In My Mother's Garden

28+29-4-2007

Gravenhurst + Explosions in the Sky (Depot, Leuven, 20-4-2007)

Rating:	★★★★★
Category:	Other

What an amazing night! I'm still so impressed that I hardly know what to write!
I'll give it a try anyway ;-)

Gravenhurst are from England and they make music which touches my soul. During the concert I was suddenly thinking about the movie about the German guy Schultze who played German tunes on his accordion un till he heard some Zydeco on the radio and he was so captured by this that he couldn't play decent German accordion tunes any-more because they all turned into Zydeco. Musically this has nothing to do with Gravenhurst because they don't play accordion, German tunes or Zydeco but they have what I now call the "Schultze-effect": they start a tune all quiet and lovely but eventually it all turns into noise; they cannot help it, it's in their blood. It's like the emotions of the song suddenly cannot be contained any longer...

See their site: http://www.silentagerecords.co.uk/gravenhurst/
Hear some music: http://3voor12.vpro.nl/artiesten/artiest/18336218

Explosions in the Sky are from Texas, USA and are by far the most beautiful thing ever to have come from there! Their music is totally amazing, it doesn't just touch your soul: it absorbs it. It is quite literally breathtaking for I had to tell myself twice to start breathing again during this one song...
They create this amazing soundscape atmospherical strange and lovely world around you and all you can do is listen and watch in wonder. Many images will float through your mind: of deserts at night with starry skies; of weird planets with strange animals; of scary precipices; of dancing hand in hand in a meadow filled with colourful flowers; of aliens waving to you from their spaceship; of post-apocalyptic worlds; of terror and beauty and beautiful terror and terrible beauty...

And the great thing is that they don't take any breaks in between songs (songs are mostly 8 minutes and longer anyway) but they just keep on playing and playing so you don't have to come down to this world again un till they are finished.
See their site: http://www.explosionsinthesky.com/
Hear some music: http://3voor12.vpro.nl/artiesten/artiest/10908349

A Day in Brugge (Friday the 13th of april, 2007)

Rating:	★★★★★
Category:	Other

Brugge (or Bruges in English) is the most touristic town of Belgium. I'm quite sure that at least 80% of all Japanese people on this world has been there at least once. The reason for this is that it's still a very medieval town. So it is fun to visit and it has several nice museums too but don't expect to be alone ;-)

We've been there several times before (just read the reviews) and this time we visited:

1) the exhibit "The Handsome and the Mad" which was about Philip the Handsome and Joanna the Mad.
It was a very enjoyable exhibit in the Church-of-our-Lady with some beautiful pieces.

2) the exhibit about Albrecht Dürer's graphic work in the "Arentshuis", a very nice old house. I love Dürer's works so that was very enjoyable too. His details and human depiction are brilliant!

3) Celtic Ireland Irish Pub and Restaurant for some decent smoked salmon and red beer ;-) The one in Antwerp is still the best by the way (read the review, there's a link there)

4) Choco-Story, a museum about the history of chocolate. The information has a lot of grammar mistakes and faulty historical 'facts' but the basics are interesting. Their collection of Mexican archaeological objects is very nice eventhough it lacks good information. And the chocolate objects there are quite amazing. And so is the smell!

5) Our favourite chocolate shop (De Burg, see review) for some mouthwatering chocolates

And after that we sat near the water to look at all the swans (at least 20!). When we walked back to the station later we also saw a great crested grebe with a nest with 3 eggs! Pretty cool right?

Purple and Brown

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purple_and_Brown
Funny clay animation! I saw a few episodes while watching tv when on vacation in Dublin ;-)

Things to do in Dublin when you're dead: Glasnevin Cemetery (26-3-2007)

Rating:	★★★★★
Category:	Other

Bordering the botanic gardens is Ireland's largest cemetery. It takes you some time to walk around the botanic gardens to the entrance of the cemetery but it's worth it!

This cemetery is indeed very large and has many different sights. Parts look dusty and rocky while others are shadowy and green. People who visit their relatives can drive their car onto the cemetery and quite near to the graves (except on saturdays as the sign at the entrance said) so you get an idea of the size.

If you like visiting cemeteries and Irish crosses this is your place to be! Visit their site: http://www.glasnevin-cemetery.ie/#

National Botanic Garden (Dublin, 26-3-2007)

Rating:	★★★★★
Category:	Other

I love visiting botanic gardens because they always show a lot of nice plants, they're usually nice and quiet and you usually get to see some animals there. Ireland's national botanic garden quite a large one with several lovely greenhouses and it's indeed very nice and quiet! If I was living in Dublin I'd definitely go there often just to sit on a bench and read a book. Very peaceful!

