day two in Amsterdam, Rembrandt and the Golden Age masterpieces

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The primary reason for my trip was to visit the Rembrandt exhibition at the Rijksmuseum. Weeks earlier I had purchased my ticket online, so I was all set to go.

Sunday morning was glorious. While church bells pealed across the city, I strolled the near-empty streets in search of a place for breakfast. Compared to Paris which was, and still is, in the grips of a pollution alert, the air was fresh, cold and clean. The cawing of gulls overhead reminded me that the sea is not far away. Like Venice, Amsterdam is a watery city comprising a river, a major seaport, and over 100 kilometres of canals. It connects to the North Sea via the North Sea Canal.

Amsterdam-centrum-OpenTopo

by Janwillemvanaalst

The Cold Pressed Juicery makes the tastiest and healthiest raw food, cold pressed juices and superfood smoothies. I grabbed a protein bar and a banana smoothie made with coconut, dates, tahini, brazil nuts, cacao, bee pollen, maca, chia seeds, vanilla, cinnamon and cashew milk. Yummy (and filling.)

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Then I walked northwards to spend the entire afternoon at the Rijksmuseum.

For Art Nouveau and Art Deco fans, there are fabulous examples all over Europe. Walking tours are popular, and one day I will partake in one, probably in Belgium; Brussels is an important Art Nouveau center. Here’s the Gunters & Meuser building, constructed in 1917 in the Amsterdam School style of architecture (1915-1940).

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Here are two random examples of Art Nouveau glass art (above and below), inspired by natural forms and structures, as well as the curved lines of plants and flowers. It amazes me that this prized example below is unprotected and accessible to all right out in the street, as if it were a trivial door, an inconsequential gate.

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Art Nouveau is a total art style. Most popular between 1890 and 1910, it embraces a wide range of fine and decorative arts, including architecture, painting, graphic art, interior design, jewelry, furniture, textiles, ceramics, glass art, and metal work.

The art movement had its roots in Britain, in the floral designs of William Morris, and in the Arts and Crafts movement founded by the pupils of Morris.

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By 1910, Art Nouveau was already out of style. It was replaced as the dominant European architectural and decorative style, first by Art Deco and then by Modernism.

back from Amsterdam, part 1

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So so lucky with the weather. After a 4-hour train ride crossing the north of France, all of Belgium and the bottom half of Holland, my train arrived at Amsterdam Centraal at 2:30 pm on Saturday. The train trip back was only three hours. I returned to Paris at 7 pm this Monday evening.

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Dragging my small suitcase across cobblestones, alongside canals and over bridges, I walked to my hotel located in the Jordaan district. I quickly checked in, then headed back out again. Everyone was out enjoying the beautiful weather.

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I walked for 4 hours doing what I love best: wandering, taking photographs and popping into candy and cosmetic shops while enjoying the sunshine and vibe of this small city.

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I don’t know what Jordaan district I ended up in, but towards 5:30 I spied a pizzeria called La Perla. Famished, I walked straight on in.

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From my seat at the window ledge, I watched the street scene, drank ginger beer and ate my delicious pie.

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Certain areas are what I call “feel-good” places. This district was one of them. If you could see the cute little houses with wooden benches out front, tulips adorning the windowboxes, and the general conviviality of the residents, you’d feel good too. I know I did. And then suddenly it got dark around 6:30 pm and the temperature dropped dramatically.

I scurried back to the hotel for a cocktail (in reverse order, as I had already eaten.) The bar at the hotel was warm and welcoming. I perused the cocktail list and chose a concoction of cognac, crème de framboise and champagne.

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A nightcap on the house: espresso and Grand Marnier generously topped with thick fresh cream, not a jot of sugar. Yum.

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And then upstairs to lie on my bed in front of the television.

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My hotel room on the top floor was completely silent. Sometimes I wonder if one of the reasons I travel is to seek quietude.

