Smallest town on earth..really?

There is nothing so petite about the town claiming to be the smallest ville on earth. Tucked away inside the Ardennes forest, this quaint town has enough charm and character to match any mighty tourist city.

Durbuy was listed as one of the twenty must see locations in the Visit Belgium website. I wondered what was so special about this small town to make it a must-see location.

The drive from Brussels to Durbuy was superb with fantastic views of the Belgian countryside. As we neared the Ardennes, the farmland gave way to towering cliffs and dense vegetation.

The last stretch of road leading to Durbuy was tiny with the lane narrowing and bending at sharp angles. Alas, the sight of Durbuy before us was breathtakingly beautiful.
Durbuy had the look of a town right out of the Middle ages. The Chateau, uneven cobbled streets, little rugged caves and the rocky hillocks surrounding the town made it seem as though time stood still. The Ourthe river was visible from every nook of the town.
It was clear that tourism was big in Durbuy. Hotels and restaurants could be seen everywhere. The tourist train was doing rounds through the streets. Mothers with strollers trotted about in the nearby topiary. The cafes were packed with tourists on a weekend break. I figured that trekking and adventure sports were also a hit with so many dirt bikes parked in and around the town.
My favourite place was the St. Amour Confiture shop, the outlet of the neighbourhood jammery. The shelves were lined with a variety of jams (onion, fig, orange, lemon, strawbery, raspberry, myrtilles, rose and so much more), syrops, special Durbuy beer, chocolates etc.
I wished I could sample everything in the shop as I had never ever seen such a collection of jams and jellies. I finally left with the jam of figs, roses and some chocolates.

Frank had to drag me away from this jammy paradise. I promised myself that I would be back..but this time to relax for a few days in one of the many hotels.

Maasmechelen Shopping Village - for the shopoholic in you!!

If you can't get enough of rue neuve in Brussels, head out to Maasmechelen shopping village in Limburg. The brands you dream of are lined up all ready for you to gobble up in this shopper's paradise.

It's a chic place to hang out and do some window shopping if you can ward of the temptation to own some of the best brands in the business.

We took a trip to Maasmechelen out of curiosity...but ended up buying some things as well. The atmosphere is leisurely compared to the other shopping centres.

Cafes, well-designed company outlets and the village feel will make you want to stick around. It is sale time in Maasmechelen at this time of the year and most of the coveted items are flying off the racks.

I couldn't help thinking if recession is still a reality while looking at the crowds swarming into the outlets. Ahh...we all want a piece of the luxuary pie and who cares about the depth of our pockets??

Maasmechelen is a good place to relax as it is very close to Belgium. The shopping experience is better than the crowded city shops. The cafes serve amazing food including some of the best traditional fare.

We wrapped up the trip with a few scoops of icecream from the corner shop in the shopping village. The icecream flavours tasted authentic than artificial.

I mean mint and melon tasted just like the real stuff. Now, that is a wonderful way to end one of those rare sunny, summer days in Belgium.

The photos speak for themselves...the countryside..the brands..shopping and the architecture!!

World Environment Day on June 5th....

We have just a couple more days to go for the World Environment Day on June 5th. Another day will go by with the characteristic fanfare meant to show that we care about nature.

While in Belgium, try to be as environment friendly as possible. Even if we try our best to turn off heating and lights when not required, we might get slapped with high electricity bills from Electrabel - the Government company which controls electricy supply and billing in Belgium.

And it is better to segregate garbage into different coloured bags and avoid notices from the commune. Hey, your appartment syndicate or maintenace company might even show up to urge you to do the same correctly. How is that for some real motivation?

Companies are struggling to go paperless these days. Its great to be able to read, edit and send documents online. If you need to print, the advice is to use both sides to save paper.

We've got all the rules in place for going green. The question is "how many of us will walk the talk"?

Sunny days are here again...

We woke up to some lovely, sunny weather in Brussels yesterday. The sun rays filtering in through the curtains into the living room were a sight for sore eyes.

The dull, grey Belgian weather is very hard for me to digest after being used to bright days in India. My three month old baby just can't bear the little sun that we get here.

We took him out to a wonderful park near Zaventem yesterday just so that he gets a little used to the great outdoors. I'm afraid he didn't like it much. He shut his eyes very tightly in protest.

The park we went to yesterday had a calming effect on me. There were a couple of small, interconnected lakes with a pavement to walk around in.


We could hear the constant quacking of the ducks which swam around in the lakes. The black and white swans gliding across the water were a sight to see...

