BRUSSELS BELGIUM EUROPE
NOV 18-DEC 1 2011 ISSUE 6 €4.95
Cocoon Feather your nest at Brussels’ biggest home deco fair
Creativity forums bring innovation to Europe’s capital
INTERVIEW
CULTURE
Karl-Heinz Lambertz, How La Monnaie head of the Germanbecame Europe’s speaking Community No 1 opera house
TR AVEL
Ghent versus Bruges DEPOT BRUXELLES X
BUSINESS
3 THE BULLETIN
Foreword
T
he recent EU competitiveness survey points out that Belgium fares rather well in the field of innovation but that research in this country is underfunded, with spending at a mere 1.96 percent of GDP. TEDx and the Flanders Creativity Forum are two initiatives that are addressing the issue this month. Jimmy Wales, founder of Wikipedia, and Lorenz Bogaert, founder of Netlog, are just two of the trailblazers who will be sharing their experiences on the subject. Creativity is also in the spotlight at the Cocoon homes and interiors exhibition opening tomorrow in Brussels. There’ll be a special emphasis on ‘green’ products, from eco-friendly furniture and fabrics to green boxes and plants. Read more about what’s on offer in our Lifestyle pages. Meanwhile, research is what empowered Ecover, the Malle-based phosphate-free washing powder and cleaning products pioneer, to become one of the world’s leaders in the business, with sales in 35 countries. Emma Portier Davis looks at the challenges faced by the company as it shifts its model to sustainable and healthy living products. Some of you may not know that Belgium has a thriving German-speaking minority. Tucked away in the country’s eastern region, the German-speaking Community is one of the political windfalls of World War One: the area was handed over to Belgium as compensation in 1919. As the territory celebrates its Regional Day, Kristof Dams asks Minister-President KarlHeinz Lambertz about the community’s priorities today and its hopes for the future. We also celebrate La Monnaie’s success in winning the coveted international ‘Opera House of the Year’ award by retracing with Marcel Croës some of the major productions that have marked the opera’s path to worldwide recognition. And Georgio Valentino previews the Spoken World festival that will bring the power of speech to life at Brussels’ Kaaitheater. With Lisa Bradshaw and Nicholas Hirst, we compare the respective merits of two of Flanders’ leading tourist cities, Ghent and Bruges, as they gear up for the winter season. Have a good read.
Belgium fares well in the field of innovation but research is underfunded. TEDx and Flanders Creativity Forum are two initiatives that are addressing the issue
John Stuyck Publisher
Cover: Corbis
General Manager Joske Plas Managing Editor Deborah Forsyth Section Editors Sarah McFadden (Culture), Sarah Crew (Events), Kathleen Cagney (Film & TV), Tamara Gausi (Lifestyle & Features), Sally Tipper (Community), Deborah Forsyth (Politics & Business) News Leo Cendrowicz (Belgium), Martin Banks (Brussels), Jennifer Baker (Europe)
Contributing Editor
Thomas Buytaert Art Director Patricia Brossel
Contributors Paul Ames,
Emma Beddington, Joel Blocker, Leo Cendrowicz , Sabine Clappaert, Marcel Croës, Kristof Dams, Claire Davenport, Katy Desmond, Pierre-Michel Doutreligne, Oonagh Duckworth, Marie Dumont, Philip Ebels, Nicholas Hirst, Alan Hope, Shada Islam, Harlan Levey, Patrice Lieberman, Katrien Lindemans, Cleveland Moffett, Ian Mundell, Nikolaj Nielsen, Georgio Valentino, Emily von Sydow
Founder Monique Ackroyd OBE Publisher John Stuyck Advertising Helena Vreedenburgh
(Sales Executive), Evelyne Frégonèse (Account Executive), Ros Burnaby-Atkins (Real estate ads & classifieds) advertising@ ackroyd.be
Accounts Patricia Banza Events and distribution Annika Strasser
UK representatives
Stuart Smith, SSM Global Media Ltd, First floor, SSM House, 1 Cobden Court, Wimpole Close, Bromley, Kent BR2 9JF, tel 0044/208.464.55.77 or email stuart.smith@ssm.co.uk
Subscriptions
Belgium 1 year €90 / 2 years €165. You can pay by bank transfer (ING 310-0883533-46 or KBC 432-2012231-12), or by sending a cheque or your Visa/Eurocard number and expiry date to Ackroyd Publications sa/nv. Contact us for details. Ackroyd Publications, A. Gossetlaan 30, 1702 Groot-Bijgaarden, fax 02.375.98.22 subscriptions@ackroyd.be
5 THE BULLETIN
Contents
p 20 Ecover
1
p35 Submarine
2
p54 Cocoon
3
Politics & Business
Culture & Events
Lifestyle & Community
7 News In Brief
25 Events In Brief
47 Lifestyle In Brief
12 Focus – Creativity Forums We assess why Belgium needs inspirational words this month from some of the world’s most esteemed names in technology, entertainment and design
26 14 Days The Bulletin’s cultural highlights for the fortnight ahead – in Brussels and beyond
