Meyboom festival: a rivalry connecting Leuven and Brussels!

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 continue to host the tree planting in their own spots each year, much to the delight of party people who celebrate joyously well into the night.

Comments

Staycation in Gingelom, Belgium!

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 ...

Kabuki's sushi train in Brussels : )

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 ...

Climbing the tallest church of our savior in Copenhagen, Denmark : )

Every road I took or boat I ferried on, I was just not able to escape the sight of this magnificent building in Copenhagen. Out of a lingering, unreconciled curiosity, I stepped into the Church of Our Saviour, which describes itself as Lutheran-Protestant. Since the actual interior was under construction at the time, I took a ticket to climb up the 400 steps and catch a bird's-eye view of the city. To be honest, I knew nothing about this 17th-century marvel, so all my next discoveries were as much overwhelming as serendipitous. The Baroque design inside was accentuated by actual pieces of the construction, including previously mended façade portions and statues, which oddly added to the spiritual effect of the climb. As I ascended over some creaking and thin wooden steps, I began realizing that the tower is really, really tall. I mean, the 90 m height totally creeps up on you with the full effect of a cardio workout as you carefully squeeze past woodwork and other descending peopl...

Young

Search This Blog