What to do on a Weekend Trip to Genk

Hello folks,

As you may know, I'm an expat living in Belgium who loves to explore the country. The land of chocolate and beer has always surprised me. Even though I live here for more than 4 years, I'm still discovering new lovely places. 

I've already been to Genk, but I've never had time to deeply enjoy the town, so for me, it was a nice experience to stay in the region for a weekend trip. I got amazed about how culture and nature fuse effortlessly together in Genk. From the acclaimed "The World of Tim Burton" exhibition to the peaceful cycling routes in the natural reserve De Wijers, I became fond of this place.

On a sunny weekend at the end of September, Christian and I decided to hop on the train and it took us about one hour to arrive at the station of Genk from Leuven. The train ride was very pleasant, as we can admire the lush green fields of Limburg, which inspired many painters like Emile Van Doren.
The sky was blue and the birds were chirping: a perfect autumn day. Our first stop was the cultural hotspot of the town: the C-Mine. It's wonderful how the city transformed the old mine buildings into this modern and vibrant place. Here we visited the "The World of Tim Burton" exhibition, which came across as very whimsical and exciting. It also evoked many memories of my childhood, as I was fascinated by Edward Scissorhands. For me, a good exhibition always makes a brilliant focal point to city break, and Genk definitely nails it! The second highlight of the former coal mine was to visit the tunnels and the head-frame. I particularly enjoyed the virtual reality experience, which transported us back to 1950s, when the digging was at its height. Furthermore, this experience was important to understand the heart and soul of this town, which is composed of people from different origins, working together to make Genk a warm and happy place for everyone.

In the old times, miners celebrated the 4th of December, commemorating their patron Saint Barbara. During celebrations, miners were bringing along delicacies from their home countries and sharing food amongst colleagues. The tradition of sharing food became to know in Dutch as partaasch, which originates from the French world partager. This beautiful philosophy was adopted to create one of the best restaurants in the town: Partaasch, which was the second stop of our Saturday. I absolutely loved this multicultural paradise of food. Their concept of sharing, offering dishes to be enjoyed by everybody at the table, is what we need in this world: less individualism and more community.  The young genius chefs Steven and Loredana master the art of combining ingredients and flavours from different countries to create a delicious gastronomic experience. As some of you know, I'm a dessert monster. If you are like me: please do not forget to order their sweet treats as well. I just can't forget their divine cannoli.

After our special evening at the Partaasch, we went to the M-Hotel to recharge our energies. It's the second time I stayed in this hotel, and for me, it is the best in town. Christian truly loved their breakfast, with so many fresh fruits, and I'm delighted about the view over the lake and park surrounding it. On Sunday morning we rented bicycles next to the train station to explore the outer districts of Genk. I was looking forward to "cycle through water", which describes a special bridge crossing the lakes below water level. Hence, we chose to explore the park and forests around Bokrijk and De Wijers. This route is so dreamy and romantic! On the way, you will find many interesting places, like a farm where actors bring back to life a village 100 years ago and the beautiful castle Bokrijk.

If you are feeling energetic like us, you can also combine this tour with another one in the north of the city around Thor Park. It brings you to the former coal mine of Waterschei, where you will find the Partaasch restaurant. The building is now a start-up incubator and features several impressive artworks outside. The vast fields of Thor Park are marvellous for cycling and have plenty of picnic areas! If you intend to stay more than a weekend in Genk, know that the region of Limburg has more lovely towns to visit in a day trip, like Tongeren and Hasselt. Check below the video for more details of our tour and subscribe to the Youtube channel of Papel com Clips to stay updated on our trips. 

Check the video below and discover more about our trip to Genk

A Revolutionary Abbey Opens its Gates to the Future

Hello folks, 

The Park Abbey is a green enclave in the south of Leuven, frequented by locals in search of a peaceful place to go jogging in the afternoon, or just to chill and read a book. However, few people know that one of the most precious hidden gems of Leuven, the dialogue museum PARCUM, dedicated to religion, art and culture is located the inner centre of this vast complex. 

The Park Abbey was founded in 1129, when Geoffrey I, Duke of Brabant, donated this area of his hunting grounds around Leuven to the Premonstratensians, an order founded by St. Norbert of Xanten. The Duke was keen on improving the religious and social infrastructure of the area to keep his power and prestige in the Brabantian heartlands, and he achieved it. The monastery played an important role during the late middle ages until the XVII century, producing and protecting manuscripts and books, including the famous Park Abbey Illuminated Bible, dated from 1148, today displayed at the British Library in London. The canons also worked hard to establish the economic base of the abbey, which includes besides four large fish ponds, a watermill and many gardens still being used for organic farming at present day. The beautiful buildings thrived over the centuries, with formerly one of the largest collection of stained glass windows produced by Jean de Caumont in the XVII century, showing the spiritual journey of St. Norbert, and one of the most renowned carillons of the Low Lands with 40 bells.