52 Food – Love at First Bite Owner of cooking atelier La Cuisine de Flore, Flore Pincemin, gives us the inside scoop on her foodie favourites
16 Portrait – Karl-Heinz
34 Film Reviews of the latest films to hit the big screen, plus cinema highlights not to miss
Lambertz
The minister-president of the Germanspeaking Community, Karl-Heinz Lambertz, talks about life in the east of Belgium 19 Digital What’s new in the virtual world 20 The Brand – Ecover At the forefront of ecological innovation, Belgian household cleaning product-maker Ecover is modifying its sales approach to survive the financial crisis 23 Know-how Our guide to local energy providers 24 Your Money
31 Offers to readers
37 TV Essential viewing on the small screen 38 Focus – Spoken World A preview of Kaaitheater’s two-week festival that gets to grips with the power of speech 42 Focus – La Monnaie Marcel Croës looks over the making of La Monnaie, as the Brussels Opera House wins a major international award
54 Focus – Cocoon The future’s green at this year’s giant home interiors fair Cocoon. We select the coolest designs on offer 58 Up My Street 60 Travel A Gentenaar and a Bruggeling fight it out over whose medieval town is best 64 Behind the Scenes 66 Community 71 Property 76 Classifieds 80 Jobs 82 Capital Life A member of the international community opens up his diary for the Bulletin
Editeur Responsable /Verantwoordelijke uitgever: John Stuyck, A. Gossetlaan 30, 1702 Groot-Bijgaarden. Opinions expressed in The Bulletin are those of the authors alone. For reasons of space, street names in Brussels are given only in their French version.
7 THE BULLETIN
NOV EMBER 18 - DECEMBER 1 2011
1
Politics & Business
Shutdown
DEAL TO CLOSE NUCLEAR PLANTS. Belgium’s six coalition negotiators have provisionally agreed to close the country’s seven remaining nuclear power reactors over the next 14 years. The timetable involves a shutdown of the three oldest reactors by 2015 and a complete exit by 2025, but is conditional on finding enough energy from alternative sources to prevent any shortages. The reactors, which currently produce around 54 percent of the country’s electricity, are run by Electrabel, a subsidiary of French energy giant GDF-Suez. Three of the reactors are based in Tihange (above) along the Meuse river near Liège, and four in Doel along the Scheldt river near the Dutch border. Electrabel has warned of high costs, environmental fallout and increased dependency on foreign suppliers.
32 CULTURE & EVENTS
THE BULLETIN
BEYOND BRUSSELS Belgium-wide highlights Performance
Exhibitions
NOVEMBER 18-DECEMBER 3
NEXT 004 Take a tour of the Eurometropole region, that strangely named place where northern France meets western Belgium and four cities on either side of the border team up to put on a contemporary performing arts festival that stages recent cutting-edge shows and emerging next-generation artists. A free shuttle bus links Tournai, Kortrijk, Lille and Valenciennes, and the programme is packed with works by top-notch Belgians Wim Vandekeybus, Ivo van Hove, AnneCécile Vandalem, Michèle Anne De Mey and Jaco Van Dormael and their counterparts abroad: Italian Romeo Castellucci, Argentinian Daniel Veronese and French choreographer Olivier Dubois. Multiple venues, Tournai, Kortrijk, Lille and Valenciennes www.nextfestival.eu
Ernest of Bavaria, Prince-Bishop of Liège
UNTIL JANUARY 15
DECEMBER 1-11
The European Triennial for Contemporary Jewellery 2011
December Dance A wide array of traditional Indian dance forms and their contemporary variants are a special focus of the current edition of this annual contemporary dance festival, which is curated by the world renowned British dancer and choreographer Akram Khan. The 12-day programme begins with the world première of Kahn’s solo Desh, inspired by his memories of growing up in the rich cultural mix of a Bengali household in England. Canadian, Japanese, South African and Taiwanese dancers are also on the programme, as are dance films, including Wim Wenders’ 3-D Pina, a much lauded homage to the late Pina Bausch. Concertgebouw, Bruges, www.decemberdance.be
Events NOVEMBER 25-28
Energie & Habitat Fair Saving energy in the home is a goal we all share. At this annual fair dedicated to reducing carbon dioxide emissions, 180 exhibitors are gathering to show how we can improve the results of our efforts in the areas of insulation and ventilation, heating, lighting and intelligent homes, renewable energy, low-energy construction and water management. Looking for tips on cutting bills and emissions? Take advantage of free advice from independent specialists. Namur Expo, Namur, www.energie-habitat.be