I stayed at the Hotel Mercier.

off to Amsterdam plus a great website for train travel in Europe

The other day I stumbled across a website for train travel within Europe. It opened up a plethora of possibilities. As I’m planning my May-June trip to Italy, I was wondering how to get from the Puglia region down south back up to northern Italy without taking a plane. And then I discovered Trainline. Italy has a high-speed train network (similar to France’s TGV (train à grande vitesse)) called Frecciarossa (“Red Arrow”), Frecciargento (“Silver Arrow”), and Frecciabianca (“White Arrow”). Frecciarossa trains are the fastest, reaching speeds of up to 190 MPH (300 km/h).

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This means that from Bari or Brindisi down south (in the heel of Italy where I’ll be spending 7 days) I can jump on one of these shiny babies and head to any major city I want: Bologna, Genoa, Florence, Milan, Torino … before making my way back up to Paris. I’ve been to Bologna, Genoa, Milan and Florence but not Torino, so maybe I’ll go there. On the other hand, Florence is so beautiful and brimming with Art … Bologna was lovely … and Genoa is fascinating with its frescoes, palazzos, labyrinthine streets and medieval quarter … I can’t decide.

Called trainline.com or thetrainline.com, it connects to each country’s national railway system and facilitates ticket purchase.

I love travelling by train, it’s so relaxing and stress-free as opposed to airports and plane travel.

glorious weather, a weekend in Lille

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After weeks and weeks of gloom, we’ve been enjoying glorious weather for the past week: cold in the morning, warmer throughout the day, and dry with brilliant sunshine. Friday after work I took the train up to Lille. The kids are on school vacation for two weeks.

The French word, “luge“, means sledding or toboganning. Despite the absence of snow, the city of Lille constructed this sled run for kids. My 6 year-old companion (soon to be 7) and I spent Saturday and Sunday at the Gare Saint Sauveur, a former train station (freight) converted into an exhibition center and recreational space. I’ve been taking the kids there for over a decade.

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Inside there’s lots more to do: a giant chess game …

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Le trampoline …

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Le karting …

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I have no idea what this is called, in French or in English …

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Halfway across and treading on a single rope (like an acrobat) while holding onto another rope above, Soso stopped and said with a little trembling voice, “Tata, j’ai peur,” (Auntie, I’m afraid). What could I do, climb up and pluck him off the rope? With the help of a monitor while reassuring him that he couldn’t fall because he was attached by his safety belt, we talked him through it.

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Le curling and le mini-golf …

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All entirely free and paid for from the coffers (and taxpayers) of the city of Lille. Traditionally socialist, this northern city has had the same mayor since 2001. Martine Aubry is her name and the people of Lille are fond of her. Her father, Jacques Delors, was Minister of Finance under President François Mitterrand and also President of the European Commission.

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Socialist mayor of Lille, Martine Aubry

She’s a no-nonsense woman and extremely efficient. Lille is a well-organized city and ideal for families. There are lots of activities for children and adults alike. After all his sporting activities, Soso announced that he was hungry and wanting lunch. So off we went to the on-site bistro, one of my favorite lunch spots, for a tasty, inexpensive meal. This is butternut squash risotto (delicious!). Soso had fish and chips.

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Sunday was an equally beautiful day. Too nice to stay indoors. So off we went again, first to the park which was packed with kids, babies, parents and some grandparents.

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boy on a bike (Soso)

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After Ireland, France has the highest birth-rates in Europe. France’s family allowances for all (exempt from income tax) – what we used to call “baby bonuses” in Canada – are a contributing factor to this baby boom. Women are awarded a “birth bonus” for giving birth. The 2019 amount, for each baby born, is 941,67 euros. There are also September back-to-school allowances (example: 401,46 euros for a child from 15 to 18 years old), a moving allowance and other subsidies (chart below.)

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Spring comes early here; the miniature daisies (marguerites) and crocuses (crocus) are out.

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Next weekend I’m off to Amsterdam.

Here’s the French Social Security Family Benefits chart, in French, English and other languages.

https://www.cleiss.fr/docs/regimes/regime_france6_prestations-familiales.html

https://www.cleiss.fr/docs/regimes/regime_france/an_a1.html

beautiful music

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What better place to listen to 17th century music than in a 17th century church. 

The other night a friend and I went to the Church of Notre-Dame-des-Blancs-Manteaux in the Marais to listen to a concert organized by the Venetian Centre for Baroque Music.

