Monschau and Vogelsang
Occupying the lower flanks of a deep green valley, through which the Rur river flows frothy the colour of beer, old Monschau seems almost hidden away. Barely a few kilometres from the Belgian border, this little town of timber frame houses embodies the very notion of traditional, upland Germany. A cold wind pours sleet on the streets, [...] More about Monschau and Vogelsang
Life’s a Quiche
For the benefit of the folks at home, our parents in the United Kingdom, we drew a slice of quiche on the back of the postcard. This was our way of making a familiar reference to the region of Lorraine. We were sketching the quiche early on a hot, drowsy late summer afternoon in Nancy. Residents [...] More about Life’s a Quiche
Something to do with Lotharingia
When Charlemagne died in early 814, he left behind him the strongest empire known to Western Europe since that of the Romans. Barely a generation later, it had been dissolved. The wholesale division of territories among the royal issue led to weakness and fragmentation. In the case of the Carolingian empire, the sum of the whole [...] More about Something to do with Lotharingia
Muur van Geraardsbergen
Every year on the first weekend in April, the Ronde van Vlaanderen cycle race files through the lanes and villages of Flanders. If this sounds like a Sunday idyll to you, think about the heavy, freezing rain permeating your clothing whilst you’re buffeted by strong crosswinds from the North Sea. Then contemplate pulling your bike through 264 [...] More about Muur van Geraardsbergen
Cantillon Brewery
J’s sister came to stay and after trying the lambic and gueuze at À La Bécasse on Rue Tabora the previous week, she fancied a visit to the Cantillon Brewery near the Gare du Midi. Cantillon is the last active brewery in Brussels and it is still a family business, occupying the same building on Rue [...] More about Cantillon Brewery
Córdoba
Containing some 500,00 inhabitants, tenth century Córdoba was home to Europe’s largest urban population. The Caliphate, a dynasty of Ummayad rulers exiled from their Syrian homelands, held sway over rich hinterlands that supported first the consolidation, then expansion of their influence across al-Andalus and the Maghreb. A legacy of learning Whilst its scientific and cultural exploits were renowned [...] More about Córdoba
Andalusia
Illuminated by the sunlight of southernmost Spain are the last traces of a great state whose grandeur and importance seem disproportionate to its lack of prominence in European history. Perhaps the footnote status of Al-Andalus is partly due to being sandwiched between Roman civilisation and the discovery of the “New” World. Still more likely is that [...] More about Andalusia
Culture and Columbus in the Canaries
We took a short but very welcome trip to Las Palmas de Gran Canaria in the third week of November. Las Palmas is Spain’s seventh largest city and the administrative capital of the Canary Islands. J and I stayed at the AC Hotel overlooking the Parque Santa Catalina and, further off toward the horizon, the busy [...] More about Culture and Columbus in the Canaries
If Van Gogh had Wheels
A rather belated entry, this, but we’ve been very busy lately with Fincaso’s first year-end! J and I decided to do something a bit different over August bank holiday So I booked some flights and wrote to some hotels and then spent three weeks planning a short driving holiday in the South of France. Three days isn’t a [...] More about If Van Gogh had Wheels
Girona and the 3rd Caixa Sabadell Etnival
Now let’s get one thing straight: Girona is a city in Catalonia. It is not in Italy - if you think that, you’re crossing Genoa and Verona and you’re getting Gerona (sic). J and I visited Girona last week, right before my 28th birthday, for the 3rd Caixa Sabadell Etnival, a free world music mini-festival held [...] More about Girona and the 3rd Caixa Sabadell Etnival