UNTIL MAY 20
Ernest of Bavaria : Prince-Bishop of Liège A late-Renaissance dynamo, Munich-born Ernest of Bavaria, son of a Duke Albert V, was elected bishop of Liège in 1581 and archbishop of Cologne two years later. He was also bishop of Munster, Freising and Hildesheim – and thus a powerful figure in the Catholic Church and beyond. Next year marks the 400th anniversary of his death, a good occasion to examine the life and times of this flamboyant humanist, who financed Kepler, corresponded with Galileo, supported technological and industrial development, persecuted Protestants, burned witches, chased women and kept a refined, scholarly court. This show of nearly 350 objects evokes his eventful life and times in a Europe on the cusp of modernity. Grand Curtius Museum, Liège www.lesmuseesdeliege.be
Pushing the boundaries of contemporary jewellery, designers from Belgium, Germany and Portugal present some 60 works in this juried exhibition, which is hosted every three years by a different European country. The varied use of materials and wide range of techniques and concepts result in innovative designs that run the gamut from stunningly beautiful to boldly humorous. A display of 60 playful, colourful pieces by Christian Wuytack is a warm and impressive tribute to the late Belgian designer, who specialised in enamel work. Tabea Reulecke, from Germany, has been awarded the BrusselsWallonia Federation prize; her compatriot Mirjam Hiller has received special mention. Les Anciens Abbatoirs, Mons, www.wcc-bf.org
More on www.thebulletin.be
33 CULTURE & EVENTS
NOV EMBER 18 - DECEMBER 1 2011
BOOK NOW Our future favourites NOV 25-27, DEC 2-4
Arta An international art market capital since the 16th century, Antwerp has the highest concentration of galleries in the country – and many of the best. For two successive three-day weekends, 25 of these establishments are opening their doors in unison to collectors and the just-curious, creating an easily walkable art trail through the city. It’s a tour through cultural history, geography and style as well: tribal arts to Art Deco silver, antique furniture and tapestries, 19th-century Belgian painting, classical photography, contemporary art and design and more. Start your tour on the website; brochures are available from participating galleries. Multiple venues, Antwerp www.art-a.be UNTIL JANUARY 29
It’s a Poor Sort of Memory that Only Works Backwards First Belgian retrospective for Ghent artist Johan Grimonprez, whose film dial H-I-S-T-O-R-Y catapulted him to international fame when it was shown at Documenta X in 1997. That pseudo-documentary on the subject of plane hijacking mixed TV broadcast footage with fictional narrative and rock music to create a riveting spectacular, and the message was clear: beware the media’s power to shape our understanding of current events – and hijack history. Since then, the internet has gained traction, and Grimonprez is looking at the way hypertext, blogs, podcasts and Youtube are affecting our world views. S.M.A.K., Ghent, www.smak.be
Johan Grimonprez’ ‘Looking for Alfred’
Sitar star Anoushka Shankar
DECEMBER 2
Tina Arena – Best of The Australian Grammy award-winning singer songwriter performs from her Best Of album, belting out some of her most successful tracks. As well as Chains and songs from her musical theatre background, expect titles such as Aimer jusqu’à l’impossible and Je m’appelle bagdad, recorded since Arena settled in France. Woluwe-Saint-Pierre, Brussels www.art-culture.be www.ticketnet.be DECEMBER 9
Anoushka Shankar – Sitar with a Spanish accent The world’s second best sitar player after Ravi Shankar, her virtuoso father, is on tour promoting sixth album Traveller, which explores links between Indian music and Spanish flamenco with some inspired improvisations. The British-born musician seems as happy playing ragas alongside her famous father as venturing into experimental solo work and pop collaborations. Bozar, Brussels, www.bozar.be
DECEMBER 15
Stromae – Dances on Ever since the Brussels singersongwriter and hip-hop artist picked up a raft of musical awards following his international breakthrough Alors on danse, his home concerts have been sold out. Don’t miss this latest appearance by the retrostyled singer with the sensitive lyrics and winning dance/newbeat formula. Cirque Royal, Brussels www.cirque-royal.org FEBRUARY 13
Nicole Scherzinger – Flying solo The ex-Pussycat Dolls lead singer may be an international pop princess, but she’s had an uphill struggle to deliver debut solo album Killer Love. Powered by her parallel career as a judge on US TV series X Factor, Scherzinger has ratcheted up success with singles from the CD, an uneven mix of clubby dance numbers and downtempo ballads. The bare stage reserved for the Honolulu-born star’s Belgian date contrasts with her usual glitzy setups and might just place her powerful, emotional voice centre stage. Ancienne Belgique, Brussels www.abconcerts.be