Unfortunately, in order to survive during the severe periods of political and financial crisis during the XVIII and XIX century, a myriad of relics, art pieces and books of the Abbey were sold. Many of them are spread around the world. However, for our joy, much progress to recover the objects has been made during the last decades. Thanks to a dedicated team of volunteers, art buffs and friends of the Park Abbey, valuable items are retrieved to their original home, including most of the wonderful stained glass windows. Furthermore, the Abbey has been restored and lovely surprises are being revealed, as medieval frescoes, that were hidden behind paintings from the XVI century in the chapter hall.

Leuven is home to the most innovative university in Europe, KU Leuven, and the same spirit that inspires researchers from around the world to come to Leuven is also present at PARCUM. The new museum invites believers and non-believers, people with different ideologies and backgrounds, to a dialogue. Its new exposition, named "Religion. Healing. Dividing" encourage visitors to reflect on the duality of religion, which causes conflicts, destruction, but also unites. To create this exposition inside the heart of a 900 years old historic Abbey is a revolutionary act. In critical times where we suffer from a wave of hate speech and intolerance, places like PARCUM deserve our sincere recognition and appreciation.

The new "Religion. Healing. Dividing" exposition will be open to the public starting from the 8th November 2018 to the 10th March  2019. On the 11th November 2018 the new carillons, the original version was burned during the WWI, will be inaugurated by playing peace songs all day long. Thus, I strongly recommend you to plan your visit in this day. Last but not least, children are especially welcome at PARCUM, which prepares workshops exclusively for them. Check below the video for more details. 

Practical Information

Address:
Abdij van Park 7
3001 Leuven

Contact:
Telephone: T +32 16 40 01 51
info@parcum.be
Website: https://www.parcum.be

Opening Hours:
Tuesday - Sunday from 10h to 17h
Closed
Mondays & public holidays

You can see more photos of my trips on Instagram and videos on Youtube. 

How a Flemish Museum is Renovating the Image of a WWI Martyr City

Hello folks, 

"The real voyage of discovery consists, not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes."

Marcel Proust

Ypres is well known for being the centre of the battlefields between the Allied and Central Powers during the First World War. However, this town, located in the province of West Flanders, Belgium, is much more than the symbol of Great War remembrance. Ypres encompasses more than one thousand years of rich history, and its inhabitants are now ready and keen on sharing its past with the world. 

In order to share with the world its history, Ypres has inaugurated the new interactive Yper Museum. No, I didn't type it wrong, the name of the museum is slightly different from the name of the town. The purpose is to unite the name of the city in French (Ypres),  Dutch (Ieper), German (Ypern) and to remember its medieval past, when the town was called Ypra. The location of the new museum could not be better: the magnificent Cloth Hall, which perfectly builds a bridge to Ypres's past. The place was originally built in the 13th century to store and trade fine cloth and it was almost entirely destroyed during the First World War. The Cloth Hall also hosts the Tourism Office and the famous In Flanders Fields Museum, composing a perfect cultural hub.

Yper is a dynamic museum for all ages. Right at the entrance of the museum we are given cat’s paw wristbands, which are used to personalise our visit. With the bracelet, we are able to choose the type of information we want to read in each part of the tour: from the glorious times of the cloth industry to the dark times of plagues. The kids have their own special video guide, Katelyne and her cat Leon, which are able to pass information in an engaging and simple way for the little ones. Many nice places were also created having the children in mind, for example, the fantastic 3D model of the medieval city and the cave under it. It was pleasant to see how they designed the museum taking into consideration the learning experience of young visitors.

Ypres was always in the middle of a political ping-pong between major European powers. However, its proud citizens never lost their sense of humour, which is visible throughout the entire tour. In the first floor, we see many interesting badges discovered in excavations of the moat, some of them are erotic and hilarious, as flying phalluses. In the second floor, there is a mini cinema displaying a creative 7 minutes video which summarizes all the invasions Yper faced in a very modern and comedic way.  My husband and I fell totally in love with the spicy humour of this museum.

The tour finally comes to an upbeat ending when the spotlight is shining on the most influential women of the city in the 19th and 20th century. For me, to learn about the story of the photographer Madame Léontine Antony-Permbeke, the lacemaker Clara Lamotte and the innovative painter Louise De Hem was the most interesting part of the visit. As we all know: history was written by man and for man. Thus, it's of vital importance that a museum brings to life the work and stories of women, and by doing so, it encourages many girls to believe in their potentials and to recognise female role models.

This is one of the most interactive and family-friendly museums I've visited so far. No matter the age: everyone can create their unique visitor experience. Furthermore, it's great to remember that places torn apart by war have a story before the destruction that should not be forgotten. Now we see this place with new eyes, thanks to the Yper Museum. Check the video of our tour for more details. 

