Easter holiday

A favorite to many, participants and public,  the minigolf in Duinbergen, part of the commune Knokke-Heist, followed by a warm Belgian waffle on the boardwalk nearby.

Zichem

Zichem, part of the commune Scherpenheuvel-Zichem, is a small village in the plain of the river Demer in Northeast Belgium. There is a lot to discover there, especially for lovers of history, literature and legends.

Zichem is the birthplace of popular author Ernest Claes, 1885-1968, who made his mark with De Witte (1920), a regional story about a playful “white”-haired boy full of mischief. The book was made into a film in 1934 and again in 1980. The statue of Claes and De Witte celebrates the author’s 100th birthday. 

The Maagdentoren (which translates as “Virgin Tower”), a dungeon erected in 1383 and now under restoration, is considered a heritage of exceptional value for the region.

The Saint Eustachian church, 1300 - 1500, is an example of Demer Gothic architecture and a proud witness to Zichem's place in the Middle Ages.

If you are interested in what it takes to maintain and restore buildings made from Diestian sandstone, the typical building stone of the Hageland area that was widely used at the height of its economic and demographic expansion in the 14th to 16th centuries, see: 

https://lirias.kuleuven.be/bitstream/123456789/401423/1/Verstrynge.pdf/

http://lib.ugent.be/en/catalog/pug01:4111477                                                                                

Village du Pain

The Village du Pain on Place Brugmann is perfect for late breakfast/lunch/brunch, a very cosy place with a great ambiance.
Many customers just hop in to take out the bread, croissants, quiches and pastries. Sur place, however, you can enjoy a varied selection of  salads, homemade pancakes genre galettes from Brittany, many different toasts (my favourite is the one with artichokes and grey Northsea shrimp), lasagnes, etc ., not to mention delicious coffees and cappuccinos offered with homemade brownies. Friendly service and just simply a fun place to enjoy time by yourself, or to get to know other customers when you are seated at the restaurant's long table. 
Ideal for brunch on a rainy Sunday like today -- and even better outside on the Place Brugmann terrace on a warm sunny day.
Village du Pain, Place Brugmann 32, 1050 Ixelles, tel 02-343.01.59
see also the review on
 https://tastesofbrussels.wordpress.com/2013/06/02/stop-off-here-for-coffee-village-du-pain/

In and around Brussels' Atomium

 On a rainy evening near the Atomium
Brussels Expo, Oceade Water Park, Soccer etc 

Random

 Photography teaches us many things, to enjoy time spent waiting at traffic lights is (probably the most important) one, to appreciate different kinds of architecture is too. It is said that the white Citroen garage in the last picture will become the home of a new Modern Art Museum in Brussels one day...

Paul Heyman - cellist

I am happy and proud to introduce you to one of our most talented musicians, Paul Heyman, a 20-year-old cellist from Brussels.

He is currently studying with Raphael Wallfisch at the ZHdK in Switzerland. He also studies the Baroque cello with Roel Dieltiens.

Paul has taken part in masterclasses with such artists as Frans Helmerson, Arto Noras, Natalia Gutman, Gary Hoffman, Pieter Wispelwey, Gavriel Lipkind and Leonid Gorokhov.

He has performed in Belgium, France, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, and the Netherlands and his performances have taken him to such venues as The Royal opera “La Monnaie” and Flagey in Brussels, the Flemish Opera hall in Gent, The Royal Palace “Het Loo” in the Netherlands, the Miry-hall in Gent, and the Brussels Summer Festival, to name a few.

Several of the pieces which Paul has recorded have been broadcast on national television in Belgium.

At an early age Paul studied with the great Belorussian pedagogue Vladimir Perlin, whose fundamental method and ideology on how to approach music formed the basics of Paul's cello playing.

Before moving to Switzerland Paul was studying with Olsi Leka in Brussels.

Paul plays a cello which was made for Julius Klengel in 1893 by W.H. Hammig in Leipzig, Germany, kindly loaned to him by Mr. Charles Rose from London.

You can hear Paul perform on his website 

http://www.paulheymancellist.com

Spring is in the air