The Evelyn Hotel, Fitzroy

I have started writing online for Weekendnotes. Please find attached the link to my first review online with them about one of my favourite drinking spots in Brunswick Street - The Evelyn Hotel. Don't be shy, leave a comment and let me know what you think. Hopefully, there will be much more to come very soon. Thanks for reading!

http://www.weekendnotes.com/the-evelyn-hotel/

A Class Apart

This article was published in the July issue of The Bulletin (Brussels' expat mag - www.xpats.com)

Who says you can’t find stylish and environmentally-friendly accommodation in Brussels? Katy Holliday checks into the city’s first eco aparthotel and enjoys some home comforts with a clear conscience.

The heavy door glides open. A marbled entrance hallway is etched with symbolic imagery of lions and bravery in battle. I step into a tiny elevator that’s barely large enough for more than three people. It opens up into the penthouse suite at Housestories, an aparthotel with just five rooms, created by Belgian business duo Isabel Verstraete and Alexandre Pijcke. Isabel is Flemish. Alexandre is from Wallopnia. The pair have known each other for over 20 years. They both have a background as freelance communication consultants and so branding comes naturally to them. I wander around the spacious Art Deco penthouse. It measures 175 square metres.

From the large bay windows I can see a lush and leafy canopy of trees in the nearby Parc Duden; the trendy Bar du Matin is also close by. But inside the view is even better. Light wood panelling stretches and curves around the walls except for in the oversized bathroom. The sheer size of it reminds me of a bathhouse, with opulent marbled walls, a deep ceramic tub and a sauna.

Here I am on the border of the communes of Forest and Saint-Gilles, immersed in luxury. This must be bad, right? Possibly. But I take some comfort from the fact that the Art Deco building, designed in 1932 by architect Albert Callewaert, has been ecologically restored to the highest standards. Some time ago, Isabel and Alexandre decided to embark on a business venture together. They just needed the right idea. “In 2005,” explains Isabel, “I travelled around the world with my then two-year-old. I discovered for the first time the concept of aparthotels and realised that it was a great way of discovering a city, especially with children, as you are not stuck in a small, cramped hotel room.

“I called Alexandre from Thailand and told him that I finally had an idea for our business venture. He replied, ‘Come back to Belgium and we will discuss it.’ Then we began to do research into the market.” The entire building is listed and protected by the Commission Royale des Monuments et Sites (CRMS) because of its original Art Deco interior and façade. This raised problems for the team when they set about renovating the building ecologically. The project took a year longer to complete than first expected. “The whole team behind the renovation put a lot of effort into using the newest ecological technologies available,” says Isabel. “In terms of insulation, we used the best to ensure there is no loss of energy from the building. The house keeps its natural heat and the temperature inside remains the same all year round.”

Other technologies include solar panelling (combined with a green electricity supplier), double glazing, a rainwater tank in the garden for flushing the toilets and a nine-metre-long Canadian well that uses the geothermal energy of the soil it is laid in to both cool and heat the air entering the building. “For cleaning we only use eco-friendly products and we ask our guests to make a big effort when it comes to recycling,” Isabel continues.

Alexandre tells me that there has been a 90 percent reduction in heating consumption since the technologies were put in place and that 70 percent of the total water consumption on the property is provided by the rainwater tanks. Housestories is currently one of the most ecologically-advanced houses in the Brussels Region and has been awarded the prestigious Bâtiment Exemplaire (Outstanding Building) award.

“Green renovation is still quite a new idea to Brussels,” says Isabel. “Most of the other aparthotels in Brussels are investment projects carried out by multinational groups. It’s not within their objectives to take the time and invest the money that are necessary to create an ecologically-friendly environment or add a personal touch.”

The personal touch is something that sets Housestories apart. It comes from the combination of original Art Deco features with modern, stylish appliances. A record player with a collection of old vinyl creates a retro touch. There are other personal details too – antique ink bottles on the desk, old brandy bottles, and various quirky-shaped lamps, pots and vases in earthy terracotta colours. But it’s not all old. You also get modern, stylish appliances like an iPod docking station, Smeg kitchen appliances and a Philips flat screen television. It’s the complete package.