Practical Information

Address: 

Lakenhallen Grote Markt 34
8900 Ieper | Tel. 057 239 220

Opening Hours:

From 1 April to 15 November - daily from 10 am to 6 pm

From 16 November to 31 March - from Tuesday to Sunday from 10 am to 5 pm;

closed Mondays

Annual closing - 2 last weeks of January

Prices: 

Individual - Yper Museum
adults                         7 EUR
youth (19-25)             4 EUR
children (7-18)            3,5 EUR
children (-7)               free
families                      15 EUR
(2 ad and 3 ch <18)               

Group - Yper Museum
mixed groups              5 EUR
schools/youth              3 EUR

For more practical information visit the Yper Museum website.

You can see more photos of my trips on Instagram and videos on Youtube. 

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Stella Artois Brewery Tour | The Story Behind the Pint

Hello Folks,

Today I want to give you another insight into Leuven, which is not only known for having one of the best universities in the world, KU Leuven, but also the famous brewery, Stella Artois. Books and beer, this must be paradise, am I right?

During the middle ages, education was mainly restricted to the upper class, and the distinguished rich students created a demand for special beers in Leuven. Thus, there is no coincidence that the largest brewing multinational in the world AB InBev has its roots in this historic city. One of the most important breweries in the middle ages was De Hoorn, which was founded in 1366. A couple of centuries later, in 1717, the company was bought by brewmaster Sébastian Artois, who changed the name into his family name but kept the horn as the logo. The pint of Stella, which means star in Latin, was just created in 1926 as a limited edition Christmas beer, but thanks to its success it became an export hit and eventually the most important product, lending its name to the company.

Nowadays, we can order a pint of Stella in many countries worldwide. The promotion of Stella overseas was mainly possible thanks to the merger with the Brazilian AmBev in 2004 and the acquisition of Anheuser-Busch in 2008. Since the 2000's the number of beer lovers and tourists coming from all over the world to Leuven, to discover the story behind the pint, is increasing every single year.

I had the pleasure to visit Stella Artois this month and I recommend the tour for all of you who like beer. In the first part of the visit, the guide takes us to a room next to the entrance to explain to us the history of the company. He plays short movies exhibiting old images related to the old brewery building and former brewmasters. For me, it was interesting to learn how the company bravely survive the second world war, having a part of the factory destroyed and the production suspended. Now we enter the heart of the factory building: the tun room. Here we learn how the raw ingredients turn into beer. If you like food engineering I'm sure this will be your favourite part, especially because of a fun and interactive presentation. All the beer produced at Stella Artois, which also includes Jupiter, Hoegaarden and Leffe, is bottled in the same facility, and we are able to see the bottling line as well. Last but not least, the guide invites us to the brewery's pub, where we can lean back and enjoy a couple of fresh pints!

The tour is very short, it doesn't last more than 2 hours. It will perfectly fit in your agenda if you're in Leuven for just a day or even if you're staying in Brussels - Leuven is less than half hour away by train and the weekend ticket cost only €6.60 roundtrip. The tour in English takes place every Sunday at 3 pm (except on the 23/24/31 of December and the 1st of January), the admission cost is €8.50 and you can buy tickets online or in the tourism office of Leuven. I strongly advise you to buy the tickets two weeks in advance because they sometimes sell out before the date. Don't forget to check the video below to see the highlights of the tour.


This article was proudly produced in collaboration with the tourism office of Leuven.

Tongeren | An ancient Belgian city reveals life 2000 years ago

Hello folks, 

Tongeren is a hidden gem not many know about. Especially for foreigners and expats the vivid history of this place surprises. The oldest city of Belgium was once known as Atuatuca Tongrorum, the capital of the Roman province Civitas Tungrorum, founded in 10 BC.

Although fascinated by ancient history, I had never visited Tongeren before. It was my first time in the town and I've found so many beautiful places that have stood the test of time that I could say it was like love at the first sight.  We decided to go by train and it took us about 1 hour and a half to arrive in Tongeren from Leuven, we had to change the train at Hasselt station, and it cost 13€ per person - to go and come back. Arriving in Tongeren you will find an information board in front of the station indicating all the directions to the touristic places as well as descriptions of picturesque walking routes through the old town. Bronze cobblestones on the sidewalks lead your way to the city centre, which is a brilliant idea.

The medieval part of the town, including the Basilica of Our Lady, built in the XIII century in the style of Brabantine gothic and the unique church of the Begijnhof are evidently must-sees. However, what impressed me the most were the ruins of the Roman city walls, built in the II century. For me it's impressive how they are still there after such a long time, perfectly integrated into the landscape. According to historians, those walls weren't built for military purposes, but as a status symbol for the proud inhabitants. Almost 2000 years later these walls continue to fit their purpose: the locals are still very proud of them!