There is also a restaurant (which was filled because it was lunch time), an exhibit room and a research facility with herbariums and books. And it's for free of-course!
So if you are looking for some peace and quiet or some nice trees and still want to be close to food and other facilities this is a perfect spot!
Their site: http://www.botanicgardens.ie/

National Museum of Ireland (Dublin, 25-3-2007)

Rating:	★★★★★
Category:	Other

The National Museum of Ireland is actually four different museums. All of them are free! We visited two (the ones next to each other and next to the National Gallery): Archaeology& History and Natural History.

We went to the Archaeology&History museum first. This museum has a large collection of objects from pre-historic Ireland including an amazing collection of gold; a treasury with great Celtic objects; a special exhibit with Irish bog bodies; some objects from Medieval times; a collection of fine Egyptian stuff and for some weird reason ceramics from ancient Cyprus. They also have a collection Irish Viking objects but sadly that part was closed because of structural problems in the rooms.
The Bronze age gold collection, the bog bodies and the Celtic treasury are my absolute favourites. It was especially great to see some bog bodies for real because I had not seen any (except in books) before.
It isn't a very big museum but the collections are terrific and the museum itself is quite beautiful too.

The Natural History is known in Dublin as the "dead zoo". It's a nice dusty, old, Victorian collection of stuffed animals in a building that makes a perfect setting. They also have the largest collection of original glass models (see picture of a jellyfish model) in this world. I totally love those so I'm quite envious!
Totally worth a visit if you like old museums and stuffed animals!

National Gallery of Ireland (Dublin, 25-3-2007)

Rating:	★★★★★
Category:	Other

Yes, Ireland had it's own National Gallery too! One would not expect to find much there because all the other national galleries in Europe already own so much of the good stuff. And Ireland isn't that famous for it's painters or collectors of paintings either. But this gallery happens to have 13.000 works of art, and not just Irish art!
They happen to have quite an interesting collection of Italian, Dutch/Flemish and English paintings next to their Irish art collection. And the quality of the works is quite amazing!

Highlights: Vermeer "Woman writing a letter with her maid", El Greco "st.-Francis receiving the stigmata" and several lesser known (Irish) artists with great works!

I almost forgot to mention the best part: over 50 rooms filled with art and it's all for free!!

Dublin City Hall (24-3-2007)

Rating:	★★★★
Category:	Other

Another exhibit we stumbled upon. We were passing the City Hall when I saw a sign saying "Exhibition" so we thought we'd check it out ;-)

In the vaults of the building there happens to be an exhibit about the city of Dublin: history, interesting facts and objects. There's actually so much information that I didn't feel like reading it all.
And the building itself is beautiful enough to just look at it and enjoy. Especially the main hall or rotunda, which has been restored and has re-opened in 2000, is well worth a visit!

If you want to know and see more: http://www.dublincity.ie/your_council/city_hall/

Chester Beatty Library (Dublin, 24-3-2007)

Rating:	★★★★★
Category:	Other

This museum which is called a library, probably because there is a reading room for researchers and it has a large collection of books, is located in Dublin castle. We didn't know it was there so we kind of stumbled upon it. And what a great find it was!

The Chester Beatty Library won the "European museum of the year"-award in 2002 and for very good reasons! Their collections opens a window on the artistic treasures of the great cultures and religions of this world. Sadly one part was closed now but the room we visited was close to perfection.
It included a part about eastern religions, Islam and Christianity. The atmosphere is great, the objects are marvelous, the information is to the point, the lighting is perfect; this is a part of museum heaven!

There wasn't a lot of objects but I was totally amazed by their quality. The best pieces there were the papyrus scrolls with gospels on them from around 250 AD. I have never seen these and they are extremely special!
There's also a nice roofgarden in which you can relax and downstairs there is a restaurant.

And the best thing of it all: it's for free! I hope to visit this museum again some day when they have re-opened the other gallery because I'm quite curious what else they've got!

Their site: http://www.cbl.ie/ Be sure to look at the image gallery!

Christ Church Cathedral + St. Patrick's Cathedral (Dublin, 24-3-2007)

Rating:	★★★★★
Category:	Other

Probably the two most famous churches of Dublin. You have to experience them!