42 CULTURE & EVENTS
THE BULLETIN
Ligeti’s ‘Le Grand Macabre’: totally radical, thoroughly convincing, as staged by La Fura dels Baus
43 CULTURE & EVENTS
NOV EMBER 18 - DECEMBER 1 2011
Focus
La Monnaie is crowned Europe’s best It’s official: the daring, magic and beauty that light up the stage of Brussels’ opera house night after night earn top honours by marcel croës
O
pera house of the year! That’s the title recently bestowed upon Brussels’ Royal Opera La Monnaie by the world’s leading opera magazine, Opernwelt. It’s like winning an Oscar, as La Monnaie’s director Peter de Caluwe jubilantly exclaimed when he heard the news, which was made all the sweeter by being compounded with the award for best production. That honour went to Olivier Py’s staging of Meyerbeer’s opera Les Huguenots, which premièred at La Monnaie last June. An international jury of 50 critics have a say in who gets Opernwelt’s coveted annual award. Several members of this year’s panel have told me that the choice of La Monnaie was unanimous. They praised the team spirit, the choice of conductors, stage directors and singers, and the perfect planning and execution. “No doubt about it,” reads their tribute, “under Peter de Caluwe’s leadership, the Théâtre de la Monnaie has reached a peak in our time and in its rich history.” What makes the award all the more significant is that this is the first time the prize has been awarded to an opera house outside the German-speaking world. De Caluwe, 48, has been general manager of La Monnaie since 2007. When congratulated, he hastens to credit his predecessors’ achievements. Gerard Mortier, who now heads the Teatro Real in Madrid, pioneered innovative productions of the mainstream repertoire, from Mozart to
Verdi; and Bernard Foccroulle, currently in charge of the Festival of Aix-en-Provence, hired the brilliant young conductor Antonio Pappano as music director (Pappano is now music director of the Covent Garden opera in London) and brought in Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker’s dance company Rosas as artists-in-residence. Foccroulle also commissioned new operas from leading Belgian composers such as Philippe Boesmans and Benoît Mernier. De Caluwe worked at La Monnaie with Mortier in the mid-1980s. From that experience, he tells me, “I learned how important it is to develop a team spirit in an opera house. When we embark on a new production, all departments – from chorus members to stage hands – must have the feeling that we are in the adventure together.”
D
e Caluwe’s willingness to take risks is perfectly illustrated by his choice of stage directors. In March 2009, he invited the cutting-edge theatre company La Fura dels Baus to produce Ligeti’s Le Grand Macabre, a notoriously difficult opera to stage. I suspect that the Monnaie team must have felt unsure about the prospect of collaborating with such a resolutely avant-garde group. But as it turned out, the production was a huge popular and critical success. I confess that I had never seen a convincing performance of Le Grand
45 CULTURE & EVENTS
NOV EMBER 18 - DECEMBER 1 2011
psychiatric clinic amid scenes of Japanesestyle bondage. The greatest shock came at the end, when Parsifal, rather than being hailed as a redeemer, was just one in a faceless crowd trudging along on a moving walkway. When the curtain fell there was total silence; then the audience erupted in wild applause. Well-loved classics such as La Bohème have also been given a welcome facelift at La Monnaie, and in this regard, Krzysztof Warlikowski’s stagings stand out. The Polish artist presented a vigorously updated version of Verdi’s Macbeth, with uniformed generals in a high-tech war room, and in Cherubini’s Medea he introduced a contemporary subtext of intercultural tensions. Die-hard opera-goers may wince at times, but La Monnaie’s contemporary approach has found overwhelming acceptance. We are now in mid-season, and the upcoming productions look exciting indeed. Next month, French stage director Laurent Pelly will put a fresh spin on Jules Massenet’s Cendrillon, an all-time favourite, and Flemish director Guy Joosten, who put on a spine-chilling staging of Richard Strauss’s Elektra in 2010, will turn his attention to Strauss’s Salome. In April, René Jacobs, in my view the supreme interpreter of 18th-century opera, conducts Handel’s spectacular Orlando, staged by Pierre Audi.