The city of Tongeren does an excellent job of encouraging the archaeological research. Thanks to the devotion of the community the Gallo Roman museum was created. The place is dedicated to prehistorical times and the Roman age, the permanent collection is impressive and contains 2.300 items. The museum offers a very interactive and didactic experience to the visitor, inviting us to walk along the four major revolutions: "The arrival of human beings", "The first farmers", "A first elite emerges" and "The Romans found Tongeren". An iron made arrow displayed on a table can be just an object, but in Tongeren, the arrow, as many other artefacts, talks to us about social classes, politics, privilege and oppression. It's not in vain this museum won the award of  European Museum of the Year Award in 2012: we do need spaces that instigates critical thinking.

I've visited many beautiful places in Tongeren and yet I have so many more to explore in the future. I'm looking forward to visiting the  Tumili, Roman burial mounds, and maybe join an excavation. How wonderful would that be?

Check the website of the Gallo Roman Museum for practical information.

A Magical Mountain in Thuringia | Kickelhahn

Hello folks!

Despite many times visiting Thuringia, the "Green Heart of Germany", this was finally the first time that I visited the Kickelhahn, in the municipal area of Ilmenau. This mountain is one of the highest peaks of the Thuringian Forest and attracts tourists not only for its beautiful and enchanted forest, but also for its importance to German literature. 

”I always loved being here, I believe it comes from the harmony of everything around here …”
(Goethe to Schiller, Ilmenau, August 29th,1795) 

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, the master of German literature, escaped to Ilmenau no fewer than 28 times. The idyllic forest and landscapes served as inspiration for many of his poems, as the Wanderer's Nightsong, which he wrote on the wall of the hunters' cabin next to the mountain's summit. Although more than two centuries have passed, I could feel that the harmony mentioned by Goethe is still very much present on the Kickelhahn. 


It was a very sunny day in July when Christian and I decided to hike the mountain, in a very spontaneous way, without hiking clothes or appropriated shoes, yet with a lot of energy. The Kickelhahn is 861 meters high and there is a 24 m tall look-out tower in the top of the mountain. There are several options for hiking routes and we chose the longer version, as we had plenty of time. We walked several hours and I lost the notion of time, which is very likely to happen as the place looks like a fairy tale, the aroma and the colours of the forest are hypnotising and my mind was drawn in a special synaesthetic experience. During the hike, I was collecting plenty of wild raspberries. There were some parts of the trail that we've been literally walking over raspberries and little strawberries, it was magical.

Arriving on the top of the Kickelhahn we visited the ruins of an old hunting lodge, the little wood cabin where Goethe wrote the Wanderer's Nightsong and we climbed the observation tower, which was built in 1869 by Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach. I have to admit that I was very tired and already enjoying the glorious view over the valleys from one of the lookout spots, but I'm happy that my husband encouraged me to climb the tower because the view from there was breathtakingly beautiful.

Following the footsteps of Goethe on the Kickelhahn was one of the most magnificent experiences of my life and I hope I can do this again in December to see the mountain covered with snow.

For more information visit the ilmenau.de

The best of Namur | Medieval Festival

Hello folks,

One of Belgium's most spectacular festivals Les Médiévales de la Citadelle is held once a year, in the first week of July, in the francophone city of Namur. I had the pleasure to attend the event this month, which brought hundreds of people together to share their love of all things Medieval. It was a fantastic experience to travel back to an age of chivalrous knights, noble dames and hard-working peasants.

Where better to enjoy a Medieval festival than in the grounds of the historical Citadelle of Namur? The first castle was built in 937 and the complex covers more than 80 hectares, it's one of the biggest fortresses of Europe. Furthermore, Namur can definitively claim some of Belgium's most glorious sceneries: the view of the confluence of the Meuse and Sambre rivers is breathtakingly beautiful, as you can see in the video below.

Les Médiévales features a series of colourful pageants and demonstrations of craftsmanship, including pottery, glass-making and spinning from different centuries. It's very interesting and the actors try to be as accurate as possible. I loved to stop by the tents to learn what the cooks were preparing for their children's lunch, to see the variety of spices the winemaker was adding to the wine and to chat about art in the XIV century with a gentleman from a tapestry maker tent.

The main attraction of the festival was the tournament, which is displayed at specified times during the weekend. I got very excited to see the chivalrous combat for honour and courage, it was so real I was afraid that someone would get hurt. Another highlight for me were the bands playing medieval-inspired music on various stages, especially the lady who was wandering around the lanes playing the concertina. If you love medieval music you will definitely enjoy this festival.

One of the nice things my husband and I noticed is the family-orientation of the festival, so you should not be afraid to attend if you have babies or kids because there are so many activities destinated just for them, from theatre performances to medieval board games. I was very surprised to see how the kids are brave and not even afraid to hug one of the huge ogres!

