Rice. Those of you who have ever traveled through Bali, know very well how important this plant and its seeds are in the local cuisine, religion and culture of this island. The cultivation, production, practical utilisation and consumption of rice has been deeply rooted in everyday life in Bali for more than 2000 years. Rice is a popular and even essential ingredient of Balinese …
Gent is in many ways an innovative city. One of these ways is that the city has been supporting and promoting the consumption of less meat. Since 2009 the city supports “Donderdag Veggiedag”, meaning the active promotion of eating vegetarian for (at least) one day in a week. This also means that in all school …
Have you ever helped out a dragon? We have! Today we helped out a very cute, little, red dragon find his glasses. His name is Fosfor, and somehow he lost them. If you download the (free!) Ojoo app on your smartphone, and then install the (free) game ‘Where are Fosfor the Dragon’s glasses’ (‘Draakje Fosfor’ …
I admit: I have a fascination for old things. Even when I was young, I wanted to become a paleontologist or an archaeologist (I became a biologist instead, which was another of my childhood dreams). I once volunteered at a dinosaur dig in Russia and that was an unforgettable experience. I never practiced any archaeology, though, …
Capitals. Aren’t they intriguing? A capital is supposed to be the political and administrative centre of a country, but is it also the cultural centre? Is a capital representative for its country in terms of its artistic, architectural and culinary identity (presuming here that these three aspects are the focus of attention for many travelers)? Probably not, and …
When returning from our trip to Wales, we made a stop in Oxford. A good friend of Annick recently moved there to study for a PhD. We went completely unprepared, because Sandra and her friend Peter would show us around. We just knew it was a prestigious university city. It turned out to be a …
Dragons, King Arthur, medieval castles, prehistoric tombs, a rugged coastline and an unintelligible language: for me, Wales always had this certain mythical feel to it. Since I visited the Pembrokeshire coast with my parents maybe 20 years ago or so, I just knew I had to come back one day. Even though Pembrokeshire was stunning, it simply isn’t representative for the rest …
When I was 14, I went to Bath for a language course. I remember the city to be pretty… and since we headed out to Wales last fall, I thought I’d revisit it. Because, after all, the things that mostly caught my eye back then were the pretty English teacher and Dr. Martens boots in …
A famous quote by Audrey Hepburn… and one that is very true: Paris is always a good idea. Annick has visited the city in winter, summer and early fall. Maarten and Túrin once joined her, but the other occasions were with work or when she was younger. Having spent a couple of weeks there in …
Whether you are a backpacker, an adventurous nomad or a luxury lover, your personal health (and that of your fellow travelers) is always an issue of the utmost importance whenever you’re wandering the globe. Since we are a family with a small child, we tend to be very cautious in this respect. Although Febe’s six now already, …
