Reubens - The Master Comes to Town...

Place Royale (Royal Square) is the most sought after location in Brussels by those who want a touch of the culture of Belgium. This location is the central part of the Royal Palace of Brussels.

The gigantic, columned buildings speak volumes of the position of the royalty in Belgian history. Besides the royal buildings, there are churches, vast greenery and the supreme court, all located close to the Place Royal.

Most of the buildings that formed the royal complex are now museums or office buildings. The square is usually teeming with people moving in an out of offices or camera-toting tourists.

This year is called 'the Year of Europe in Brussels' in commemoration of the establishment of the European Union headquartered in this city. There are numerous shows and exhibitions in Brussels to celebrate this momentous occasion.

The Royal Museum of Fine Arts of Brussels brought together a wonderful collection of paintings by the dutch master Reubens. The museum already had about fifty paintings done by Reubens or by his studio in Antwerp. In addition, other works by the master were brought from celebrated museums around the world like the Louvre (Paris), the Prado (Madrid) and the Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York).

I took a course in art history during my school days. This gave me a slight overview of the painting styles of artists around the world.

I couldn't resist this chance to discover Reubens' artistic genius on the basis of nearly one hundred and twenty works. It was a rare opportunity to experience all that I heard and learned about this dutch painter.

Most of Reubens' paintings were commissioned by churches or monasteries. Therefore, many had biblical themes and subjects. He is also known for decorating the ceiling of Antwerp cathedral.
Some of his paintings depict greek mythical characters. One of the works on display was a huge tapestry (or wall hanging) portraying the triumph of the catholic faith.

Reubens' paintings feature full-figured, voluptuous women. This style, called 'Reubenesque', shows plump (but not fat) figures in a graceful pose.

The visitors can examine the life sized portraits and paintings and hear commentaries using the audio guide. They are also given leaflets explaining the significant works on display.

I loved being at this exhibition because this gave me an opportunity to enjoy the mastery of Reubens. I felt so lucky to be able to see world renowned paintings done by a genius that I had only known through texts and prints so far.

Thai Festival in Brussels!!

The mouth-watering aroma of thai food was lingering in the air when we came out of the metro station. The crowd was hurrying to savour the colours of thai culture at Place Dumon, the venue of the thai festival of Brussels.

This festival, organized by the Royal Thai Embassy of Belgium, showcased everything thai - arts, dances, sports and more importantly food.

The crowd was mesmerized by the variety of food prepared by the thai restaurants in and around Brussels. There was a queue at every counter with people busily experimenting the many thai dishes. I started my gastronomic journey with a plate of assorted thai appetizers. There were meat balls, small chicken grills, prawns and other delicacies. Then, I moved on to fluffy rice and green chicken curry. Green chicken curry, a thai speciality, is an infusion of chicken chunks in fresh herbs, coconut milk and aromatic spices.

Graceful thai dancers performed on the stage while the crowd enjoyed the food. Thai handicrafts, carved vegetables and painted umbrellas were on display much to the delight of the crowd.

Thai massage was also a popular option at this festival. It was soothing to watch trained personnel from thai parlors massage those who wished to relax.

The entire event was an enticing exhibition of everything Thailand has to offer visitors.

Delightful Bites - The Spanish Tapas Experience

All good things in life come in small packets...at least that is what I can say about my tapas experience.

Tapas is a variety of appetizers in Spanish cuisine. It may be a medley of vegetables with olives and cheese or even consist of non-vegetarian exotics like octopus, squid and mussels.

Frank is very familiar with the tapas experience. He enticed me into trying a tapas restaurant for dinner one friday.

The restaurant we went to is called Le Bar A Tapas. This restaurant has a queer look with dim lights and antique furniture.

This place certainly resembled a meat eaters paradise. The entire place was decorated with cured (dried, smoked) meat chunks in varying shapes and sizes.

The menu was full of non-vegetarian choices. I looked puzzled when Frank ordered so many tapas for us.

Tapas is an appetizer and is served in little mud pots. The portions are very limited. We need to eat a combination of tapas to form a full meal.

Within minutes, there was an array of mud pots on our table. There was liver cooked in red wine, fried silver fish, ribs, chicken in honey sauce, spicy chicken wings and mussels cooked in garlic.

I loved the chicken liver cooked in red wine. It tasted so rich and full of flavour. The silverfish (tiny fish with silver lines) added a crunchy touch to the meal. The ribs and chicken wings were something to chew on while we conversed. The chicken in the honey sauce tricked the tempted palate with contrasting tastes.

My favorite tapas was mussels in garlic. The half open mussels with the chunk of meat in the center was an absolute treat.

I enjoyed the tapas experience that evening. It was a meal full of little surprises in different colors and flavors.

I am clamoring for more mussels and tapas each day much to the dislike of my irritated husband who introduced me to this unique cuisine. For the time being, I just can't wait to have my next round of tapas.