gent when he is forced to seek Belgian nationality – with props to Lectrr for his striking accompanying image. Derek Blyth looks at how the pandemic is changing Brussels, from the outdoor dining scene to the greening of the capital. Sustainability is also driving one of the capital’s most exciting architectural projects: Angela Dansby examines the Gare Maritime at Tour & Taxis. The lockdowns inspired many to take expeditions outside the city. Craig Winneker overcame his antipathy towards cycling to venture ever further afield on his two wheels, Daniela De Lorenzo discovered the clever Flemish cycling node network, while Gareth Harding struck out on foot in a quest for quiet. Belgium is a country of many intrigues, which now includes the would-be Rambo, Jürgen Conings: Justin Stares ponders what this episode says about Belgium. You saw him in ‘The Crown’, as Princess Margaret’s secret boyfriend, but when war hero Peter Townsend left Britain, he fell on his feet in Brussels, as Dennis Abbott recounts. They are the women we pretend not to notice: Maïthé Chini explains why Belgium is finally regulating sex work by removing prostitution from the criminal law. And after a disappointing Euro 2020, Martin Banks asks if the Red Devils can return in Qatar. We have four articles on delicious Belgium: Hughes Belin selects a food, a drink, a café and a restaurant to try out; Angela Dansby (again!) visits the exquisite Bon Bon; Marianna Hunt uncovers the secrets of dining like a Belgian royal; and Breandán Kearney finds out what makes Belgian beer so special. Denis Maksimov rounds up his selection of upcoming and ongoing art events, Lukas Taylor explains the ever-moving music scene in Brussels, and Derek Blyth returns with his Hidden Belgium series. As we try to put the pandemic behind us, there are reasons for hope. It has been a time of anxiety and loss. It has also been one of improvisation, adaptation and resilience. We have discovered new places, met new people and found new purpose. Let’s build on this. In the meantime, we hope you enjoy our magazine, which is about the life, ongoing, in this place that we love.

Leo Cendrowicz Editor, The Brussels Times Magazine

The Brussels Times M A G A Z I N E No 41 September / October 2021

On the Cover Illustration by Lectrr Publisher The Brussels Times Avenue Louise 54 1050 Brussels +32 (0)2 893 00 67 info@brusselstimes.com ISSN Number: 0772-1633 Editor Leo Cendrowicz Managing Editors Jonadav Apelblat Omry Apelblat Graphic Designer Marija Hajster Client Accounts Manager David Young Contributors Dennis Abbott, Martin Banks, Hughes Belin, Derek Blyth, Maïthé Chini, Angela Dansby, Daniela De Lorenzo, Gareth Harding, Marianna Hunt, Breandán Kearney, Denis Maksimov, Geoff Meade, Justin Stares, Lukas Taylor, Craig Winneker Advertising Please contact us on advertise@brusselstimes.com or +32 (0)2 893 00 67 for information about advertising opportunities.

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Inside

46 12

Will Brussels bounce back?

The meaning of Jürgen Conings

32 42 46 52 58

Why Belgium is regulating sex work

Becoming Belgian Searching for Silence in Belgium

How I learned to stop worrying and love my bike

104 What makes Belgian beer

to Flanders

How the Gare Maritime became a model of modern sustainability

64 The clever cycling network bringing bikers 72

Can the Red Devils return in Qatar? How Britain’s war hero and royal reject fell on his feet in Brussels Food & Drink

How Bon Bon creates culinary candy so special?

110 114 122 130

The secrets of dining like a Belgian royal Art and events The ever-moving music scene in Brussels Hidden Belgium

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Olympic goddess.

Many doubted that the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, a year late, would work out. Yet despite the setbacks, they produced some utterly compelling dramas, the sort that only sport makes. And for Belgium, they were the best games for almost a century, with seven medals in all, three of them gold. Nafi Thiam, right, retained her 2016 Olympic crown in the women’s heptathlon, and her joy was unconfined. She secured her gold within an hour of the Red Lions winning the men’s field hockey final on penalties. There was also gold for Nina Derwael for the women’s uneven bars.

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Washed away.

Residents in Liège waded through water up to their chests as they fled the floods that swept through the city. The mid-July deluge followed two days of record-shattering rain in eastern Belgium and Germany, exerting huge pressure on the upstream Vesdre dam. When the dam was eventually opened, it created a cascade that breached riverbanks across the region: a mighty gush of water surged through towns like Pepinster and Trooz before reaching Liège. Authorities say a total of €2 billion will be needed to pay for the damage to housing, roads and waterways across the region. “This may be the worst flooding disaster our country has ever known,” said Belgian Prime Minister Alexander de Croo, who declared July 20 a national day of mourning.

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Afghan agony. It took just a few weeks for Afghanistan to fall to the Taliban in August, stunning the Western governments that had spent so heavily there in blood and treasure. The shockwaves were felt in Brussels, where anguished Afghan demonstrators gathered at the Schuman roundabout (main picture). But there was little Europe could or would do: after the United States pulled out of the country, European governments followed suit. Nor are EU countries ready to welcome many refugees: fearing a repeat of the 2015 migrant crisis, they plan to pay Afghanistan’s neighbours to keep them from flocking to the bloc. However, one refugee who made it out of Afghanistan was the picture of elation: eight-year-old Neha Sadat (below) was photographed skipping on the tarmac at Melsbroek Military Airport after her family was evacuated to Belgium.

Credit: Reuters

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Will Brussels bounce back? As we try to put the pandemic behind us, how has Brussels weathered the storm? The lockdowns have tested the city and forced it to confront key questions about its future. Derek Blyth looks back at an extraordinary moment in our time and identifies six ways that Covid could change the EU capital forever

here is no need to go over the events of the past 18 months. You were there. We all went through roughly the same experience. One day, we were trapped in the first Belgian lockdown, enviously watching people drinking on café terraces in Stockholm. Days later, we were thankful not to live in Paris where residents had to carry around a printed document any time they went out for a tin of cat food. As always, Belgium turned out to be the most average country in Europe. Not as strict as France, not as relaxed as the Netherlands. Somewhere in the middle. But then towards the summer of 2021, something unexpected happened. Belgium was suddenly the country with the second-highest vaccination rate in the EU, after Malta. Who would have thought? For most democracies with freedom of movement carved into their constitutions, the lockdown came as a shock. Something they had never seen before. But not Belgium. This little country has been invaded so many times in the past that lockdown is almost the normal state. People here know better than anyone that the good times don’t last forever. Enjoy your steak-frites, because it might be your last meal. Nor were deserted streets such an unusual sight. We had been through that trauma just a few years earlier following the 2015-16 terror attacks. And yet the early days of lockdown did feel like a new kind of terror. Our thoughts became gloomily apocalyptic as the virus tightened its grip. Then an unexpected moment of Belgian surrealism briefly lifted people’s spirits. The farright Hungarian MEP József Szájer, whose party Fidesz opposes LGBT rights, was trapped breaking lockdown rules by attending a gay sex party.

When police raided the downtown apartment, Szájer attempted to evade arrest by scrambling down a drainpipe. Only a Belgian cartoonist could have imagined such a scenario. Of course, we shouldn’t mock human frailty. But with the endless statistics grinding us down, what else could we do? An unofficial sign went up outside the building next to Ancienne Belgique where Szájer met his downfall. “The political career of József Szájer ended here when he tried to flee the authorities using this gutter,” it read. Unfortunately, this solemn plaque has disappeared, or it might have become a tourist attraction, like the spot in Rue des Brasseurs where Paul Verlaine shot his lover Arthur Rimbaud. But that was the only fun to be had in a grim year. Whenever we ventured out of doors, masked and distanced, it was to walk through a ghost town, where life had come to a sudden end in March 2020.

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We could see even more scooters in Brussels

When the city began to reopen this summer, it seemed a good moment to take stock of the damage. I set off on a long walk, expecting to find a ruined city, like Ypres 1918 or Berlin 1945. It was sad to come across the casualties, like Demeuldre on Chaussée de Wavre, where rich Ixelles families used to buy their dinner sets, and the famous but faded Taverne du Passage in the Galeries Saint-Hubert, where Angela Merkel enjoyed some typical Belgian cuisine.

“One change is immediately obvious. People are moving around differently.” There were other victims, too. The romantic bar-restaurant Cercle des Voyageurs in the city centre went bust at the end of 2020. Four months later, the convivial beer restaurant Restobières in the Rue des Renards pulled down the shutters. A few days later, the traditional Brussels café La Brouette on Grand’Place served its last beer. It became clear that Brussels would never be the same again. But what kind of city will we see emerge from lockdown? Here are six changes that look like they are here to stay.

Cars are on the way out One change is immediately obvious. People are moving around differently. Brussels is now teeming with bikes, along with e-scooters and

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ever more weird forms of transport. And people are also walking more. It wasn’t just the pandemic that did it. The city was already trying to persuade people to kick the car habit with projects like the pedestrian zone on Boulevard Anspach and the traffic-free artery down Chaussée d’Ixelles. But the pandemic accelerated the mobility reboot, with bike lanes created along major routes and squares redesigned for pedestrians. Another ambitious plan, to clear two monumental sloping ramps below the law courts of illegally parked cars, was finally achieved in the early summer. Despite protests, the sloping ramps have been turned into public spaces for pop-up events, including an urban beach, climbing wall and bike repair workshop.

Streets are for living Another consequence of the pandemic that is likely to stay is the shift to outdoor living. We somehow became tougher, and more relaxed, during the period when indoor life was banned. People are now perfectly happy to sit on a street terrace created by suppressing two parking spaces and bringing in a carpenter to knock together a temporary screen out of industrial pallets. As a result, the city has a cool Scandi look about it. The change is helped along by the city’s decision to cut the speed limit to 30km an hour across the entire region (except on major roads). Some drivers have protested, as you might expect in a city built around fast roads and easy parking. A petition to scrap the plan gained 50,000 signatures. But it looks like we are moving towards a new type of relaxed urban living that would appeal to someone mov-

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The EU neighbourhood could empty out as officials work from home

ing here from Stockholm. Again, who would have thought?

Homes will turn into offices (and offices into homes) The biggest change to urban life in Brussels is the shift to home working. Without the pandemic, it is unlikely many organisations would have allowed staff to work remotely from their Brussels apartments (or holiday house in Tuscany). But the experiment has largely been a success. The work got done. And a lot of people have decided they don’t want to go back to the office.

“It could be that the EU Quarter will turn into a ghost town.” That could hit Brussels like an earthquake. Over the past 50 years, the EU capital has based its economy on providing large, boring office buildings for financial organisations, government ministries and EU institutions. But what if people decide they don’t want to go back to

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the office more than one or two days a week? The change would have a catastrophic impact in the European Quarter. Originally a district of handsome 19th-century townhouses, the quarter was rebuilt from the 1960s as a nine-to-five office district. As recently as the summer of 2019, the EU Commission was showing off its plans to build two soaring skyscrapers on the Rue de la Loi. The project was fiercely opposed by local action group Arau for ignoring “the principle of sustainable cities built for people.” Now EU staff have gained a taste for home working, the two towers might never get built. In May 2021, the EU Commission revealed that it would abandon half of its office buildings over the next ten years. It could be that the EU Quarter will turn into a ghost town. It wouldn’t be the first time in Brussels. Back in the early 1970s, the city started work on an ambitious office district known as the Manhattan Quarter. The old neighbourhood around Gare du Nord was destroyed to put up a cluster of gleaming skyscrapers. But then the oil crisis crashed the economy, and the plan was scrapped, leaving just a few isolated office buildings surrounded by wasteland. The city currently has more than one million square metres of empty office space, according to research organisation JLL. The modern green office buildings are unlikely to remain empty,

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The pop-up terraces that took over parking spots this spring could become permanent. Credit: Pascal Smet

but the older office buildings may never get filled. One plan under consideration is to turn the empty offices into apartments. But it is hard to see how they will persuade people that an apartment on the Rue de la Loi overlooking four lanes of commuter traffic is where they want to live.

No one knows if business travel will make a comeback, but it seems likely those big Brussels hotels will struggle to fill their expensive rooms.

Meetings will be virtual

Despite the gloomy outlook, the hotel sector is still surprisingly upbeat. Some 30 new hotels are due to open in Brussels, adding 3,000 guest rooms to the current 37,000. The most exciting – but also the most discreet – opened its doors recently on Place des Martyrs. This neat Neoclassical square in the heart of the city named after a monument to the heroes of the Belgian revolution used to be a sad, deserted spot. But the new Hotel Juliana is a sign of a neighbourhood on the rise. Hidden behind a Neoclassical façade, the 43-room hotel has been reshaped by Italian designer Eugenio Manzoni to create a sublime urban retreat. The elegant guest rooms come with unique touches, including painted wallpaper, frescoes and paintings from the owner’s private collection. But will there be tourists to fill those rooms in a city that already struggles to attract visitors at weekends and during the summer months? With a budget of €7.6 million, Visit Brussels has worked with 200 local organisa-

Another big change that will hit Brussels hard is the shift to online meetings. During the pandemic, everyone got the hang of Zoom or Microsoft Teams. It turned out to work just as well as arranging for 50 people to fly to Brussels for a meeting. And it was a lot cheaper. What if the EU and other big organisations decide that virtual meetings are the future? This would have a deadly impact on the hotel and restaurant sector, which depends heavily on people with generous expense accounts rather than tourist euros. Already, several hotels have closed down, including the landmark Metropole which has stood on Place de Brouckère for 125 years and welcomed many of the most famous names in 20th-century history. The hotel had already been struggling to fill its rooms, citing the terror attacks and the pedestrian zone as causes. But maybe, like many hotels and restaurants in the city centre, it had become a little faded and unfashionable.

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tions to come up with a post-covid recovery plan. In early July, it opened two bike hubs at the Grand Hospice in central Brussels and See U in Ixelles. Aimed at tourists and residents, the temporary hubs offer bike rental, city tours and practical information. With a good plan in place, Brussels could emerge from the pandemic as an alternative tourist destination where people go to explore the city by bike, eat in unusual places and meet local people.

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Brussels will go green Locked down for several months in small city apartments, many people began to see the advantages of the suburbs. Without the pressure to commute, you could sit out the lockdown in a house with a garden somewhere on the edge of Brussels. Or you could go for a rural location in the Ardennes with a view of cows from your desk. The city will have to move fast if it is to stop a repeat of the urban exodus of the 1970s, when thousands of families moved out of Brussels to

the peaceful suburbs. That means cutting pollution, creating more green space and somehow persuading people that Brussels is a good place to live. One vision of the future is already taking shape along the canal at the Tour et Taxis neighbourhood. This massive project has transformed an old industrial site dominated by 19th-century warehouses, marshalling yards and Europe’s largest goods station. The site now offers an astonishing alternative vision of Brussels with sustainable architecture, eclectic start-up com-

panies and wild meadows (see story on page 32). Despite all the changes, Brussels has not lost its weird sense of humour. When a competition was announced to name 28 streets in the new Tour et Taxis quarter, locals were quick to respond with quirky suggestions. It means you can walk down a street next to the Gare Maritime named Ceci n’est pas une rue – a reference to Magritte’s famous painting Ceci n’est pas une pipe. Corona may have changed our lives. But Brussels surrealism has survived the pandemic.

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The meaning of Jürgen Conings For a few weeks this spring, Belgium was mesmerized by the threat of would-be Rambo Jürgen Conings lurking in the forest, waiting to pounce on virologists and politicians. While Conings failed in his plans to blow the lid on an assumed oppressive state apparatus, he opened up a Pandora’s box of rightwing extremism, writes Justin Stares

his summer, news headlines in Belgium were dominated by the coronavirus and floods, and the manhunt for a renegade soldier: Jürgen Conings. For a month, Conings was Belgium’s most wanted man. A fugitive far-right soldier, Covid-sceptic and survivalist, the 46-year-old had issued death threats to politicians and the country’s top virologist before disappearing into the wild. On June 20, his rotting corpse was eventually found in the Dilserbos forest in the northeast of the county, just five miles from the border with the Netherlands. Dubbed ‘the Belgian Rambo’, Conings, a specialist marksman, had not been seen since May 17 after taking four anti-tank missile launchers, a submachine gun and a bulletproof vest from his barracks. His disappearance sparked a massive manhunt, involving elite soldiers from both Germany and the Netherlands. It also highlighted the presence of far-right sympathisers, both in the army and across Flanders - and as the dust settles on the disturbing incident, Belgium is still trying to understand whether Conings represented a virulent streak of extremism.

eral see Jürgen Conings as a resistance fighter or even a hero,” said Admiral Michel Hofman, chief of staff of Belgium’s armed forces. “He certainly is not.”

FOR A MONTH, CONINGS WAS BELGIUM’S MOST WANTED MAN.” He was initially described as “potentially lethal” due to his experience in Afghanistan, Iraq, the Balkans and Lebanon. However, it was later pointed out that he was not an experienced sniper but rather a simple sharp-

Support from soldiers Many Belgians saw Conings as a weapons freak who had gone postal, went AWOL, or had left the reservation. But within the armed forces, support for him was so strong that top brass publicly berated the lower ranks. “I regret that some of our staff and of the population in gen-

Credit: Belga

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Police officers poured into the area, scouring the woods for signs of Coning. Credit: Belga

shooter, meaning he was the best in his unit at hitting targets in practice. While he had been awarded 14 medals, not one of them was for bravery, according to a leaked report from the army’s human resources department: part of a concerted effort to counter popular support which, online at least, had taken on worrying proportions.

He was initially described as “potentially lethal” due to his experience in Afghanistan, Iraq, the Balkans and Lebanon.” A Conings group on Facebook claiming to lobby for a fair trial grew to more than 40,000 members before it was deleted. Far-right Flemish politicians were warned that their social media accounts would be blocked if they did not desist with their messages of support.

Red flags missed Aside from the public relations nightmare, other problems surfaced within the army.

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Intelligence services knew Conings had dangerously extreme views but had failed to even revoke his access to heavy weapons, including rocket launchers and FN P90 compact machine guns capable of firing rounds that can pierce bullet-proof vests. Conings took one of each when he fled, claiming that he would “join the resistance”, consisting of those who refused to be “led to the slaughter like lambs”. The corporal had flirted with neo-Nazis and immigrant haters but was considered to be close to passing from words to action. In one chatroom, he had asked for the address of Marc Van Ranst, Belgium’s best-known virologist. Spooks wanted Conings shadowed constantly, and he was flagged as a potential terrorist. However, when a meeting was called to decide on possible restrictions, the intelligence services were oddly not represented. Due to scarce resources, priority was instead given to shadowing a different soldier on the Kleine-Brogel airforce base, where the US stores nuclear weapons.

Extremism at home But rather than blowing the lid on a state apparatus that was oppressing its people via Covid restrictions, as seems to have been his plan, Conings instead opened up a Pandora’s box of far-right extremism.

The presence of potential terrorists in the army of a NATO member was understandably an image that ministers wanted cleaned up. During the manhunt, it seemed at one point that the government wanted Conings dead at any cost. Those tracking him down had been given a ‘licence to kill’, Belgian press reported repeatedly.

During the manhunt, it seemed at one point that the government wanted Conings dead at any cost.” These stories made polarisation worse. Sympathisers, who held (poorly attended) marches, claimed Conings was a ‘war hero’ who had committed no crime – although this was probably untrue, given his threats and the absconding with weapons. In the days after Conings disappeared, Frédéric Van Leeuw, Belgium’s public prosecutor, called a press conference to point out that the state was seeking a peaceful outcome to the crisis, and that there was no such thing as a licence to kill. Conings was urged to contact “someone he trusted” as part of what the state hoped would be negotiations to bring him in. By this time, it was possibly already too late. Conings had told his girlfriend that he would not be taken alive. His prediction turned out to be correct.