Christchurch's official name is actually "the Cathedral Church of the Holy Trinity". The original church was founded in 1038 by the Danish king "Silkenbeard". It was rebuilt as a church for st. Laurence O'Toole, patron saint of Dublin, after 1170 by the Norman "Strongbow". So it's a pretty old church from the good old Viking days of Dublin (Dublin was founded by Vikings in 988).
It's an impressive church with a great crypt and very very beautiful floors. It feels like a very special place, more pagan than Christian actually. That's probably because of all the different (Christian) religions that have used and still use this church and this place. See their site: http://www.cccdub.ie/

St. Patrick's was originally founded in 1191 but had to be restored after 1864 because it was almost in ruins. So it is more neo-Irish Gothic ;-)
Another impressive church (Christchurch wins though) with great floors and beautiful sights. I love all the flags in this church (see pic)!
See their site: http://www.stpatrickscathedral.ie/

Trinity College (Dublin, 24-3-2007)

Rating:	★★★★★
Category:	Other

Well this is definitely a must see in Dublin and not just because a lot of tourists do. Trinity College holds the famous and beautiful Book of Kells and has an impressive library too.

It's quite expensive to get into the Book of Kells / Library exhibit but then again this book is from 800 AD and terrifically illuminated so I'm willing to pay some money to keep it in mint condition.
There's a lot of info to see before you see the actual book. There are some other illuminated books there too by the way.
Actually there is not a lot to see in this exhibit but what you get to see is quite special. Still it's a pity you cannot look through the book and see all the pages ;-)

After the Book of Kells exhibit you go upstairs into the "Long Room" which is an impressive library hall. I wish I had a library like this at home! In it are 200.000 of the oldest books and manuscripts the college owns!!
It also houses a proclamation of the Irish Republic (which was torn of the burning post office in 1916) and Ireland's oldest harp (15/16th century).

Well, they can just pack the whole library and sent it to me ;-)

Food in Dublin (23-26 march 2007)

Rating:	★★★★★
Category:	Other

There is a lot of pubs and restaurants to choose from in Dublin so it's easy to find something but definitely not easy to choose! Don't forgot that at most pubs and restaurants the service charge is not included in the bill!

Our first night: Gin Palace. Very nice pub, stupid name. They served a great red beer (and I forgot the name) and their food is delicious! We both had salmon which was a very tasty mix of traditional and modern cuisine.

Second night: Fan's Cantonese Restaurant. I have to try Chinese in every city/country I visit at least once. I'm an expert in the differences between sweet&sour sauces in Europe ;-p
The one in Dublin was light and quite sour, very reminiscent of one I had in London. If you try this specific restaurant we'd recommend the "Roast Duck with Prawn Filling" which sounds as yummy as it is.

Third night: The Bull & Castle. A nice Irish pub with very Irish food. They happen to have quite a collection of different beers too. Their stew and pie are great! As a desert they serve an extremely delicious hot soft brownie with a creamy whiskey sauce. See http://www.bullandcastle.ie/castle_index.html

Some other great places to have a drink, snack or some delicious cake:
The Silk Road Café: located in the Chester Beatty Library. Our food tasted great and the other food looked and smelled great too. And they have Tiger beer ;-)
Fitzers Restaurant: located in the National Gallery. Serves a great "gateaux" (that's what they call it on the receipt) and the other food looked good too ;-)

And if that made you hungry: have some pie!

Bed&Breakfast in Dublin (23-26 march 2007)

Rating:	★★★★★
Category:	Other

Two suggestions for your stay in Dublin. Both are close to the airport and have a bus-stop in front. Buses go straight into the city or back to the airport so that's pretty perfect.

Our first night: Airport Lodge B&B. Nice enough clean room, great bed, good breakfast, good service. See: airport lodge

The other two nights: Flyover B&B (see picture). Great room, great shower, great bed, extremely friendly people, great service, free internet and a great breakfast. This B&B also has it's own site and is very easy to book. They didn't have a room for the first night so they booked us in the other B&B without any trouble.
See their site: flyoveronline

God(s), a manual (exhibit, Brussels, 18-3-2007)

Rating:	★★★★
Category:	Other

As we are both very interested in cultures and religions this was one exhibit we didn't want to miss. It's quite expensive but luckily I had one free ticket. The setting (Tour&Taxis) is also very nice (see the pics I took some time ago).

The exhibit itself is interesting enough. The information is to the point; the video's about several key happenings in the main religions are very interesting; the objects are beautiful and interesting; and the artworks are great. The over all setting works quite well too: the exhibit looks pleasing.
But if you know a lot about religions you miss a lot of information too. And if you don't care about the subject this exhibit will certainly bore you.
Part of this exhibit is a piece of theatre but we didn't see it because we had to wait for it a long time. We watched all the video's about the beginning of life, marriage, death, etc.instead ;-)

The exhibit has been prolonged so you can still visit it un till may the first. If you are interested in seeing what the main religions look and feel like you should certainly check it out (if you are willing to pay 11 euro's for it that is) otherwise I'd skip this exhibit...

The Common Book (exhibit, Antwerp, 17-3-2007)

Rating:	★★★★★
Category:	Other

A fun free exhibit about 17th century books. It can been seen in several libraries in Belgium because it's a travelling exhibit: http://www.hetdagelijksboek.be/index.php?p=praktisch

Yay for old books and libraries!!