I would like to thank all organisers, actors and the people of Namur for being so friendly, positive and open to tourists from all over the world. I hope to be back at the festival of 2019 and I will make sure to bring a medieval costume next time!



This article was proudly written in collaboration with the tourist department of Namur.

The Best Lake To Swim Near Leuven | Belgium

Hello folks, 

Belgium has been blessed with more than 25-degree weather on the last weeks. And while we're struggling to sleep through the heat and the mosquitos biting my husband, we're also hoping it stays like this all summer.

Yet, those who live near Leuven wanting some cool relief from the muggy heat may want to head to the lake of Rotselaar, which belongs to the recreational area called in Dutch Domein Ter Heide.  The park is divided into 3 different areas, one very popular for more family-oriented swims, the second for sports like kayaking and windsurfing, and the third area for fishing. With such a variety of activities, I'm sure you will like this place. 

Christian and I had a glorious day at the lake last weekend. We've packed our bags with fruit salad, some pastries and a bottle of water and we headed to Rotselaar by bike, it took us around 40 minutes to arrive at our destination. During our way, we've discovered some lovely lanes and historical places, like The Donjon Ter Heyden. Arriving at the lake we had to park in a special area destinated for bikes, in which a boy stamped our hands. After parking we had to show the stamp at the entrance and, because we were by bike, the lady gave us 50% discount, so we had to pay only 2,50 euros each to get into the park. How cool is that?

One of the things I most love about this place is the excellent infrastructure: it has showers, lockers and toilets. Don't get me wrong, I love wild swimming, but some modern conveniences like toilets are pretty much welcome. If you have kids I'm sure you will love to know that they have lifeguards and the water is clean and controlled monthly by the Flemish government. Furthermore, there is next to the park a bar where you can buy some refreshments, which is great just in case your picnic basket gets empty.  

As someone who was born and raised in a big town, I really enjoy those country escapes and I do feel more at peace surrounded by nature. Moreover, riding my bike and not depending on a car gives me more freedom and peace of mind. Let's pollute less and enjoy the simple moments of life ;)

Lake's address: Vakenstraat 18. 3110 Rotselaar

Opening hours:

July and August: 10 am - 8 pm (the entrance gate closes at 7h30 pm)

May, June, 1st - 15th of September: open on Wednesday and Friday from 2 pm to 7 pm, and on weekends and public holidays from 10 am to 7 pm.

You can see more photos of my trips on Instagram and videos on Youtube. 

Discover One of The Most Glorious Gardens of Belgium: Tervuren

Hello, folks.

The Belgian summer has finally arrived. And where better to spend it than in one of the country's most glorious park? 

As the weather has been so delightful during the last weekends, Christian and I decided to hop on our bikes and follow the cycling route from Leuven to Tervuren and back (48km). We loved this route, the trees and flowers are extremely beautiful and I do believe in the Japanese theory which says that forest bathing is good for our health. There's nothing quite like the soft breeze blowing into our faces when cycling, especially through the forest. 

Tervuren's park is one of my favourites because of its extensive history. In 2005, the Royal Museum for Central Africa, one of the park's highlights, attempted to confront for the first time a brutal colonial past as single institution in the midst of official national denial. King Leopold II's palatial Congo Museum opened in 1910 and was never renovated and curated until this date. As a political scientist, I do believe that recognising the own history was an important step for Belgium. For the last 13 years, the museum has been rebuilt and rebranded to offer a wonderful and exciting contemporary and decolonised vision of the continent. I'm looking forward to the re-opening of the AFRICA Museum as it's now called, on the 8th of December 2018.

Whilst visiting the gardens of Tervuren you will hear many birds singing, the voice of kids playing and many happy families from so different origins and backgrounds. This is how the world should be, overcoming a history of hate towards a more peaceful and inclusive place, in which we can celebrate love and life. You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one ;)

You can see more photos of my trips on Instagram and videos on Youtube. 

My day trip to Tervuren 🌿

A Secret Lavender Field Hidden in Belgium

Hello folks!

Sometimes all we need is a relaxing weekend break, to enjoy the spring flowers and the glorious sunshine, but not all of us can go to the French Provance every weekend. Thankfully there is a small field of lavender hidden in Limburg, waiting to be discovered. With the fullest blooms occurring from early June to September, you should already share the good news with your family and friends. 

The province of Limburg is renowned for its beautiful nature, lakes and farms. However, the most part of the tourists and expats have never been to the lovely lavender field of Strokrooie-Hasselt. The Limburg Lavendel, as it's called in Dutch, is very small, but also very charming. Besides seeing the lavender you can also walk through the labyrinth of roses and enjoy the cafeteria, which offers some very interesting drinks, like Lavender Gin and Lavender jenever.