He was found wearing military gear and with a bullet wound to the head. According to Bild, a German magazine that secured a photo of his dead body, he was hardly recognisable due to the advanced state of decomposition. His death, according to the autopsy report, was said to have occurred “one to four weeks” before the corpse was discovered.

Conspiracy theories Belgium is fertile territory for conspiracy theories. There is no lingua franca, and the mere fact that all events have to be translated from French into Dutch and vice versa already renders putting your finger on reality tricky. Much is lost in translation, and that’s before you factor in the ‘Magritte effect’, which adds a surreal touch to everything that happens here. Conings’ death was no exception. Sympathisers, including his aunt, said they did not believe the official version, that he killed himself. “No-one believes anything they are saying”, she said. “He wouldn't commit suicide. He was killed.” One idea doing the rounds was that he was assassinated by government agents seeking to ensure the saga did not overshadow a visit to Belgium by US President Biden. These theories were fuelled by incongruities surrounding the discovery of the corpse in the nature reserve, not far from where Conings had abandoned his car. Why had it not been discovered by the hundreds of soldiers and police who had scoured the area? Did the hunter discover the corpse first, or was it the local mayor who said he had smelt what he was sure was a decomposing

Credit: Belga

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human while separated from his friends on a mountain bike trip? Rather than investigate further, the mayor sent the GPS coordinates of the smell to the local police. The conspiracy theories gained such traction that the government eventually put out a plea for the public to ignore them, after which Belgium’s state-subsidised media stopped repeating them.

The Flemish question As attention slowly shifted back to the pandemic, heads began to roll. The head of military intelligence, Philippe Boucké, was forced out amid protests from generals. Many in the corridors of power must have breathed sighs of relief that Conings committed no irretrievable act of terror. As the weeks pass, his name appears less frequently online. However, the Pandora’s box remains open. It was revealed in August that another two soldiers are under investigation with a view to classifying them as potential terrorists. Around 50 far-right activists are on Belgium’s watchlist today: up from around 20 three years ago, though still fewer than the number of potential Islamic State jihadis.

The army also joined the manhunt. Credit: Belga

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Credit: Belga

While far-right extremism is by no means a phenomenon unique to Belgium, there is an undertone to Jürgen Coning’s story that is largely unspoken: he was from Flanders. Far-right extremism is a Flemish issue, and the latest polls show that the two Flemish nationalist parties can command the support of half of the region’s voters. As Coning’s story shows, Belgium’s unending identity struggles now overlap with extremism. The question is whether he was an outlier, or whether he reflected deeper sentiments in the country.

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EU-Vietnam relations reach new heights Bilateral economic cooperation has seen rapid development in recent years. The development aid for hunger eradication, poverty reduction, and economic restructuring that Vietnam received initially has developed into an equal and mutually beneficial partnership. Trade relations are the premise to promote cooperation in politics and other strategic areas on the basis of mutual benefits. The EU continues to consider Vietnam a leading partner in the region. Both sides have focused on promoting the implementation of their Comprehensive Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA). The EU - Vietnam Joint Committee mechanism substantially contributes to dealing with issues of mutual concern such as economics, trade, traffic, counter-terrorism, transnational crime, cyber security, and maritime security.

he upcoming visit of the new Chairman of the National Assembly of Vietnam, Vuong Dinh Hue, will be the first high-level visit to Europe by a Vietnamese leader after the elections to the Parliament. The visit will also be an opportunity to celebrate the 76th anniversary of the National Day of Vietnam on September 2 and the first anniversary of the EU - Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA). The cooperation between Vietnam and the EU over the past 30 years has become a model of EU cooperation with Asian countries. During the years, there have also been great strides in the bilateral relations between Vietnam and EU member states. The legislative bodies of the two sides have played an important role in this process. Key milestones were the early ratification of a highly complex and ambitious new-generation free trade agreement with an emerging economy. During the years, there have also been great strides in the bilateral relations between Vietnam and EU member states.

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Vietnam has always positioned itself as a bridge between the EU and the Southeast Asian countries (ASEAN): Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. The EU, on its part, continues to support Vietnam in promoting relations with the ASEAN countries, other major powers, and international organizations. The EU is also expected to support Vietnam in sustainable energy development, governance, rule of law, and legislation.

Progress in free trade agreement The free trade agreement makes Vietnam the EU's largest trading partner in ASEAN for the first time, with an export-import turnover in the first six months of 2021 of about €28 billion (an increase by 18 % compared to the same period last year). The agreement brings high-quality Vietnamese goods at reasonable prices, such as textiles and garments, agriculture, forestry and fishery, to consumers in the EU. It has also increased the EU's export to Vietnam for industrial machinery, hi-tech agriculture, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and vehicles.

The free trade agreement also contributes to investment activities between the two sides. The EU has currently more than 2,200 projects from all EU member countries in Vietnam, and registered investment capital reached more than 22 billion USD. However, investments have not yet lived up to the expectations and account for only 7% of total foreign direct investments in Vietnam. The National Assembly of Vietnam approved already last year the EU - Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA) with an overwhelming majority. Leading European enterprises are now looking forward for the EU to following suit and soon ratify the agreement. Effective implementation of the free trade agreement, the ratification of the protection agreement, and the removal of the yellow card under the IUU regulation on illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing will benefit all parties in the European and ASEAN market.

Donation of COVID-19 vaccines The EU is leading global efforts to help countries to access COVID-19 vaccines and has already donated 2.4 million vaccine doses to Vietnam through the COVAX Facility. Recently, senior leaders of Vietnam sent a letter to the Presidents of the European Council and the European Commission to ask for more support and the sharing of vaccines with Vietnam.

“The EU is leading global efforts to help countries to access COVID-19 vaccines and has already donated 2.4 million vaccine doses to Vietnam through the COVAX Facility.” EU's support to Vietnam as regards vaccines, medicines and medical equipment at this critical time demonstrates the good relations between the EU and Vietnam and the practical implementation of the agreements with Vietnam in the management of the coronavirus crisis. Furthermore, strengthening regional and local cooperation with Vietnam, especially in tourism, education, logistics, agriculture, and high technology, is of utmost importance. It is also necessary that the EU promotes Green Technology Transfer to Vietnam in the treatment of waste, water sources, management of seawater intrusion, and sea-level rise to enhance people's lives in areas affected by climate changes such as the Central region and the Mekong Delta. The EU is also expected to support Vietnam in sustainable energy development, governance, rule of law, and legislation. Vietnam is also still in need of development

assistance for projects on developing green energy and improving the environment in a sustainable way in rural and mountainous areas. Green Technology Transfer to Vietnam will enhance people's lives in areas affected by climate change such as the Central region and the Mekong Delta.

Close Belgium-Vietnam relations Belgium is one of the EU member states maintaining good relations with Vietnam. Vietnam is Belgium's 14th largest trading partner while Belgium ranked 5th out of 27 EU countries investing in Vietnam. Since 2018, Belgium is also a strategic partner in the field of agriculture. The Vietnamese community in Belgium is not large but deeply integrated and has become a solid bridge between the two countries, contributing to the bilateral relations. High-ranking officials of the two countries regularly visit each other, notably the visit of National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan in 2019 and the upcoming visit of the new National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue. Attractive investment fields in Vietnam are industrial zones, food and beverage, processing and manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, and renewable energy. On July 31, 2021, Vietnam officially licensed investments in the wind power project in Binh Thuan (worth 3.1 billion USD). In the field of logistics, the two countries recently started to operate a railway line from Yen Vien, Hanoi. Opening a new freight transport route from Vietnam to Europe is also planned considering that international sea transport continues to face difficulties. In the near future, the two sides should continue to closely cooperate at international and regional multilateral forums, such as the United Nations Security Council and the Human Rights Council, to strengthen cooperation to contribute to ensuring security, safety, and freedom of navigation in the region.

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How the Gare Maritime became a model of modern sustainability A generation ago, the Gare Maritime in the Tour & Taxis industrial site was an abandoned wasteland. It is now a model for urban renewal and sustainable architecture. Its reopening offers a new vision for Brussels, as Angela Dansby reports

All pictures: Filip Dujardin

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he vast Tour & Taxis industrial complex along the Brussels Canal was once Europe’s largest freight train station for international goods. But by the 1980s, the Gare Maritime, as the goods station was known, lost favour, became obsolete and then abandoned. Today, however, it has been renovated and reborn as a vision of sustainable redevelopment. Completed architecturally in 2020 and fully opening by October 2021, the Gare Maritime is almost a covered city: a 45,000-square-me-

“The Grand Old Lady now has a new lease on life.” tres footprint with a main street, boulevards, squares, gardens and trees. It is probably the most exciting architectural project in Brussels of the past decade. How did it come about? First, a little history. Between 1907 and 1986, international goods would arrive at Tour & Taxis by water, rail and

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land. Customs and excise duties were collected onsite and goods were stored in warehouses before redistribution (a few of these customs functions still take place at nearby offices). But as they fell into disuse, the Port of Brussels and the railway companies sold the Tour & Taxis buildings, including Gare Maritime, in 2001. It is now owned by real estate giant Extensa, whose CEO Kris Verhellen, had bold ambitions for the site. Verhellen says. “Having an exciting story and unique experiences is what it’s all about,” he says. “Early in the 20th century, Belgium was at the forefront of the industrial revolution and Gare Maritime was made with ambition for more. Today, we have a different ambition of preserving the building for future generations. The Grand Old Lady now has a new lease on life.”

Reimagining the site Verhellen says it was the US television show ‘Ally McBeal’ (1997-2002) that inspired the creation of loft-style offices there. It started a trend that led to Extensa making Gare Maritime a creative hub, getting forward-thinking companies “over the canal” to the site. “Gare Maritime was multimodal for the distribution of goods in the old economy but now it’s a mul-

timodal platform for the distribution of ideas in the new economy,” he says. But Verhellen also recognised that the architecture of Gare Maritime needed to be reimagined. And that led him to Rotterdam-based Neutelings Riedijk Architects. “They respected the ‘Grand Old Lady,’” he says. “I remember former co-founder Willem Neutelings saying, ‘your cathedral is already there.’” Michiel Riedijk, principal architect at Neutelings Riedijk, says the plan was to retain the existing urban context and the building structure in a natural way. “The open public space in the Kris Verhellen, the CEO of Extensa, which owns the Gare Maritime

“The architecture of Gare Maritime needed to be reimagined.” middle of the ‘city’ is subject to the changing of the seasons visually and climatically, mimicking an open-air experience indoors,” he says. That meant retaining the steel frame and historic buildings within Gare Maritime, like the Maison de la Poste, timber roofs, Belgian bluestone (pierre bleue belge) from train platforms and original cobblestones on walkways. For example, the steel columns were coated with fire-resistant paint, the roofs sandblasted and the cobblestones flattened out for ease of walking. The bluestone from Hainaut, rare be-

cause of its local production, was cut into pieces to fit under structural columns for greater visibility. “We got original plans from 1902 for the building from universities and tried to restore as much as possible in the most authentic way,” says Verhellen. “Some technical adaptations were required – for example, glass roofs for light inside gardens and smoke evacuation – but we retained everything possible while creating this covered city quarter.” They also needed lightweight material to sit on the original steel frame as it could not take the weight of concrete. European oak and pine wood was the perfect solution, cross-laminated for better structural rigidity. “We could prefabricate new building pieces and fit them together like Lego under

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the historic roof and steel frame,” Verhellen says. “This allowed us to maintain the heritage of Gare Maritime.”

Light and sustainable The result is a gorgeous, light-filled, sustainable building with three larger and four smaller halls plus 10 larger and 12 smaller pavilions. The wooden pavilions – linked by visible timber stairways that intersect with dramatic effect – create a network of “boulevards, streets, squares and gardens.”

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Gare Maritime has both private and public domains, including 12 offices, meeting and event spaces, about 20 shops, 10 retail kiosks, themed gardens with tall trees and a 2,500-square-metre food court. Eight squares feature original cobblestones rearranged in beautiful mosaic patterns by the Brussels-based visual artist Henri Jacobs. Maison de la Poste – a former post, telegram and telephone office – provides elegant meeting spaces and a rooftop corporate cinema for rent. “Maison de la Poste was like the Amazon and Microsoft of its time,” says Verhellen. “It’s a castle on its own with huge rooms that each have their own identity.” Verhellen likens the Gare Maritime to London’s Covent Garden but it is so much bigger – equivalent in size to more than six football pitches – and with less commercial focus. “We didn’t make it a shopping centre so as not to promote consumerism,” he says. “Its long-term strength is the new vision of a circular economy and the opportunity to expand an economy is itself a sustainable concept.” Extensa carefully selected its tenants, including Publicis Groupe, Accenture, Universal and B/S/H/, because they are also mindful of sustainability. Their interiors match this

concept. B/S/H/, for example, has a new-generation showroom of cooking and kitchen appliances, which is perfectly located next to the food hall. “For those who embrace Gare Maritime, it’s heaven,” Verhellen says, whose own operations team works in the Tour & Taxis complex. “There will be trade and consumption at Gare Maritime but not consumerism.” The elaborate renovation took four years. Exterior parts are still being built out, including five apartment buildings behind the Gare Maritime and a pond and park in front of it. The latter are expected to be completed by summer 2022.

New European Bauhaus The Gare Maritime concept – carbon and energy-neutral, fossil fuel-free – also ties in with the New European Bauhaus sustainable architecture initiative promoted by the European Commission this year. As Europe’s biggest timber construction project, Gare Maritime has about 10,000 cubic metres of carbon dioxide-absorbing material (using timber rather than concrete in the construction saved an estimated 3,500 tonnes in COz emissions.) It also produces more renewable energy than it consumes. Its roofs have 17,000 square metres of solar panels – indeed, its solar ener-

remote-controlled glass, the windows change colour to act like sunscreens while maintaining transparency so people can still see outside. No surprise, Gare Maritime won its certification with BREEAM, a rigorous sustainability assessment method for buildings and infrastructure that requires not only green design but also user-friendly aspects like being close to public transport (the Yser metro is an eight-minute walk, while a tram stop on the Rue Picard is forthcoming), responsibly collecting waste, having visible staircases and providing a healthy environment.

“The indoor food market is set to be the largest in Europe.” gy can be shared with the Molenbeek neighbourhood in case of surplus. It can produce 3,000 megawatts of electricity a year, which is enough for 850 households. In addition, glass windows in bookend archways and on upper levels contain solar cells. “Gare Maritime exemplifies, without inten-

tion, the new European Bauhaus,” Riedijk says. “Extensa wanted office space of the future geared towards the wellbeing of people in the building. The historic structure drove our creativity and sustainability constraints led to other modes of execution.” For example, the giant roof allows for rainwater collection. Two large tanks supply water for the gardens and toilets. Geothermal pumps heat pavilion interiors and the floor of the food court. However, there is no heating in the open, main hall so a coat may be needed there during winter, Verhellen says. Pixelized, six-metre-high windows on the upper levels help keep the sun out so the building does not overheat. With intelligently tinted,

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The building has also won numerous awards for sustainability and architecture, including the prestigious Europa Nostra Heritage Award 2021, Belgian Building Award 2021 and nomination for the Mies van der Rohe Award 2022. Verhellen says the Gare Maritime is the largest circular economy project in the world. "Sustainability was a choice out of our own interests; it is an essential quality of any project that we do,” he says.

Food magnet However, the main attraction, as far as the public is concerned, could be the food court. It will feature a Victoria beer bar, 10 restaurants representing Belgium’s gastronomic scene, indoor terraces, and retail stands with original, creative and healthy items. It will be sustainable here too: reducing food waste and using recyclable materials.

“Brussels has not had a building with a wow factor since the Atomium in 1958. It needs something new and out of the ordinary.” “The food hall will be a vibrant destination for the public because we have such a rich food and beverage culture in Belgium,” Verhellen says. “We will work with famous chefs to bring gourmet offerings for good value. Ingredients will be locally sourced with short-chain production. Everything must tell a story.” The indoor food market is set to be the largest in Europe, according to brewing giant AB InBev, which is running it as a joint venture with Extensa. It is slated to open by early October, after COVID-19 postponed the original launch date. Also connecting Gare Maritime to the public was a competition in collaboration with the city of Brussels to name the building’s streets, squares and kiosks. Names selected from public suggestions reflect modern Belgian icons like cuberdon and speculoos as well as goods that were once stored on site. “Gare Maritime presents an opportunity for a unique experience that can touch people emotionally,” Verhellen says, suggesting it might become both a local and tourist attraction, bringing more international visibility to the city. “Brussels has not had a building with a wow factor since the Atomium in 1958. It needs something new and out of the ordinary.”

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Gare Maritime in figures 10,000 cubic metres of timber for 12 units that can be used as office or retail space 10,000 solar panels spread over an area of 17,000 square metres 7,500 square metres of public space Recovery and integration of 7,500 square metres of historical cobblestones 2,500 square-metre food hall 350 square metres of Belgian bluestone from original train platforms 30 retail spaces of various shapes and sizes, including 10 kiosks on green pedestrian boulevards 10 themed gardens with 100 trees 8 squares with mosaic floors inspired by regional Belgian products 2 geothermal wells 140 metres under the building 2 rainwater tanks of 1,300 cubic metres 1 award-winning architectural masterpiece

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Why Belgium is regulating sex work After decades of confusing rules and hypocritical policy, Belgium is finally regulating sex work by removing prostitution from the criminal law. Maïthé Chini speaks to Belgium’s Justice Minister, the director of the sex workers union, and a representative of migrant women, as she looks at what it means for the world’s oldest profession

n Belgium, as almost anywhere around the world, sex workers face stigma and prosecution. But they have become increasingly vocal in recent years, as they have demanded basic legal rights. Now politicians are starting to listen.

This way, someone who does sex work – if they are of age and do it voluntarily – no longer has to worry about it.” Belgium is joining a growing number of states by decriminalising sex work and regulating the industry. In April 2021, Justice Minister Vincent Van Quickenborne set the wheels in motion by announcing that he wanted to decriminalise sex work. It is a shift that implicitly accepts that sex work should not be abolished, and that sex workers can decide for themselves how they do their job. "It exists anyway. We know that," Van Quickenborne tells The Brussels Times. "The question is: who will be worse off if we take this step?" Under current regulation, sex work is allowed, but third parties involved with sex workers are committing a crime. The law aims to target pimps, but it also impacts other people involved with sex workers, from bookkeepers and web designers to drivers, landlords and even banks. "All of them are punishable," Van Quickenborne says. "We are removing all that. This way, someone who

does sex work – if they are of age and do it voluntarily – no longer has to worry about it.” Van Quickenborne opted to decriminalise rather than legalise sex work. The distinction means that sex workers do not need to meet tough legal conditions to effectively engage in prostitution. In the Netherlands, where a legal framework was in place, these demands led to significant clandestine sex work. Van Quickenborne worked with the Belgian sex worker union UTSOPI to follow the example of New Zealand, which decriminalised prostitution in the early 2000s. Specifically, it means taking Articles 380, 380bis and 380ter out of Belgium's Penal Code, which punish Brussels sex workers protest, September 2019. Credit: UTSOPI

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Brussels sex workers protest, March 2021. Credit: UTSOPI

"those who cooperate in fornication and prostitution.” While it feels counterintuitive, decriminalisation is much better than outright legalisation, UTSOPI Director Maxime Maes says, as it adapts the system to the real needs of sex workers. "We should find a way to allow sex workers to choose their practices and their clients," he says. "That’s the core of consent." But it is not as simple, for example, as just adapting the contract of someone working in a massage salon. "Masseuses cannot choose their clients and they cannot choose their practices, because they work as a masseur and have to do their job," Maes says. "Sex work is work, of course. But it is specific work, with some particularities that we have to take into consideration.”