Marcel Mariën (exhibit, Mechelen, 11-3-2007)

Rating:	★★★★★
Category:	Other

"Ne faites pas attention à la photographie"

There are several galleries and small museums in Mechelen and it's always a lot of fun to visit their exhibits. If you visit one you can usually find information on other exhibits close by too and that's how I saw a leaflet for an exhibit about Marcel Mariën.

Marcel Mariën was a Belgian surrealist. He was one of the last 'real' surrealists (he died in 1993!). I had seen some of his work so I thought it'd be fun to see some more. And indeed it was!

This exhibit is in a 'normal' old house in a 'normal' street in Mechelen. The lady of the gallery told us that it was done on purpose because the artist also was as middle-class as he was surrealist. The work shown is mostly photography and is very erotic and funny. I like his other works better but it's good to see what else was going on in his mind. And indeed the setting works great!

This exhibit is still running un till april the 15th (see www.francelejeune.com). But if you don't want to come to Mechelen you might consider going to the 'Surrealism in Belgium'-exhibit in Mons which promises to be quite good and will include Mariën's work too (one of his works is on the poster!).

Things you've missed: Another World (La Centrale Electrique, Brussels, 9-3-2007)

Rating:	★★★★★
Category:	Other

Another exhibit that has ended but the location is still there (and they have e new exhibit btw). La Centrale Electrique / De Electriciteitscentrale is a European centre for contemporary art which is quite new. This visit was our first and it's a great location!

This exhibit was about African photographers portraying their world. Almost all of the photo's were brilliant! There are some great talents in Africa! I hope to see more of their pictures in other museums soon.

The new exhibit: http://www.brupass.be/nl2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=223&Itemid=43

The Forbidden Empire (Bozar, Brussels, 9-3-2007)

Rating:	★★★★★
Category:	Other

I've said it many times before: I love the Bozar!
It's one of the most surrealistic buildings in this world. Not because it looks so strange but because there are always parts you haven't seen yet, hallways that are closed one day and open the next and most is below ground too. I'm pretty sure there's some kind of weird maze underneath the 'Kunstberg' in Brussels connecting all the museums there...
But enough about the building. Let's talk about the exhibits!

This time we where there for 'The Forbidden Empire" and also for the two free exhibits (The Face of the Mass, pictures from an Antwerp newspaper from between 1940-50 and "Restlessness", art from Jan Lauwers). These two free exhibits have ended by now but the Forbidden Empire runs un till 6-5-2007.

The two free exhibits where a lot of fun already and we got to see a new part of the building again ;-)
The Forbidden Empire is an exhibit about the way Chinese and Flemish artists view the world around them. It shows work from Chinese and Flemish painters from several ages. It's great to see the differences but also the similarities.

Artists around the world view their physical surroundings in much the same way but their cultural surroundings tell them how to visualize it in a way that is most pleasing / most understandable. The world is much the same but the conventions on how to portray it aren't.
You can see that clearly if you compare sketches from say Brueghel or Rubens with sketches from Chinese masters. And that is the great thing about this exhibit: you get to do just that! And all of the works are great too ;-)

Costume and Lace Museum, Brussels (25-2-2007)

Rating:	★★★★
Category:	Other

I'm not a person that is very interested in following fashion but I am very interested in fashion as a cultural phenomenon. I love seeing historical clothes and accessories so a visit to an exhibit promising me just that sounds good to me!

The museum of Costume and Lace is a small museum in Brussels with a great collection. The current exhibit (un till 21-8-2007) is called "Fashion Stories".
You get to see interesting clothes from the 18th to the 20th century which they have recently acquired. It's not a lot of clothes because it is a small museum but they are interesting none the less. Some of the earlier dresses have prints you'd never expect in the late 18th century. They also have some impressive pieces of lace!

It's a fun little museum to visit and it's not expensive either so just give it a try!
Oh and the museum is in a street with a very nice name: Violetstreet. Great name right?

Things you've missed: Sphinx, the guardians of Egypt (25-2-2007)

Rating:	★★★★★
Category:	Other

Sorry, you've missed it if you didn't see it already waaaay before today!
It was a nice exhibit with extremely beautiful Egyptian artefacts in the ING Culture Centre in Brussels. I love animal/human/?-hybrids, in art or anywhere else, so this was a perfect exhibit for me!

Definitely some of the best Egyptian artworks I've ever seen (and I've seen a lot!). Luckily for all of you who missed it: you can see the works in several museums in this world (Berlin, New York, Paris etc). If they aren't in another travelling exhibit that is of course ;-)