I'm so happy that Christian and I discovered this place. Although Limburg Lavender is not so far from Leuven, I could really enjoy the country atmosphere, like if I was on a real vacation. I do believe that in the chaotic modern life we have to balance with spending time in nature. So many researchers are proving the health benefits of it. I hope you enjoy those fields as much as I did!

Address: Olmenbosstraat 25

3511 Stokrooie-Hasselt

Admission: free

Summer and Easter holidays:

From 1 June to 30 September

Sundays and holidays: 10 am to 8 pm

Mondays to Saturdays: 1 pm to 8 pm

Closed on Fridays

For more information visit their website. 

You can see more photos of my trips on Instagram and videos on Youtube. 

A Village of Medieval Strong Women: The Groot Begijnhof

Hello, folks!

The Groot Begijnhof, as it's called in Dutch, is more than a university residential area, a peaceful place for a sunny afternoon picnic or a UNESCO World Heritage. The red brick walls and cobbled roads of this magical village tell us a history of love and resistance. A love that was born in the heart of dozens of medieval women and it remains there, running and pulsing as the water of the river Dijle. 

At the beginning of the XII century, many religious movements started to emerge, some of those were exclusively created by women. Those brave women, later being called beguines, built their own communities to live together. They were keen on living a simple life, dedicated to charity and chastity. They were also known to have helped women who wished to flee from an arranged or abusive marriage (SCHAUS 2006). However, the beguines took no religious vows, they were free to leave the community and to get married. Life wasn't easy for the first beguines, they had to constantly fight against the accusation of living in heresy. Even after the Pope Honorius III had informally approved their lifestyle, they kept being negatively stigmatized for many decades to come. The wave of hate against them was so strong that it led to the execution of French beguine Marguerite Poetre, author of the book "The Mirror of Simple Souls", she was burned at the stake in Paris.

Many of these communities in Europe, called beguinages, did not survive the XV century. Yet many flourished in Belgium and in The Netherlands. Here the communities got the support of the urban elite and noble families, as for example in Leuven: the Arenbergs. The upper class of Leuven even sent their daughters to live and to be educated at the Groot Begijnhof. Between 1630-1670 the old wood houses were demolished and new beautiful brick houses were built, in order to offer better and safer space for the beguines to live and work. Unfortunately, this glorious years came to an end, during the French occupation the Begijnhof houses were transferred to a Public Welfare Commission and the beguines could no longer wear their habits. Although they could keep living in the community, part of the houses started to be used as a shelter for orphans, widows and people that could not afford to pay rent. In 1962 the Welfare Commission sold the area to the University of Leuven, a new bright destiny will be given to this area.

In many places around the world, historical sites are demolished or passed to the hands of toxic real estate agents. However, the most part of the houses of the Groot Begijnhof where carefully restored under the leadership of Prof. Paul Van Aerschot and Prof. Lemaire (KU LEUVEN). The Groot Begijnhof is now home to senior students and international researchers, and its lovely gardens are open to the public.

If you walk through the Groot Begijnhof's narrow lanes you will hear so many different languages from its inhabitants, and for me this is magical. In a world of intolerance and hate, having scientists from all over the word co-living in harmony is an act of love and resistance. The last beguine died in 1988, but somehow all of them are still present there. A body can be burnt at the stake, but an idea is immortal.

* Watch the video below and discover more about this place ;)

SCHAUS (2006) Women and Gender in Medieval Europe: An Encyclopedia.
KU Leuven - The Leuven Grand Beguinage

You can see more photos of my trips on Instagram and videos on Youtube. 

Watch the video and discover more details about this wonderful place

See my Leuven | Leuven Museum

Hello folks!

Welcome to my second article of the series that I'm creating in partnership with the Tourism Department of Leuven. This time I will talk about the M-Museum, an exquisite and innovative place, which unites people with art in a very engaging way.

Although quite new, officially opened in 2009, the M-Museum continues and keeps the original collection of the old museum founded in 1823, which was located on the second floor of the old Town Hall. Encompassing a collection of more than 52'000 pieces, its permanent exposition is rich and full of history, especially from the late Gothic period, as well as the 19th century, including, among many others, masterpieces from Dirk Bouts and Jan de Caumont. From ancient to contemporary art, the Museum constantly hosts new expositions. I suggest you check their agenda before planning your trip to Leuven, you may find delightful surprises, like the new exposition of the Finish visual artist and filmmaker Eija-Liisa Ahtila.

For me, the M-Museum is the cultural centre of Leuven, a plural place which tries to reinvent itself, embrace diversity, becoming this way an essential community-building pillar of the town. In their garden, many free events are hosted, especially during summer, from open-air cinema, concerts and activities for babies and kids, integrating people from any kind of backgrounds. You should definitely come by during this time to experience the vibe yourself.