I wish we would get some more warm weather in Brussels this week. I am going to take my son outdoors for more time to get him used to the natural light. Otherwise, our Belgium born Indian will have a hard time adjusting to the hot Indian summer.

Knokke - A Belgian Seaside Resort!!

Sunny days are never be wasted in Belgium. I mean temperatures around 22 to 26 degrees when I say sunny weather in Belgium.

Fortunately for us, this weather coincided with the long weekend. We decided to explore the coastal resort of Knokke during the holidays.

As a seaside resort, the main attraction of Knokke are its pleasant beaches. I felt as though all of Belgium had flocked to the coast to enjoy the sun.

Belgians bare it all and take to very little clothing during these rare sunny days. Knokke was no exception and was teaming with people enjoying the sun.

The Butterfly Museum in Knokke looked very ordinary from outside. We were taken aback by the recreation of tropical atmosphere inside. Butterflies of all colours fluttered around as though in it's natural surroundings.

It was an amazing sight to yet again see natural beauty in its purest form.

Knokke is also known for the Zwin nature reserve. This preserved area is exceptional as it is the resting ground for a variety of birds.

This coastal town is yet another example of the beauty of the Belgian coast. It is surprising that a tiny country such as Belgium can offer such a wide range of tourist spots.

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.

Atomium & Mini Europe - Hallmark of Brussels

Atomium is universally recognized as the symbol of Brussels. This monument was originally built for a world fair in 1958 and the structure soon became a part of the Brussels skyline.

I have seen the Atomium many times from afar but I wanted a closer look. I went to the Atomium and the adjacent Mini-Europe park on a lazy saturday a few weeks ago.

Atomium looked just the same to me but just a little bit bigger - more like gigantic. It represents the 9 atoms of a molecule magnified 165 million times. The balls are interconnected by escalators and visitors have a panoramic view of the city from the top.

Atomium and the neighboring Mini - Europe are popular venues for special events in Brussels.
Mini-Europe is a carefully designed park with miniature models of the popular landmarks in Europe. Like the name suggests, the park has all the scaled models of monuments in Europe such as the Eiffel tower, L'Arc de Triomphe, Leaning Tower of Pisa, Colosseum and much more.

This park is a wonderful mix of history, geography, architecture and leisure. Most of the displays are fun and also interactive.

You can play with the remotely controlled boats in the canals (modeled like the ones in the English Channel)...The ground beneath you trembles with a loud bang if you activate the button on the volcano. The Spanish bullfighters move around in the ring amidst the roar of the spectators at the touch of another button.

While Atomium is a symbol of Brussels, Mini-Europe introduces the visitors to the marvels of the European continent.

Visiting this side of the city was a complete learning experience for me. Atomium and Mini-Europe are two attractions that one should not miss while in Brussels.

Of Moules Frites, Escargots and Waffles!!

Belgium is known for moules-frites (a popular combination of mussels and fries), escargots (garden snails) and waffles. These dishes are served in elite restaurants as well as in street corners.

I tried some of these national favorites a few weeks ago during one of our random wanderings. We ordered moules-frites from a tavern near the grand place (city center).

A pot of steaming mussels and a plate of fries were soon placed on the table. The sight of half open mussels in a huge pot disgusted me at first. I just didn't want to open the shells and eat the morsel of meat.

I was tempted by the aroma of mussels cooked with garlic and leeks in dollops of butter. I decided to try a few mussels.

I can still feel the taste of the first mussel I tried. It was moist and packed with flavor. The broth was even more savoury. I couldn't resist finishing the pot and sipping the warm broth.


Escargots or garden snails are eaten as appetizers by the Belgians. We found an old couple selling escargots soup in a crowded street near the mannekin pis, the popular statue near the city center.

I did not try the snail soup. I could not even consider eating slimy garden snails.

This was not a problem for adventurous Frank. He had the snail soup and proclaimed that it tasted just the same as mussels.


Waffles are another Belgian gastronomical speciality. Hot waffles are sold at corner shops and food stalls in Brussels.

I like having the Liege waffles topped with strawberries and cream once in a while. It melts in the mouth and tastes simply divine. Waffles, chocolates and pastries are some of the sweet pleasures of Belgian cuisine.

French Immersion in Brussels..

Knowing French and speaking French is not the same. I noticed this when I came to live in Brussels, a very francophone city.

French was my second language all throughout schooling. I was proud of knowing another foreign language after learning French for about six years. I was in for a shock when I came to Brussels.

I realized painfully that I could not catch the flow of the spoken language. I could read and understand French but always heard only the first and the last words of the spoken word. The message in between was a blur.