Beating the pimps UTSOPI says sex workers should be free to practice the way they want to. "At the same time, it is important to really keep an eye on pimping and human trafficking," Maes says. That is why, as Van Quickenborne points out, his proposal explicitly includes the provision 'abuse of prostitution,’ to combat pimping. "We have clarified everything that was in the grey zone, and brought it to the ’white zone,’ while also making the area of 'prohibited acts' clearer," the minister says. "There are, of course, the provisions on trafficking in human beings, which in itself contains criminal offences, but 'abuse of prostitution' specifically means that, even with less evidence, we can still criminalise people," he explains.

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Penalties include prison sentences between one and five years, as well as fines from €500 to €25,000. Abuses include pressuring a sex worker and determining how many clients they must see each day or saying that all sexual acts must be allowed and not leaving that choice up to the worker.

Many people in sex work do it voluntarily. Why do we have to criminalise those people? Why should we say that these people are committing criminal acts?” It also covers someone renting out rooms at exorbitant prices, or someone inciting through advertising, as well as sugar daddies. "All the abuse surrounding prostitution and sex work is in it, because we now want to prosecute this very explicitly," Van Quickenborne says. "Where, first, everything was in a zone of tolerance, and what was or was not allowed depended on the place and the prosecutor, we are now drawing very clear lines.”

New Zealand vs Nordic models Van Quickenborne contrasts the Belgian approach with other countries, such as Sweden, which still want to remove prostitution entirely. "That is not our position, because it cannot be eradicated,” he says.

Many feminist organisations, such as the European Network of Migrant Women (ENoMW), argue that the Nordic model used in Sweden is the right way to end prostitution: criminalise buyers and partially decriminalise workers. “The approach that Belgium is taking now, saying ‘well this is not going to go away’ is just not a way of thinking that we can afford,” says Anna Zobnina, ENoMW’s Strategy & Policy Coordinator. “If we always thought like that, women would still not be able to vote. You can call it idealist, but we keep our standards high. We want the full package of human rights for women.” Sex workers reject this Nordic model as it deprives them of income. “But for us, the solution is to have a legal system in which no man has the right to purchase sexual access,” Zobnina says. “No one is arguing that the Nordic model is an ideal and immediate solution. We are not stupid. The ownership of women by men is a very real historic fact. In this context of tens of thousands of years of patriarchy, we are not that naive to believe prostitution will just disappear if we introduce this model tomorrow.” However, it would be “a very necessary, first legal step” that would enable Belgium to take all other steps, Zobnina says. “Every law needs to be correctly implemented, which requires political will and resources, funding and training,” she says. “It is not just about punishing buyers, but also about providing exit services for women.” Zobnina says the Nordic model requires political will, funding, education and awareness-raising, as well as support to the women in prostitution. The aim is not to eradicate sex work, but to safeguard women, she says, adding that the results in Sweden show that it works. “We are coming from a feminist and human rights perspective. We are trying to give everybody – but specifically migrant and refugee women, in our case – the right to live in a society without facing the risk of sexual exploitation and sexual degradation.” Van Quickenborne, however, made the conscious decision to follow the New Zealand model instead, saying that many people in sex work do it voluntarily. "Why do we have to criminalise those people? Why should we say that these people are committing criminal acts? To me, that seems particularly patronising and hypocritical," he says.

Destigmatising the job While his proposal - which will also help to destigmatise the job - received many positive reactions from the sector, Van Quickenborne is also aware of the concern of organisations like ENoMW, as well as others. When the parliament returns to text in autumn, those organ-

isations will also be heard, he says. "However, the position that the government has taken is a very firm, clear one, and we are not going to deviate from it now." Belgium’s sex workers themselves, meanwhile, are hoping that the law can be implemented as soon as possible. “There are many sex workers waiting for their rights,” Maes says, adding that the sector is still feeling the damage done by the prostitution ban over the past year and a half during the pandemic. “The coronavirus crisis really made it clear how bad the lack of statute and recognition was for sex workers. I don’t know if we will succeed in helping everyone, but this is definitely the beginning of something,” Maes says.

I am not asking them to think about sex work, but I am asking them to think about sex workers. We are here, regardless of their moral judgement.” Another benefit of regularisation, UTSOPI says, is that it should bring more recognition for the job. For example, sex work was not considered in any of the government’s press conferences about the coronavirus measures. “They never, ever talked about sex work,” Maes says. “Not even when everyone was talking about non-essential contact professions.” The fact that the sector was never explicitly told to stop working caused confusion for everyone involved. “Over the last few months, it happened a few times that police officers called me, as the coordinator at UTSOPI, to ask me if sex work was allowed at the time or not,” Maes says. “It was just a big mess. The police should not be calling the workers with that question. If anything, it should be the opposite. By contrast, in the Netherlands, the government included sex work in their spring 2020 plans, saying it would probably be the last sector to be allowed to restart. “That was not great news, but at least they were taken into consideration, which is exactly what did not happen here,” Maes says. That, in essence, is what sex workers are asking for: to not be ignored. “I ask them not to make decisions from a moralistic, ideological point of view, but to be pragmatic,” Maes says. “I am not asking them to think about sex work, but I am asking them to think about sex workers. We are here, regardless of their moral judgement.”

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Credit: Lectrr

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Becoming Belgian Geoff Meade has lived for decades in Belgium and to some, he might look like the quintessential Englishman abroad. But when circumstances forced him to seek Belgian nationality, it prompted a few pointed questions about his identity

f I had a euro for every time someone has asked me in the last 12 months what it’s like being a Belgian, I’d have enough money to buy a round of every kind of Belgian beer for every citizen of Brussels every day for the next 12 months. On the other hand, I’ve only once been asked what it’s like being English, and the question came from a curious Belgian. Or more accurately, a Belgian who was curious. That happened when I’d been in Brussels for about a year and, on a whim, had recently moved to a place in the countryside, just because of its quirky name.

Being English was a bit of luck because it turned out that I could speak the language fluently.” My closest neighbours in the forest of Erps-Kwerps, situated between the separate parishes of Erps and Kwerps (it sounds funniest in a flat English accent), were a local couple and their lanky, charming and very inquisitive late-teenage son. The boy immediately adopted me as a sociological research project and spent much of his spare time popping across to my place without warning to study this fine English specimen from across the Channel. He was concerned that I should appreciate Belgium, especially its beer and food, and that I shouldn’t underestimate the country because

of its small size or because it seemed to be cobbled together from various bits of other countries and didn’t have its own language.

What’s Belgian for ‘Exit’? On one occasion he wanted to know if I agreed with him that it was a disgrace that Belgian supermarkets usually marked their exit doors with the English word “EXIT” instead of the Flemish and, where appropriate, French equivalents. Another time he expressed great interest in the fact that my English sports car was still on English number plates even though by Belgian law I should have replaced them with Belgian plates after six months. But I liked his direct manner, even if diplomatic replies were usually required, and his most interesting question turned out to be the most unanswerable: “What’s it like being English?” I told him that I didn’t have any choice about my birthplace and joked that being English was a bit of luck because it turned out that I could speak the language fluently. He liked that one. Then, early in the evening of April 19, 1980, he crossed the road to tell me that the Eurovision song contest was on, his parents didn’t want to watch it, and could he watch it with me because he was sure the Belgian entry, by a trio called Telex, would win. I hadn’t planned to watch it either and had never even heard of the band – we expats can be notoriously insular - but he was so insistent that I got him a (Belgian) beer and switched on the telly. I shouldn’t have. Telex, with their electron-

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Stilt walkers in Brussels. Below, right: the record cover for ‘Potverdekke!’ by Mister John

ic pop parody of the Eurovision contest itself, entitled “Euro-Vision”, came in 17th out of 19 entries. My neighbour was distraught and close to tears. The fact that the UK managed third place made things worse. I told him the song contest is just a bit of fun, and it doesn’t mean anything. He shook his head and said: “You must be very proud of your country” before going back to his own house with shoulders slumped.

Potverdekke! But I wasn’t proud at all, any more than I was mocking of Belgium’s poor result. I only hope that 18 years later, in 1998 he was mightily cheered when an English-language song lauding the delights of being Belgian hit the Belgian music charts and stayed there for 26 weeks and, legend now has it, boosted this nation’s morale. ‘Potverdekke! (It’s great to be a Belgian)’ was

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written and performed by John Makin, a very good friend who came to Brussels from Liverpool as a quantity surveyor. He evolved into a professional musician called Mr John, whose finest hour was his novelty song about his adopted country. He was even called upon to sing it live that year in front of the king (and many other people) as part of Belgium’s national holiday celebrations. The cheery tune accompanies an uplifting, affectionate tribute to Belgium, referencing icons of what is now known as Belgitude, including mussels, various beers, Tintin, Captain Haddock, Hercule Poirot and the saxophone, invented by a real Belgian, Adolphe Sax. The song begins: Potverdekke! it’s great to be a Belgian I’m not English, I’m not French and I’m not Dutch I’m not Spanish Portuguese or German I’m a Belgian, so thank you very much!

John, of course, was not Belgian and although he loved the place and its passions, I doubt that he had plans to apply for a Belgian passport: he died a few years before Brexit prompted a dash by expat Brits to swear allegiance to the Mannekin Pis.

tic. The paperwork was minimal, and nobody posed tricky questions. Mind you, my wife and I were fully prepared: we had memorised all the verses of ‘Potverdekke!’, which is, after all, the unofficial alternative Belgian national anthem. And if asked, I would have pretended to like moules-frites and to be a mega-fan of Plastic Bertrand. We’d even mugged up on some key Belgian facts, which is why I can tell you that this nation produces 600,000 tonnes of chocolate a year. And that the man who most helped an Englishman invent the World Wide Web was a Belgian called Robert Cailliau. But unlike Britain, where wannabe nationals are expected to understand cricket and be able to name Alfred the Great’s cousins, it turns out that Belgium doesn’t set a general knowledge quiz. Some communes of Brussels, though, do gold-plate the country-wide minimum nationality requirements by setting language tests, which produce strangled cries of “Dammit!” – or “Potverdekke!” in the local patois - from some of our fellow Brexit asylum-seeking friends. And although our town hall didn’t invite us round for a celebratory glass of fizz like some other communes did on completion of the formalities, we received a very nice phone call from a chap who declared, in French: “I am delighted to inform you that, as of April 23rd, you are Belgian citizens. Congratulations!” I like to think that this would please my young Erps-Kwerps neighbour of 40 years ago. But I think that he, now in mid-life, would have a fit if I told him that my old sports car stayed on its English plates for all these years – finally taking Belgian nationality when we did and still going strong.

We BBBs (BrexitBritish-Belgians) must own up to being motivated by practicality more than passion.” And we BBBs (Brexit-British-Belgians) must own up to being motivated by practicality more than passion. Nevertheless, the formal welcome from the authorities in our commune was gracious and even enthusias-

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A new kind of catch-up As COVID restrictions ease, The British School of Brussels is fighting fit for 2021

able to learn, to grow, to discover and develop. In the words of Neil Ringrose, Head of Primary School, BSB has done what it always does, “to continue to offer the best of learning for all children in the school.” Nevertheless, much thought has been given to how BSB can help its own students “catch up” after the challenges of COVID restrictions – not so much in curriculum content but in other, less obvious ways. “The response to the pandemic has created a very sterile world,” says John Knight, Head of Secondary at BSB, “The challenge now is to re-inject the risk factor in our children’s lives.” In summer 2021, the school organised a series of outdoor trips to replace the tradi-

“Its academic success has never been stronger, evidenced among other things by the phenomenal 40-point average in this year’s IB results.” tional whole year group getaways in the summer term. Navigating by canoe, taking steps of faith across high ropes, and simply soaking in nature already began the work of undoing the artificial world of restrictions to which we have all become accustomed.

A different kind of catching up

The adventure continues…

Much debate in the UK has focused on how to help students catch up on schooling, following prolonged periods of lockdown. The British School of Brussels has been fortunate in being able to continue its excellent educational provision throughout the pandemic; its academic success has never been stronger, evidenced among other things by the phenomenal 40-point average in this year’s IB results. Throughout the school, BSB’s high quality curriculum and its staff of dedicated, talented teachers have ensured that whatever else is going on in the world, BSB students have been

For the academic year 2021, all systems are go to build on these experiences and make them part of the fabric of everyday school life. Visitors to the school during the summer term will have seen more lessons taking place out of doors, with more of the school’s beautiful campus adapted to create new meeting spaces.

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Working and playing together are essential remedies to the strangely isolated world of COVID19. BSB’s already extensive sports programme is placing renewed emphasis on team sports and, under the expert guid-

ance of world-class coaches, is increasingly entering local leagues, building connections both within the teams themselves and with the wider community. As with its Secondary School counterpart, BSB’s Primary School has been thinking deeply about how to use the school’s outdoor spaces even more to enhance creativity, risk-taking, teamwork and independent thought. “There is a fundamental need in all of us to be outside,” says Esther O’Conner, team leader for Early Years. She points out that there is a strong link between wellbeing and spending time outdoors and, beside this, there is huge scope for children’s development outside the four walls of the classroom, both socially and academically. One recent project saw children at the school tasked with creating an irrigation system using the loose parts they found: working together and thinking ideas through were essential.

Joining it all together An extensive Primary School curriculum review has brought a raft of inspiring changes for the new year. Units of Discovery, which combine different subjects around a common theme, will provide a greater coherence between academic disciplines as well as a stronger sense of connection to BSB’s immediate context. Animals in Crisis, for example, begins on the school’s doorstep by exploring the magnificent forest of Tervuren Park; then widens the scope to include local conservation charities; and finally culminates in an imagined world conference on animal protection. By the end of this topic, students will have combined skills from a range of disciplines, developed independent learning and teamwork and, crucially, seen how all of it relates to the real world. In addition to bringing the best of learning for all children in the primary school, this is manifestly in line with BSB’s mission to develop, “confident, caring and courageous people who engage actively, ethically and purposefully with the world around us.” For Melanie Warnes, Principal of BSB, these enhancements for the new school year are a continuation of what BSB has always sought to achieve: “I am incredibly proud of the way our staff, parents and students have come together and achieved so much over what has been a very challenging time for everyone. I am

thrilled to return for the new school year, knowing that our children will be able to stretch themselves and be agile, physically, mentally, and socially. This can only yield ever more amazing learning and life experiences for our students.” The British School of Brussels is an independent international school, catering for students aged between 1 and 18. If you would like to know more about the school, you can make contact via the website www.britishschool.be or email at: admissions@britishschool.be.

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Searching for Silence in Belgium It can be hard to escape the modern world’s soundtrack of bleeps, shrieks, thumps and rumbles. Gareth Harding explains how the pandemic prompted a quest for quiet outside Brussels

he most beautiful sound in the world is silence,” wrote the turnof-the-century English novelist Robert Hichens. Unfortunately, finding peace and quiet is increasingly difficult in a world bombarded by the bleep of ringtones, the thump of music, the roar of airplanes, the rumble of cars, the rev of motorbikes and the buzz of leaf-blowers,

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“There are ten areas in the north of the country that have officially been awarded ‘quiet area’ quality labels. These are zones that have background noise levels of around 35-40 decibels, which is quieter than the average library.”

lawn mowers and hedge-cutters. In a dense and traffic-clogged country like Belgium, seeking silence often feels as futile as searching for water in the Atacama Desert. Yet it does exist. In the Ardennes, obviously, but even in heavily urbanised Flanders, where towns sprawl, roads rip through the countryside and wide-open spaces are few and far between. There are ten areas in the north of the country - you can find the full list at omgeving.vlaanderen.be/stiltegebieden - that have officially been awarded ‘quiet area’ quality labels. These are zones that have background noise levels of around 35-40 decibels, which is quieter than the average library and much less noisy than a fridge. Of course, there can still be natural sounds like birds chirping, leaves rustling and water gurgling. But ‘foreign’ noises like cars, planes and tractors should be virtually non-existent. Pée Gilke, a policy advisor at the Flemish Ministry of Environment, admits that silent areas are “not so easy to find in very built-up Flanders, with a lot of noise from people, cars and machines.” However, she adds that the purpose of the quality label is to “show we have relatively quiet places.” One designated quiet area is near Bornem, north-west of Mechelen on the banks of the Schelde river. So I jumped in the car – yes, I’m aware of the irony – to go in search of silence in Belgium. The 50-minute drive from Brussels is not promising. Once off the ring road I’m immediately onto a three-lane highway zooming past warehouses, parking lots, car showrooms, factories, giant pharmaceutical plants, parked

lorries and ugly new-built houses. There is not a kilometre of uninterrupted nature and the idea of finding calm seems decidedly farfetched.

Cornfields, pastures, willows and oaks I arrive in the pretty provincial town of Bornem and park outside the tourist office, which is shut from October to April. Without the chance to buy a local map, I take a photo of the area’s hiking trails on a panel and rather randomly head out on a wide tree-lined avenue running from town to the turreted Bornem castle.

“I’m in a landscape of cornfields, lush green cow pastures, horse paddocks, willow plantations and oak and beech forests.” Within minutes the throb of engines has faded and I’m in a landscape of cornfields, lush green cow pastures, horse paddocks, willow plantations and oak and beech forests. Each parcel of land is separated by polder streams lined by rushes and reeds. The path is well marked once you get the hang of joining the numerical markers like a giant paint-by-numbers puzzle. And the gravel roads are good enough for prams and wheelchairs most of way.

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Because each path is tree-lined, almost all you hear is the rustle of leaves, rushes and corn. Apart from the occasional distant drone of a motorbike or a small plane circling overhead, there is almost absolute silence. I lean against a tree trunk, mind calm, senses alive. No wonder the Japanese call this forest-bathing, a popular pastime in this anxious age.

“Apart from the occasional distant drone of a motorbike or a small plane circling overhead, there is almost absolute silence.” After a few kilometres you arrive at Oude Schelde, a sinuous lake lined with bungalows, fishing clubs and vegetable allotments. Then after another stretch of forest, you hit a protective dyke with a flat, tarmacked route frequented by lycra-clad cyclists and iron-calved hikers. This is where you get your first glimpse of the Scheldt - Schelde in Dutch, Escaut in French - the 350km river that flows from northern France through Antwerp before emptying out into the North Sea. At this point it is at least 500m wide and the colour of milk chocolate. The flood land on either side is populated by saplings, bull-reeds and marsh flowers and sheep graze the dyke’s banks After walking about 7km in a westward loop from Bornem you arrive at Weert, which is a perfect place to stop for a drink or bite to eat. In addition to a towering church, this tiny hamlet has a handful of bars and restaurants,

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including one specialising in fresh eels in green sauce. I plump for De Zilverreiger, which also doubles up as a bike rental shop, weaving museum and brewery. I take a seat in the tile-floor and brick-walled bar with a couple of solitary old-timers and drink a couple of their infeasibly strong home brews with my pickled herring. It feels good and makes me realise that travelling is not about how far you go. It’s about how far you go from your daily routine. It’s about being somewhere different. And appreciating it. Heading back from Weert to Bornem, the

Credit: Gareth Harding

landscape becomes more suburban and you hear the distant but steady flow of traffic and sirens from the highway. New built houses with immaculate lawns. Owners proudly pruning trees and trimming hedges. At least two cars in every drive. The peace and quiet are behind me. The momentary escape from noise is over. Back to reality.

Tranquil theme tours People need tranquil areas and they are popular, says Pée, from the Flemish Ministry of Environment. The Bornem polders, for example, organises themed tours of the silent area and groups of 15 or more can book a silence guide who is “is at home in the perception of silence, inner silence, acoustic silence, artistic silences,” according to the Schelde-Durme regional landscape website (rlsd.be/wat/recreatie/stiltegebied). Pée says there’s a “fine line between promoting them and attracting too many people – because if we do the quiet areas wouldn’t be quiet.” This was my first feeling arriving at the Grenspark Kalmthouse Heide, another quiet area straddling the Belgian and Dutch borders just north of Antwerp. On a blustery Saturday in late October, the visitor centre was crammed, the main paths packed with walkers and the distant din of traffic hard to ignore.