Isabel spent a year searching antiques stores and flea markets to collect the right furnishings for all five apartments. “When decorating,” she tells me, “I decided to work with vintage furniture, because it also has that eco aspect since it is reused,” she explains. “I wanted to create a place or apartment that I would want to live in myself. If I want to live there then surely others would too.” It is possible for business travellers to stay a minimum of four nights, but her target group is longterm guests. The concept seems to be working. “I think when people go abroad they want a better experience. I know I would prefer to stay somewhere that I can feel at home.”

Housestories is a brand and Isabel and Alexandre are now keen to expand on their concept. Alexandre informs me of plans to build two more apartments in the complex, complete with parking, and eventually they
would like to find another house in Brussels to renovate ecologically. “We are only looking for special houses that have a story, houses with a soul. Tasteless and boring are for us out of the question,” Isabel concludes.

As I settle into the penthouse apartment for a spell, I can understand what she means.

Housestories,
107 Avenue Besme, Brussels.
www.housestories.be 

Five things to do near Housestories:

• With its large terrace and
buzzy atmosphere, Bar
du Matin is a favourite
with local trendies.
Refreshing jugs of cocktails
loaded up with lime and
mint are served along with a
small selection of food. Wi-fi
is available. DJs regularly
amp up the nights and
although it can get wild, the
party usually ends by 2am.
172 Chaussée
d’Alsemberg, Forest.

• Fungi fans and wine lovers enjoy Café
des Spores. The restaurant specialises in
Spanish wines, and its mouth-watering
dinner menu teems with delicious
mushroom varieties. The chef cooks
from behind the bar, infusing the room
with gorgeous aromas. 103 Chaussée
d’Alsemberg, Saint-Gilles.

• Escape the noise and stress of the city and
go for a stroll in Parc Duden. This is one
of the prettiest parks in Brussels, offering
gorgeous views of the city from its hilly
heights. You can watch the occasional
football match or spot a bright green
parakeet in the pine trees.

• For more Art Deco architecture, head to
the Church of St Augustine, or Altitude
100, a summit of Brussels. Built in 1936,
the church is one of three religious Art
Deco buildings remaining in the city. Place
de l’Altitude Cent, Forest.

• The Wiels brewery has in recent
years had a bit of major makeover
and re-launched itself as a centre for
contemporary art. It holds lots of
fascinating exhibitions and events, and has
a brilliant café which serves quiche to die
for. 354 Avenue Van Volxem,
Forest.

Sunday Fireside Chat - HintON Health - ep1

Eco Tourism in the High Fens of Belgium

*This article was published in WAB magazine's Summer issue. You can see the PDF at http://www.scribd.com/doc/36997706/022-023-tourismfagnes

The Ardennes is an oasis. The region undisputedly has
the most breathtaking landscape in all of Belgium;
a network of lush rivers and streams, gorges and
verdant hills mounted by the trees that bulge at the
banks of the train tracks. It makes a nice change from the endless
farmland that blankets the rest of the country.

Where exactly is this water coming from? As I head towards
the small German-speaking town of Eupen on a train from
Brussels, I feel like I’m following the water. More creeks spring
forth. It’s a face of Belgium I hadn’t seen before.

I’m off to hike through the Hautes Fagnes (High Fens) nature
reserve. It is one of the largest wildlife sanctuaries in Belgium:
4,500 hectares of forest, heath, peat bogs and other wetlands.
The region also hosts part of the nation’s water supply, with
mineral springs, brooks and streams trickling over the years
through rich, mineral soil and eventually joining some of Belgium’s
biggest rivers.

After refuelling at one of Eupen’s many pavement cafés,
I catch a ride into the reserve. I am dropped off at the
Signal de Botrange, the highest point in all of Belgium
at a whopping 694 metres. Because of its altitude,
it’s generally where the first snow falls come
winter, and it’s my departure point today. The
Belgian Government even had a six-metre tower
built for people to climb and reach exactly 700
metres above sea level.

There is parking, a café and friendly information
desk. Just a few steps further on, the Nature Centre provides
guided tours or a place to leave your bags. The reserve is
lined with duckboards that make for easy walking and help to
protect the vegetation. Signposts are plentiful too. I cross the
highway and disappear into nature, breathing more easily as I
leave thoughts of the city behind.

