During the 1920s and 1930s, the French painter Jacques Majorelle designed and constructed an extraordinary botanical garden just outside of the centre of Marrakesh, with the help of a local ethnobotanist. The result is stunning! The son of an Art Nouveau artist, Jacques was fascinated by colours such as the very strong cobalt blue, which …
On Friday the 18th we took another daytrip with the guys from Sahara Desert Kingdom, this time to get some fresh air at Ouzoud Falls. The Ouzoud Falls are located about 150 km from Marrakech in the Middle Atlas. We had the privilege of having a private jeep with driver once again, which gave us …
After an enchanting experience in fairytale Marrakech, we headed east on our third day in Morocco. This trip would take us far away from the city’s busy medina. We were picked up in the morning by Idir, our guide, and Mohammed, our driver, with their 10-year-old (but trustworthy and strong as a dinosaur, according to …
For a traveller, the weather is always that one undesired factor of unpredictability. Especially when you are having your summer holiday in a Mediterranean country (i.c. Slovenia), you don’t really anticipate long periods of heavy rain. But there we were, end of July, expecting lots of sun, but receiving a much more humid sensation… We …
During the Easter holiday of 2015 we spent 3 days in the Ardennes with Maarten’s family. His father turned 70 and that called for a celebration! Maartens parents travel to the area of Bouillon each year in fall, to enjoy hiking and good food. This spring their children and grandchildren were invited as well, to …
This beautiful open square has outstanding architectural value, with buildings dating mostly from the 17the century. The earliest mention of activity on this place, is 1174. It was then called Nedermarckt (Lower Market). The present name came into use in the late 18th century. At the Grote Markt both public & private buildings surround …
Bruges has been a very influential city in medieval times with regards to both commerce and culture. Both its spacial and structural organisation was conserved throughout the years and the city’s groundplan documents the different phases of its development. In the late 19th century, a renovation of the facades gave the city a neo-gothic …
The Belfry of Ghent. The 56 Belfries of Belgium and the North of France are belltowers of medieval origin (all built between the 11th and the 17th century), representing the transition from feudalism towards mercantile urban society. In this sence, they are strong symbols of the rise of civil liberties in the Middle Ages. …
Beautiful red houses of the small béguinage in Ghent. In the 13th century the béguines (women who lived a religious life, but without any formal vows) founded the béguinages as closed communities where they could live and worship in a quiet environment. They are architecturally distinct unities within cities, composed of small houses, a church …
It’s the holiday season, and nothing says Christmas more than snow. But King Winter doesn’t always provide a magical white blanket to indulge yourself in. Sometimes you have to go out and seek it… Back in 2002 I spent New Years in Austria, on my first – and last – skiing holiday. I didn’t really …