“The paradox is that the more you listen, the more noise you hear,” says Pée. However, after a few kilometres walking, it becomes clear why the border park has earned the right to call itself a three-star quiet area. This means the noise level remains on average limited to 35 decibels, foreign sounds are heard less than 20% of the time and a maximum of only five foreign sounds can be heard within a quarter of an hour. Kalmthouse Heide is much bigger than the Bornem quiet zone – 60 square kilometres compared to 14 square kilometres – which makes it easier to find areas of almost total silence. It’s also more diverse ecologically, with woods, lakes, fens, polders, pastures, dunes and heather fields criss-crossing the border. What both have in common, however, is a commitment to quiet in a world of almost incessant noise. “More and more studies indicate peace and quiet have a positive effect on mental health – as do green spaces,” says Pée. With noise pollution estimated to be the second worst environmental threat to health after air pollution and with more and more people seeking a respite from the stresses of everyday life, Belgium’s quiet areas would appear to have a rosy future.

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Keeping it all under one roof: a family-focussed approach to learning

hen the pandemic struck in early 2020, almost all aspects of modern life were changed overnight and the education sector was hit particularly hard. Yet with its emphasis on smaller classes and staff dedicated to helping individual pupils on each step of their academic journey, BEPS International School was able to overcome the significant obstacles posed by the coronavirus. As a new school year kicks off, plans are afoot for an exciting development with the secondary school. The Brussels Times sat down with school director Pascale Hertay to find out more.

With summer holidays nearly over, are you ready for the new academic year? We are very excited to be welcoming students and their families back into the school environment and have some important developments that will be happening during this year and next. We are always excited to be back in September, as we always have new practices and projects to implement and we are hoping that we can all put the added stresses of the last two academic years behind us.

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We do hope so. The impact of the pandemic on schools has been widely reported, and its repercussions will be felt long after the virus itself is under control. How has it affected BEPS specifically? We were very fortunate that we were able to remain open for almost the entirety of the last academic year. Our particular setting and smaller class sizes allowed us to continue in-person teaching whilst also respecting social distancing requirements. Classes in the primary school (ages 3-11) have around 13-14 pupils on average and in our developing secondary school this is only 5-8 students. This meant that we didn’t have to split classes in two and teach them on alternate weeks.

Do you feel that you managed to overcome the most challenging aspects of the pandemic? In terms of organisation, our teachers have shown resilience and we felt well supported by our community as we regularly adapted the health and safety measures to respond appropriately to the new regulations.

In our school, we highly value a hands-on approach to learning that prioritises teacher-student interaction and collaboration between classes. This has been more difficult in recent months, and we did need to adopt a “traditional” teaching style where students remain in assigned seats. In response, our teachers have been very creative in using technology to facilitate the teamwork we would normally do in person.

“Our big news is that we have acquired the property adjoining the primary school, which will allow us not only to expand our secondary school but also to have the whole BEPS institution on one campus.” What do you think have been the positive outcomes of this new experience? Embracing digital tools to help learning has been essential and ensured that students who were unable to attend classes on-site were still able to follow and participate online. We also noticed that some students found this hybrid format helpful, as it allowed teachers to provide individual support depending on their specific requirements. Creativity is a central focus of the school, and the collective experience of overcoming these challenges was enriching for students and teachers alike. It is also important to recognise that the world is increasingly digitised and children are often exposed to developments in technology before adults. Yet this familiarity with technology doesn’t necessarily lead to a healthy relationship with it. With technology having been more present than ever in the school environment over the last months, teachers have had an opportunity to show students how to use digital resources creatively, collaboratively, productively and responsibly: valuable lessons for the years to come.

Aside from technology, what changes will there be for the school in the near future? Well, our big news is that we have acquired the property adjoining the primary school, which will allow us not only to expand our secondary school (currently located on the other side of Bois de la Cambre) but also to have the whole BEPS institution on one campus. This will open in September 2022, which is also our 50th anniversary year. We are hugely excited to be unifying the entire school and this will strengthen the family spirit that is at the heart of BEPS’ ethos. It will also mean that if a family has children in several age groups, they can all attend the

same place of learning – a pastoral as well as practical advantage. In addition to bringing the secondary school under the same roof, we will also now be welcoming students up to the age of 18, rather than only up to 16. This will help BEPS to grow and will allow many students to complete their secondary education at the school. One significant advantage of working with students up to the age of 18 is that we become very aware of the strengths, weaknesses, interests, and aspirations of each student and can support them in every step of their academic journey. In larger schools, such a deep understanding of each student is more difficult to achieve; the attention given to individual students at BEPS greatly benefits the learning process, as well as their social and emotional development.

That is certainly a big change. Are there any ways the new facility will be adapted to school use? Absolutely, the building itself has a pleasant historic façade that will be preserved, whilst the internal classrooms will be designed specifically to assist our focussed approach to learning. In terms of facilities, we will have new science labs, an art and design studio, and a ‘makers space’ where students can collaborate and test out ideas. A key part of our building will be the creation of open and collaborative spaces. What is really great about these changes is that they will help us to enhance the academic experience for students across the board. We have always been keen to emphasise the more critical aspects of learning – reflecting on and responding to information – rather than simply memorising facts for the sake of it. The new facilities will play a major role in fostering the analytic capacity of students and make the learning experience more enriching and more enjoyable!

And how is this emphasis on independent thinking reflected in the classroom? Having made the decision to open up the school to students over 16 years old, we will now be offering the IBDP. As many people are already aware, this is the most widely recognised international high school diploma. However, we are equally excited to also offer the IB Career-related Programme curriculum to older students in the secondary school – a career-focussed course that encourages a more collaborative learning process in which students develop intellectual independence and real-world skills. There are community aspects to the programme that can involve others in the school (helping younger students/ involvement from parents in particular professions) and so having the entire student body on one site will be more conducive to this learning format and, it is hoped, will stimulate engagement and exchange between different elements of the entire school. We hope that by offering these two options, each student will be able to follow the learning pathway that suits them best.

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How I learned to stop worrying and love my bike Like many people who made Brussels their home, Craig Winneker never properly explored the neighbourhood – at least, not on two wheels. But after more than two decades in the city, he finally discovered the joys of cycling

t shouldn’t have taken me more than 20 years in Brussels to discover the joys of getting around town almost exclusively by bike, or of exploring the city, the surrounding region and the rest of Belgium on two human-powered wheels. But life sometimes shifts gears on you, and here I am, more than 3,000 kilometres into the Covid-19 era, spending most of my spare time seeking out new routes to tour and then conquering them. I’ve entered an alternate universe that has always existed all around me. It is one whose waypoints are marked with little green coded signs and whose scenic side roads, canal towpaths, gravel forest trails, dimly lit tunnels, and carfree ferry crossings offer more than just transportation and cardiovascular exercise but also a few hours of what feels like freedom.

For and against… Why did it take so long to make the switch? Consider this partial checklist of excuses I had for years of not commuting by bike: It’s too dangerous: Brussels drivers (aggressive, incompetent, empowered by the world’s craziest traffic rule), a lack of respect for cycle lanes or cyclists as humans, a lack of cycle lanes in general, and the prevalence of tram lines and potholes all make biking in the city a daunting prospect. It’s too hilly: Flanders may be flat, but Brussels is not. While there’s nothing approaching l’Alpe d’Huez in town, there are plenty of deceptively steep inclines. I live at the bottom of one and its existence long dampened my moti-

I’ve entered an alternate universe that has always existed all around me.” Over the past 18 months, my bike – a basic Decathlon vélo-tout-chemin I bought years ago to use up some eco-cheques – has switched from something taking up space in the hallway to an extension of my person. It serves my daily commute and gets me around town on errands and social calls, but it also has been my vehicle for exploring everything from the stately woods of Brabant to the fietsroute fields of Flanders to the industrial wastelands of Vilvoorde. Most days I can’t wait to ride it. I’ve never been much of a car person, always preferring to travel in the city on foot or public transport. But like many other people during lockdown, I have increasingly started to rely on my bicycle as my main way of getting around.

All pictures: Craig Winneker

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vation to start each morning commute with a vigorous 10-minute cardio workout. The weather is crap: Enough said. One by one, each of these obstacles has been overcome – mostly in my mind: It’s still dangerous but getting a lot better: Brussels has become more bike-friendly in recent years, and especially since lockdown. There are more cycle lanes and crossings, and clearer indications of where

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riders can follow the best routes through town. But much of the new “infrastructure” looks haphazard or temporary, and often it is ignored by motorists. While I’ve found a route to work that is generally hassle-free, there are still a few places where traffic mayhem gives each trip a frisson of mortal danger, turning the daily commute into DeathRace2000. It’s not that hilly: Even on a non-electric

Life sometimes shifts gears on you, and here I am, more than 3,000 kilometres into the Covid-19 era, spending most of my spare time seeking out new routes to tour and then conquering them.”

Once I got past those old excuses and started to build confidence and stamina, the bike took on even more importance in my life — especially when teleworking was the rule and commuting was not an option.

bicycle and even for me and my dad-bod, the hills of Brussels and the surrounding region are pretty manageable. I find the morning workout kind of invigorating. The weather is crap: Some things you can’t change. But with the right waterproof gear even riding home in a downpour at the end of a long workday is not too bad.

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Trail blazer On weekends I began exploring some of the terrific trails and routes in the regions around the city, starting in the Forêt de Soignes and gradually scoping out longer trips of 20-40km at a time. That may not sound like much, but for a 54-year-old who survived a health scare a couple of years ago, it felt significant.

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My first real challenge came last November when I decided to ride the Promenade Verte, a 60km hike-or-bike circuit around Brussels. The route offers a kaleidoscopic view of the city and its suburbs, linking 14 different communes and covering landscapes as diverse as residential streets, dedicated cycleways, forest trails, park paths, wharves, and even a stretch of service road behind the IKEA loading dock

I’ve been mainly a solo rider, preferring to set my own pace and stop where and when I want to and just enjoying the sights and sounds of the ride. Figuring out how to use the fietsknooppunten system – which links nodes around Flanders, the Netherlands and parts of Wallonia (though not, annoyingly, in Brussels) with pleasant cycle segments, and allows users to compose easy-to-follow routes in a network covering more than 50,000km – was a revelation.

While I may sound almost born-again about biking in Brussels, I’ve yet to transform fully into a MAMIL, the fabled Middle-Aged Man in Lycra.” Part of the fun is unlocking the secret knowledge shared among riders who trade lists of node numbers for especially cool rides. Now, armed with the fietsroute planner and signed up for various apps and lists (such as Bike for Brussels, which emails a different route every week) I keep taking on new, longer, more challenging journeys.

Further and further

in Anderlecht. You get a little bit of everything Brussels has to offer. The loop took me about six hours including some rest stops and a diversion when I got lost by the Audi factory after having missed a trail marker (some of them are hard to spot, which adds to the adventure). It was exhausting but rewarding and I plan to make the trip again, perhaps counterclockwise this time.

One recent Sunday I dragged a friend on a ride to Mechelen and back, following the canals on the way there and getting somewhat lost in a suburban wasteland of abandoned warehouses and broken tarmac on the way back. At 95km it has been my longest ride so far – and part of a training regimen I hope will end with a oneday ride to the Belgian coast. How much has cycling culture changed me? Not completely. While I may sound almost born-again about biking in Brussels, I’ve yet to transform fully into a MAMIL, the fabled Middle-Aged Man in Lycra. The Belgian hinterland cycle routes teem with packs of MAMILs on weekends, and I’m quite used to seeing older gents in form-fitting gear whizz past me as I trundle up a semi-challenging incline. But I’ve held out so far against equipping myself with too much Lycra. I tend to favour clothing made for hiking, loose-fitting with big pockets. I may not be aerodynamic but at least I’ve kept my pride. In all other respects, though, I’m a convert. Fill my water bottles and pack me a sandwich, and I’ll head out in just about any weather. My quest for the best routes is so all-consuming that now, even when I’m in a car, I find myself looking for the trail markers.

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The clever cycling network bringing bikers to Flanders Belgium has always had a special relationship with cycling, but a clever Flemish system of route nodes makes it easier than ever. As Daniela De Lorenzo reports, cycle tourism in Flanders is as easy as, well, riding a bike

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All pictures: Daniela De Lorenzo

ike traffic jams have become frequent in the Hoge Kempen National Park since July as cyclists flock to ride over a newly built 300m wooden bridge raising gracefully over the heathland. The Cycling through the Heathland (Heide) bridge is the latest in a series of beautiful Flemish bike initiatives, making the region even more attractive to two-wheelers. And many cyclists reach the new hotspot with the help from a familiar friend:

“For those who have never pedalled in Flanders, this vital bike system might sound odd.” the fietsroutenetwerk, or bike route network. Cycling through the Heathland connects nodes 550 and 551, as it joins the extraordinary Flemish bike system. For those who have never pedalled in Flanders, this vital bike system might sound odd. The fietsroutenetwerk or fietsknooppunten-

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netwerk (cycling node network) helps cyclists to ride routes through Flanders. All they need to do is follow the signs from one numbered node to the next. Each node is signposted with a rectangular blue sign: cyclists can put together their route on a map or the internet and note down the node numbers to take on the trip. The concept has been around for half a century: it was designed in 1971 by the mining engineer Hugo Bollen, fed up with having to pull out a map at each crossroads to check where he was going. His scheme involved giving a number to each biking path across the region, creating a web of nodes, or points - ‘knooppunten’ in Dutch. However, it took until 1995 for the network to be rolled out in Limburg. Cyclists planning their trips only have to check which knoppunten they have to cross from their starting points to their final destinations. At junctions, just like tombola scratch cards, the signs show a handful of numbers, where cyclists follow the directions of the next point on their lists, pointed by white arrows. When it began, bikers would write down their list of nodes and tape the strip of numbers on their crossbars. Many still follow this tradition. But with time, alternatives with GPS have appeared too.

Node planning Vlaanderen Fietsland, is one of the online platforms providing the interactive biking map and a route planner app to select knoppunten and customize biking trips. Like a tour operator on your phone, it also proposes a selection of downloadable cycling routes, helping people discover special locations or race across gravelled routes. Crunching down data, Vlaanderen Fietsland captures how Belgians use the fietknoppenpunten: in 2020, the website reached a community of more than one million users, with over 300,000 cycling routes downloaded. The lockdown measures and staycations brought many Belgians to dust off their bikes and pedal away the travel blues riding over 13 million kilometres. The Flemish coast was the most popular cycling region, although the most cycled route on the network took people to the Arenberg Castle, close to Leuven. The total length of the network is around 13,000 km in Flanders, and each route has an average length of around 43 km. Some 98% of users come from Flanders, the remaining 2% come from Brussels, Wallonia and the Netherlands (only 0.1%). The corona measures relaxation had a collateral effect: “We have 25% fewer visitors on our platform,” says Sven Nijs, from Vlaanderen Fietsland. But the crisis also had a positive impact on cycling attitudes. “We still have 150% more visits than in 2019,” he adds.

Building bike tourism Flanders takes pride in its history of biking, bike racing and bike champions. Local authorities want the region to maintain its status as a cycling’s heartland, promote bike tourism and life on two wheels. Over the years, Visit Limburg bet on pairing its stunning nature and the biking node network to attract more visitors to the region. The Cycling through the Heathland bridge and the renewed trail between junctions 550 and 551 is the latest effort to create unique biking experiences for bikers that started in 2016 with the scenic Cycling through Water in Bokrijk, allowing riders to cross a lake underwater. In 2019, a second cycling project was inaugurated: Cycling through the Trees in Bosland, where cyclists can bike up to a wooden structure reaching the highest branches: "By carrying out or adding interventions to the recreational cycle route network at strategic locations, cyclists can interact with the landscape,” says Igor Philtjens, deputy and chairman of Visit Limburg. Following a 13km bike ride through the knoppunten 250-30-29-534-251-252-550 from Hasselt, Cycling through the Heathland in

Hoge Kempen now brings curious cyclists to the iconic bridge. The wooden structure celebrates its location and Limburg’s history: its walls are made of local pinewood, hinting at the region's mining past. Families and amateur teams cycle the path that rises gradually to a height of 6.5m, giving them a breathtaking panorama of the national park: “We continue to invest and innovate in our cycle route network. In this way we put our province even stronger on the map,” says Philtjens. Visit Limburg’s choice turned successful as Limburg is now the most attractive bike destination for non-regional bike tourists.

Bike bonanzas Flemish authorities keep renewing the portfolio of cycling experiences and activities. Between 2020 and 2021, eight new thematic cycling routes set on the network have been developed as part of the regional 'Touristic-recreational cycling in Flanders 2020-2025' project. Each route focuses on a central theme: the ‘Front route 14-18’ brings cyclists to navigate both sides of the German and Allied front lines during the First World War, while the

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cycling routes in the Netherlands and Belgium. The region is also scouting for bike enthusiasts from outside Belgium: the ambition is to profile Flanders as an ideal international des-

“Convincing cyclists to come to Flanders could be as easy as riding a bike.”

‘Meuse route’ follows the path of the river for 63 km along a string of historic villages and wide banks. They are also connected with the LF-Routes (Landelijke Fietsroutes, Dutch for countrywide cycling routes), the long-distance

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tination for cycling tours. From September 18 to 26, the region will host the centenary edition of the UCI Road World Championships. The road races will bring all the big names in cycling to Flanders, attracting amateur riders too, who will be able to cycle the same routes. For over a week the four host cities will be on screen: the time trial will start on the beach in Knokke-Heist and end in Bruges, while the road races will start in Antwerp and finish in Leuven. When allied with its cycling node network, it shows that convincing cyclists to come to Flanders could be as easy as riding a bike.

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PROMOTED CONTENT

First edition of female leadership training in the digital age kicks off in Lisbon

he first Summer School for Female Leadership in the Digital Age was held in Lisbon last month with 27 young women representing each EU member state.

The seminar was arranged by telecommunication company Huawei and aims to empower women in the digital age. The participants were selected by a professional jury among over 1200 applicants from all over Europe. The week-long programme consisted of masterclasses, team projects, active learning, group activities, and cultural events. “There is practically infinite talent available in Europe but sometimes this talent is not well identified or supported,” a spokesperson for the company explained about initiative. “Given the importance of making women fully active participants in Europe’s recovery after the coronavirus crisis, it is our aim to recognize

the immense potential that female talent has and to proactively support it.” During her welcome remarks to the participants, Sandra Ribeiro, President of the Portuguese Commission for Citizenship and Gender Equality said: ”In the near future, the participants of the Summer School for

“These women will be among the leaders of Europe’s next generation of change makers – a generation whose key challenge will be to make sure that no one is left behind in the digital age.” Female Leadership in the Digital Age can become very influential and powerful women in the tech industry. I hope that you will help creating a more equal and open world.” André de Aragão, Portuguese Secretary of State for the Digital Transition, pointed out that “a leader is more than a highly-skilled professional. A leader truly inspires others to follow different models and to contribute to a more balanced society.” Further encouragement about the project came from Catherine Chen, President of the Public Affairs and Communication Department at Huawei. “Over my 26 years in the ICT industry, I have been keenly aware of the gender gap in the industry. Both Europe and China are facing this problem,” Chen said. The EU is pioneering in

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Quote

its attempt to address this. And this is where companies like Huawei can play a key role.” The new summer school for female leadership is part of Huawei’s broader initiative “Seeds for the Future” and represents the company’s commitment to furthering digital inclusion; specifically, “closing the gender gap, and creating a world where women are empowered to not just participate, but to thrive and lead us into the digital future”. The most recent report by the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) stated that the EU as a whole is making regular, modest progress from year to year in gender equality but warned that at the present rate the EU will it take 60 years to achieve full gender equality. EIGE publishes the Gender Equality Index which measures gaps between men and women in six core domains: work, money, knowledge, time, power and health, and their sub-domains. According to the 2020 report, Europe now has reason for concern, since the coronavirus pandemic threatens progress made on gender equality. The Summer School for Female Leadership in the Digital Age aims to speed up the progress. Berta Herrero, the

Programme Director of the Summer School explained that “today we are empowering 27 young women to shape the tech world, but tomorrow we want their example to inspire many others.” “These women will be among the leaders of Europe’s next generation of change makers – a generation whose key challenge will be to make sure that no one is left behind in the digital age. We are proud of having developed a unique concept that blends female leadership skills with insights on new technologies, and we are committed to keep supporting European talents and inclusive innovation,” Herrero added.