I gaze out across a sprawling plateau. At this time of year it’s
flourishing and green. It is easy to imagine how the other seasons
treat the wetlands: the stark, austere colours of autumn
when the tussocks are dried out and golden; or in winter, when
the moors are dampened with snow, a blanket of quiet for
cross-country skiers keen to explore; or in spring when tufts of
cotton bloom and daffodils come alive.

The sound of grasshoppers ratcheting follows me around the
boardwalk, a constant companion. Sparse remains of cotton
and hare’s-tail dot the landscape. In the woods, I hear what I
imagine to be a woodpecker, though I see no sign of him.

The delicate eco-system of the Fagnes is supported by an
extremely wet climate and low-permeability subsoil. It rains,
on average, 170 days per year, with 76 snow days. When
there is too much water, the sponge-like earth is flooded and
the water swells to the surface, forming active peat bogs and
attracting an array of spectacular fauna.

As I continue, I see lizards sunning on the duckboards next
to ginger butterflies. Meadow pipits sing out as they dive and
drop in flight, and bumblebees are hard at work. I find bilberries,
and an abundance of tormentil.

It’s interesting to consider the influence of humans over
nature, when originally this land was home to woods alone.
The impact of man and his agricultural activities
has created a new eco-system; one that now needs
much protection and attention to keep the
peat bogs alive.

Exploring the High Fens:
• Look out for Baraque-Michel, a family hostel built in the early 19th century as a shelter
for weary or lost travellers. There is also the inn at Mont-Rigi, founded in 1862, which was
originally on Prussian turf. The two buildings also acted as customs posts.
• Marked crosses and stones were used as reference points in the early days to signify
land borders; many of these markers remain.
• Rent a bike and spend a day exploring the region at your own pace, weaving along a
multitude of signposted cycle tracks.
• Test your eyes and patience bird-watching – you might catch a glimpse

Gettin Past the Grand Place

Been to the Grand Place? Seen the little boy peeing in one of his outrageous and ridiculous costumes? Gorged on waffles spilling over with fruits and chocolate and whipped cream? Such debauchery!

With more time in Brussels to uncover the ruinous cobble-stones, why don't we take a wee little exploration into the communes that surround the centre and discover some dining and drinking gems that even the locals frequent.

Ixelles is an excellent place to start - it's bustling with student life and is an expat hub too. Take a stroll around the ponds, eat the best frites in Brussels (arguably Frit Flagey), watch life go by in the main square and then settle in for some scrumptious dining and beer tasting.

Flagey Square:

On Saturday mornings Flagey Square hosts a small but lively market where you can find tasty deli treats like olives and sundried tomatoes, spices, Turkish sweets and other specialities.

The first floor of the tall radio building across the street from Flagey Square is the well-known Cafe Belga. This spacious, bright room is a favourite for students after a coffee and light snack or an afternoon beer, and watch out because the terrace fills quickly on a warm evening. http://www.cafebelga.be/

Delecta was once a grocery store in the 1950’s. Now, this cafe is one of the trendiest places in Brussels in spite of its original decor. It also serves up some top quality nosh. Try the delicious Portuguese sweets on display or a heavenly tartine for lunch. At night you can order tapas from the blackboard menu and the staff will recommend a decent bottle of vino. Rue Lannoy 2, 1050 Ixelles


Mamma Roma now has three locations. It’s a small pizzeria not two minutes from the Square where you can purchase pizza by the slice and weight. Indulgent toppings are the name of the game here and the token favourite is potato with truffles. Add your own chilli flakes and olive oil to taste while eating at one of the wooden bars - if you are lucky enough to get a seat that is. 5, Chaussée de Vleurgat

For nights filled with Jazz and a place to chat with friends over sublime cocktails and antipasti head to Bar du Marché. It’s simple and stylish black and white decor may fool you by day, but don’t miss the long happy hours on Friday and Saturday nights where this small little bar spills into the street. http://www.bardumarche.be/

Le Murmure is tucked away only a few doors down from BDM. It is an artsy dive-bar with paper sketches tacked to the walls and an interesting set of “chandeliers” made out of copper-pipes. Often-times, there are art exhibitions and concerts, but usually you will find a bubbly place to talk amongst friends. It’s a favourite with the art students from across the road.

