Zooming past Zurich

I have just returned from a work trip to the Swiss municipalities of Eschenz and Stein am Rhein. The towns are located approximately 1 hour by car from Zurich Airport, flights to which, you would need a Swiss bank account to pay for (approx 1000 euro was the cheapest I could find)! Stein am Rhein is a picturesque little town with wonderful frescos painted on the walls of its many medieval buildings. I dined on fish from the Lake of Constance (Stein am Rhein is where the Lake meets the Rhein, hence the name) and saw the smallest inhabited island in Europe! The scenery was wonderful with plenty of snow capped mountains.

Since we only saw the city by night I have attached some photos from the internet instead of my own.

Stein am Rhein

A bientot,
Niamh

Back in time to the Balmoral

This morning I went for brunch with friends in "Le Balmoral", a retro 1950's style American diner. Staying true to the era, concern for neither cholesterol level nor waistlines was displayed, on a menu with fry-ups and cheesy hamburgers aplenty. Feeling the effects of the prior days gastronomical indulgence I opted for a yoghurt grenadine and cecemel chaud.

Sunny Side-up

Vintage Signs

Turquoise and Pink

The decor was wonderful and much more home spun than the buffed up franchise of Eddy Rockets. The only negative aspect were that: the service was not great; the Betty Boop themed kid's playpen was inappropriately decorated; and the food was mediocre. The cecemel chaud was a big hit though!!

A bientot,
Niamh

Antwerp Craft Fair

Today I visited the Antwerp Craft Fair with a meet-up group to immerse myself in beads, fabric and  glitter paint galore. The vendors had a wide variety of materials which included mosaic tiles, pattern books and pop-out shapes for scrap booking. There were also a few workshops. I did not partake in the workshops for fear of being upstaged by the children, who are obviously veterans of the craft scene in Belgium.

Cloth Owl Design

Scrapbooks

Necklace Charms

The girls invited me to a friends' house for some cupcake decorating afterwards with fondant, edible pen and loads of butter-cream icing. The results are below! It was amazing to see how every person's personality was reflected in their topping.

Petal Cupcake

Cupcake Garden

Origami Style

A bientot,
Niamh

On the way to Mechelen

Last weekend I returned to Ireland to attend a wedding with my ex-boyfriend so I had to neglect my blog for the week. This Saturday I took a quick 30 minutes train journey to Mechelen, made famous in 1835 when the first railway the European continent was built to connect it and Brussels. The main attraction of modern day Mechelen is a magnificent collection of churches, in particular designated UNESCO world heritage site St. Rumbold's Cathedral. The town also has some wonderful small boutique and unusual stores. My favourite was a self-catering fresh bread dispenser!

Town Square

Grote Market

Baroque Church

Beautiful Shop Front

Fresh Bread Vending Machine!!

Tree Trunk Cosy (these were everywhere)

After arriving back in Brussels, I decided to go for a quick jaunt to the former home of art lovers David and Alice Van Buuren. It is quite like the Horta House,  with a similar Art Deco style, but distinctly different in that it is the art pieces rather than the architecture which are the feature of this showcase. The house was built with the express function of housing the pieces collected by the couple. Hence, there is a sculpture integrated into the stairs, the walls are either painted or quilted with colours matching the painting hung on the wall etc. Unfortunately, cameras are forbidden but there are some wonderful gardens which I was permitted to photograph.

David and Alice Van Buuren House

The Gardens..

...Complete with Maze

A student ticket cost 5 euro for the house and gardens. In terms of transport, from Montgomery metro take the tram to Churchill and follow the sign when you arrive. It was not quite as lovely as the Horta House but still had an elegant and pleasing aesthetic.

A bientot,
Niamh

Royal Museum for Central Africa

This morning I met with my friend to visit the Royal Museum for Central Africa in Brussels. Firstly, the museum grounds are lush and expansive with a sprawling lake and other water features. So leave some extra time for exploring the garden before heading into the building! The exhibition itself focuses on the Congo, a former Belgian colony. The sphere of influence however (especially regarding to biological research) extends to the whole Congo River basin, Middle Africa, East Africa and West Africa, but tries to integrate Africa as a whole. Intended originally as a colonial museum, from 1960 it became more focused on ethnography and anthropology. Like in most museums, there is a research and public exhibit department.

Entrance

Building Side-view

Grounds

Hall of Museum

African Jewelry

Traditional Instruments

African Mask

There was also an exhibition featuring live spiders and other arachnids. Although the success of their camouflage made me a little nervous.. I was certain one of the critters had escaped when I couldn't find him anywhere in the perspex display case.

From mid 2013, the Museum will be closed for renovation work (including the construction new exhibition space) which is expected to last until 2015 so make sure to fit in a visit soon!

Afterwards we went for hot chocolate near the town hall in Woluwe St Pierre but if you're feeling a little more adventurous, a walk in the surrounding woodlands would probably make a splendid afternoon. 

A bientot,
Niamh

Spa Day

This Saturday I visited Spa, a Belgian town eponymous with places having a natural water source, luxury and relaxation. The town itself is rich in architecturally unique buildings... unfortunately most of my photographs were marred by the throngs of traffic which squeeze through the narrow streets.

Des Bains

Grounds near the Blue Radisson

Blue Windmill

The main purpose of my visit was to indulge in a little luxury at the bathes. After disembarking from the train you can quickly find the grounds of the most well known health centre, located near to a blue windmill (see photo above). A funicular (3 euro return) climbs the slope in futuristic glass-cube pods to Spa's most iconic attraction, the 21st century ridgetop Thermes de Spa. I decided to don my bathrobe for the day and indulge in a bit of relaxation/bubble infused water. For 20 euro (17 if you're a student or pretend to be) access is granted to a variety of saunas, steam rooms and hydrotherapy pools. Other beauty treatments are available by prearrangement. Of course, I relished the idea of drinking my Spa water whilst relaxing in a spa in Spa, Belgium. I don't have any pictures of the inside of the spa (as I didn't want to look like a pervert) but it has a wonderful domed ceiling and overlooks a wooded area which is particularly nice to view in the outside thermal pool... if you're brave enough!

Beautiful Buildings

Is this a Casino??

Church of St-Remacle

Bath Material Shop

Enjoying my Spa Water in a Spa in Spa, Belgium

A bientot,
Niamh x