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Can the Red Devils return in Qatar? Euro 2020 seemed like Belgium’s best-ever chance to win a major tournament, but after their deflating defeat in the quarter-finals, they are once again wondering if they will fulfil their potential. Martin Banks looks at what next for the supposedly golden generation of Red Devils

The Red Devils trudge off the pitch after their Euro 2020 quarter-final defeat to Italy in Munich

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Romelu Lukaku, left, and Kevin De Bruyne

hen Belgium bowed out unceremoniously from this summer’s Euro 2020 football tournament, you might have expected a national outpouring of grief mixed with angst. Many expected the Red Devils to win the championships, but they exited at a relatively early stage, in the quarter-finals to eventual winners Italy. It should have triggered a period of intense introspection about the shortcomings of football in Belgium.

WE CAN’T REDO EURO 2020. BUT WE CAN LEARN THE LESSONS.” But this is Belgium, a country where most things in life, including the ecstasy and agony of sporting fortunes, are taken in equal measure. If the country ran out of beer, that might be a different thing altogether. Still, it is the right time to put a foot on the ball for a moment and consider just where Belgium football goes from here. Have the much-vaunted ‘golden generation’ reached their peak, or can the lads in red do better in next year’s World Cup in Qatar? What, or more specifically who, comes next? Let’s start with understanding some of the reasons for Belgium’s underwhelming performance. Part of it can be explained by midfield dynamo Kevin De Bruyne being unfit, and captain Eden Hazard watching on from the bench. But there was a more general lethargy to the squad – and a naiveness in the face of Italy’s

ruthless physical game. Speaking a week after the quarter-final defeat, coach Roberto Martinez said the whole team was tired. “We weren’t ourselves against Italy,” he said. That is to Italy’s credit. I did learn that we suffered from fatigue. We had to travel a lot, while Italy played most of its matches in Rome.” Martinez defended the Red Devils: “they won four matches and beat the 2016 European champions, Portugal. Yet even with these mitigating circumstances, this tournament ended in a big anti-climax.” Still, we can’t redo Euro 2020. But we can learn the lessons. And here, it is probably useful to rewind to June 19, 2000, when a familiar feeling of aching disappointment hung in the air as then-Euro 2000 hosts Belgium left their own party early after another premature exit.

Sound familiar? Yet in the wake of their first-round elimination, Belgium revamped its footballing model, turning toward 4-3-3 formations all the way down to the youth teams, with an emphasis on individual skills. Coaching has improved at all levels, and the Belgian Football Centre in Tubize is an impressive a coaching facility as you’ll find anywhere. In the following years, the team’s results improved: a quarter-final at the 2014 World Cup and a quarter-final at Euro 2016 followed by a semi-final and bronze medal at the 2018 World Cup. In 2015, Belgium, a country of barely 11 million, made it to the top of the FIFA World Rankings. Although that first stint only lasted a few months, the Red Devils returned to the

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Who’s next? Three Belgians to look out for in 2022 • Jeremy Doku, (right) 19, completed a €26 million move to Rennes from Anderlecht last October and has scored a couple of goals in his first half a dozen caps. He emerged from Euro 2020 with his fast-rising reputation firmly intact, plus with a few million added to his transfer value. • Albert Sambi Lokonga, 21, has already captained the senior Anderlecht side and many see him as one of the best prospects to come through the club’s academy. He is another who could define the future of Belgian football for the next decade with former national skipper Vincent Kompany among his fans. • Hans Vanaken, 29, turned down leading English Premier League side West Ham a year ago to stay in Belgium at Club Brugge. In 220 Pro League matches, Vanaken, who can play as a forward and midfielder, has notched a remarkable 63 goals and 54 assists.

number one position in late 2018, and are still there, despite their under-par performance this summer. Fast forward to the present and, with the domestic season already underway, all eyes now shift to the World Cup in Qatar 2022. Martinez, who stays on as the coach, still has some world class players at his disposal, as well as a talented group of youngsters ready to make their mark at senior international level. Martinez and others expect these to push their more experienced counterparts for regular game time in the years to come. There are about 12 young players who are already involved in the national team, four of

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them already having played several times, such as Jeremy Doku (the stand-out player in the defeat to Italy), Zinho Vanheusden, Charles De Ketelaere and Yari Verschaeren. The next 12 months will be important for this new crop, not least as they will be competing with the older guard, most of whom probably have no intention of hanging up their international boots just yet. But Belgium needs to renew: no less than nine outfield players in the Euro 2020 squad were over 30, even if the conveyor belt of Belgian talent production rolls on. As with most things in Belgium though, national sport progresses through evolution not revolution, as Royal Belgian FA CEO Peter

Bossaert points out. “We want to continue our growth and become one of the leading federa-

WHEN, OR EVEN IF, WE WILL SEE ANOTHER GOLDEN GENERATION LIKE THIS ONE TO EMERGE IS ANYONE’S GUESS.” tions by 2022,” he says. So, does the current crop have one last swan-

song in them at the World Cup in Qatar? Sebastien Delestienne, a coach at Braine l’Alleud is committed to the Belgian approach, working at grassroots level to nurture the next golden generation. “Youth training in Belgium has been very good for many years,” he says. “But when, or even if, we will see another golden generation like this one to emerge is anyone’s guess.” Like many others, Delestienne was disappointed that Belgium did not go all the way to the final at Euro 2020. “But they did their best, I guess,” he says. “We still have some very talented and committed young players in our squad. I remain very confident about the future of the game here.”

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How Britain’s war hero and royal reject fell on his feet in Brussels Peter Townsend was the Air Force ace who might have married Britain’s Princess Margaret, but his romance rocked the Palace. He was shuffled out of Britain but, as Dennis Abbott writes, he eventually found a new life in Brussels

ho was Peter Townsend? In the 1950s, everyone knew. He was the dashing Battle of Britain flying ace supposed to marry Princess Margaret, sister of Queen Elizabeth II. However, there was no fairytale wedding for the RAF Group Captain. Fearing a royal crisis, the out-of-touch English establishment shot down his romance with Margaret, posting him to Brussels.

“ The out-of-touch English establishment shot down his romance with Margaret, posting him to Brussels.” The saga made Townsend a household name and – thanks to the global success of the Netflix series, The Crown – his tale has captured the imagination of a new generation today. What is far less well-known is that exiled Townsend would discover the true love of his life in Belgium, as well as a thirst for new adventures.

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Princess Margaret, aged 19, in 1949

War stories Peter Townsend’s story began on the other side of the world. He was born on 22 November 1914 in Rangoon, Burma, the fifth of seven children, son of one of a handful of Crown repreMargaret in Jamaica, in 1955

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sentatives ruling 15 million Burmese. As a boy, Townsend was passionate about flying, joining RAF Training College Cranwell aged just 19, and making his first solo flight after just six hours’ training. He was commissioned as a pilot officer in 1935, and a year later, led a squadron that flew to India’s northwest frontier, a five-day journey of 7,000km. When war broke out, he proved himself an effective fighter pilot and squadron leader: he was credited as the first pilot to bring down an enemy aircraft on English soil in February 1940. Though he was twice shot down in dogfights, his final tally was impressive: nine enemy aircraft destroyed, two shared kills, and four damaged. By 1944, he was promoted, married and a father to two sons. He was also Air Equerry to King George VI. On his first day, he was also introduced to the King’s daughters, Elizabeth, then 17, and her 13-year-old sister Margaret. Townsend quickly made himself a trusted member of the Royal Household, living in a cottage close to Windsor Castle. His second son, Hugo, born in June 1945, could boast the King was his godfather. He was promoted again, becoming Assistant Master of the Household, then Group Captain. He also divorced his wife in 1952. Meanwhile, Townsend’s duties now involved more contact with Margaret, and they confided their feelings to each other. The Princess then

Above: Townsend (left) with fellow pilot Caesar Hull. Below, left: Townsend’s medals, which were auctioned in July

latter was the obvious one as he would stay close to his sons – and see Margaret “under the radar”.

Exile told her sister and mother, while Townsend informed the Queen’s secretary, Sir Alan Lascelles.

“ If Group Captain Townsend does not dance, he must be in love, and, voila, he does not dance.” “You must be either mad or bad,” said Lascelles in disbelief. The Queen was sympathetic but, as head of the Church of England, Lascelles said she could not consent to Margaret marrying a divorced man. However, if the Princess could wait until she was 25, she would no longer require her sister’s approval. But when the stories emerged in the press, just days after Elizabeth’s coronation in 1953, the Palace panicked. The old guard was fearful that a marriage between the Queen’s fun-loving sister and the divorced war hero would damage a monarchy still recovering from Edward VIII’s abdication for the twice-wed American Wallis Simpson. Townsend had to be posted abroad immediately. Lascelles gave him a choice of three postings: Singapore, Johannesburg or Brussels. The

Townsend’s appointment as Air Attaché was arranged so quickly that the British Ambassador to Belgium, Sir Christopher Warner, knew nothing about the decision until he read it in a newspaper. As for Townsend, any thoughts of a quiet life in Brussels were quickly dispelled. Twenty police officers instead of the usual two were on duty outside the British Embassy in Rue de Spa

Townsend (right) with King George VI at a rally in Hyde Park, 1951

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Credit: Isabelle Townsend Townsend with family in Saint-Léger-en-Yvelines, in the mid-70s; and (below), with wife and daughters at the Christian Dior ball in 1985

when he arrived for his first day. The Embassy issued a communiqué stating that “Group Captain Townsend will be staying for some days from his arrival as the guest of the British Chargé d'Affaires, Mr. C.C. Parrott (69 Avenue Churchill).” How journalists today would enjoy such transparency. Townsend initially sought a low profile. He settled into a furnished ground-floor flat in the fashionable Square du Bois, off Avenue Louise (known colloquially today as the Square des Milliardaires). He wrote to Margaret almost daily. He did, however, attend a ball hosted by the Ambassador soon after his arrival, but declined invitations to dance. Belgian Prime Minister Jean Van Houte’s daughter Marie Louise commented: “We had been saying: ‘If

Group Captain Townsend does not dance, he must be in love’, and, voila, he does not dance.” Around this time, Townsend attended a horse show in Brussels. A young Belgian competitor, Marie-Luce Jamagne, caught his eye. Suddenly, her horse fell and she was thrown to the ground unconscious. Townsend immediately leapt up to help and was later introduced to her parents. Townsend also tried his hand at show-jumping and racing, including at the Hippodrome de Groenendael. He would rise at dawn every morning, driving through the Forêt de Soignes to the Groenendael gallops. His riding rapidly improved and he was soon competing all over Europe – from Deauville to Copenhagen.

Credit: Isabelle Townsend

Media pressure

Townsend with family in Saint-Léger-en-Yvelines, in the mid-70s; and (below), with wife and daughters at the Christian Dior ball in 1985

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In October 1955, Townsend and Margaret reunited in London, but while the popular press backed the marriage, the establishment and the Church remained opposed. It was time to end the uncertainty. He drafted a statement for Margaret. “Our feelings for each other were unchanged, but they had incurred for us a burden so great that we decided, together, to lay it down,” he recalled. Townsend quietly left London and returned to Brussels. Seeing his apartment surrounded by reporters, he took up an offer from the new Ambassador, Sir George Labouchere, to stay at his Rue Ducale residence. Townsend had been promised a new com-

mand in the RAF but was increasingly thinking of a fresh start. That same week, he retired from the RAF after 23 years’ service. He also decided to make a solo journey around the world and write a book. Before leaving Brussels, Townsend agreed to write a series of columns for Belgian newspaper Le Soir, recounting his experiences during his 90,000km journey. He set off on October 21, leaving Brussels in dense fog, “bent on escaping into the unknown world which lay beyond the confines of conventional society”.

“ Our feelings for each other were unchanged, but they had incurred for us a burden so great that we decided, together, to lay it down.” Townsend then tracked back to Peru, where he was photographed with Gladys Zender, the 17-year-old Miss Universe. The pictures sparked rumours of a romance, but Townsend was quickly back on the road, driving through the desert to Chile. He then journeyed through the Belgian Congo, meeting Nobel Peace Prize-winning doctor Albert Schweitzer at his hospital in French Equatorial Africa. He eventually arrived back in Brussels at 1.30am on March 24, 1958, at the wheel of the same vehicle in which he set off 17 months earlier.

Marriage to Marie-Luce Back in Belgium, he found consolation in the company of Marie-Luce, who had matured “into a delightful girl, now 19, tall and alluring”. Success as a showjumper had not changed her “straight, generous, and pleasingly witty” personality. While attending the Expo 58 exhibition in Brussels, they were introduced to some Americans who mooted that Townsend could make another world tour, this time by air, and film at the locations he had visited previously. Townsend leapt at the idea of a documentary. The film team was led by director Victor Stoloff and included Marie-Luce as official photographer, The documentary, ‘Passeport pour le Monde’ was released in May 1959 and Townsend’s accompanying book, ‘Earth, My Friend’, came out the following month. By now, Townsend and Marie-Luce were inseparable, despite her fears of being a “second best” to Margaret. Townsend, at 42, was also more than twice her age. Marie-Luce accepted his marriage proposal. Townsend informed

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Townsend’s memoir, ‘Time and Chance’; and his original flying logbook, sold as part of a collection in July 2021

Margaret, who had recently formed an attachment with the society photographer Anthony Armstrong-Jones. She later explained, “I received a letter from Peter in the morning and that evening I decided to marry Tony. It was no coincidence.” Townsend and Marie-Luce were married by Mayor Jacques Wiener in Watermael-Boitsfort on December 21, 1959. After honeymooning in Switzerland, they lived in an apartment on the Quai Louis Blériot in Paris, a fitting choice for the former airman, before moving to a maison bourgeoise in Sainte-Gemme, a village 18 miles west of the capital. He and Marie-Luce also started a family. Isabelle was born in June 1961, followed by Marie-Françoise in July 1963.

Writing Not long after, Townsend took up an offer from a New York wine-shipping firm to set up a subsidiary in France. The fact he knew next to nothing about wine didn’t put them off. Townsend’s writing also attracted attention. He was approached by Paris-Match to write an article on the Battle of Britain. It immediately triggered offers from three publishers for a book. The research for ‘Duel of Eagles’ took him to Germany, where he was reunited with Karl Missy, whose plane he shot down in 1940. Townsend was also brought in to help promote ‘Battle of Britain’, a movie made by James Bond director, Guy Hamilton. Townsend was a guest of honour at the film’s premiere at the Marivaux cinema in Brussels on September 24, 1969, which was attended by Prince Albert, Belgium’s future king. By the early 70s, Townsend had become an established author and special correspondent for Paris-Match. In October 1973, he was asked to report on the Yom Kippur War. His 1976

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book, ‘The Last Emperor’, was on a subject he knew more about than most: King George VI. His autobiography, ‘Time and Chance’, came out in 1978 and his later books included ‘The Postman of Nagasaki’ and ‘Duel in the Dark’. In summer 1992 Townsend travelled to London for a reunion of Palace courtiers. Margaret invited her former suitor to Kensington Palace. She reportedly commented that Townsend was as charming as ever and hadn’t changed, except for his grey hair. It was the last time they saw each other. On her instructions, the letters they exchanged during their romance will not be released until 2030.

Final tribute Townsend died, aged 80, on June 19, 1995. The funeral took place in Saint-Léger-en-Yvelines, his French home since 1968. Princess Margaret died on February 9, 2002, aged 71. Townsend’s former wife Rosemary passed away on February 27, 2004, aged 82. His eldest son Giles, a wine merchant, died on July 7, 2015, aged 73. Marie-Luce and his other children are all still alive. Hugo became a Catholic monk before leaving holy orders to become a psychotherapist. He is married to Belgium-born Princess Yolande de Ligne and lives in London. Isabelle is an actress and former fashion model, living near Paris with her husband, estate manager Patrick Deedes-Vincke. Marie-Françoise works for an interior designer in Paris. Pierre has spent his career in the humanitarian sector. However, Townsend’s story still resonates today. In ‘The Crown’, his romance with Margaret is one of the enduring subplots. And this July, when his 11 medals were put up at an auction – including the DSO (Distinguished Service Order), DFC (Distinguished Flying Cross) and CVO (Commander of the Royal Victorian Order) – they sold for £260,000.

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E.R/V.U.:S.I.B.P - Rue de la Chapelle 17 Kapellestraat - Bruxelles 1000 Brussel

Food & Drink

What are the most delicious foods, refreshing drinks, coolest cafés and chicest restaurants in Brussels at the moment? Our wandering food and drink expert Hughes Belin has some ideas

Café

Le Wolf

nline competition has forced bookshops to find new ways to keep their customers. Le Wolf has been around for 11 years as ‘the House of Children’s Literature’, and is located opposite the Goupil le Fol bar, named after another canine. You can buy books for your children here, but you may also want to come to their little in-house café. In the week, this space next to the bookshop area is used for workshops for schools, together with two other rooms upstairs. But on weekends, it is a small cafeteria where parents can have some rest while their kids enjoy one of the many activities proposed on-site. These include: a library area with second-hand books where children of any age can read books for free with their parents or alone; a two-storey museum playfully re-recreating Little Red Riding Hood’s house (including the Big Bad Wolf in bed); a little house called the Storytelling Juke-box where

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half a dozen kids can select a book to listen to while watching illustrations screened from it; and, of course, in-house activities around literature themes, for which you have to book in advance, especially in Covid-19 times. The menu of the cantine du chaperon (Little Riding Hood’s cafeteria) is a piece of literature in itself, as all the food and drinks bear names straight from children’s fairytales. The food is homemade, which makes the prices very affordable: biscuits, crêpes and chocolate cake. Children and adults can enjoy a whole range of hot and cold beverages prepared with care. For those who want to sample some sparkling wine, the owner imports an excellent crémant called Tifayne directly from Bordeaux, made by her brother. Le Wolf can organise your child’s birthday party for €15 a head for 10-15 kids, on Wednesday afternoons, Saturdays and Sunday mornings. A hidden jewel for parents looking for a break while keeping the kids entertained. Le Wolf - 18/20 rue de la Violette 1000 Brussels - lewolf.be

Food

Spéculoos

elgium’s most famous biscuit is traditionally offered to kids on December 6, when Saint Nicholas comes from Spain with Zwarte Piet (Black Peter) to distribute his presents. In ‘Le gout des Belges’, food writer Eric Boschman says the biscuit “will accompany Belgians all their life” thanks to an addiction sparked when they are babies. The traditional spéculoos biscuit is huge, about 30cm long, and is in the form of Saint Nicholas. I buy mine at my favourite chocolatier, Vandenhende in la Chasse in Brussels, where traditional ones in all sizes (up to 50cm high) can be bought only around December 6. However, you can find spéculoos in other forms, such as small rectangular shapes. They are iconic at Brussels-based Maison Dandoy, reputedly the best of the realm, where they account for half of the company’s output, with five tonnes/month. Spéculoos can be kept in a tin box, and you

can buy them here all year long. In 1932, the Boone brothers created Lotus Bakeries to sell spéculoos more cheaply while keeping its original recipe. Today they export 70% of their production (400,000 tonnes annually). What makes spéculoos taste so special? It’s the spices used, originally imported straight from the Indies to the northern ports of Belgium and Holland. In the 17th century, these were tremendously expensive, but pastry chefs used them sparingly while fully extracting their exotic flavours. Their taste is dominated by cinnamon tangled with anise (fennel, coriander, anise seeds or star anis), nutmeg or its peel (mace), ginger, cardamom, clove and even white pepper. Tip: check the quality of a spéculoos by dipping it briefly into your coffee. If it stays intact when soaked, it passes the test.