I wanted to go for French classes ever since I came to Brussels to remedy my unfortunate condition.

I have always admired the French language. I believe it to be beautiful, romantic and passionate - almost like a language of love. I wanted to speak the language so badly. I was searching for a good language school in Brussels.

There was always some hindrance when I searched for language classes. Sometimes the timings didn't match or the school was too far. My quest for language fluency came to a stand-still for a while.

I was again searching for some intensive courses in French this summer. My internet search led me to a very reputed, government recognized language school in Brussels. I decided to give it a try.

I got on the bus to the institute after giving them a call to ask about the admissions. A very cheerful lady met me at their secretariat and explained the nature of the course to me. I was not yet convinced.

I met with Dominique next, the French professor, and asked permission to sit in class for an hour before deciding whether to join or not.

I was so impressed by her classes. It was perfect for my needs. The course was intensive but it was easy for me to follow. I had years of french lessons, the required vocabulary and grammer. The emphasis was on spoken language (oral) and this was what I had hoped for.

I stayed on for the entire day after informing Dominique that I was enrolling in her class. I also signed up for the entire course (50 hours in two weeks).

After a week of classes, I am so relieved to have gained the confidence to speak in French. I spoke in French to the police lady who came for a verification survey yesterday. My slightly bewildered husband looked on as I conversed with her. I felt so proud after the incident.

I understood the conversations around me for the first time after coming to Brussels. The announcements in the supermarket, the instructions at the shop counters, conversations in the bus and the random ramblings on the street all make sense to me now. It is all about picking up the flow of the language.

I was so excited after my first 25 hours of the course that I picked up French dictionary and newspapers for me to read from a shop near my institute.
There are 5 students in class besides me in my French class. We are allowed to speak only in French in the institute and the classes are held in only French (not a word of English).

Dominique, our instructor, has an interesting way of presenting the language. She is very enthusiastic and explains new French words using the French words we already know. If she can't get through to us, she uses actions (but never a word of English). She takes us to the video and computer labs (language labs) to help us understand the accents, tones and situations in French.

I made quite a few friends in my French class. Two of the lovely ladies in class are from Latvia. They work for the European Commission in Brussels. I go out for lunch with these two beautiful damsels to nearby eateries.

Inara, one of the Latvian ladies, is a tall and graceful female. I admire her maturity and her knowledge of world cultures and customs. She gave me a book called Monsoon Diary written by a South Indian about her Indian heritage. Isn't it so strange to get a book on Indian culture from a European?

Ivetta, the other Latvian, is vivacious, pretty and elegant. She has curly blond hair and takes great care to apply and reapply her make-up. I am not a fan of bright, violet lipstick but somehow, I love the contrast of her violet lips and clear, white skin.

Post lunch, we take a stroll on the crowded street below and visit a few shops. I gleefully notice few heads turning at the sight of a brown, Indian lady flanked by tall and fair-skinned European beauties.

Brigette, another one of the students, is a German expert in international relations for the European Commission. I look at her in awe during the coffee break as she explains her work and her trips to conflict zones such as Iraq, Afganistan and Kosovo.

Seyonara is a brazilian student who is here in Brussels to learn fashion. True to her interests, she stands out due to her stylish boots and chic outfits.
I can't leave out Claudio, a young Romanian, who boasted happily that he has a girl-friend in ever country he visits (how truly romantic).
I have the next 25 hours to finish up next week and we will sink into a more advanced
level of French.

There are downsides to this entire episode. I feel so tired after each day because the session is so intensive (continous thinking and training the brain to accept a foreign language). I go to bed early but need a crane to lift me up in the morning (Thank you Frank).

I constantly rush to the bus stop only to miss my bus by a whisker (how annoying). Then it is a harrowing 20 minutes wait at the bus stop followed by a sleepy 40 minutes bus ride.

The benefits of the course far outweigh the cons. I love the feel of the language around me during the classes. I try to extract the maximum out of the language classes with a zeal and persistence that amazes even myself.

It is one more trying week of intensive language lessons for me. I am going to make the most out of the experience.

As for now, Au revoir from Brussels!

There is a place called Spa!!

I never knew the word Spa originated from a place in Belgium until Frank came up with this idea to visit the Belgian town of Spa. As always, I checked up on the web to find places to visit in Spa.

We got into an Inter-City train headed towards Eupen from Brussels Central. We got down at a place called Verviers Central to take a local Belgian (B-Rail) train to Spa. Spa was the last stop for this train.