Richard Strauss’s ‘Elektra’ electrifyingly staged by Guy Joosten in 2010
Peter de Caluwe La Monnaie’s perspicacious, venturesome director and newly elected president of Opera Europa, an association of 118 production houses in 36 countries
Macabre until I saw theirs, which won me over. And so, when de Caluwe announced that La Fura would be returning this autumn to stage George Enescu’s Œdipe, his colleagues’ reaction was a mixture of delight and impatience to get started. Œdipe is typical of de Caluwe’s refreshingly unconventional programme planning. Although the four-acter is considered a masnlike many opera houses, La terpiece of 20th-century music, it has rarely Monnaie has long championed been performed since its Paris première in contemporary dance. Anne 1936. The version created last month by La Teresa De Keersmaeker, Sidi Fura dels Baus, with its sets more evocative Larbi Cherkaoui and Sasha Waltz appear of ecological disaster than of ancient Greece, regularly on the programme, as do outwas an eye-opener. La Fura director Alex standing lieder singers, and instrumenOllé saw a parallel between the spread of the tal ensembles and soloists. This coming plague in legendary Thebes and the tide of spring, Pierre Boulez, 86, a radical composer red, toxic mud that swept over revered for his laser-like precipart of Hungary in 2010. Sud- LA MONNAIE TODAY sion and tireless promotion of denly, Enescu’s opera appeared 1,150 20th-century music, will conseats relevant to the present day. duct the London Symphony 93 Orchestra on two successive orchestra members e Caluwe scored an 40 evenings. To accommodate chorus members even more aston- €43 MILLION large audiences, the concerts ishing coup with annual budget will be held at Bozar, which is 179 R o m e o C a s t e l - performances and co-producing the event with La lucci’s production of Parsifal. 132,000 Monnaie. spectators 2010-11 This was the Italian theatre Speaking of conductors, this director and set designer’s first January, Ludovic Morlot, 37, will opera, and he came up with a radically new take over as chief conductor of La Monnaie’s interpretation of Wagner’s hallowed work orchestra. The French musician’s arrival by throwing overboard all of the pseudo- is eagerly anticipated, especially since the religious baggage. search for the right musician to fill the posiEach of the three acts was based on a tion has lasted three years. The very first time breathtaking visual concept. The Knights Morlot took up his baton at La Monnaie, the of the Holy Grail in the first part were a orchestra knew they had found what they bunch of hunters lost in a primeval forest. were looking for, and his limited experience Kundry’s attempted seduction of Parsifal in in conducting opera doesn’t faze them in the the second act took place in a blindingly white least.
U
D WHAT’S IN A NAME?
La Monnaie was built in 1695-70 on a site where coins (‘la monnaie’) had once been minted
Enjoying your Bulletin?
Never miss an issue
The essential magazine for the international community is back, with a brand new design, new content and much more to keep you in touch with Brussels and Belgium
Subscribe now for €90 and get 2 issues for free and a 21% discount
Go to www.thebulletin.be and click ‘subscribe’
47  THE BULLETIN
NOV EMBER 18 - DECEMBER 1 2011
3
Lifestyle & Community
DAA meets JBC GET YOUR KNICKERS IN A TWIST: Belgian high street chain JBC has teamed up with Designers Against Aids (DAA) to release a new 18-piece underwear/nightwear collection. Spearheaded by former fashion journalist Ninette Murk, DAA has been using fashion to promote Aids prevention since 2004 and is best known for using high-profile celebrity ambassadors such as Rihanna, Dita von Teese and Akon, and working with global clothing brand H&M. Belgian fashion model Hannelore Knuts (above) is the face of this new collaboration and 25 percent of all sales from the collection will go towards the funding of the DAA’s International HIV/Aids Education Centre in Antwerp. The collection is on sale now, just in time for World Aids Day on December 1.
www.daa.com, www.jbc.be
52 LIFESTYLE & COMMUNITY
THE BULLETIN
LOVE AT FIRST BITE The inside scoop on foodie favourites Flore Pincemin
F
lore Pincemin is the owner of La Cuisine de Flore, a cooking atelier in Ixelles. She left behind a career in marketing to train as a chef at the prestigious Ritz-Escoffier school in Paris, and set up her workshop in 2008. In her new premises, and ably assisted by a small hand-picked team of colleagues, she offers a variety of cookery classes, lessons in molecular cuisine, oenology and special kids’ classes, plus all the utensils and cookbooks an enthusiastic amateur cook could wish for. www.lacuisinedeflore.com
“I love the baguettes at Renard – and that’s a French girl speaking!”
