BRUSSELS BELGIUM EUROPE
FEB 24-MAR 8 2012 ISSUE 12 €4.95
THE
BELGIAN FILM BOOM Matthias Schoenaerts leads the new wave with Oscar hopeful Rundskop
Kiss & Cry, a multimedia love story in miniature
BUSINESS
TR AVEL
LIFESTYLE
The visionary doctor There’s more to Mons Futuristic living behind pharma giant than its monkey Janssen 9 771373 178016
12
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PERFORMANCE
FEBRUARY 24 - M ARCH 8 2012
Celebrating 50 years
From CB to GSM
CB radio communication was considered the greatest thing since sliced bread during its brief, belated heyday in this country. We’ve come a long way since then
1980
In The Bulletin of February 1, 1980, John Boyle wrote about the new communication phenomenon, Citizens’ Band radio. While the CB craze had taken off in the US much earlier among long-distance lorry drivers, the CBers (or cibistes) were a novelty in Belgium. Described by some as “the greatest advance in two-way communication since the telephone”, it was dismissed by others as a danger that encouraged onehanded driving. In the end, the government promoted the CB from pirate status to legality. The reaction of its fans: “CB is no fun any more now that it’s legal.”
2012
Citizens’ Band has become as antiquated as the dial telephone and 78rpm records. We all have our mobile phones (cell phones in the US or GSM in Belgium) equipped with an almost limitless choice of applications - everything from cameras and games to weather reports and GPS - not to mention the ubiquitous laptops in every wifi-equipped bar or cafe. Perhaps the only aspect of the new technology that has not changed is the serious annoyance it still inspires among technophobes and the not-yet-converted. By Cleveland Moffett
5 THE BULLETIN
Contents
p22 Janssen Pharmaceutica
1
p32 Tram Experience
2
p56 ‘Kiss & Cry’
3
Politics & Business
Lifestyle & Community
Culture & Events
9 News In Brief
27 Lifestyle In Brief
52 Focus – Gerard Mercator A look at the life and legacy of the Flemish mapmaker and geographer on the 500th anniversary of his birth
Cover story
14 Focus – Belgian film boom As Rundskop flies the flag for Belgium at the Oscars, we take a look at the country’s booming film industry 21 Know-how The best websites for home-hunting 22 The Brand – Janssen The journey of Janssen Pharmaceutica from small research company to multinational chemical giant 26 Your Money How to make the most of your mortgage
32 Food – Love at First Bite Denis Roberti, head chef at the Electrolux Tram Experience, gives us the inside scoop on his foodie favourites 34 Focus – Homes of the future To mark the opening of Belgium’s biggest home show, Batibouw, we talk to trendwatcher Herman Konings 39 Digital Our top technology tips 40 Up My Street Cimetière d’Ixelles 43 Behind the Scenes 44 Travel What’s on in Mons 46 Community
56 Focus – Kiss & Cry The latest work by filmmaker Jaco Van Dormael and choreographer Michèle Anne De Mey 60 14 Days The Bulletin’s cultural highlights for the fortnight ahead – in Brussels and beyond 68 Film Reviews and recommendations for not-to-be-missed cinema 70 Property 76 Classifieds 80 Jobs 82 Capital Life Stéphanie Bruyer of Frenchinbrussels opens up her 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.
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THE NEW
BELGIUM
New faces, new plans, new taxes and what they mean for you
At home Elio Di Rupo
Master chef Tintin’s in town
with would-be prime minister
focus
Brussels goes Design
PROPERTY 001_001_cover di rupo OK.indd 1
Tips on renting and buying-to-let
Django Reinhardt
LIFESTYLE
FOCUS
Meet the vintners: Belgium’s wine scene uncoveredS
In conversation with the EU’s counter-terrorism czar
6/09/2011 12:29:03
001_001_cover new.indd 1
culture
His new film launches right How to navigate The life and times here where he was born Brussels’ schools maze of swing maestro
lifestyle
tr avel
Our guide to the best short ski holidays
Marrying in Belgium
up my street 9 771373 178016 INTERVIEW
TR AVEL
Ardennes adventures
001_001_cover.indd 1
09
LIFESTYLE
We meet football’s forgotten hero Jean-Marc Bosman
Fancy a spin? Pole dancing in Brussels
6/01/2012 13:37:35
14/10/2011 13:39:43
DENMARK
Highlights of the Danish EU Presidency
001_001_cover.indd 1
CULTURE
Diary dates for 2012 DEPOT BRUXELLES X
Tasty tips from Goûter Bruxelles founder
lIFeStyle
DepoT BruXelles X
Neville Marriner at the Klara Festival
Peter Goossens, the man behind Belgium’s top restaurant
FOOD
DEPOT BRUXELLES X
9/11, ten years on. Belgian victim’s parents remember
CUltUre
DepoT BruXelles X
FOCUS
9/12/2011 13:32:03
Published every two weeks, the new Bulletin is packed with exclusive interviews, expert analysis and your definitive guide to lifestyle & culture in Brussels and Belgium.From politics to culture, business to travel, food to fashion, if it’s happening and you need to know about it, you’ll find it in The Bulletin.
