Jackie, your travel guide and specialist about Belgium, France and California
(see bottom of article for latest trip discounts)
- The new Magritte museum is opening soon! On June 2, its doors will open on the magic world of the most famous Belgian surrealist painter. Located next to the Art Museum on Place Royale in Brussels, and not to be confused with the former Magritte museum, located in the painter’s home. While the old one focuses on the artist’s life, the new one will exhibit some 170 paintings by Magritte. Not to be missed! Tickets are for sale online.
- The royal greenhouse of Laeken are only open to the public in spring. This year, you will be able to admire the huge collection of rare plants in the superb 19th century greenhouses designed by Balat from Friday, April 17 to May 10 (closed on Mondays). It is a short window and therefore a privilege to enter this magical space located in the King’ s palace gardens.
- The Foundation for Architecture is presenting its 2009 exhibition ” the Time of the Boutiques” , from booths to ebay, ongoing until October 18, 2009. You will be immersed in the experience of window-shopping through ages. The foundation is located rue de l’ Hermitage, 105 – Brussels 1050. Closed on Mondays.
- On Saturday, May 16, 2009, you will be able to join the Belgian Gay Pride Marchin Brussels, with around 20,000 people walking the Streets of the Belgian capital. The parade is free and starts at 2 pm at the Bourse. It will end with the Rainbow Party at the Ancienne Belgique.
- Brussels public transportation are varied and convenient: 5 train stations, an easy train access to the airport and a great subway network in addition to a large bus and tram network. On April 4 , 2009, new metro lines were added.
Practical info: the Brussels subways (Metro) run from 5am to 1am / Trains are every 7 minutes / a single ticket costs 1.70 euros and a Day pass 4.50 euros / a 3-Day pass 9.50 euros.
To and from the airport, trains run every 15 minutes (Central station, Bruxelles Midi, Airport station located in the basement – level – 1)
And because Belgians are unpredictable, watch this video taken at the Antwerp train station on March 23. Public transport can be art!”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vq6b9bMBXpg&feature=player_embedded
So to all of you who will be in Belgium this spring, enjoy!
If you want to join us on our August tour of Belgium with a special 50% off discount, check our website www.frenchescapade.com . It is a women-only 8-day trip in Wallonia and the Flanders in a small group of 8, escorted by bilingual guides with a real knowledge of the country. I will be there!
Jackie Grandchamps obtained her Ph.D. in Molecular Biology in Belgium, and then moved to the U.S. in 1995 to conduct cancer research at Stanford University in California. Her heart has always been in travel however, and she turned her passion into a full time job in 2003 when she launched her travel business, French Escapade offering an authentic travel experience to women.
She says, “I wanted to make my dream come true: sharing my love of traveling and giving people the opportunity to really experience a different culture. Instead of the traditional ‘tourist’ sightseeing trip to France, I wanted to immerse very small groups of women in the culture, let them meet locals, eat authentic cuisine and ‘live’ an authentic experience. That’s how French Escapade was born.”