BAR
La Fleur en Papier Doré is an old café in Brussels where a lot of Belgian surrealists used to gather – René Magritte, Louis Scutenaire, Marcel Mariën… They have a lot of nice objects from this period, plus pictures and quotations written on the wall. The atmosphere is very special and cosy; it feels so typically Belgian. I enjoy going there with friends to have a chat and a beer. I often go there when I have visitors, and I especially like it on a Sunday afternoon in winter. LA FLEUR EN PAPIER DORÉ 55 Rue des Alexiens, Brussels tel 02.511.16.59
We say: There are literally hundreds of bars in Brussels so it’s testament to the enduring appeal of La Fleur en Papier Doré that this is its second recommendation on these pages in two months
53 LIFESTYLE & COMMUNITY
NOV EMBER 18 - DECEMBER 1 2011
DRINK
RESTAURANT
PRODUCT
RECIPE
Being French, I was not very fond of beers when I moved to Brussels; I was much more into wine. But now things have changed! I discovered beers step by step, first preferring the sugary beers such as gueuze. But then I tried Tripel Karmeliet. I really appreciate this beer for its taste of honey. Nevertheless, you have to be very careful because it is quite strong. What I also enjoy is that this beer is synonymous with conviviality. I won’t drink a Tripel Karmeliet by myself, but always with friends.
I first met Damien Bouchéry when he was a chef at the Bistrot du Mail next to Place du Châtelain. What I really enjoy about his cooking is that he is very creative. I remember eating his beef with a chocolate sauce, and it was delicious! As someone who cooks a lot, I appreciate the fact that when I eat at Bouchéry, I am always pleasantly surprised. I also like the ‘Menu Instant’: you order without knowing what you’re going to eat. You just have to trust the chef! And at €39 for three courses, it’s exceptional value.
I’m crazy about chocolate! In pastries, blocks or to drink. It’s thanks to chocolate that I started cooking, and I still love to cook with it. Of course, chocolate is easy to use for desserts, but I also use it in some savoury recipes, like for the Grand Veneur sauce, a sauce for game from Escoffier.
I love curry and I learned this recipe with my mother, who is also a fan. Curry always tastes much better when you make it from scratch but if you are in a hurry you can always use a prepared mix.
TRIPEL KARMELIET
We say: High-fermentation beer Tripel Karmeliet comes from Brewery Bosteels and owes its name to the recipe of the Carmelite monks of Dendermonde. It is made from three cereals (wheat, barley and oats) and offers a very generous head, spicy flavour and a sweet taste
BOUCHÉRY 812a Chaussée d’Alsemberg Brussels, tel 02.332.37.74 www.bouchery-restaurant.be
We say: Opened in 2010, Bouchéry has won rave reviews for the outstanding fare it serves up from an unassuming spot in Uccle, just above the busy Globe intersection
SHOP
I really appreciate the small shops in my neighbourhood. I like to know the shopkeepers; it creates a relationship to which I give a lot of importance. I always go to Himi the butcher near my atelier; I appreciate the warm welcome I always get there, not to mention the quality of the food. I also like the Renard bakery on Place Fernand Cocq. They have a great pain au chocolat and I love their flûtes (small baguettes) – and that’s a French girl speaking! HIMI AND RENARD Renard, 3 Place Fernand Cocq Himi, 99 Chaussée d’Ixelles
CHICKEN CURRY WITH COCONUT AND CASHEW NUTS Serves six • 900g chicken breast cut into bite-sized pieces • 3 onions, thinly sliced • 1 garlic clove, minced • 250g tomato coulis • 70g yoghurt • 250ml coconut milk • 100g cashew nuts • ½ stem lemongrass, thinly sliced • Juice of ½ a lime • 1-4tsp each chilli powder, cumin, turmeric, ginger, cardamom, fenugreek (adjust to taste) • 4 cloves • 2 cinnamon sticks
Heat the onions and garlic in butter and oil with cinnamon until onions start to brown. Add tomato coulis and cook over gentle heat for a few minutes. Mix the spices and cloves with yoghurt, lemongrass and lime juice and add to pan. Heat for a few minutes and add chicken and coconut milk. Add salt to taste and cook over low heat for 25 minutes. Serve with cashew nuts, fresh coriander and rice flavoured with saffron and 1tsp turmeric
58 LIFESTYLE & COMMUNITY
THE BULLETIN
Up my Street
Keen on Place Keym Doctor Catherine Herremans loves living near Place Keym, an outpost of Watermael-Boitsfort that’s as animated as it is charming by katrien lindemans photos by ottomura
P