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Celebrating 50 years
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9 THE BULLETIN
FEBRUARY 24 - M ARCH 8 2012
1
Politics & Business
Bankruptcy
WALTER VAN BEIRENDONCK CLOSES SHOP Belgian fashion legend and former Bulletin cover star Walter Van Beirendonck has been forced to close his flagship WALTERStore in Antwerp because of a proposed 250 percent rent increase. To add to his woes, the designer has also filed for banckruptcy. Van Beirendonck, who rose to fame in the 1980s as a member of the influential group of designers known as the Antwerp Six, recently debuted his Autumn-Winter 2012-2013 collection during Paris Fashion Week to much acclaim, but it wasn’t enough to stop him closing his shop, which reportedly registered losses of more than €43,000 in 2011. In an official statement, Van Beirendonck said: “Under these conditions, it is no longer possible to work at the current premises in a profitable manner.” However, he said wouldn’t rule out the possiblity of opening a new store.
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BRUSSELS In Brief OBITUARY
The future of Mini-Europe is under threat from redevelopment plans
John Hellon John Hellon died of a stroke in his home in Saint-Job on February 11 at the age of 79. For some 25 years, starting in 1975, John was highly appreciated by the readers of The Bulletin for his informative and entertaining reviews of the city’s best restaurants. In a series of memoirs that John contributed to a local writers’ workshop, he recalled with wry humour and the wisdom of experience his early years in England, his time in the army and successful career in advertising. A keen traveller, he visited Thailand, India and many other countries with a discerning eye and ear, and for several years he divided his time between a flat in London and his house in Tenancingo, Mexico. John’s many enthusiasms included musical comedies, folk art, fiction, jazz singing and, of course, cooking. He loved to entertain, and the parties at his succession of Brussels homes were always loud and late affairs with plenty of good food and drink. He is survived by his son, Stefano.
CITY SIGHTS
MUSEUM
URBAN PLANNING
Euro park threat
Erotic art
Grouwels announces new urban projects
Uncertainty surrounds the future of Mini-Europe, the popular theme park in Heysel. The park, at the foot of the Atomium, features miniatures of Europe’s most famous landmarks. Its future has been placed in doubt by major redevelopment plans for the area, which include a theatre, shops, homes and a convention centre. Its owner had previously said the site would have to close by next year to make way for the new development. The fate of the adjacent Océade leisure complex is also uncertain. However, Interior Minister Joelle Milquet has now raised the possibility of saving the park by inviting the owners to bid for the tender for the future development. The move has been supported by Brussels Mayor Freddy Thielemans.
A new erotica museum opens in Brussels on March 1. The Museum of Erotics and Mythology was inaugurated on Valentine’s Day and is in a building on Rue Sainte-Anne, near the Grand Sablon. It has three floors and an exhibition space and is near the Galerie Libertine, which has been exhibiting erotic art since 2008. Dr Guy Martens, the art historian behind the initiative, said: “The word erotica comes from the Greek god Eros. The idea is to show what is sacred about love.”
A series of new publicly financed projects in Brussels has been unveiled by Brussels Minister Brigitte Grouwels. The projects include a €16 million redevelopment of Place Rogier, including a new road and metro station, plus the refurbishment of Square Marlow in Uccle at an estimated cost of €2 million. Other proposals include the creation of a pedestrian zone on Chaussée de Louvain, between Saint-Josse and Madou squares, costing €1.3 million, and a new tram line serving Jette and Ganshoren. More than €1 million is set aside for the introduction of a car park guiding system, and funds will also go towards further signs on the Brussels ring and motorways leading into the capital. About €80 million has been earmarked for new rolling stock for Stib, the city’s public transport operator, and about €275 million investment in public works is foreseen for the coming year.
TOURISM
Hotel on hot list Brussels’ Hotel Bloom has been named one of the trendiest hotels in the world by travel website TripAdvisor. The hotel, close to Botanique cultural centre, was voted 13th trendiest hotel on the planet in a survey by the website, which has 65 million visitors per month. Christel Cadanier, the hotel’s director, said: “Brussels faces big competition from cities such as Paris, London and Barcelona but this shows we must be doing something right.”
The lighter side
Naked ambition A man in his sixties has appeared in court charged with a public order offence after police found him driving nude in his car. The Gaume citizen and naturist had been photographing himself in bucolic settings. He risks a six-month suspended sentence.