Chocolatier Vandenhende - Chaussée de Wavre 643, 1040 Etterbeek - chocolatier-vandenhende.be Maison Dandoy – Rue au Beurre near the GrandPlace and elsewhere - maisondandoy.com

Tiramisu au spéculoos Belgians have hijacked this iconic Italian pastry and turn it into an iconic Belgian one. Ingredients (for 3-4 people): 2 eggs, 50g of sugar, 250g of mascarpone, 100g of good quality spéculoos plus one biscuit to grate. Separate whites from yolks. Beat the yolks with the sugar until white; incorporate the mascarpone. Beat the whites until

foamy and incorporate them into the mascarpone mix. Put one centimetre of the mix in each ramekin. Cover with one layer of broken biscuits. Cover with the mix. Grate a spéculoos biscuit on top, covering the whole surface. Film the ramekin with cling film and leave three hours in the fridge until set. The biscuits inside will be soaked by the humidity of the mascarpone mix and melt on the tongue.

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Drink

frOui

ecessity is the mother of invention. Most children's beverages are either packed with sugar – not least, health-damaging corn syrup – or they are so ‘healthy’ that kids don’t like them. Jeffrey and Laurent, two ex-students from Solvay business school, took on the triple challenge of reducing sugar content, keeping it tasty and making it child-friendly. They came up with a majestic alcohol-free drink made in Belgium targeting kids and their families: frOui (a portmanteau meaning “say ‘yes’ to fruit, not to sugar”). And it works! Their secret is mixing fruit juice with plant infusions to enhance taste and therefore avoid the traditional use of sugar as a flavour enhancer. The beverage contains about 2g of sugar per 100ml, i.e. six times less than traditional soft drinks and two times less than low sugar drinks. The mixture is pasteurised, which means there is no need for preservatives and other additives. As a final touch, frOui is made from organic and either local or fairtrade ingredients, which perfectly matches current health trends, also embraced by retailers.

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frOui comes in four flavours: red fruits, peach, lemon and hibiscus. The first two are classic flavours you would expect kids to like; the last two are more recent creations and they are stunning. Developed during the first lockdown, hibiscus’s light cherry-like taste is enhanced by mint, like in bissap, a refreshing beverage from Africa. Lemon has the taste of homemade lemonade, a bit more biting than its sparkling cousin, but genuinely refreshing thanks to a touch of ginger. I do not dare propose it for use in cocktails here, but I do keep it in mind for the day I need to entertain the parents as well as the kids. Altogether, the range is attractive and versatile. frOui comes in small 25cl glass bottles (€2), big 75cl glass bottles (€4) and a three-litre bag-in-box (€12). A new eco-friendly 33cl carton is on its way - to allow for easier distribution in supermarkets - thanks to a successful crowdfunding campaign in October 2020. “After two years of development, we are ready to revolutionise the beverage industry,” the young founders claim. They should count on our support. frOui – available at Färm, Sequoia, Biostory, many organic shops and Delitraiteur - froui.eu

Restaurant

Le Garage-à-Manger

here was a time when fast-food restaurants were the only option for parents to either treat their children or have a good time eating out together with the family. Fortunately, the gentrification of urban food has given birth to new concepts which are both child- and foodie-friendly. However, they are just a handful in Brussels. One of them is Le Garage-à-Manger, which architecture firm protOtype installed in a former 240m2 garage belonging to a second-hand bookshop, Pêle-Mêle. The one-room space feels huge, thanks to its high ceiling. Part of the furniture is very modern and part of it comes from the 1960s and 70s. Brand new oldschool Duralex glasses perfectly match the second-hand plates and cutlery in the spirit of the bookshop next door, accessible via a staircase at the back of the restaurant. It’s no surprise that this incredible place won an award from Commerce Design Brussels in 2013. There are sofas and a low chair and table area packed with comics and games to make the kids feel at home. The room is so big they can even play in a retrofitted trailer! Many come in the afternoon to enjoy a goûter with a series of homemade cakes and an impressive list of hot and cold non-alcoholic

beverages. In the meantime, their parents can enjoy a glass or bottle of excellent natural wine from Titulus and Bazin, two renowned suppliers in Brussels. The short food menu is heavenly: innovative, simple dishes prepared with premium ingredients. For example, the chicken breast in the Caesar salad is slow-cooked at low temperature, stunning. Prices are gentrified but it is well worth it. In any case, all is transparent: some ingredients are on sale at the little in-house deli and the kitchen is fully open in a tile-covered corner of the room. A tremendous bobo experience! Le Garage à manger – Rue Washington 185, 1050 Ixelles - garage-a-manger.be

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Mauritius is Now Open

auritius is ranked as one as one of the top countries in the world for its response to the Covid-19 pandemic and on October 1st 2021, the island will reopen for fully vaccinated travellers to enjoy a totally unrestricted holiday! The miles of palm fringed sandy beaches, almost entirely encircled by coral reefs, offer sanctuary for those who want to spend long days lounging on the beach. The crystal clear waters are perfect for diving, snorkelling, swimming, kayaking and that’s just the beginning. What makes Mauritius different is that it has so much to offer beyond the beach. Whether it’s skydiving out of a plane, hiking through the mountains and National Parks or soaking up the culture, this is truly a destination with something for everyone!

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Climate Mauritius benefits from a mild climate all year round with an average temperature of 25ºC and a pleasant water temperature suitable for swimming, both during summer and winter. The best times to visit the island are from April to June, and from September to December to avoid the peak of summer and winter, the only two seasons in Mauritius.

Families

Kestrel. Ile aux Aigrettes is also worth a visit. The island is part of a conservation program and encompasses a unique flora and fauna. That will be a complete change of scenery! Leisure parks are very appealing to the more adventurous. From quad biking to zip lining, and safari to approach African animals, countless possibilities are available to families at the Gros Cailloux Park, Casela and La Vallée des Couleurs. Giant Aldabra tortoises and crocodiles will also be waiting for your visit at La Vanille reserve.

Looking for the ideal destination for your next family vacation? With its beautiful sandy beaches, protected lagoons with a nice temperature all year round, and countless activities for all ages, Mauritius is perfect for a family getaway and quality time. Whether at the hotel or during the journeys awaiting you, your stay in Mauritius promises to be memorable for young ones as well as for the young at heart.

Couples Mauritius is the perfect destination for a romantic getaway with its idyllic beaches and hotels appealing to romance and stunning sceneries. Whether you are on holidays with your loved one or on your honeymoon, your stay promises to be unforgettable. Hotels offer a wide range of services and experiences for couples, from room service, romantic dinners in the sand to wellness packages for couples at the spa. If you want to spend the most beautiful day of your life on a tropical island on the beach at sunset, you can make it! Almost all hotels offer the possibility to plan your wedding in Mauritius, from the paperwork to the wedding plans itself, as well as the honeymoon!

Nature Mauritius is the ideal destination for a return to nature. Forests such as the Black River Gorges National Park, Ebony Forest in Chamarel or the Bras d’Eau National Park in the East, will plunge the whole family into an unexpected world, in the heart of a preserved nature. Discover centenary endemic trees and protected native animals such as the Pink Pigeon, the Mauritian Parakeet, the Paradise Flycatcher and the very rare

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Experience the Revitalised Four Seasons Resort Mauritius at Anahita Four Seasons Resort Mauritius at Anahita is set to further elevate its exotic sanctuary with a significant restaurant and bar renovation, which will be unveiled in October 2021. Already boasting a total of four restaurants, including the acclaimed La Plaz Beach Grill on the Four Seasons exclusive beach on Ile aux Cerfs, the resort’s culinary offerings are set to be raised to the next level. The renovation at the Forbes five-star rated resort will introduce a brand new Lobby Bar and see the complete transformation of the beachfront Bambou Restaurant and Bar through a structural re-build and fresh design concept. “We are delighted to be soon unveiling these new offerings in our Resort,” says Lindley Thomen, Resort Manager at Four Seasons Resort Mauritius at Anahita.

“The Mauritius government has announced a full reopening of the borders in October to fully vaccinated travellers, perfectly coincinding with our reopening. This renovation will bring to life a true essence of the island culture through our restaurants and bars – both in the beauty of the physical design and the locally-sourced materials used, as well as the culinary offerings to be served. After a closure of more than a year due to the pandemic, we simply cannot wait to once again have chance to welcome back our guests and to showcase the resort at its finest.” With its poolside location and adjacent views over the tranquil lagoon, Bambou Restaurant and Bar will be transformed to provide a more expansive area for covered seating, as well as a new beach dining location. Set to become the new home of the resort’s breakfast offering, the restaurant will offer all day dining, with a Mediterranean themed lunch menu being complemented by the best of local Creole cuisine each evening. The new Lobby Bar will offer a revived welcome experience, while also taking advantage of the picturesque setting overlooking the tiered barachois. The Lobby Bar will seat up to 32 guests and will serve a drinks menu inspired by infused cocktails, sugar cane based drinks and Mauritian-infused rums. Throughout the day, it will

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offer a selection of teas and coffees served from early morning, ahead of a light tapas selection for lunch from late morning until late afternoon, prior to catering to aperitifs and digestifs in the evening. In its iconic location at the heart of the resort, Bambou Restaurant will be re-imagined through a design artfully created to reflect its ocean front setting. Marine blue upholstery will be complemented by elegantly patterned furnishings to depict the gentle waves of the surrounding lagoon, while soft, draping fabrics will provide subtle separation and privacy, referencing to the sails of local pirogues that are often seen in the nearby lagoon.

Fresh New Look to Villas The restaurant/bar renovation will complement the fresh, exciting new look to its villas following an extensive refurbishment, which was only completed last year. With interior design emulating the resort’s Sanctuary Collection by Virginie Dalais, the new interiors mirror the relaxed resort ambience, with a soft/light colour scheme, creating a greater sense of space. The villas feature a consistent design and layout across a choice of locations and views: garden, mangrove, ocean and beach, with the interior design now boasting a soft, light palette, which is contrasted against exposed, dark wooden beams.

rials to contemporary effect, the resort’s all pool villa design seamlessly melds generous indoor and outdoor living space in a total of 136 villas, with external features including landscaped terraces, an al fresco shower, an infinity edge plunge pool and private walled gardens. Four Seasons Resort Mauritius at Anahita is able to cater to every culinary desire, menus range from the finest grills, to authentic Italian, Mediterranean and Mauritian specialties. Accommodation consists of individual pool villas, with one to five bedroom options available to provide space and flexibility to couples and families. As well as the resort’s four restaurants, 24 hour in-villa dining is also offered, for guests to enjoy meals in the privacy of their own villa or private outdoor terrace area.

Resort Information

Also for those wanting to be pampered, their award winning Spa offers a wide range of luxury treatments for that total rejuvenation.

Situated on the east coast of Mauritius, the resort is set against the backdrop of Bambou Mountain, surrounded by lush greenery, dramatic views and lapped by turquoise waters, perfect for water sports.

The resort also offers complimentary and unlimited golf at the Ernie Els Design course and the Bernhard Langer Signature Course at Ile aux Cerfs Island.

Inspired by local elements and using traditional mate-

www.fourseasons.com/mauritius

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Escape The Ordinary in Mauritius at Outrigger Mauritius Beach Resort, where local culture and an easy going upmarket beach vibe create a perfect holiday combination

xperience an authentic and relaxed beachfront resort in the wild south coast of Mauritius, where it is just as easy to find an exciting nature adventure, as it is to find a quiet place to unwind or indulge the senses. Outrigger Mauritius Beach Resort has a number of restaurants to satisfy a variety of tastes. In the French colonial setting of The Plantation Club, Executive Chef Guven Uyanik has crafted a unique menu, marrying his international experience with the rich culinary history of the island. The result is a uniquely satisfying variety of Mauritian dishes, ranging from street food inspirations to fine dining. Mauritian culture can be tasted in all restaurants, including Edgewater, where casual plates and seafood are specialities. The menu includes a large selection of vegan food. “With the new menu, the Plantation Club interprets Creole cuisine according to the wild game, vegetables and herbs found in different parts of the island and our herb garden,” says Guven. “We are proud to offer diners a modern presentation of traditional Mauritian flavours.” Chef Guven says it has taken him three years in Mauritius to fully bring out the best from the island and reach what he calls that “sweet spot” — the right combination of Mauritian flavours and international choices. The Rum Room showcases the island’s rich sugar culture. For those wishing to learn more and experience rum making, and taste a few examples, the Chamarel Rum factory is just a few kilometres away and is easy to get to on an electro-bike — the perfect way to experience the natural south of the island. For more sedate indulgences, the resort’s Navasana Spa, with its Moroccan decor, is a haven to harmonise the mind, body and soul. It offers a set of complimentary spa facilities including a sauna, a hammam and a cold plunge pool. Complimentary group yoga is available twice a week in the solarium. At the Navasana Spa, Outrigger’s therapists will help you identify what your body and mind need to replenish natural beauty and energy. Outrigger Mauritius Beach Resort also has at its heart the environment and the local community. With projects for waste reduction, sorting and recycling, the resort is part of Outrigger Resorts’ global OZONE initiative, dedicated to marine conservation and the replanting of coral.

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Unwind your way…

Sands Suites Resort & Spa Wolmar | Flic en Flac | Mauritius T: +230 403 1200 | E: info@sands.mu | sands.mu THE BRUSSELS TIMES MAGAZINE

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Nourish your soul at JW Marriott Mauritius Resort

Rejuvenate & Reconnect The Westin Turtle Bay Resort & Spa Mauritius

At The Westin Turtle Bay Resort & Spa Mauritius, those “feel good” moments will naturally flow from unwinding in a delightfully comfortable environment. Step into another world, let it become yours, and treat yourself to total tranquility! Within its pristine location on the edge of one of the oldest marine parks, and strategically located in historic Turtle Bay, the resort bestows moments of pure indulgence and an immediate air of belonging. Nestled in a lush tropical garden, and a white sandy beach skirting the turquoise Indian Ocean at the front, the resort is designed with a romantic and typically Mauritian feel. The architecture has a laid back tropical appeal that evokes memories of days gone by, whilst maintaining a sophisticated quality in keeping with the standards of a 5 star resort. Spread over 10 hectares, the resort boasts 190 guest rooms and suites, separated in 15 exquisite villas spread along the spectacular bay. With 5 dining venues and 2 bars, there are excellent dining and relaxation opportunities in thoroughly contemporary settings. The menus reflect the appreciation of fresh, local and healthy products. Water sports and diving complement the two stunning swimming pools, and experience the Heavenly Spa, a soothing setting, peaceful design aesthetic and custom treatments provide a tranquil transformation. For bookings, contact +230 204 1400 or email: reservations@westinresortmauritius.com

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Situated on a white sandy shore and a turquoise lagoon in the south west peninsula of the island, against the majestic backdrop of Le Morne Mountain, The JW Marriott Mauritius Resort offers the world’s best water sports, with those must-see Mauritius attractions only moments away. Featuring 172 suites and a 4 bedroom Grand Beachfront Villa dotted along the beach, the feeling of privacy and relaxation is the foundation to the guest experience which is amplified by the Butlers who are ready to serve your every need. Enjoy gastronomic influences, ranging from French traditional Mauritian cuisine, to the exotic dishes of Southeast Asia and fine Japanese selections. For those moments of relaxation, nestled at the heart of the property in a colonial style building overlooking the beauty of the Indian Ocean, the Pure Spa provides 12 treatment rooms and a beauty salon, all offering a range of effective and soothing therapies. For bookings, contact +230 403 9000 or email: reservations@ jw-mauritius.com

Unlock The New Le Méridien Ile Maurice

Discover this newly refurbished hotel and explore Mauritius with authentic and thought provoking experiences at every turn. Le Méridien Ile Maurice is located on the sheltered bay of Pointe-aux-Piments, on the north west coast of Mauritius. The 210 guest rooms and suites provide for a retreat in style with stunning ocean views and direct access to the natural sandy beach. Discover also the “Hotel within the Hotel” with the Nirvana aisle and its 51 rooms and suites. Located in an exclusive wing of the resort with a dedicated private pool, the adult only, Nirvana area offers various amenities besides stunning Ocean views. * The minimum age of guests residing in the Nirvana area is 16 years old. Be inspired and energized by the innovative flavours and creative presentations of the carefully curated fare, with the choice of 4 themed restaurants. The resort offers 3 bar areas, each providing a unique atmosphere to celebrate and enjoy social moments with family and friends. Recharge in the Explore Spa By Le Méridien in partnership with Phytomer. A spa where indulgence is not just for the body, but also for the spirit and the imagination. The menu offers a selection of international well-being treatments focusing on Ayurvedic practices from India. Additional facilities include hair salon, fitness center, yoga, relaxation garden, and the Energy bathing space with steam, snow room, sauna, Jacuzzi and plunge pool. For bookings, contact +230 204 3333 or email: reservations@meridienmauritius.com

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All pictures: Adriaan Van Looy

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How Bon Bon creates culinary candy Bon Bon is one of the most celebrated restaurants in Brussels, applying modern techniques to classic dishes. Angela Dansby visits the kitchen to meet chef Christophe Hardiquest and taste the delicious concoctions

rowing up with a great cook can make it easier to become one. Case in point, Christophe Hardiquest, chef of twostar Michelin restaurant Bon Bon in Brussels, learned from his late Flemish grandmother how to make the best of homegrown ingredients and traditional Belgian recipes. “When you grow up in the countryside and have access to all the naturality of animals, vegetables and everything your grandmother is cooking every day, you become addicted to this kind of life,” he says. “I bring that spirit into my kitchen.”

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“ Bon Bon is known for sourcing unexpected, rare ingredients like raw, little shrimps from the North Sea directly from fishermen or huge morel mushrooms dug up 15km from the restaurant.”

