Northern French Coast

Mers-Les-Bains

In 2 to 3 hours from Brussels you can reach some varied coast line in France. One of the advantages is to avoid the traffic that often plagues any drive back and forth to the Belgian Coast. The other is to see for yourself some of the images you have etched in your mind: the changing houses, the Art Nouveau houses, the chalk cliffs and towers of seafood.

Le Treport

From October ports such as Le Treport start landing scallops. Delicious sautéed with garlic in 3-4 minutes in a hot pan.

For bird lovers the Baie de la Somme is the site of a well known parc, the parc du Marquenterre. So with its mix of cliffs, pebble beaches, sand beaches and mud flats this area offers a good mix of scenery for the hikes to come before of after the seafood feasts!

Bouillon - Ardennes

With summer seeming to drag out it is still time to get out to the Ardennes. Bouillon is a good base with a nice fort and plenty of walks to choose from. From Bouillon you can drive to Botassart and its famous vista on the Semois river. This view is called “Tomb of the Giant” as the wooded hill trapped in the river bend resembles a giant tomb. A further drive takes you to Rochehaut with a nice view on the small village of Frahan encircled by another river bend.

Van Buuren Museum & Garden

Although this photo was taken during the summer of 2006 it gives you a good idea of how beautiful this garden is and of how it offers a great setting for leading sculpture exhibits. From 20.5 to 18.10.2009 the garden is putting on a display of Pol Bury fountains. These are fascinating moving stainless steel sculptures.

The garden themselves are built around the Art Deco house. The secret heart garden, the classic labyrinth as well as the Art Deco rose garden fit neatly in a very small space.

Museum web site

Where to find the garden:

41 Avenue Leo Errera, 1180 Brussels

Antwerp – Wijk Zurenborg

Talk about mind blowing architecture! Just type Cogels Osylei in your GPS and go to Antwerp to get your fill of neo, eclectique and Art Nouveau buildings from the late 1800s to the early 1900s. I do not know where to start: the contrast between the styles, the palaces, the kitsch and the subtle, the industrial and the organic… Don’t miss the group of “seasonal” houses or the group of “Time” houses.

Dageraadplaats

When you are tired of architecture and of breaking your neck peering towards the sky, head toward the Dageraadplaats for a nice mix of restaurants, wine bars and all. The public square ensures a nice little show for discussion over some Cava for example!

 

 

Some Links:

A view on Cities: Antwerp

Trabel: The Zurenborg District

Antwerp Tourist Guide: Zurenborg

And finally Wikipedia.