These are a few of my favourite spots...

I'm nearing three years of stay in Belgium. During this time, I've visited some interesting tourist sites in and around the country.

I loved the places that I visited. Some were more memorable than the other but they all helped me understand European life a little more.

I'm listing down some of the best places I visited in Europe starting with the best liked and down the pecking order...

1. Amsterdam (Wednesday in Amsterdam)

Nothing beats Amsterdam in terms of excitement, culture and tolerance. An hour long cruise down the winding canals showcases the true beauty of the city - rows of canal houses with hooks on the top facade, crown shaped church spiral, museums of every kind, Anne Frank house, Nemo, floating pagoda restaurant and the list goes on.

A walk through the red-light district and a visit to the Sex museum near the railway station will touch upon the well known tolerance of the city. A rare sight for those from the East where it is a taboo to even mention the subject.

2. Maastrict (Destination Maastrict)

I can still feel the uneven, cobbled streets and the gentle breeze from River Muese (Maas) when I think about Maastrict. I huffed and puffed while I climbed up the spiralling stairs to the St. Jean's church belfry. St. Servatius basilica ranks as one of the most glorious monuments I have ever seen in my life.

3. Rotterdam (Rotterdam - A Taste of Modernity)

Modern yet an amazingly refreshing city - the highlights being the Erasmus brigdge, the harbour, Euromast, Speedo boat and ofcourse, the Pancake cruise.

4. Paris (It's the season to be jolly)

Well, Paris is just Paris - a tourist paradise which cannot be described.

5. Dinant (Charming Dinant)

Dinant is charming town bordering the River Muese with a towering citadel and world war bunkers. The cruise through the river reveals the scenic beauty of the town.

6. Belgian Coast (Oostende / Knokke / Blankenberge)

We took a ride on the tram that chugs along the coast and it was well worth the trouble. But what surprised me most was the Atlantic wall with its underground war bunkers - a testament to German ingenuity.

7. Keukenhof (The Keukenhof Experience)

Fields of tulips in all colours lined the road leading to the gardens as if welcoming us. It felt heavenly inside with flowers of every kind and shape. Swans quietly glided away in the green- tinged waters nearby. I have never seen any other place nearly as beautiful and well kept as the tulip gardens of Keukenhof

8. Grand Place (Of Moules Frites, Escargots & Waffles)

I pop into the crowded Brussels city centre once in a while on a sunny day or during christmas . The golden gilted guild houses, artists sketching away, chocolate fountains, waffles and ice cream shops are all huddled together in the vicinity.

Toss in a generous helping of street artists (some smeared with shiny silver paste and others with musical instruments), vendors selling hot wine or snail soup, and the small statue of a boy pissing (mannequin pis) - and you have Grand Place in all its splendour.

9. Bruges

A little bit of the medieval era in Belgium - ideal for kindling a quick romance and for the lovely canal ride.

10. Atomium & Mini Europe (Hallmark of Brussels)

The huge steel balls suspended in air can be seen from many places around Brussels. Mini Europe, the park with miniature European monuments, took a long time to visit. Neverthless, the trip was informative with the interactive exhibits.

So, these are a few of my favourite places that I would love to visit yet again!!

Back to Pavilion: It's Vacation Time!!

We are gearing up for our long-awaited visit to India. Finally, we have our chance to be back home after a gap of two years. It's going to be a bit special this time around since I'm going back with a baby in tow.

Our family members are anxiously waiting to see the newest member. They have seen loads of pictures of the baby and they've seen him through the webcam. But nothing beats cuddling and playing with him in real-time.

It's monsoon season in our home state of Kerala now. We might just escape the high temperatures this time in favour of the rains.

Keralites call their state "God's Own Country" in celebration of its pristine beaches, backwaters, spices and cultural extravaganzas. Tourism is really big in Kerala and even National Geographic's Traveller magazine rated it as one among the 10 must see destinations in the world. That is pretty neat for a tiny strip of land with limited resources.

I am looking forward to having some authentic Kerala food liike the spicy, red Kottayam fish curry with Tapioca mash. Ohh..and I want other delicacies like Karimeen (Pearl Spot Fish) fry, appams (flat bread) and chicken stew.

The baptism ceremony of our baby is first on the agenda. I'm looking forward to seeing all our friends and family who will turn up for the event...

I still have the hard task of packing ahead of me. I have to remember to take our stuff especially the baby's items for our month long visit.

We are travelling with the baby for the first time. So, I have to make sure that all that is needed for the long flight is packed and reachable when required.

So, there is lots of planning, packing and thinking to do before we fly out of Belgium to "God's Own Country"...

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.

Its the season to be jolly...

It has been a long time since I have updated my blog. There was just too many events going on that I simply could not devote any time or make an effort towards another post.

Christmas was an exceptional time in Brussels. The city was decorated with lights, bows, bells, trees, holly wreaths and stockings. Grand Place was fully lit complete with the Christmas tree and the manger (with real sheep inside!!).

We also made some quick visits to Antwerp, Amsterdam and Paris during the holiday season. It was very chilly (temperature hovering around 0 degrees C) during our visit to Antwerp and Amsterdam.

Paris trip was really memorable since the weather was also quite favourable (10 degrees C) and because it is Paris!! We took the open tours sightseeing bus for the whole day and went around the city. This gave us the freedom to "hop-on" and "hop-off" as per our needs in different parts of the city.

During school years, my French teacher used to show us a glossy books with pictures of famous Paris landmarks and explain each location in detail. At that time, Paris was tucked away in another corner of the world only to be seen and heard through books and videos in French class.

I remembered each of these locations when I went around the city this time. The song Madame taught us in school O Champs-Elysees was buzzing in my head as we criss-crossed this famous avenue bordering the river Seine.

The other locations like Arc de Triomphe, Place de la Concorde, Tour Eiffel and the Louvre looked picture perfect even on a hazy winter day.

We stopped by the famous Notre Dame Cathedral immortalized by Victor Hugo in his work The Hunchback of Notre Dame. The cathedral attracts droves of tourists everyday. The gargoyles, ornate ceilings, picture panels, paintings, sculptures, decorated altar pieces and the sheer enormity of the structure is captivating.

Paris looked even more lively after sunset. The buildings, boutiques, bars, discs were all fully lighted making it truly a City of Lights.

I did not feel the distance between Brussels and Paris on board the high speed train Thalys. It was a smooth 85 minutes train ride between the two cities.

My liking for this city extends to the French language also. I am beginning another course in French the coming month. I believe that this language is as poetic, romantic and beautiful as the capital city of France.