                

Check the M-Museum website for more practical information

You can see more photos of my trips on Instagram and videos on Youtube. 

Tourism in Leuven - The gothic town hall

Hello folks, 

As you may know, I live in Leuven, an adorable Belgian town. Since I'm becoming more active working as a travel blogger, why not to introduce you to some of the best attractions of my own city? With the support of Visit Leuven I will create a series of posts and videos about the main attractions of the municipality, starting today with the old town hall.

The gothic town hall is a very special place for Christian and me, as it is the place where we got married on a lovely sunny day in September. Since then I've been curious and looking forward to explore the whole building and to share my experiences with you. The tourism department offers daily guided tours every day at 3 pm, mainly in Dutch, French and English, but also in German or Spanish for larger groups. Before booking your visit, I recommend you to e-mail them to ask in which language the visit will be conducted, as it can vary according to the day. Furthermore, you can purchase the ILUVLeuven Ticket beforehand online, which will give you access not only to the town hall, but also to the University library & tower, M-Museum Leuven and the M-Treasury of Saint Peter for only 16€. 

We made a visit to the old town last Sunday, and we were very lucky, as the weather is starting to get warmer, not much rain heading our way.  The tour started at Naamsestraat 3 and then we moved to the magnificent front of the building. The city hall construction started in 1439 and it passed by several modifications since them. The impressive 236 statues of public figures we can see nowadays were just added around 1850 and the staircase dates back to 1709. The statues we see are also not the original ones, which are saved in the attic. Can you imagine how it looked like before those modifications? One of the highlights was to take time to observe the little-carved bases of the statues niches representing scenes from the Bible about sin and punishment, as the story of Adam and Eve. Those figures are from the original project and it served as a warning, to keep the order and good behaviour of the medieval population of Leuven. I love to learn about history and society through architecture! 

After our external tour, we entered the foyer, a special room who serves nowadays as a reception for events. In the foyer we can see many flags, the most interesting ones are from the 7 noble families of Leuven, which originated from the seven daughters of a 9th-century knight named Batijn. The next step was to visit the three salons, which are the oldest part of the building. Their interior design of the rooms dates from the XIV century and it's home to important paintings and panels, as the Resurrection of Christ from Otto Van Veen, teacher of Rubens. It was a bit sad to see that the panel of Van Veen was damaged by poorly made restorations done during the last centuries. Another highlight was the gothic hall on the second floor. Part of the beam blocks are original and carved to show the life of Maria and Christ. It's an amazing working space for our town hall councillors to work, isn't it?  It keeps being used nowadays. Next to this hall, we entered another small one, which keeps its original star-shaped wooden vault. The last room we visited is the mayor's office, which served as a meeting room for the Saint Peter's Lords of the Seven Noble Families, previously mentioned. My words aren't enough to share with you all the details and stories, you should definitely visit and experience it by yourself. If you love history as much as I do, I'm sure you will like the tour. 

After our visit we had a coffee on the terrace of the Oude Market, the self-proclaimed longest open-air bar space of Belgium. It's definitely the longest and most beautiful one I've seen ;) It was the cherry on the top of the cake of our #SundayLove.

Last but not least, if you are coming to Belgium and would like to know more about Leuven, you can download the app Leuven Walks to help you find the best and most secret places of the old town.

You can see more photos of my trips on Instagram and videos on Youtube. 

Stonehenge and Old Sarum

Hello folks!

Last year I lived in England for 2 months. At the time me and my husband decided to make the most out of it, visiting as many cities as we could. It's no secret that I love ancient history, so for me Stonehenge and Old Sarum close to Salisbury were a must.

It was a bright cold day in October, and the birds were flying high in the sky. Stonehenge was waiting for us. We decided to go by train from Southampton to Salisbury and it took us around 30 minutes. In the front of the station in Salisbury we bought tickets for the coach company called The Stonehenge Tour for £29.00 each including the entrance fee for both sites, you can buy it online as well. It was a very comfortable ride, we enjoyed the view over the fields of Wiltshire whilst we could hear historical information through the headphones provided by the company. An extra advantage of this special bus is that we had a fast track access to the Stonehenge historical site, beating the queues. This is definitely the best way to go to Stonehenge and Old Sarum by public transportation. Thanks, Christian's colleagues for this piece of advice ;)

The magical stone circle slowly emerged on the horizon during our 5 minutes free shuttle bus ride from the entrance. It was stunningly beautiful and I felt so happy and glad for having the opportunity to see and explore this Neolithic monument, built around 5 thousand years ago. The cherry on the cake was the crows soaring above Stonehenge, they seemed like the ancient guardians of the holy grounds. In the complex, you can not only see the famous monoliths but also many, many burial mounds from the bronze age, which was really interesting for me, as I did not know how many ancient remains there are and so close to the circle! If you are going with kids you will love it, behind the entrance they had a small tend with actors dressed as Neolithic peasants, explaining how the life was at that time. The Stonehenge visitor centre also hosts a museum and a cafeteria. To be honest, the museum wasn't impressive, but we liked to stay there to warm up, as it was really cold and windy. 