I love baroque music. And I love old churches. To combine the two was sheer delight. And the old church (built between 1685-1690) – full of atmosphere and lit only by candles – was an acoustic marvel.

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I tried to videotape a segment of the concert, but there was not enough light. Fortunately I found the same group of soloists on Youtube so that you too can listen to this sumptuous soothing music. Marc-Antoine Charpentier is the name of the 17th-century composer whose concerto they are singing. Enjoy.

Ensemble Correspondances, choir and orchestra – Sébastien Daucé, harpsichord, organ & direction

so I returned to Brussels in the Spring…

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In the end I didn’t get the job in Brussels. But a few weeks later I secured myself a pretty good job in Paris (located, literally, at the end of my street), so all’s well that ends well.

But I felt that I could easily live in Brussels. As I walked the streets, the words that popped into my head to describe the city’s vibe were “relaxed and loose” as opposed to “tense and high strung” that is Paris. There’s an appealing quirkiness to the place and it’s cheaper than France. Oh, and did I mention that Belgian beer is awesome?

So in the Spring I returned and stayed at the same B&B, The Sweet Brussels. Here’s my room, the bathroom and the building’s exterior:

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I wandered over to the nearby Marolles district to check out the flea market and the vintage furniture shops on the rue Blaes:

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The weather forecast predicted rain all weekend. It was the exact opposite.

The best fries!

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Belgian fries are awesome. Crisp, non-greasy and piping hot for 2 euros. I bought these from a food truck, called a fritkot, located on the Place de la Chapelle at the foot of a white cathedral. Belgians eat their fries with mayonnaise. I asked for malt vinegar but they didn’t have any, so I ate them plain, sprinkled with salt. Sit on a park bench, wash ’em down with a bottle of beer and life is good! It doesn’t take much to please this girl.

 

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From the Place de la Chapelle I walked straight down the boulevard de l’Empereur to the Place Albertine where I went in January. I wanted to see the park again. Look at the contrast between winter and spring:

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What a difference sunshine and warm weather makes. As the day drew to a close, I headed back to the B&B. A few doors up is a Moroccan pastry shop that makes pastilla: phyllo-pastry pie filled with shredded chicken, ground almonds, cinnamon and sugar. They also make Moroccan breads and pastries. I purchased some small fragrant cakes (flavored with anise and orange flower water) then retired to my room to sip herbal tea and watch a DVD.

It should be known that this neighborhood near the train station is kind of gritty (but relatively safe.) The advantage is that it’s within walking distance to everywhere.

have you been to Brussels in the dead of winter?

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the Thalys train from Paris to Brussels

Paris Gare du Nord train station

Paris Gare du Nord train station in January

I discovered Brussels in January 2013 and liked it very much. Before I found the job I have now, I had been applying for jobs at the European Commission headquarters. I had had enough of Paris and was seeking a smaller, friendlier, greener city in which to live and work. I fired off my résumé for one particular job posting within an EU institution, and in return received train tickets to go there for an interview. Here’s my account of that lovely but freezing cold weekend.

The high-speed train sped across the flat, snow-shrouded fields of northern France. Travel time from Paris to Brussels normally takes an hour and a quarter, but due to abundant snow and ice on the tracks the trip was lengthened by 50 minutes. By the time we pulled into Bruxelles-Midi station it was pitch black and freezing cold. I walked the short distance to The Sweet Brussels B&B.

Pushing open a massive wooden door, I stepped into a dimly-lit entrance hall where several flights of stairs loomed before me. I climbed the first flight and was met on the landing by a friendly woman named Sofie. She lugged my suitcase up two more flights of narrow, wooden stairs. Room number 3 was a massive, high-ceilinged room with marble fireplace, floor to ceiling windows and a gorgeous art deco lamp hanging over the queen-sized bed. The Sweet Brussels is design-based. Design features, fixtures, and books on Art Nouveau and other artistic styles are everywhere.

We chatted until I realized it was 7 pm and I was starving. I wanted two things: a Belgian beer and a good meal. My hostess recommended just such a place up the road. Within 5 minutes was outside again.

