Young

 A good habit I have picked up since living in Belgium is to go where this box is. In French, it is une boîte à livres , and in Dutch, boekenruilkastjes —essentially open libraries which invite you to take one and give one book at your convenience. And if you've been following my walks around town, you know where there's a book, there is Adi, so I often find myself scanning for titles that catch my attention.  Since there are so many around, my appetite for reading is always impassioned. On some days, I donate books from my own collection, and, humbly, if I say so myself, that must count towards my good karma in this life.

Recently, I visited the dinosaur museum in Brussels, which is actually the Institute of Natural Sciences, but as soon as you walk in, you are welcomed by the silent hosts of this estate. The building offers multi-level viewing of the main exhibit, so you truly appreciate the size and well-preserved skeletons of Iguanodon bernissartensis , a name which is quite fitting because it was here in Bernissart, a city in Belgium, that a coal mine accidentally drilled into a clay sinkhole underground and discovered these gigantic skeletons. And what better way to experience their grandiosity than a walk around the museum's corridors? Many factoids are translated into French, English, Dutch and German, often with interactive boards and games that I am sure cater to all ages and audiences. In one way or the other, I find it rather funny how dinosaurs continue to fascinate and surround us, in both fossilised form as well as in petroleum (note, it is a modern myth that dinosaurs lead to petrol!)...

 United Coffee House claims to be Delhi's first-ever café, which it very well might be, given its pre-Partition roots and location in the core of Connaught Place. The capital city of New Delhi welcomed a diverse crowd of professionals and future-builders of the country, some of whom could find respite in this glamorous chamber, and it stays almost stuck in time with iconic European designs like ornate symmetrical curves mixed with motifs from India. Even though I only ordered chai in this coffee house, I could sense the deliberate choice of foreign ambience in the room. It is a landmark of a bygone era, selected remnants of which make for a special dining experience.

Although the Botanical Garden of Copenhagen is sprawled out across huge acres of walkable tracks and land, an unmissable spot for your visit is the Palm House, which is essentially a collection of multiple greenhouses. These include cactus and succulent sections, an actual walkway among palm trees, as the name suggests, and a butterfly garden, which is the ultimate attraction. In my short visit to the city, I actually spent the better half of an afternoon dedicated to the Palm House, which meant that I was more at peace reading the history and science behind the upkeep of these plants. Even if that does not capture your fancy, this space is a wonderland for observing plants of peculiar shapes and colours. The inner structure of the main greenhouse is actually inspired by the botanical garden in London, which features a white staircase to get a bird's-eye view of the entire Palm House. It is, in fact, quite interesting to see these tall, skyscraping trees at eye level, and even spot...

The Flower Carpet of Brussels is a biennial event in Belgium that celebrates floral design work in the centre of the city, which would otherwise be full of people admiring the cobblestone streets, Gothic buildings, and the ornate façades which border the square.  In August, however, this is transformed into a carpet of flowers, and especially in this heatwave of 37 degrees, we see more heat-resistant dahlias used here in place of traditional begonia flowers. The design of this year is inspired by the 160-year relationship between Japan and Belgium, which is why we see motifs of Japanese culture such as Mt. Fuji, sea creatures, and ocean waves. And quite nearby, in the building of Bourse, lies a much smaller carpet with the same ingredients. However, this one is a bold advertisement for the beer exhibit located here. But if you're in the mood for a fun treat, you can head on back to the Grand Place and witness a light show for free!

This is the Meyboom Fest, an annual 9th of August celebration exclusive to the cities of Leuven and Brussels, as it connects them to a unique folklore of valour, honour, and betrayal. And it is all thanks to this green beech—I mean, this beech tree. beech tree In the case of Leuven, it is said that the tree is planted to celebrate a wedding between a Leuven nobleman and a girl from Brussels. Another variation increases the theatrics, with a fight incited by Leuven troublemakers, which was subdued by crossbowmen from Brussels. Then, to honour the efforts of the crossbowmen, King Henry awarded them the title of a guild and the privilege to plant a beech tree in Brussels in celebration. Additionally, this tree in Brussels must be planted before 5 p.m. in order to keep the honour; otherwise, Leuven becomes the master of the tree. And a valid fear for Brussels as well, since Leuven boasts of a heist in 1939, where they actually succeeded in stealing the tree from Brussels. But the cities co...