Young

  Look, I started this trip with a rainy morning, so I will make sure you relive it again with me. Sure, I had a couple of cakes and coffee to pump up my spirits when the joyful cloud of grey decided to accompany me on this vacation. And where else would I be headed to, but Gingelom, the most eventful of all municipalities in Belgium. I am being slightly sarcastic, but I actually had a great time—so why was I there in the first place? Let me take you back one month, talking with my friends about how nice it would be to enjoy the summer of Belgium in a relaxing BnB somewhere we have never visited before. And in that research, we discovered Gingelom. The official webpage for Gingelom describes it as a landscape of sunken lanes, orchards, rolling fields, authentic monuments, and much tranquility. That was the bait, and we were hooked. Right, back to the bus we come—fortunately rather empty and peaceful towards this side of town in Limburg—and to be at complete liberty switching seats ...

  One of the many good things in life is cheese of many kinds, and I bring you an experience that I was myself introduced to quite late in life: pairing and consuming cheese. The first one I tried here is a goat cheese with a skin of black ash which, on its own, is rather tangy and acidic, but when you have a fuller bite with the white creamy cheese, it blends in with the fattiness of the goat milk smoothly and deliciously. In terms of pairing, we generally take a small fruit like grape or olive to enhance the chew. At the risk of sounding too pretentious, I should mention that I knew nothing about cheese a couple of months ago but have taken keenly to experimenting with them lately. If you could bite into this block of Saint-Marcellin, you'd know what I mean—it is soft and creamy on top of this crisp biscuit, so every angle of your bite prepares an immersive sour experience. Many times it is difficult to predict what the first and last notes of a cheese can be, especially with som...

  If you sometimes start to wonder how a crow serves its purpose in the world, please let it not be on a plate for dinner, as I recently discovered. And yes, perhaps I am a prude to savour eccentric flavours, but an intelligent creature like a crow does not seem appetising to me at all. And I am better described as a stalker of birds, but I am fairly certain they know I'm around. For example, this crow—let's call him Adam—finishes his crushed walnuts, which he had earlier used the car to crunch down and snack on, and now I see Adam hopping off towards the sidewalk. So of course, I follow him. I am being silent as a leaf, analysing Adam's strategy for foraging in the roadside mulch and bushes. At one remarkable instant, I even had my hopes up that he discovered a new walnut, but alas, it is just another leaf. One never to be upset by rejection, Adam moves on to the next pile, and the next one after that pile, which is an honourable hustle and drive—something to learn from Ad...

  While walking towards Leopold Park in Brussels, something caught my eye: this footbridge that joins two giant buildings right above a busy thoroughfare highway. And if it's not gone yet, you'll also spot a pigeon nest under a lamppost. Towards the right, we have an office building which also reflects the incremental architectural developments of the 19th and 20th century. I say this because towards the left, we have the more institutionalised and modern glass building known as the Jacques Delors Building, named after the former president of the European Commission who was involved in the creation of a single market and the euro currency across the 27 member countries of the European Union. The figure we see here is actually from Greek mythology, known as Ariadne’s thread, symbolising the guiding line for Europe across the labyrinth of social and political issues. With the two figureheads placed on opposite ends, this expresses the poetic desire to be unified in their mission,...

The Bourse recently opened to the crowds with a renovated look and appeal, and I was eager to check it out since I had seen the giant wells close to it that display ruins of a convent from the 13th century. So yes, this building stands on some heavy ground, and it held much relevance for modern-day Brussels as well, being the official floor for stock exchange operations that were active as recently as 2015. Inside, however, the façade has ornamental sculptures and figures from various artists such as Rodin and Jacques Jacquet. It is now lit in colourful LED lights but still reflects the industrial rise of Belgium from the past century. I also took note of the colour choices of marble on the floor and pillars, being quite reminiscent of what I saw in the Egmont Palace in Brussels, which is to say that similar neoclassical architecture can be found across multiple buildings in Belgium, and it is quite fascinating how it stamps a certain period of progress and culture in time. The buildin...

  If I only showed you the outside of this building, would you be able to guess where I am taking you inside? Well, if you've read the title by now, this video is shot at one of my favourite food spots in Brussels called Kabuki, and as long as you come with an open appetite and curious tastebuds, you will certainly appreciate the gifts of this menu. Which include, among many delicious plates, service by miniature trains at your table—I mean, how cool is that! I am already satisfied by the freshness of the sushi and fried foods being served, but when a train comes in with all these options, it is so difficult to choose which one to begin with. If you're here, I recommend keeping a bowl of soy sauce and pickled ginger at your table so that you refresh your palate whenever needed. There are sweet options among sushi as well, including fruit and mango-salmon pairings, which are surprisingly an amazing play of textures. At the centre of all the train tracks, you can feast your eyes ...