For a decent cup of coffee head to the Natural Caffe to sip on an Illy espresso or cappuccino with silky steamed milk. The large glass windows are framed with plenty of stools and provide fantastic people-watching opportunities. Alternatively, you can chit-chat with friends over a pot of mint tea at a large table in the middle of the room. Close by is The Coffee Club with its bright and cosy terrace in the back to escape from the noise and fumes of a busy main street. http://www.naturalcaffe.com/

Ixelles Cimetière:

The stomping ground of ULB students has some fantastic “haunts” to whittle the night away at any of the numerous cafes, bar and restaurants.


Waff is a bar with the energy of a nightclub. Late at night there will be table-top dancing, many a cocktails been drinkin’ and a lot of fun to be had. The decor is understated, modern and simple and there is also the obligatory foosball (baby-foot) table for the competitive sportsmen. Also there is a wicked terrace upstairs for the summer months. A couple doors down is Urban Cafe which has really cheap and long happy hours, DJ sets through the week and the occasional exhibition or concert. http://www.waff.be/

Once you haul open the large, heavy door and enter L’Atelier (The Workshop) the choice is yours in over 200 beers listed on the blackboard above the bar. At most times this bar is smoky, popular, crowded and noisy. That is not a deterrent. Join in as students chant their frat songs loudly and proudly, guzzle down gallons of leffe and converse freely and openly about anything and everything. There are also board games and cards available if that’s what gets you revved up for a big night on the turps. Rue des Chevaliers 4

Le Tavernier has a fantastic garden terrace in the front to relax and chill in good weather. Inside, there is a jovial student atmosphere, lounge space, long wooden tables to pile into with your friends and chat over jugs of cocktails or beers. The staff is friendly and laid-back. Watch out for the grungy uni-sex toilets! http://www.le-tavernier.be/

Discovering the past in Spiennes - Neolithic Flint Mines

http://www.scribd.com/doc/32473492/026-029-Spiennes-Plus - for full PDF file of Article

(Clippings from my full article published in Ackroyd Publications' WAB magazine) 

It’s Sunday afternoon and I have just jumped off the bus to Spiennes. I walk through the sleepy village looking out for the occasional, confusing signpost to point me in the right direction. The only human activity I see is a man walking his dog. Crossing a bridge over the small stream of the River Trouille I find simple farm land set in quaint, peaceful countryside. Bright yellow wildflowers dot the meadows where fat cows laze and horses graze.

Upon walking up a quiet one-lane road there is no sign or welcoming board at my destination. In fact, I feel quite lost. All I can see is a few parked cars in front of a derelict portable toilet (the extent of the WC facilities) and an abandoned shed erected from sheets of corrugated iron overgrown with weeds and shrubbery in a state of neglect.

I’m at the Neolithic flint mines of Spiennes, a UNESCO world heritage listed site that dates back 6,000 years.  The site’s tourism is as primitive as the mines themselves. Fortunately, Jean-Louis Dubois (Vice-President of the Société de Recherche Préhistorique en Hainaut – SRPH ) had sent me all the information I needed to get to the site.

Walking onwards, I hear a few murmurs and laughter through the bushes and follow the sounds to the entrance of the site – a shabby fence once again overgrown. People wearing safety harnesses are grouped underneath the roof of a small makeshift shack of corrugated iron. A wooden shelf on the back wall acts as the museum display, with a modest collection of Neolithic tools consisting of a polished stone axe, core blades, antler picks and a few hand-drawn diagrams.

It’s the very opposite of the flashy tourism package you might expect from a World Heritage Site. The entrance to the mine shaft looks like a well. A ladder protrudes from within. Visitors in single file are hooked up by the harness to a lengthy rope and then descend the long, rusty ladder eight metres into the dark pit.

Jean-Pierre Joris greets me in French. He has been at the mines since 1953 and began the first excavations and tours on the site. He is also the president of the SRPH. He summons Michel Woodbury, a photographer-cum-archaeologist employed by the Walloon region for more than 10 years, to begin the English tour with me.

Reaching the bottom of the abyss, I’m in complete darkness while my eyes adjust. Light from the shaft entrance casts down and bounces off the white chalk walls. Michel explains that this is how the Neolithic miners worked, relying on the reflective capabilities of the chalk. Fire would have used up their precious oxygen.