After visiting Stonehenge we headed to Old Sarum, which unearths over 2,000 years of history. It was a hillfort during the iron age, a settlement for Romans and home to a medieval castle, prison and cathedral. The ruins of the cathedral and the castle of William the Conqueror are there and we can literally walk through it, as you can see on my video. Particularly the nice atmosphere and the amazing view of Salisbury was one of my favourite things about Old Sarum, it was relaxing and somehow very romantic, as we could see many other couples walking there, it was so dreamy! The one thing I also loved as much is their little shop, where they sell delicious jams and other local specialities. On our way back to Salisbury we, unfortunately, missed our coach. Actually,  the company told us we could take any local coach to go back, however, we had to take just the green ones, that were never coming, so we decided to pay for a regular one. This was not a nice situation when the bus driver explained it to us, but apparently, it happens with many other tourists, so keep that in mind to don't make the same mistake as we did. 

You can see more photos of my trips on Instagram and videos on Youtube. 

Arriving in Salisbury, we decided to explore the town and even though it was already 6 pm and dark we had a great time. We went to the cloister of the cathedral and explored the lovely lanes. We were very surprised by the beauty of the city and are sorry for not dedicating a full day to visit Salisbury, so maybe next time in England we will do it. It was one of the best days of my life and I will never forget about this mystical and special places. 

    

Activities for your holiday in Austria

Hello folks!

The end of the winter is such a strange time. There’s the excitement silently building in the background for easter, while I'm here nostalgically remembering of my December holidays. Last year, Christian and I went on a family trip to Austria over New Year, in which we enjoyed lovely moments together, from visiting Salzburg to skiing in BöhmerWald Arena.

Austria is one of those countries I've been expecting to visit for a long time, so I got very excited when Christian's aunt invited us to stay at her beautiful house in Rohrbach - Oberösterreich.  Rohrbach is an extremely tranquil village in the middle of nowhere, it's the perfect place to disconnect with the rest of the world, to relax and to have quality time with the family. I loved our long walks in the snow and the cosy chats at the balcony during tea time. As you may know, I was born in Brazil, so for me, there is nothing more magical and special than snowflakes floating outside the window, it looks like a miracle.

One of the highlights of our trip included driving to Salzburg with Christian, my mother in law and his aunt. The drive up through the Austrian mountains covered with snow was stunning. We pulled up near the train station and we walked to one of the highest areas of the city, the Kapuzinerberg, where we had a breathtakingly beautiful view of the entire town and the  Hohensalzburg Castle. I have to admit that it was a bit challenging to access this place, as the floor was very slippery because of the ice. If you want to do this during the winter: take a good pair of highking shoes with you.

After climbing the hills of Salzburg we've continued our tour exploring the shopping lanes around Getreidegasse. The locals are very proud of their traditional and sophisticated shops, from the Hadered Custom Made Shoes to the Lanz Tracht Fashions - both dating from the earlier begging of the XX century. Meaning, the shops are also a place to be if you want to immerse yourself in the local culture. I wish I had bought the whole showcase of Dantendorfer!  Arriving in the downtown we also visited Mozart's house, this was a very nice experience for me, as my grandma, who is a professional piano player and loves Mozart, was teaching me a lot about his music, when I was little.  It was a privilege to understand a bit more about the life of the composer and to see the place he was born! Finally, at the end of the afternoon, we've decided to warm up drinking a hot chocolate in Kaffeehäferl, one of those lovely coffee places of Getreidegasse.

On another great day in snowy Austria, we headed to the BöhmerWald Arena, in the district of Mühlviertel, as I really wanted to ski. The place is perfect for cross-country skiing, offering more than 70 km well-prepared routes. We had a great time, although I was falling a couple of times! I would like to once again thank Christian's uncle for being a great and very patient skiing instructor, he saved the day. In the evening we took shelter in the restaurant of the INNs HOLZ hotel and ordered some delicious cappuccinos and apfelstrudel with hot vanilla sauce defrost. I fell in love with the interior design of the place, it has a cute little wood house inside the restaurant, creating a warm and cosy atmosphere. A very special fact about the INNs HOLZ is that the waiters were wearing the dirndl, those beautiful traditional Austrian dresses, I wish I could buy one of those. Oh, I would live in this hotel forever!

It was brilliant to spend quality time with my family in this place. This country completely captured my heart. I hope to visit Austria again, especially to for one of the New Year's concerts  of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. Good bye  Mozart's country, I see you soon!

You can see more photos of my trips on Instagram and videos on Youtube.