lace Keym was named after Eugène Keym (1861-1920), an alderman of WatermaelBoitsfort’s town council who did everything he could to keep its inhabitants safe during World War One. Many years later, the square at the heart of the commune still oozes peace and quiet. With a butcher, a baker, and a candlestick maker (well, a hardware store), the area is particularly popular with older people, including many who have lived in the area all their lives. There are also a number of expat families in the area as the European schools are nearby. Three years ago, 34-year-old Catherine Herremans moved with her family from Luxembourg to a street just off Place Keym. Even though the Grand’Place is only 10km away, the two squares could not be more different. The Grand’Place is imposingly beautiful and full of visitors, Place Keym charming and quiet. Quiet but not boring, however, as Place Keym offers enough variety to keep the locals busy. “If you have children, you’ll never run out of things to do,” Catherine says. “There’s Espace Delvaux, our cultural centre, which shows movies and plays and comes with a great library with all sorts of games. The Keym square itself is lovely for younger kids. It’s paved with what look like half globes, which are perfect for climbing!” For another preferred spot for kids, walk down Rue Gratès (a lovely street with pretty houses and little front gardens) until you see one of the commune’s most popular playgrounds. “Kids have fun with the swings, the slide, the roundabout and the sand box, while the parents enjoy a chat on one of the benches. I love that there’s always someone to play with or talk to,” Catherine says. “When the younger kids leave, the older children from the area often come to the playground with tables and chairs for a picnic. That’s something I never saw in Luxembourg.” You don’t have to be a child to have a good time in the area; foodies are also well-served. Butcher Lieven (25 Place Keym) gets his meat from a small farm in Flanders, and picturesque bakery Bairin (22) is said to sell the best croissants and bread in the area. “I love the organic eatery and grocery shop Chez Josy (15),”
Catherine says. The place opened about two years ago, and got its name from owners Joëlle and Sylvie. “My children’s favourite on the square is ice-cream parlour Capoue (52). It opened last summer and had all the kids from the area queueing on hot days.” Le Klepto (63 Drève du Duc) is a tiny, old-fashioned Belgian restaurant which serves good food at reasonable prices. Both brasserie Les Zievereirs (2 Rue des Cèdres) and La Brasserie de Watermael (91) have a pretty good reputation too. The latter is in the rather dated shopping centre on the square but, allegedly, the food is divine. “You’ll find a supermarket and a few convenient clothes shops in the mall,” Catherine says. “The best shop on the square itself is Les Tentations du Monde (2 Rue du Loutrier, on the corner of Place Keym). The place recently got a makeover, and sells things from all over the world: clothes, jewellery, decorative objects – it’s a great place to find gifts.”
B
esides being convenient and child-friendly, the area is remarkably green as well. “Bois de la Cambre and Forêt de Soignes are not far off,” Catherine says. “Parc de la Héronnière is great too, with its ponds and ducks, deers and all sorts of other animals.” If you’re planning a walk in the neighbourhood, you might want to visit Le Logis and Floréal (www.vivreafloreal.be). These two garden cities were built between the two world wars and gather identical-looking working-class houses. For a longer hike or a bike ride through the amazing greenery of the area, follow the Route Forêt de Soignes. It’s a 50km tour taking you from Watermael to Braine l’Alleud via Hoeilaert and Waterloo, part of the famous Green Belt around Brussels. You’ll come across signs close to Parc de la Héronnière.
ESSENTIAL INFORMATION PROPERTY
Houses are quite small, but usually come with a garden. Price per square metre starts at €2,300. Renting an apartment with two bedrooms easily costs €1,000 a month, according to immobrussels.be TRANSPORT
Busses 17, 41 and 95 all stop at Place Keym, as does the N08 Noctis night bus. There’s a Cambio car share point as well, and Watermael train station connects Brussels with Namur MEET THE NEIGHBOURS
A good mix of Belgians and Eurocrats (British, German and French), as the International School of Brussels is nearby and the Ecole Européenne in Uccle and International Primary School in Ixelles aren’t far off either
59 LIFESTYLE & COMMUNITY
NOV EMBER 18 - DECEMBER 1 2011
5
Catherine says: “ With the playgrounds and parks nearby, the area is very relaxed and green. There’s a great interaction between the locals, making you feel like you’re part of a community, rather than an anonymous person. Although there are lots of buses, a metro station closer-by would make travelling elsewhere easier. The nearest metro station Beaulieu is 15 minutes by foot.”