The thing about arriving in an unfamiliar city in the dark is you don’t know where the heck you are. Although the B&B was decidedly hip, it looked like the neighbourhood was not. Even in the dark I could see that it wasn’t exactly swank. Like all districts around train stations, the streets and buildings were kind of gritty. Slipping and sliding on the ice-encrusted sidewalk, I made my way up the road in the direction Sofie had indicated.

Shining like a beacon in the dark, I saw the lighted sign of the Houtsiplou diner located on the Place Rouppe. It was just the kind of place I was looking for: casual-cozy, funky music playing in the background, and a friendly waitstaff who greeted me upon entering. Unravelling my multilayers of outer clothing, I chose a table next to a radiator and told the menu-bearing young man that I’d like a beer. He let me sample a few brews and, in the end, we mutually decided on Leffe.  Incidentally, the three official languages of Belgium are French, Dutch (also called Flemish) and German. The two official languages in Brussels are French and English.

Fries are another Belgian specialty. Generously-cut from a potato called bintje, deep-fried in fat (not oil), cooled and fried again, they’re served hot, salted, and with ketchup or mayonnaise. I ordered a portion along with a gorgonzola cheeseburger.  Happy and warm, I sipped my delicious malty ale and flipped through a magazine while waiting for my meal. The place was cozy with a friendly, laid-back vibe. My meal came, I ate every delicious morsel and ordered a slice of lemon meringue pie for dessert.

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After a round of hearty goodbyes, I stepped back out into the cold night and skidded along the slippery sidewalk to the B&B. It was time for sweet dreams at the Sweet Brussels. It turned out that, being mid-January, I was the only guest there. Thank goodness Sofie and her family live in a flat on the ground floor because I would’ve felt awfully nervous being the sole occupant of the very tall, 19th-century building. My room was silent as a tomb.

The next day was sunny and minus 8 degrees centigrade. In the breakfast room, notes from a jazz soundtrack floated through the air and to my delight I spied a sophisticated-looking coffee machine that shared the counter with baskets of bread, croissants, cereal, cheese, fruit, juices and yogurts (all for me!). Sofie came in and showed me how the machine worked. It’s Swiss-made and the brand name is Jura. It made a divinely creamy cappuccino at the press of a button.

Passage obligé for the tourist visiting Brussels is the Grand Place, just up the street from my hotel. Ringed with gabled and gilded 17th and 18th century buildings, this has got to be the most stunning square in Europe. I later learned that it’s a UNESCO World Heritage site, so I guess it is the most stunning square in Europe.

My photos don’t give it justice because it’s the panoramic sweep, the gold and grandeur – with you standing in the middle – that makes it so resplendent:

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Chocolates galore!

My next destination was the nearby 19th-century shopping mall called the Royal Galeries. Here are some random street shots that I took as I walked along, periodically popping into the ubiquitous chocolate shop to warm up and sample chocolates. Notice the absence of crowds. In the summer Brussels is packed. I love the name of this street below: Herring Street.

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Royal Galeries of Saint-Hubert

This jewel of Brussels architecture was constructed in 1847. Wandering through the arcades, you can easily imagine men and women from a past era strolling under the glass-paned roof. I literally spent hours in this hushed historical space taking refuge from the cold, browsing in every lovely shop, buying and sampling chocolates (again) and stopping for lunch in a tea room:

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Inside the gallery is a fabulous chocolate shop called Mary, preferred chocolate supplier to Belgium’s Royal Family.

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Back outside, I passed a second-hand clothing shop and bought some shearling-lined mittens for 20 euros. It was freezing cold. In another shop I purchased a hand-knitted lambswool Tibetan hat. I accosted a stranger in the Grand Place and asked him to take my photo. Here’s me and my woolly Himalayan hat. Looking at this photo right now, I’m wondering where that big brown scarf went, I haven’t seen it in ages. It was a great scarf…

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As dusk fell over the city, I made my way back to the B&B to warm up and rest before going out again for an early dinner. I returned to the Houtsiplou at 6:30 pm and had practically the same meal as the night before, substituting the burger for a hearty, homemade beef stew. And then, tired but happy, I walked the ten minutes back to the Sweet Brussels, trudged up the three flights of stairs and settled into my vast, warm, quiet room for the night, tucking myself into bed and watching The Sopranos on DVD.  It had been a great day.

Day Two in Brussels to follow …