ESCAPADES | Sugared & Spiced

2011/07/282015/08/31

[Brussels] Horta Museum

Horta Museum

Add: 25, rue Américaine, 1060 Bruxelles (Saint-Gilles)
Tel: + 32 2 543 04 90
Hours: 2-5:30pm (Closed on Monday)
Website: www.hortamuseum.be
Price: €7 for adults, €3 for seniors/students
Visited: Jul 2011

Hortahuis is a splendid Art Nouveau architecture (also a UNESCO World Heritage) dedicated to the life and works of Belgian architect Victor Horta. The museum is a bit removed from the city center and the whole place takes less than 30 minutes to walk through, but is quite worth the trip for those interested in architecture or Art Nouveau.

The building itself is Horta’s former house and atelier (1898), and houses a permanent display of furniture, utensils and art objects designed by Horta and his contemporaries as well as documents related to his life and time.

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2011/07/282015/08/31

[Brussels] Pierre Marcolini & Neuhaus

brussels

It goes without saying that chocolate shopping in Belgium is a must, but which of the thousands of chocolatiers to visit? No, Godiva is most certainly not it.

Pierre Marcolini is a store that I stumbled upon randomly, and later realized how big of a deal this chocolatier is. Its chocolates are known to be exotically creative by including unusual fruits like apple, pear, blackcurrent and melon, as well as ingredients such as pepper, chestnut, tonka beans and even patchouli, sandalwood and oak. Mmhmm. No pictures are allowed inside the store, so here are some snapshots from the outside…

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2011/07/282015/08/31

[Brussels] La Clef Des Champs

brussels

La Clef Des Champs

Add: Rue de Rollebeek 23, 1000 Brussels, Belgium
Tel: 02 512 11 93
Hours: 12-2pm, 7:30-10pm (Closed on Sunday & Monday)
Website: www.clefdeschamps.be
Price: [lunch] €19.50 [dinner] €35.50~59.50
Visited: Jul 2011

La Clef Des Champs is a cosy little French restaurant on Rue de Rollebeek, just a short walk from Brussels Central Station. Delicious Lyonnais and Provencal dishes in a setting of purple pink table clothes and chandeliers…a delightful lunch spot!

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2011/07/262015/08/31

[Brussels] Grand Place + Mannequin Pis

brussels

Grand Place, comic walls, Mannequin Pis, Liege-style waffles, Chinese tourists, beer, more beer, and more beer, sausage + cheese, mussels, and fries.

Comic walls, very characteristic of Brussels.

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2011/07/252015/08/31

[Brussels] Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert

brussels

Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert (St. Hubert Galleries) is a 19th century shopping arcade in the heart of Brussels. I didn’t much care about the shops inside the arcade, but the architecture itself was worth a stroll through.

Chocolate shops, but of course.

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2011/07/252015/08/31

[Brussels] Notre Dame du Sablon + St. Michael & St. Gudula Cathedral

brussels

Notre Dame du Sablon (Church of Our Lady of Sablon)

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2011/07/192015/08/31

[Belgium] Itinerary

brussels

5 cities in 5 days. Waffles, pastries, fries, mussels, beer, beer, beer. My Itinerary Day 1: [Brussels] Museum of Musical Instruments -> Notre Dame du Sablon + St. Michael & St. Gudula Cathedral -> St. Hubert Galleries -> Grand Place + Mannequin Pis Day 2: [Brussels] Lunch at La Clef Des Champs -> Chocolate shopping at…Continue Reading “[Belgium] Itinerary” →

2011/07/162015/08/31

[Amsterdam] Random Snippets

amsterdam

Just some random snippets from Amsterdam.

On the train en route to Amsterdam

Amsterdam Central Station

Rowdy kids on the tram

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2011/07/142015/08/31

[Amsterdam] Restaurant De Kas

amsterdam

Restaurant De Kas

Add: Kamerlingh Onneslaan 3, 1097 DE Amsterdam
Tel: +31 20 462 45 62
Hours: [lunch] 12-2pm [dinner] 6:30-10pm (Closed on Sunday)
Website: www.restaurantdekas.nl
Price: [lunch] €37.50 for 2 courses [dinner] €49.50 for 3 courses

“A kitchen surrounded by fertile soil where vegetables and herbs thrive, where daylight shines in from all sides and where the chefs are free to express their creativity daily using the best the season has to offer.” This, is Restaurant De Kas, a unique dining space serving beautiful dishes of fresh vegetables harvested each morning from their very own herb garden and farm. Love the concept? Read on.

Restaurant De Kas is located in the outskirts of Amsterdam and it takes approximately 30 minutes to reach by tram from Central Station. Once we arrived, however, I knew it was worth the travel. The 8-metre high glass conservatory provides spectacular views during the day with ample sunlight, and I can only dream about how enchanting it must appear when illuminated at night.

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2011/07/132015/08/31

[Amsterdam] Concertgebouw

amsterdam

Concertgebouw

Add: Concertgebouwplein 10, 1071 LN Amsterdam, Netherlands
Tel: +31 (0)20 671 83 45
Website: www.concertgebouw.nl
Visited: Jul 2011

The Concertgebouw in Amsterdam is considered one of the finest concert halls in the world, along with places such as Buenos Aires’ Teatro Colón, Boston’s Symphony Halland the Musikverein in Vienna. Naturally, attending a concert in the Concertgebouw is a must when in Amsterdam.

Ticket prices vary according to each concert, and ours was around 40 euros for one of the better seats in the hall. The best part is that if you are under 30, you can get a discounted ticket for 11 euros if you line up 45 minutes before the concert (given that there are leftover tickets, and there usually are). I wish they’d do the same for young people in Shanghai.

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