Bon Bon’s chef, Christophe Hardiquest

That country spirit is also reflected in Bon Bon’s location: it is perched on the Avenue de Tervuren in Woluwé-Saint-Pierre, just before the Forêt de Soignes. Hardiquest describes his cuisine as “intuitive, classic and modern.” He makes tradition-

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al Belgian recipes with new techniques and daily influences around him such as extraordinary ingredients, staff and art. He is known for sourcing unexpected, rare ingredients like raw, little shrimps from the North Sea directly from fishermen or huge morel mushrooms dug up 15km from the restaurant. As many ingredients as possible come from Belgium and the rest mainly from neighbouring France. He has two gardens – one outside Bon Bon, with unusual herbs and an olive tree, and another in Flanders. He even recently adopted two goats to make cheese for the restaurant – while wooden sheep are Bon Bon’s primary four-legged mascots, greeting diners at the door and holding handbags at each table. The result is an atmosphere of inclusiveness and intimacy at Bon Bon with an open kitchen, chefs working on a long counter in front of guests (which has six dining seats) and convivial, meticulous staff. Everything operates like clockwork. “The kitchen and dining rooms are in the same room because it creates feedback and a union between cooks, waiters and guests,” he says. “It’s very important to create this kind of spirit as it can be boring in a restaurant if it’s too serious. Tradition, technique and travel While the atmosphere of Bon Bon is warm and inviting, its food is taken seriously. “When you eat with your eyes closed, you can feel that

this is the cuisine of Cristophe Hardiquest,” the chef says. “I’m a real cook. The two most important things in a dish are presentation and gourmandise.” Hardiquest says he wants to stay true to traditional Belgian recipes and cooking techniques. He does not try to trick the palette as in molecular gastronomy. “For me, molecular gastronomy is dumb,” he notes. “I want to serve a very natural, gourmet cuisine.” Besides his grandmother’s cooking, Hardiquest’s creativity is inspired by visual arts and travel, learning unique techniques from chefs from different countries, even in his kitchen. “I’m very open as a citizen of the world,” he says. “We have 14 different nationalities represented in my kitchen. I don’t want to work with only Belgians.” Cultural sharing inspires his menus. Every Friday night he asks a staff member to create a new dish to develop his or her creativity. If good enough, the dish can make it on the menu. Service is also crucial. Before every lunch or dinner, the maître d’ goes over the list of guests, noting who is who, special occasions, allergies, etc. “We take care of guests all the way,” Hardiquest notes. “I work with my heart, and it is most important to be happy. It’s

hard for me to be only a businessman because I’m too human.”

Cream rises to the top Bon Bon’s success also comes from hard work and determination. Hardiquest opened his first restaurant, if we can call it that, in a friend’s furniture store, starting the trendy pop-up concept in Brussels. “I started alone 17 years

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ago without money,” he says. “Now we are 26 workers together. I’m happy I found a solution myself, without a bank, without loans. It’s like an American dream. But I made it in Europe.” In 2011, Hardiquest moved Bon Bon to its current, leafy location in a Dutch-style home. In 2018, the kitchen was retrofitted with new equipment and a dining terrace was installed next to the garden. To keep his staff employed during those two months, Hardiquest set a pop-up bistro. “What I love is to be where people don’t expect me,” he exclaims. “It’s fun to create a surprise because it brings people together with curiosity, creating a good mood. Sometimes restaurants are boring for me. I want to be in places where people are laughing together!” To this end, Hardiquest predicts haute cuisine at large will change in the next decade, becoming more playful, with new creative con-

“ I started alone 17 years ago without money. Now we are 26 workers together. I’m happy I found a solution myself, without a bank, without loans. It’s like an American dream. But I made it in Europe.” cepts, less formality and different business models. “People want to eat well, be healthy and enjoy themselves,” he says. “For example, I’m thinking of a new way to cook for the next 10 years – not a pop-up, not really another restaurant. Something different.” Hardiquest predicts that high labour costs and the need to think differently will create new business models. A few years ago, he reduced Bon Bon’s opening days from six to four (Tuesday-Friday) to give his staff and himself three-day weekends. “You can find a balance in your life and for workers,” he says. “We need to change the mentality of the restaurant

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Bon Bon’s lush interior

industry. How can you ask people to work 16 hours per day six or seven days a week? They are not objects, they are human beings. This is one of the best decisions I made to keep my staff, see them with a nice energy, and have continuity with my cuisine and business.”

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Charity and family No surprise that this chef is into charity too, backing an initiative in South Africa called Feeding Hungry Minds that provides children with a culinary education. “A few years ago, I invited a lot of chefs here to cook for charity and this year I’m moving myself to different countries,” he says. “I want to do different things for humanity. I have ideas to improve the world.” Hardiquest is also on board with other trends among chefs to preventing food waste, eliminating single-use plastic and using environmentally friendly products – his efforts include making his own compost. “Step by step, we want to respect life and the planet,” he says. “For me, the future is halfway between 50 years ago and today with new techniques and a new vision of the world: more hand-pressed, close to people, close to the earth and close to the climate.” More importantly, he wants guests of Bon Bon to have a wow sensation after a meal and to feel part of his family there. “I want to give the best quality I can. I want to see all guests with a smile when they go out,” Hardiquest says. “Otherwise, they don’t need to go to a restaurant. They can stay at home and share good wine and cheese with friends.”

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What makes Belgian beer so special? Belgian Beer is revered the world over, recognised internationally as unique, quirky, and diverse. But why has it evolved to be so different to the beer of other countries? Breandán Kearney has some answers

Stacked barrels in the Cantillon Brewery/Gueuze Museum, Brussels

he grandiose Stock Exchange building in Brussels, built a century and a half ago as a temple to money, is set to be reborn in 2023 as a shrine to a currency that some would describe as uniquely Belgian: beer. The Palais de la Bourse or Beurspaleis will become Belgian Beer World, a museum celebrating the country’s renowned beer culture. And fittingly, it will be housed in one of the capital’s most iconic buildings.

At first glance, it might seem odd that this place has become a beer mecca. Belgium is tiny: some 11.5 million people are crammed into around 30,000 square kilometres.” It is hard to overstate beer’s importance to Belgium. This is the only country to have had its beer culture inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. There are more indigenous styles of beer here than anywhere else in the world. “In Belgium, the magistrate has the

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dignity of a prince,” wrote Belgian poet Émile Verhaeren. “But by Bacchus, it is true that the brewer is king.” At first glance, it might seem odd that this place has become a beer mecca. Belgium is tiny: some 11.5 million people are crammed into around 30,000 square kilometres. It’s a complex construction, with three official languages and six different governments. Much of its beer is misunderstood, with common flavour descriptors including words like banana and coriander and balsamic, the offerings sometimes dismissed as being quirky, weird or esoteric. So just how did such a small, so intrinsically divided, and so seemingly peripheral country evolve into the most diverse beer nation on earth?

Humble origins Belgium’s brewing landscape evolved across farmhouses, small towns, and monasteries, mushrooming around communities and instilling a resistance to the mass production techniques that took hold much more quickly in neighbouring countries. To the west is France and its myriad winemakers, from whom Belgians absorbed knowledge about the microbiological benefits of oak ageing in large foeders. To its east is Germany, where technical proficiency in lager fermentation and yeast management infiltrated conversations about quality. And to the north, just across the channel, is England, influencing

both brewing and hop growing in Belgium, particularly after World War I. Belgium’s location supplied a mishmash of influences. And the varied array of institutional regimes and bureaucracies to which it was subjected engendered practical thinking amongst its brewers. Belgians developed workarounds, many of which helped maintain the uniqueness of their regional brewing identities in the face of increased globalisation.

It is hard to overstate beer’s importance to Belgium. This is the only country to have had its beer culture inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.” One example of such workarounds came in response to the Vandervelde Act, a piece of legislation passed in 1918 by the temperance movement which banned the selling of spirits in pubs. The act lasted until 1983 and over time prompted brewers to raise the alcohol level of their beers to fill a gap in the market, selecting and developing yeasts that would be able to ferment at higher alcohol levels, often as high as 12% ABV. Belgian brewers are good at solving problems, and in doing so, they often create something new.

Local varieties A key part of Belgian beer’s diversity is the preservation of regional specialities. Even by the mid-19th century, the average Belgian brewery was very small, mostly because there was a tax incentive to remain so. Rather than packaging beer, they sold beer from wooden barrels directly to consumers in their own pubs. There were 3,089 breweries in Belgium in 1845. Today, there are around 380. As a result, production and consumption stayed local, preserving distinctive varieties of yeast and maintaining the unique character of a town’s beer style. You can see the preservation of this local colour in Belgium’s regions today. The areas around Brussels known as the Pajottenland and the Senne Valley are home to a small cohort of lambic breweries and blenderies producing a spontaneously fermented wheat beer often blended across different ages to create gueuze. Flavour descriptors for these beers

include lemon sherbet and horse blanket. In their book Lambic Land, Tim Webb, Chris Pollard, and Siobhan McGinn describe lambics as “both the crudest and the most complex beer styles in the world.” Elsewhere, the wheat farming around Leuven helped Flemish Brabant became synonymous with Belgian witbier. This spiced wheat ale was brewed as early as the 14th century but is best known in a form presented by Belgian milkman Pierre Celis who revived the style during the 1960s in the town of Hoegaarden. The Leiestreek and surrounding countryside in southwest Flanders is red-brown territory: beers of mixed fermentation most commonly aged for long periods in large oak foeders before being blended back with younger beer. These beers are sweet and sour at the same time, more similar in flavour to a rich Burgundy wine than a “pintje”. The province of Hainaut in Belgium’s midwest is thought to be the home of two indigenous Belgian beer styles: Saison, originally a farmhouse ale with a dry, fermentation-forward flavour profile (imagine a Champagne type spritz with notes of citrus and black pepper); and Belgian Scotch Ale, a dark sweet treacly ale introduced by WWI British soldier Jack Peyne when he fell in love with a local girl and came to work at Brasserie Silly.

Ingredients and flavours Another reason the beers in Belgium are very different is because of the ingredients used to make them. Belgian yeasts, for example, kick off a diverse and pronounced range of flavour and aroma compounds. These compounds are part of the reasons Delirium Tremens is all pears and oranges, Chimay Bleue is all figs and prunes, and Sint Bernardus Wit is all pepper and clove. The yeasts range from those that ferment sugars, delivering incredibly dry beers, to those that leave behind a sweetness and full body.

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Belgians also deploy wild yeasts, drawing on flavours that range from floral and earthy to mousy and horsey. And sometimes they don’t add any yeast at all, relying on the microbes in the environment of their brewery to help them create the beer.

Even by the mid-19th century, the average Belgian brewery was very small, mostly because there was a tax incentive to remain so. Rather than packaging beer, they sold beer from wooden barrels directly to consumers in their own pubs. There were 3,089 breweries in Belgium in 1845.” Unlike brewers in other countries, Belgians are not afraid to throw unexpected flavours to their beer, emptying their spice cabinet of bit-

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ter orange, coriander, and grains of paradise, or dropping in fruits such as cherries, raspberries, or apricots. They deploy multistep mashes and ferment at higher temperatures, and experiment with all sorts of vessels, including open ones at Brouwerij Liefmans, wooden ones at Brouwerij Drie Fonteinen, and the unique geometric vessels designed for lower-stress yeast environments, such as the wide, squat tanks utilised by Brouwerij De La Senne. But perhaps the most visible differentiator of Belgian beer is the country’s café culture. Think of brown bars with their tobacco-stained wood panelling and mosaic tiling. Think of leather-bound beer menus and the small knives used to cut the correct head of foam on a pintje. Think of bespoke glassware, a specially designed receptacle for every brand: some that look like tulips; others like chalices. The various COVID-19 lockdowns and restrictions on the hospitality trade have taken their toll on these bars. Some iconic beer cafés only stayed afloat with help from the public. Many, however, were forced to close – and with each loss, a part of the Belgian beer culture went with it. Belgian beer is special not only because of how it's created, but in how it's served, presented, and savoured. If these cafés survive, then Belgium’s beer culture can thrive.

RAOUL SERVAIS A world between magic and realism

24/09/2021-06/03/2022

Musée BELvue Museum

www.belvue.be

700 World Wines 500 World Spirits 50 Belgium Beers Wide range of belgian products : wines, whiskies, gins, rums, pekets, liqueurs... Wine & Spirit shop – Online sales

Chaussée de Charleroi, 43 1060 Bruxelles 02/534.77.03 www.migsworldwines.be mig@migsworldwines.be

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The secrets of dining like a Belgian royal From pickled ox tongue and beef in champagne sauce to Leonidas chocolates and speculoos biscuits: the diet of the Belgian royal family has changed a great deal during their almost 200-year dynasty. Marianna Hunt asks what it takes to become a designated supplier – and whisks up a majestic dinner at home with the king’s select foods

ack in the late 1800s and early 1900s, Belgium’s King Léopold II would be greeted each morning over breakfast and his newspaper by a court officer with a sample menu of up to 30 courses for his dinner that evening. The monarch, who was famed for his enormous appetite, would cross out any dishes that did not take his fancy. His menus were embellished with pure gold leaf. On March 17, 1870, for example, the-then 34-year-old King feasted on 20 courses, includ-

And instead of pickled ox tongues, he has been known to tuck into Middle Eastern feasts when breaking the Ramadan fast with Moroccan-Belgian families. Food is no longer merely a means of celebration, either. King Philippe’s children – Prin-

“ Léopold II’s love of food was so great it became a source of international conflict with the French in the early 1900s.” ing partridges stuffed with truffle and foie gras and veal bone marrow with a Gruyère crust – interspersed with a palate-cleansing champagne and orange sorbet. Léopold II’s love of food was so great it became a source of international conflict with the French in the early 1900s. “He declared a dish of duckling with turnips that he ate at the famous Jockey Club in Paris to be the best to have passed his royal lips,” says Jake Smith, author of Eating With Emperors. “The next day, the club’s chef failed to arrive at work and it was later discovered that the Belgian King had lured him back to his royal palace with an offer no club could match.” Today, the life and diet of a monarch is rather different. After finishing his breakfast and newspaper, reigning King Philippe typically heads off to drive his children to school, according to the Belgian monarchy’s website.

The Royal Palace Throne Room, left, hosting a 1964 banquet, and bottom, before a 1993 dinner. Above, menus from Leopold II dinners in 1892 and 1870. Credit: Jake Smith

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cess Elisabeth, Prince Gabriel, Princess Eleonore and Prince Emmanuel – made headlines during the coronavirus pandemic when they cooked up baskets and baskets of home-made waffles and delivered them to locked down nursing homes across the country. But although what they eat has adapted, food remains very important to the royal family. One way to track the changing tastes of Belgium’s monarchs is to look at the list of Royal Warrant holders: officially designated suppliers of the royal household. This distinction is bestowed on companies – which range from oil giant Shell to artisan watchmakers – that have provided goods or services to the King for at least five years and are listed on Belgium’s Register of Commerce. Among the country’s food suppliers that

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carry this badge of honour are eight chocolatiers – including Pierre Marcolini, Godiva and Neuhaus – two biscuit makers and a butcher that sells everything from quail to wild boar. So how do you earn this great honour? “The supplier has to write a letter to the palace requesting the title after five years of service and the royal household will review their application. Quality and honesty is very important in the decision making,” says Yves Callebaut of the Association of the Belgian Royal Warrant Holders. Once they have the royal seal of approval, there is an official ceremony. “After the official reception we had a private one where we met the King and Queen,” says Bart Van Nieuwenhove of W&H, a butcher that was awarded its Royal Warrant in 2014. “They spoke to us and

Royal dining chez soi

were very interested in our lives. The King has also visited our shop.” The title is hard won but easily lost. It is awarded by a particular monarch to an individual rather than their company, so can be taken away on their death or on the death of the king or queen who made them a Royal Warrant holder. Suppliers must also stick to strict rules that protect the royal family’s privacy. “We are not allowed to disclose details of which and how many biscuits we deliver,” says Ives Depoortere, chief executive of the Biscuiterie Jules Destrooper. “But it is well known that our famous butter crisps and almond thins are among the products that we supply. And we are sure that many a guest at the Royal Palace has been offered one of our biscuits with their coffee or tea.”

While most of us can only dream of what being a sovereign is like, we can at least get a small taste by also enjoying the sweet treats, preserves and rare wine vintages of their suppliers. For a night in dining like a King, begin with a starter of artichoke hearts, burrata and black truffle. The globe artichokes, which you should be able to find at Royal Warrant holding grocer Au Cochon d’Or, should be peeled, salted and boiled until soft. Peel off the leaves until you’re left with just the tender heart, then place the drained burrata (from the Belgian royal cheese specialist: La Petite Ferme) beside it. Sprinkle flakes of W&H’s finest black truffle over the top and drizzle with olive oil and honey. Serve alongside Nuits-Saint-Georges Les Argillats from Domaine Philippe Gavignet, a white wine from one of the King’s favourite cellars: Rabotvins. For the main course, we focus on rich, decadent flavours fit for a banquet with venison haunches braised in red wine and dark chocolate. The wild venison, a W&H speciality, should be diced and then fried until golden in butter. Remove from the pan then fry an onion, two carrots and some celery, which have been finely diced, until they are soft. Add some chopped garlic, a bottle of Château Haut Breton Larigaudière 2015 (a Margaux wine also from Rabotvins), a bay leaf, fresh rosemary and thyme. Now put the meat back in and add 100g of Neuhaus’ finest dark chocolate – the 80 percent cocoa one from Uganda works particularly well. Make 600ml of beef stock and add that too. Cover the pan and leave on a low heat for at least two and a half hours, but as long as possible. When the flavours have matured, serve the stew with some roast potatoes, a few dollops of redcurrant jelly and a glass of the same wine. Dessert takes inspiration from both Belgium and Italy, with a tiramisu that combines fine Brussels chocolate with Piedmont hazelnuts. Layer a dish with biscuits – something spongy that can soak up liquid works best. Then cover it with a generous helping of Pierre Marcolini’s moorish casse-noisette spread on top and pour over a little espresso. Now whip up about 500ml of double cream with a tub of mascarpone and some Frangelico liqueur. Add a layer of the cream mixture, then another of the biscuits, hazelnut spread and coffee and continue until you have filled the dish, finishing with a layer of cream. Finally sprinkle some Marcolini chocolate drops on the top. Make sure to pour yourself a glass of Rabotvin’s Vista Alegre 10-year-old port as you tuck in.

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Art events

Parrathon by Martin Parr HANGAR PHOTO ART CENTER // September 17 to December 18 open Tuesday to Saturday ,12pm to 6pm Place du Châtelain 18, 1050 Brussels €7 admission; €5 concession Martin Parr needs little introduction in the halls of contemporary photography. Witty, sharp, ironic, funny, sometimes sarcastic, but always reflecting modern culture, Parr's pictures spill over to anthropology and politics of the everyday. Hangar stages the first retrospective of the artist in Belgium, featuring over 400 images across the three floors of the galleries. Parr's gaze is distinguished by his attention

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by Denis Maksimov

to symbols of class. Using techniques like exaggerated colour, he directs attention to decorative items that denote power and weakness in the societies, often rendering them grotesque. These symbols then become mere objects: Parr shows us that branded bags, jewellery and fur coats mean nothing if we don’t breathe in their value. At the same time, he pokes fun at the humans that depend on these markers of status, exposing how life is not always equitable - our worship of objects is a testament to that. The exhibition should raise smiles. Parr’s genius lies in his ability to speak about serious issues of society in a light and joyful way. The quintessentially English humour is made by him culturally universal – once again reminding us, that taking ourselves or our identities too seriously brings nothing except the pain and loneliness.

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Poems I will never release by Chiara Fumai LA LOGE // September 9 to November 13 open Thursday to Saturday, 12pm to 6pm Rue de l’Ermitage 86, 1050 Brussels Free admission (time slot booking available on the website) Chiara Fumai was an extraordinaire among the extraordinary. Inspired by radical feminism and political revolt, her uncompromising visions were both stirring and terrifying for artists, critics, and curators. Following a presentation at the Italian Pavilion in the Venice Biennale, Brussels' La Loge continues the celebration of the artist's life and career since her untimely death in 2017. ‘Poems I will never release’ is the title of the exhibition as well as the writing she worked on for a decade before passing. It is focused on the notion of magic, occult spiritualism and ritual practices and their importance for the language of an alternative to a patriarchal contemporary society. Her works also address Theosophy, a religion centred around the Russian-born American Helena Blavatsky in the late 19th century. The presentation at La Loge includes installations, sound pieces, collages, and videos of Fumai's live performances.