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FEBRUARY 24 - M ARCH 8 2012
EUROPE In Brief Headliners Scandal resignation
Belgian MEP Guy Verhofstadt CIVIL LIBERTIES
Battle with Budapest The European Parliament has decided to investigate whether Hungary is in breach of EU values. The resolution on using the controversial Article 7 of the EU Treaty was put forward by liberal and left-wing MEPs and was passed with 315 votes in favour, 263 against and 49 abstentions. This reflects the growing concern over democracy, the rule of law and the protection of human rights in Hungary. LIBE, the Parliament’s civil liberties committee, will now draw a report on Hungary’s new constitution, which many say undermines the independence of the country’s judiciary, central bank and data protection authority. Once the report has been completed, the Parliament will vote on implementing Article 7. If Hungary is found to be in breach of EU values, it could lose its voting rights. “This is a vote in defence of the Hungarian citizens, and those across the EU that face similar threats to their liberty and checks and balances of the democratic system,” said Belgian MEP Guy Verhofstadt. However, many members of the European People’s Party, including Hungarian MEP Kinga Gál, see the move as a witch-hunt against the country. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has faced criticism from Brussels for many months now, but has made some indications that he will work towards some sort of resolution.
German President Christian Wulff has resigned over a home loan scandal. Mr Wulff is accused of abusing his position when he was governor of Lower Saxony. The news will be a blow to Chancellor Angela Merkel, who counted him a close ally. She cancelled a trip to Italy to manage the crisis.
New home About 1,300 foreign relations staff are on the move. Workers for the European External Action Service have started moving into their new home on the Schuman roundabout. Some 300 have already moved in, with everybody expected to be settled in by June.
Farm funds The European Commission is to reclaim about €115 million in misspent EU farm subsidies from member states. Italy must return €57.2 million, while the UK has to repay €31.6 million due to various ‘weaknesses’ in the allocating systems.
Outside View
Spread a little happiness In Bhutan, happiness has been made a public good. Time for governments worldwide to follow suit? By Shada Islam.
M
oney makes the world go round. But as the euro debt crisis grinds on and anti-austerity protests gain momentum across the continent, could Europe’s embattled leaders learn a lesson or two from a tiny Himalayan kingdom where happiness, not taxes, are a top priority? Bhutan, where former king Jigme Singye Wangchuck began talking about gross national happiness in In the US, the 1970s, was the first to decree happiness hairstyles a national policy. It’s certainly no paradise, and lifestyles but Bhutan has declared happiness a public good and a collective goal. are making The concept is gaining ground. A UN resand breaking olution says happiness is critical in advancpresidential ing economic growth and social progress. elections’ The Paris-based Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development now has a groundbreaking How’s Life initiative, which ranks countries on a happiness index by asking questions including: Do you like your job? How’s your health? Are you spending enough time each day with your children? When you need them, are your friends there for you? Can you trust your neighbours? And how satisfied are you overall with your life? Ever since it was first published in 1990, the Human Development Index produced annually by the UN Development Programme is a must-read for all policymakers. In Europe, French President Nicolas Sarkozy and British Prime Minister David Cameron have tinkered with the concept – but clearly not long enough to put it into practice. Thailand has an impressive wellbeing agenda, which it is eager to promote worldwide. And Taiwan has just said it will issue an annual ‘gross happiness index’ which takes into account factors such as health, environment, education, living, culture, jobs, holidays and the child-raising environment. No one expects GDP indicators to be replaced any time soon. But the move away from GNP and GDP as the only measure of a country’s overall state is surely a good thing. Europeans may not want to take a page out of tiny Bhutan’s book, but those favouring a ‘beyond GDP’ agenda also include economists Amartya Sen, Joseph Stiglitz and Jean-Paul Fitoussi. Perhaps the next time they huddle together to ponder ways out of the current Shada Islam is a crisis, EU leaders should keep their eyes on Brussels-based growth indexes, fiscal deficits and exchange journalist and rates – but also show they are working to works for Friends bring some happiness into people’s lives. of Europe
Grave diggers The French tomb of a black poodle called Tipsy was raided at the beginning of February. Her American owner had buried her in 2003 with a diamond-encrusted collar worth €9,000.
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THE BULLETIN
The Brand – Janssen Pharmaceutica
Chemical world From tiny atoms do mighty multinationals grow. We explore the medical legacy of the visionary Dr Paul Janssen by tania rabesandratana
J
anssen’s multi-billion-dollar story starts with Dr Paul in Turnhout, about 60 years ago. Paul Janssen studied in Namur, Leuven and the US, and graduated as a medical doctor from Ghent University in 1951. But instead of following the academic route, Dr Paul set up his own research lab where he created chemical compounds and tested their medicinal effects. Legend has it that Dr Paul inherited his entrepreneurial flair from his father, a general practitioner-cum-wholesaler of imported medicines. After just a couple of years, Dr Paul marketed his first molecule under the brand name Neomeritine— a drug against premenstrual pain that is still on the market today. His lab was soon churning out one active molecule after the other, which Dr Paul licensed to other companies in charge of manufacturing and distributing the drug.
