Tag Archives: Belgium

The Poetry of Coffee

As an amateur coffee roaster, I have been accused of being mildly obsessed with the magical elixir. So my antenna is always up for books about coffee. But I was not prepared to stumble upon a one-of-a-kind, single copy poetry … Continue reading

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Prescribing Culture

This month doctors in Brussels, Belgium will be able to prescribe visits to local cultural institutions for their patients. Doctors at the Brugmann Hospital, one of Brussels’ largest healthcare facilities, are able to prescribe their patients visits to a number … Continue reading

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I have passport envy

Yesterday, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sophie Wilmès launched the new Belgian passport. A document that is even more secure thanks to new security and personalization techniques. The new Belgian passport will also be recognizable thanks to … Continue reading

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Books Saved the Town, Now the Internet Is Killing It

Four decades ago, the little Belgian town of Redu was revitalized by its transformation into the Village Du Livre. The village that had been shrinking fast as farm jobs disappeared and families moved away. But in the mid-1980s, a group of … Continue reading

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Le village des sirènes

“Paul Delvaux: The Village of the Mermaids” by Lisel Mueller Who is that man in black, walking away from us into the distance? The painter, they say, took a long time finding his vision of the world. The mermaids, if that … Continue reading

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The Great Bibliohoax

I love a good prank, especially if it is at the expense of the pretentious. While bibliophiles and antiquarian booksellers are not known for their hijinks, back in 1840 an infamous bibliohoax was perpetrated on wealthy collectors, librarians and booksellers … Continue reading

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Why a Duck

I first discovered the dreamy near Surrealist paintings of the Belgian artist Paul Delvaux at the Musées royaux des Beaux-Arts de Belgique in Brussels many decades ago. I was particularly drawn to his works on trains and train stations. Delvaux was … Continue reading

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Certainement pas The New Yorker

Over the years, I’ve seen quite a few attempts to pay homage to the brilliant cover art of the iconic The New Yorker magazine. None compares to the creativity of the project called The Brusseler  from Belgium’s Maison de L’Image … Continue reading

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The Feast of Venus

Last year, the Belgian tourist bureau VisitFlanders commissioned the folks at SkullMapping to create a wonderful bit of projection mapping to entertain passengers while they waited for flights at Brussels National Airport. With some clever digital trickery, a cheeky little … Continue reading

Posted in Air Travel, Animation, Art, Europe, Film, Museums, Public Transport, Tech, Tourism | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

In Bruges

Most of the world has made unprecedented changes to social, work, school, and travel arrangements as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. One of Europe’s most visited destinations has found a unique way to support the local community during the … Continue reading

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