We were puzzled at first to think that a town which gave the name "Spa" to the world could be so tiny. The station was quite isolated and there were few people around. Best of all, everyone seemed to known everybody else in this town.

True to its name, the Spa mineral water bottling plant (Spa Monopole) is located right outside the railway station. The town is famous for naturally-occuring, thermal fountains with high mineral content.

We walked around and came to a fountain called "Pouhon de Pierre le Grand". This is the water fountain from which Tsar Peter the Great drank and got cured from his illnesses. Visitors are free to sample the water from this fountain.

The heat on this day was unbearable in Spa. It was a sweltering 36 degrees in Spa on that day. There are mineral water pouches kept along the roadside for the comfort of the travellers in Spa.

Frank is an ardent admirer of car racing and ofcourse the Grand Prix. Spa Francochamps Grand Prix circuit as well as the Race Car Museum was about forty minutes away in a nearby town called Stavelot.

We went to the tourist office to ask for directions to Stavelot. The lady explained that there were not many buses operating to Stavelot during the weekends.

We decided to take a chance and hopped on to a bus to Stavelot. It took us some time to get there because we had to also wait in some "no-man's land" bus stop for a connection bus to Stavelot.

The bus ride reminded me of travels in my home state of Kerala with its winding, narrow roads and lush greenery. On the way, we were able to view the Spa Franchochamps Grand Prix circuit.

The Franchochamps Race Car Museum is situated in the vaulted basement of an ancient Abbey (Monastery) called the Abbey of Stavelot. The Abbey is huge and much of it is restored into a queer mixture of the ancient and the modern.

The first floor of the Abbey houses a collection of historical artifacts relating to Spa and Stavelot. The painstakingly restored structures take you on a walk through life in Spa during the various time periods.

The architechture is also distinct since it is an enhancement of the original Monastery structure. The walls are adorned with figures of Mother Mary and the Saints. The original items used for worship in the monastery such as the chalices, manuscripts, staff etc are kept for display.

It was a practice in olden days for monks to brew beer in this part of the world. The resulting Abbey beer (trapiste) is famous for its flavour and great spirits.

The second floor had an exhibition on this ancient tradition of beer making. There was a collection of equipments as well as explanations into this process.

The basement of the Abbey was the star attraction of the day - The Spa Francochamps Race Car Museum. Spa Francochamps Race Car Museum is a treasure trove for Grand Prix lovers.

Race Cars and bikes from as early as 1900s are on display in the basement. This rare collection of automobiles within this vaulted space transports the visitor into another world.

For the first time during our many visits together, Frank was able to guide me through the exhibits. He had a lot to explain about the cars and bikes on display. I could see the manifestation of man's fascination with the wheel in him.

Abbey of Stavelot took us quite a bit of time to cover. We managed to take a bus to Verviers Central (our initial connection stop) to catch our train back to Brussels.

The Abbey of Stavelot is a great place to visit for those in love with race cars and the Grand Prix. I didn't feel the same liking for Spa though.

I felt that Spa was more or less isolated unlike rest of the tourist spots in Europe. Despite its famous name and origins, Spa lacked the charm.

The town is not very commercialised or tourist-friendly. I didn't see many visitors in Spa. Clearly, the town Spa does not live up to its name.

We were tired at the end of the day and dozed off in the train to Brussels. At the end of the day, I was glad to be back to the bustling Brussels city life away from the land of the thermal springs.

A Belgian Summer!!

It is not exactly summer here in Belgium. The temperatures are cool and at around 16-21 degrees celsius. That is hardly any summer temperature in any part of the world.

The length of the day is much longer than before. The light licks the edges of the windows at around 4:30 in the morning. Better yet, the sunlight remains till after 10 in the night.

This is in stark contrast to what used to happen during the winter here. The sun used to come out only after 10 in the morning. Besides, the skies darkened right after 3 in the afternoon. That is a very gloomy time period to be in this country.

Getting up in the morning used to be such an ordeal during the winters. The cold, foggy mornings coupled with the absence of sun forced me to bury into the blankets more.

Now, with the abundance of sunlight peering out through the curtains, the mind is more ready to accept the breaking of dawn. The sun remains well past bedtime these days. Although the longer days are fun, I feel strange going to sleep before the sun sets.

I think the weather influences my emotions a lot. Bright and warm days cheer me up more than the darkness of winter. I also feel the freedom to move around more these days without fearing an impending darkness.

I am just waiting for the chilly winds to subside. Then, I will be able to enjoy the sunshine more than now.

Through Mine Eyes - St. Michael's Cathedral, Brussels