Rue des Pêcheries
3 Rue du
Loutri
er
aS
ri e ut Lo
e Ru
de
4 5 2
r
au va gi ne Place Keym
du
el
Ru e
Av .d
sE pic ea
1
s
IN & AROUND
Place Keym 1.
4.
Welcoming organic café and deli offering fresh fruit juices, soup and other treats. 15 Place Keym
Popular local butcher, ideal for picking up roast chickens, charcuterie and BBQ fare. 25 Place Keym
CHEZ JOSY
2. 1
2
LES TENTATIONS DU MONDE
5.
Original home decor, fashion and accessories from around the world, all at affordable prices. 2 Rue du Loutrier
Ciné apéro (a movie and a drink on Wednesdays), an exhibition or a performance? See the website for the agenda of cultural centre Espace Delvaux. 3 Rue Gratès www.lavenerie.be
3.
PARC DE LA HÉRONNIÈRE
3
More guides on www.thebulletin.be
4
LIEVEN
This park is great for spotting wildlife. For more info on walking and biking in the Green Belt, go to toerismevlaamsbrabant.be and search for ‘Zoniënwoudroute’.
ESPACE DELVAUX
82 LIFESTYLE & COMMUNITY
THE BULLETIN
CAPITAL LIFE Your city, your agenda Philippe Résimont, 48, recently starred as Captain Hook in Peter Pan at Centre Culturel d’Ottignies You’re an actor from Brussels but you work a lot in France. What does Brussels mean to you? More than anything it means ‘home sweet home’. I associate Paris with work. I have no fixed abode there, I always stay with friends, so I have no sense of belonging. It’s difficult to relax in such conditions.
My diary SATURDAY NOVEMBER
19
Do you prefer being on stage or on a film set? They are two completely different professions; my heart is torn between the two. Theatre has more of a ‘family’ vibe. You work, eat, laugh and sulk with the same team for three months of rehearsals – my favourite period. Then you appear on stage every night for a month. The actor is at the centre of the creative dynamics. On set, at my level at least, you often feel like you’ve been invited to an event that passes you by. A screen actor only has a short time to bring his character to life. It’s a bit unsettling, yet terribly exciting!
Brazilian photography on show at Bozar
VICTOR HORTA, UN MONDE PERDU - HORTA 2011
MONDAY NOVEMBER
FLEA MARKET
29
28
LA BOUSSOLE
It’s always nice to run into friends at the Jeu de Balle market and have a drink in one of the cafés on the square. Place du Jeu de Balle
22
TUESDAY NOVEMBER
JEAN DUBUFFET
20
TUESDAY NOVEMBER
You’ve done voiceovers for the French-language versions of Shameless and Doctor Who. Are you a fan of British TV in general? Absolutely! At the moment I am totally hooked on the E4 series Misfits – sci-fi with a healthy dose of dark humour. There’s something about British actors, plot lines and directing that I really like.
One of the greatest artists of the 20th century. Musée d’Ixelles 71 Rue Jean Van Volsem www.museedixelles.irisnet.be
If only to remind ourselves of those politicians who once let his buildings be brought down. Maison Autrique 266 Chaussée de Haecht www.autrique.be
SUNDAY NOVEMBER
What’s in the pipeline? I’m currently wrapping up the shooting of a series called Un Village Français, and I’m also doing a film, Intra Muros – both for France Télévision.
Jean Dubuf fet and his Jardin d’Hiver
WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER
23
L’ECUME DES JOURS
LE SKELETON BAND
Boris Vian’s masterpiece adapted for the stage by Manu Dekoninck. Comédie Claude Volter 98 Avenue des Frères Legrain www.comedievolter.be
French trio playing demented blues oscillating between Tom Waits and gypsy folk. Madame Moustache 5-7 Quai au Bois à Brûler www.madamemoustache.be
FRIDAY NOVEMBER
25
QUAND LE CORPS SE FAIT PARURE
A fascinating exhibition of non-European jewellery. Musée pour Aveugles 10 Parc du Cinquantenaire www.kmkg-mrah.be
Very affordable restaurant, ideal for a post-theatre dinner. 61 Quai au Bois à Brûler www.laboussole-be.com
SATURDAY NOVEMBER
26
CYRANO DE BERGERAC
Because one MUST go to see Cyrano! Aaah, Act five... Théâtre de la Place des Martyrs, 22 Place des Martyrs www.theatredesmartyrs.be