Michel reconstructs life in Neolithic times, when whole oak forests were removed with their polished stone axes to practise agricultural activities. These technologies that took millennia to cross from the Middle East into Europe substantially increased the standards of living. Despite the wealth in trade and culture, times were still hard and the shafts were sometimes used as graves. A skeleton of a young girl and her newborn baby was found, and suggests the pair did not make it through the birth.

Michel turns the artificial lights on, revealing an incredibly complex network of horizontal galleries and shafts. He explains that the mines are an “engineering genius” and were over-exploited for 2,000 years.  The miners excavated the flint stone with red-deer antlers for picks (sharp and durable) and recycled the waste chalk by stabilising the foundation beneath them with it.  It created beautiful archways and pillars that, Michel muses, they never saw.

http://minesdespiennes.org/en.html

A Taste of Northern California

A warm winter’s day in Northern California is not to be wasted. My roommate's, Colleen and Scott, and I head to wine country to visit exquisite Sonoma County and Napa Valley. We are going to spend the day sippin’ on the good stuff.

First stop is the picturesque vineyard of Gloria Ferrer in Sonoma. We have a champagne breakfast. Seated on a sun-drenched patio, surrounded by bright daffodils, we overlook twisted rows of vines stark from the winter. They remind me of corn-rows. The bubbles are delicate and roasted almonds are a tasty side-treat. This girl doesn't do things in half measures.

Even in winter, the region is inexplicably beautiful. The hills and dales roll and rollick, the vineyards are ablaze with wild mustard, and quiet country lanes are lined with olive groves. There is an abundance of production and a multitude of festivals on throughout the year.

Our second stop on route is Artesa. Via art installations, architecture and a tier of fountains Artesa becomes a contradictory flavour positioned against the usual Napa fare of “rustic” wineries.  Atop a winding driveway Artesa presents itself impressively with sweeping panoramas of the valley. A large tripod at the foot of a staircase is decorated with panes of reflective glass mirroring the environment – one pane exhibits the ground surface, and another the trees and hills as the backdrop.  Upstairs we see that the winery has been built into the hill with a large glass viewing window protruding outwards (reminds me of the Louvre). Inside are charming modern paintings and statues.  

The service is lacking in enthusiasm and the wines are merely passable, but to be fair we sampled only a few vintages. Outside a lengthy veranda provides a moment of repose to enjoy stunning views and mull over our favourite drop - the tempranillo.  Artesa’s “roots” are Spanish, setting it apart from the majority of surrounding vineyards where Zinfandel holds the crown. Exiting through the interior staircase the huge cellar displays an enormous amount of stacked barrels suggesting a large level of production and distribution.

In town we stop at Jessup winery. The vineyard is located further afield and not open to general public without membership. The tasting room is stylish with art-covered walls and exposed beams.  Seated on stools around a barrel-table we are provided with a platter of cheese, pistachios and buttons of dark chocolate to accompany our wines. We start with a buttery smooth chardonnay paired with creamy brie. We move along to ripe reds - a fabulous zinfandel free from tannins and "Manny’s Blend" fashioned in the style of a burgundy. Through a taste comparison of a 2004 and 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon our sommelier Kim demonstrates the differences between the vintages. She explains that "2006 was a hotter year with less rain" which means the roots were "stressed" creating a fantastic, bold result. Kim says this is aided by the fact that "Jessup does not use irrigation". She lets us test the Table For Four - a Bordeaux styled wine which is very drinkable and juicy before we finish with a luscious Cabernet Sauvignon port paired with dark chocolate.

We pit-stop at a recommended bakery Bouchon and Colleen and I share the mushroom dip sandwich. We sit on the benches outside and devour our lunch.

Our final vineyard for the day is Goosecross. A modest and simple site tucked away in peaceful Yountville. It has a smaller production - the wines are only available through the winery or online and sold in select restaurants. We file into a small, basic tasting room. Barrels are shelved at the back and a small bar in front. Wine-induced, I banter with our man Jose as he pours glasses high. Crackers and chocolates are provided for a nibble. Behind him glass cabinets stand filled with chocolate covered bottles. Its unpretentious and relaxed environment is a nice ending to the experience.

The afternoon dims and we head back to the lights of the city. We choose a Mexican bar and restaurant, Tommy’s, to end the day and start the night with their famous selection of tequilas and share a pitcher of delicious Margarita. Lets taste the night away too!