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Hahaha. The Humor of Art ING ART CENTRE //September 15 to January 16 open Wednesday to Sunday 10am to 6pm, Fridays to 9pm Place Royale 6, 1000 Brussels €12 admission; €6 concession Marcel Duchamp believed that nothing is serious enough to take seriously. He saw artists as tricksters and magicians who turn everyday objects into art, shining an aesthetic light on the most mundane elements of our everyday

environment. The exhibition ‘Hahaha. The Humor in Art’, co-organised by the ING Art Centre with KANAL and Centre Pompidou, takes its cue from Duchamp, examining different mediums where jokes play a central role, including caricatures, puns, toys, hoaxes, parodies and satires. However, the subversive power of humour as a tool of political resistance is a serious matter. The history of the Dada movement, for example, is the history of artists' revolt against the stupidity and cruelty of the First World War. Dada features alongside Duchamp in this exhibition, both challenging a conservative outlook on art. Artistic humour can also function as a critique of class relations, triggering laughter to render the powerful impotent.

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The Sowers FONDATION THALIE // from September 9 to November 21 open Wednesday to Sunday, 2pm to 8pm Rue Buchholtz 15, 1050 Brussels €7 admission; €5 concession The Fondation Thalie describes ‘The Sowers’ exhibition as “a dialogue between clay and thread”, two elements that “become a space of cross-pollination for rituals, crafts and the aesthetics of survival.” From ancient Greece to Phoenicia, from Persia to China, trade and exploration led to new ideas about clay and thread being shared freely across cultures. The exhibition starts with the paradigm of weaving as a global concept. Festive and luminous installations depict exotic landscapes and hybrid entities, emphasizing the importance of materials for fuelling imaginations. Some 26 international artists feature in the exhibition, all using clay and thread traditions inherited from their ancestorial cultures. They include Pauline Bonnet (France), Paloma Bosquê (Brazil), Sol Calero (Venezuela), Gabriel Chaile (Argentina), Jasmine Little (United States), Pauline-Rose Dumas (France), Hana Miletić (Croatia), Desire Moheb-Zandi (Germany), Julie Monot (Switzerland), Anila Rubiku (Albania), Lei Saito (Japan), Fatiha Zemmouri (Morocco) and others.

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WHEN MEMORIES START TO FADE IN FLANDERS FIELDS MUSEUM KEEPS IT ALL IN FOCUS

Only the scars in the landscape remain. The last echoes of war seem to have quietly died away. When memories start to fade, it is vital, more than ever, to keep it all in focus. This is what In Flanders Fields Museum sets out to do, year after fading year. UPDATED EXPERIENCE.

Discover fresh exhibits and installations, new movies and objects, and even more profound personal stories. Choose the new audio guide with more in-depth insights for grown-ups or the child-friendly version.

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Alexander Kluge, Minutenfilme #1 ARGOS CENTRE FOR AUDIOVISUAL ARTS // September 12 to November 18 open Friday to Sunday, 11am to 7pm Rue du Chantier 13, 1000 Brussels €10 admission; €7, €4, €2 concessions Author, philosopher, academic and filmmaker Alexander Kluge is an audiovisual pioneer who focuses on culture, history and absurd political agendas. Argos is showing a year-long programme of eight Kluge films, presented in five successive installations. Compiled by Kluge especially for this occasion, these presentations feature

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selections of recent Minutenfilme – short, hybrid films with a typically run time of one to eight minutes. Each Minutenfilme is a condensed telling of a complex idea. They use idiosyncratic editing of a plethora of images and sounds from a wide variety of sources and collaborators. Kluge says that the viewers of the videos are the medium, not the video itself. “The viewers are the medium, what they cannot imagine neither can exist in the medium,” he says. Kluge, now 89, has outstanding credentials. He assisted Fritz Lang and was behind the prominence of the cult movement of the New German Cinema. Before visiting Argos, check out trailers or clips from his monumental films (which are between nine and ten hours long) such as News from Ideological Antiquity – Marx/Eisenstein/The Capital (2008) and Dancing With Pictures (2017).

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The ever-moving music scene in Brussels Brussels has a proud musical history, but today’s artists are taking their sounds in new directions. Lukas Taylor looks at the most exciting performers in the city’s scene

ntil recently, Brussels artists on the global stage were few and far between. That was until Stromae burst onto the scene in the early 2000s, bringing with him an eclectic blend of influences ranging from Jacques Brel to Eurodance and even Congolese rumba, a musical mainstay in parts of the city. After receiving praise from artists like Sam Smith and Madonna, his international breakthrough culminated in a sold-out show at Madison Square Garden in 2015.

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Stromae's success served as an example to other artists in Brussels. He showed that you can succeed even if you come from a city with a fraction of the population of Paris. And since his last studio album in 2013, the Brussels scene has grown from strength to strength, proving its value as a vibrant location for musicians to express themselves. Those who have benefited most from Stromae's influence are the ones who experiment Credit: AFP

Above: Stromae. Previous page, Lous and The Yakuza. Right: the Brussels Summer Festival

with the cultural and musical codes of their countries of origin and of Western culture, as best exemplified by Tawsen and Lous and The Yakuza.

The Brussels scene has grown from strength to strength, proving its value as a vibrant location for musicians to express themselves.” Tawsen, who grew up in Morocco and Italy, has carved out a niche for himself by jumping from one musical genre to the next across multiple continents. Inspired by raï music, an Algerian genre known for its explicit subject matter about love, he mixes traditional and electric instruments, which he combines with reggaeton, a Latin American style. This can be heard throughout Tawsen’s three recent EPs, which blend modern pop and R&B music with contemporary African sounds, reminiscent of Nigerian Afrobeats artists such as Burna Boy and WizKid.

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Blended sounds Similarly, Lous and The Yakuza unashamedly fuses styles, including those of her country of birth. Born as Marie-Pierra Kakoma in the Democratic Republic of Congo, she came to Brussels with her family as a teenager. Her adolescent ambitions to become a musician collided with her parents' aspira-

tions, resulting in a rift that led her to spend months on the streets. However, she eventually knuckled down to her craft, honing her musical identity. It led Kakoma to surround herself with an array of varied producers, from Brussels, Barcelona, and even Broward County in Florida. With their help, she created the Lous and the Yakuza moniker. She blended lyrics lament-

ing the human condition, akin to the chanson française musicians while applying trap instrumentals, a foundation of modern rap music. International recognition came with her first major single ‘Dilemme’, which became a sleeper hit in Italy, and then with her ‘Tout est gore’ video, which caught the eye of American media.

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Above: Tawsen. Below: Damso

Poetic violence Lous and the Yakuza’s career has been intertwined with that of Damso, a Belgian rap heavyweight. She appeared in Damso’s music video for ‘BruxellesVie’, one of his first major singles, and was recently featured on his latest studio album, ‘QALF’. Damso's own career has been a source of pride for the city of Brussels. Born William

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Kalubi, he began as a protege of Booba, the French rap icon. His debut studio album ‘Batterie Faible’ in 2016, signalled that the burgeoning Belgian rap scene could compete with its French neighbours. Damso’s verses on ‘Batterie Faible’ were described as a form of poetic violence, but his lyrical content appears to have mellowed over the years, as he's now turned to writing ballads for the key people in his life, whether that's his mother, his partner, or his young son. Musically, he continues to experiment: with his latest album, ‘QALF’, he trades 808s for lusher instrumentation, as he appears to have been influenced by a variety of 80s songstresses such as Mylène Farmer, Grace Jones, and Sade. Damso also had a hand in launching the careers of other Brussels artists. Among them is Hamza, a fellow Belgian rapper noted for his musical versatility, inspired as much by 90s R&B as by early noughties gangster rap. Often compared to Drake, he opened for him at his Paris show in 2019.

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Above: Angèle. Below: Zwangere Guy

Damso also had Angèle, who is currently Belgium's biggest pop star. She opened for him in 2017 and included her vocals on his album ‘Lithopédion’. Singer-songwriter Angèle, from Uccle, is the daughter of the singer Marka and actress Laurence Bibot. She is also the sister of rapper Roméo Elvis, who features on her catchy song ‘Tout Oublier’ (the music video, set at the Belgian coast, has 120 million views on YouTube). Angèle rose to fame in 2018 with her piano-based brand of pop that would regularly cover important topics such as feminism amongst others. Her debut album, ‘BROL’, was a five-time platinum sell-

er, and she recently collaborated with British pop icon Dua Lipa on ‘Fever’. While the Flemish scene in Brussels has not had the same level of success as its francophone counterpart, one musician, Zwangere Guy, stands out. Originally a member of the band Stikstof, he broke through as a solo artist, pulling inspiration from his troubled upbringing, which included drug abuse and domestic violence, to create two studio albums, ‘Wie is Guy?’ and ‘Brutaal’. Both released in 2019, they paint an often unpleasant but much-needed portrait of Brussels, garnering him critical acclaim from Dutch-speaking critics.

Zwangere Guy was bestowed ‘Brusseleer of the Year’ in 2019 during the Brussels Dialect Week.” It should not be surprising that Brussels, a cosmopolitan crossroads for so many distinct cultures, is home to such a diverse spectrum of musical talents. Even fresher sounds are emerging too: Frenetik, the newest poster child of Belgian rap, and Iliona, who is modernising the music of long-gone French divas. They all show that the ever-moving music scene in Brussels still has room to expand – and reach a global audience.

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Hidden Belgium

If there is a secret corner of Belgium, Derek Blyth is sure to have checked it out. Here are five of his discoveries from around the country

In praise of Belgian cafés

Herberg Drie Koningen, Houtave The Herberg Drie Koningen is not the easiest place to find. It stands on the village square of Houtave in the flat Flemish landscape between Bruges and Blankenberge. I came across it by chance on a cycle ride from Bruges to the coast. The wind was against me. I needed to stop. The Herberg Drie Koningen (Three Kings Inn) was open. The inn has been around since 1785 according to a wooden sign on the outside wall. So it is older than Belgium. Older than most Belgian bars. It hasn’t changed much over the years. The interior is decorated with a tiled floor, old wooden tables and endless rows of vintage crockery hung from the ceiling. The tables are mostly occupied by regulars drinking Sint Bernardus and talking in the local West Flemish dialect. Good luck trying to understand them. These old Belgian cafes sometimes seem a little intimidating. But that’s just the way they look. You find a seat and ask for a drink. Maybe

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a coffee if there is coffee. Or a beer, something strong, a Duvel or an Orval, even in the morning, if you want to blend in with the locals. Every café has its history. You can sometimes piece it together from old photographs hanging on the walls, or the row of dusty ornaments displayed on a high shelf, or the shiny trophies locked away in a glass case. These old cafés play an important role in local life. They often serve as meeting places for local associations. Possibly a cycling club, or a group of pigeon fanciers, or football fans. Locals go there to play cards on rainy afternoons, or perhaps a game of skittles in the back yard, or to drown their sorrows after a funeral. But many of the old cafés are struggling. It’s not an easy life. The lockdown hasn’t helped. Yves Panneels of the café In de Verzekering tegen de Grote Dorst – frequently voted the best bar in the world – hit out against the government last October when it ordered all bars and restaurants to close for a month. Panneels banned the prime minister from his bar for the next five years. Some old bars may never open again. Others are struggling to pay the bills, like the iconic gueuze bar A la Mort Subite in Brussels. You should visit these old cafés whenever you get the chance. These cafés are part of the fabric of Belgium. More important than you might think.

The longest trail GR 129

The longest hiking trail in Belgium runs from the old city walls of Bruges to the source of the River Semois in Arlon. At 574km, it might not rank alongside the world’s great hiking challenges, like the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage route (800km, or more, depending on where you start) or the magnificent Pacific Crest Trail (4,200km). But the GR129 is still a tough 20-day hike that takes you through some of the country’s most beautiful regions, from the flat polders of Flanders to the forested hills of Wallonia. One of the Grandes Randonnées/Grote Routepaden trails, the GR129 is marked with red and white stripes painted on trees and stone walls. Two sets of stripes indicate a turning. A cross marks a wrong turn. Simple as that. The GR129 runs down the west side of the country through the provinces of West and East Flanders, Hainaut, Namur and Luxembourg. It avoids the large cities of Brussels, Antwerp and Liège, but takes in interesting small towns that make perfect overnight stops, like Oudenaarde, Mons and Dinant, or the sleepy villages of Ellezelles, Daverdisse and Orval. Along the way, the hiking trail takes you through the Flemish Ardennes, the Meuse valley and the beautiful, wooded valley of the Molignée. You could mark each stage by drink-

ing a glass of the local beer: a Brugse Zot on your first night in Bruges, a glass of Hercule in the village of Ellezelles, a Leffe from Dinant, a Maredsous in the garden of Maredsous abbey, a glass of Orval as you reach the end of the trail. Most of the stops along the way are near a train station, so you can break down the trail into 20 one-day sections or ten weekend hikes. Or you could just try out one stretch, like the beautiful 8.6km ramble along the River Lesse between the stations at Gendron and Houyet. Or maybe the longer 17km stretch from Dinant station to Gendron, which follows the old pilgrimage route to Foy-Notre-Dame, then through the woods above the romantic Vêves castle and down to the River Lesse.

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All roads lead to Tongeren

Gallo-Roman Museum Tongeren, the oldest town in Belgium, has been digging up its Roman roots. It started back in 1994 when a dusty collection of Roman relics was moved into the stunning new Gallo Roman Museum. Sited next to the basilica, the museum was voted European Museum of the Year in 2011, the first Belgian museum to win the title. Recently expanded and reorganised, the bunker-like museum uses the latest digital technology to shed light on its collection of ancient objects, mainly from the Roman period. The visitor wanders around with a digital player listening to bitesize commentaries. After you leave, the museum uses your phone data to send an email listing the objects you studied and the ones you missed (my score: 14 stories heard, 68 missed). Other things have changed too, including the museum restaurant, renamed Bistro Bacchus in 2019. It is now a stylish spot with suspended lamps modelled on Roman busts and a menu that includes Roman dishes. “They offer a taste experience that takes you back 2000 years,” claims food archaeologist Jeroen Van Vaerenbergh. I ordered the Isicia omentata, a dish involving pork meatballs cooked in red wine and seasoned with mulberries, pine nut kernels and lovage (described in the menu as “similar to the aroma of Maggi soup flavouring”). Add a glass of local wine, and you could almost be a second-century Roman. For a time, the Gallo Roman Museum was the main reason to visit Tongeren. But recently, archaeologists have dug down under the floor of the Gothic church to reveal the founda-

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tions of a bathhouse and traces of two Roman homes. The excavations have turned up a total of 45,000 pottery shards, 75,000 fragments of wall paintings and 67 boxes of animal bones. Some of the finds are displayed in a new underground museum called Teseum. Designed by a team of historians, designers, musicians and IT engineers, the museum offers a headphone-guided route through the dark underground spaces. The commentary in four languages draws attention to odd details, like a well where Roman citizens tossed gold coins, a Roman stone carved by a local woman to protect her loved ones and fragments of wall paintings in the style of Pompeii. The ominous background music adds another layer of mystery to the experience. The tour ends dramatically inside the foundations of a vanished Roman villa where you see the charred remains of a wooden beam set on fire during the destruction of Tongeren in 275 AD. With the background sound of the burning city in your headphones, the cracked brick walls and blackened wood bring you close to the moment the Roman Empire died. And then, the biggest surprise of all. The foundations of a huge temple were found buried under an orchard on the edge of Tongeren in 1964. One of the largest in northern Europe, the temple originally stood on a hill, visible from far away. The site lay forgotten for many years, but Tongeren’s mayor, Patrick Dewael, finally found funds to reconstruct the lower part of this impressive building, along with the base of every column. Two thousand years on, Tongeren has rediscovered its Roman identity. There are streets called Caesarlaan and Legioenlaan. The main civic centre – normally it would be called the Gemeentehuis – is known here as the Praesidium. And the local hipster hairdresser could not resist calling his shop Barbarium.

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Einstein on the beach De Haan

Most people tell you the same story about the Belgian coast. It is ugly. It is just a long line of apartment buildings overlooking a grey sea. The waiters are rude. The weather is miserable. But one small resort remains special. Take the coast tram to De Haan. The moment you arrive, you are surrounded by romantic 19th century architecture. The beautiful tram station was designed in 1888 by the Brussels architect G. Dhaeyer. He chose a fanciful style with steep overhanging eaves, elegantly carved wood columns and the name De Haan aan Zee (and the French version Coq-sur-Mer) picked out in gold letters. One of Léopold II’s favourite resorts, De Haan was laid out in the windswept dunes in 1889 by the German urban planner Hermann-Josef Stübben. Inspired by English garden cities, Stübben created a model resort featuring winding lanes, quaint white villas and well-tended gardens. Some of the most impressive houses were built by the Ghent architect Valentin Vaerwyck in 1925-27 along the Rembrandtlaan. One of them – called Little Red Riding Hood – looks like an illustration in a children’s fairy tale.

In 1933, Albert Einstein and his family moved to De Haan to escape the Nazi terror. The German scientist rented the left wing of a small villa called Savoyarde in the Shakespearelaan. During his six-month stay, Einstein met the Ostend artist James Ensor and was photographed by the Ypres photographer Maurice Antony. The town is dotted with information signs describing places linked to Einstein’s stay, along with a sculpture on Normandiëlaan, which shows the scientist sitting on a park bench. The resort narrowly missed destruction in the 1970s when property developers all along the coast were tearing down old villas to build enormous concrete apartment blocks. The locals in De Haan put up a fight to save the romantic villas and leafy lanes. They finally won, leaving De Haan looking just as it did when Einstein stayed there. Pack a kite, warm clothes and a good book. De Haan could be the perfect place for a winter weekend. You can spend the night in the grand Hotel Astoria or one of the small B&Bs hidden down the quiet lanes. The resort is surrounded by wild dunes planted with pine trees in the 19th century and quiet farmland to the south with endless cycle trails to follow.

visitdehaan.be

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A hotel that feels like home Les Sorbiers, Hastière

It started back in the early 1990s when five Belgian friends decided to create the perfect beach hotel. They had fallen in love with an abandoned brick mansion in the forgotten French resort of Le Crotoy. They snapped it up and set to work turning it into the perfect hotel. They spent weekends at the coast fixing up the rooms while their young kids played out on the sand. The Hôtel Les Tourelles opened in 1994. It was a special sort of hotel that felt more like you were staying with friends. They handed out free kites and provided dormitory rooms for kids. It was an instant success that brought life back to Le Crotoy. Back in Brussels, the friends set up a company called Nouvelle Hôtellerie. Their next

project was to create a hotel in the Swiss Alps in an abandoned ski station. They called it Hotel Plein Ciel. It was a strange place up in the clouds reached by a narrow winding road. The founders – now supported by some 250 investors – then hunted for a place in their own country. After a long search, they came across a handsome Ardennes chateau on the banks of the River Meuse. Located near the pretty river town of Hastière, the château had been turned into a holiday home for a Walloon health insurance company. Now it was empty. The group snapped up the site for €1.5 million and raised the funds to restore the building. After 18 months of work, the Hôtel Les Sorbiers finally opened last August. The interiors were by Véronique Mellery, a film set designer with an impressive CV that includes Phantom Thread, Marie-Antoinette and the new James Bond blockbuster. She gave each of the 32 bedrooms a unique look and added a children’s playroom as well as a reading room. The hotel offers guests a range of different rooms, from romantic rooms facing the river to a separate building for groups of up to 55 people. The bedrooms don’t have TVs, but instead the hotel leaves a book on the bedside table for you to read (and take away if you get hooked on the plot). There are ambitious plans to add new features including a glamping site and wellness area. The owners also want to convert an abandoned barge that currently lies moored next to the hotel. Their aim, as always, is to create a relaxed family hotel. Not too posh. Not too expensive. A little quirky. The perfect Belgian hotel, you might want to say.

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Open Gallery Weekend October 30th & 31st ART Knokke-Heist is an open gallery weekend that aims to make art accessible to everyone. Whether you’re an amateur or connoisseur, the gallery owners will welcome you with open arms.

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