But he soon realised it would be more profitable to produce these drugs himself, and decided to build manufacturing facilities. In 1957, he bought a 65-hectare plot of land from the town of Beerse for $1 per square metre, on the condition that he expand and hire 100 people in five years. Naysayers thought he was crazy to make the commitment, but the company grew and had hired about 200 people by 1960. When US company Johnson & Johnson said it was interested in buying Janssen, Dr Paul jumped on the opportunity and sold the company’s assets in 1961, in return for shares. “Dr Paul was visionary,” says Stefan Gijssels, Janssen’s vice-president for communications and public affairs in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. “He understood that in this global environment he needed financial back-up to expand and fulfil his ambitions. Plus it gave the company and its employees the
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Janssen Pharmaceutica’s headquarters in Beerse
FEBRUARY 24 - M ARCH 8 2012
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ability to fall back on the Johnson & Johnson structure says. Some solutions have emerged, though, such as in case anything happened.” Under Johnson & Johnson’s fast-track approval procedures for certain drugs with umbrella, Janssen added more successful molecules an immediate medical need, like HIV treatment. Despite to its portfolio – drugs that often transformed entire this high-pressure environment, Janssen decided to medical fields. go for high-risk research. “In the past we tended to For example, haloperidol is an antipsychotic drug stay in our comfort zone, looking at diseases of which sold under the commercial name Haldol. It was initially we already knew the biochemical mechanisms quite used to treat schizophrenic patients, at a time where well. But now we take the high jump.” The company straitjackets and electric shocks were the only available will research diseases that are less well known, but for remedies. Also in the 1960s, Janssen released fentanyl, which a scientific solution is critical, such as Alzheimer’s a painkiller about 100 times more powerful disease. Other conditions such as obesity than morphine, which is still widely used FACTS AND FIGURES will be less of a priority for the company, today as an anaesthetic for surgery, or to • Janssen has been because the best solution lies in prevention relieve pain in terminal patients. Last but part of Johnson & rather than science. Johnson, one of the not least, Janssen has developed gastro-in- largest healthcare Janssen decided to focus its research on testinal drugs that have become household groups in the world, five priority areas: neurological diseases names, including Imodium and Motilium. since 1961 such as schizophrenia or dementia; infec• In the past two tious diseases such as HIV/Aids, Hepatiyears, Janssen has n the 1970s and 1980s, Janssen contin- dropped the names tis C or tuberculosis; cancer, in particular ued its international expansion and of its subsidiaries, multiple myeloma and prostate cancer; such as HIV drugs opened research centres in France, company Tibotec, immunology; and metabolism, includGermany, Spain and the UK, as well and regrouped them ing diabetes. If that strategy pays off, the as branches in the US and China. When under the Janssen resulting drugs can potentially conquer name he found out that Chinese manufacturers • Janssen employs large, empty markets, have a huge impact were copying Janssen’s medicines, Dr Paul about 5,000 people on patients’ lives and bring big benefits to offered them the chance to work together in Belgium the company. – including 1,500 in rather than suing them. Gijssels says: “We R&D – out of about were one of the first pharmaceutical compa- 40,000 employees ijssels’ tasks include trying to nies in the world to have a real joint venture worldwide improve the industry’s image. • Janssen invests agreement with the Chinese authorities.” In about 20% of its “This is a subject that continaddition to a manufacturing plant in Xian, turnover in R&D ues to frustrate me,” said Jane opened in 1985, Janssen now runs R&D fa- activities worldwide Griffiths, company group chairwoman for cilities in Shanghai and Mumbai, India. Janssen Europe, Middle East and Africa. Dr Paul retired in 1994, at the age of 68. But he kept “The industry needs to be more proactive in communiworking in the lab – in particular, he was busy concoct- cating about the changes it is making, to become more ing a one-a-day Aids pill. And he eventually made it: transparent. There is so much positive work going on, rilpivirine was approved for sale last year under the and we need to get better at ensuring people are incommercial name Edurant, almost eight years after Dr formed about these activities.” Gijssels agrees: “We Paul’s death in 2003. But between Dr Paul’s gung-ho have a gigantic impact on people’s lives, but it’s like beginnings and the posthumous release of this Aids the work of angels – no one sees it. The pharmaceutical treatment, the pharmaceutical world has completely industry deserves more credit for its discoveries, and changed. Whereas in the 1950s a drug could be launched for the financial risk that it absorbs.” on the market just a year or two after the molecule had But he adds that Belgium is the country in Europe been synthesised, the development of a drug can now where the general public has the highest opinion of easily stretch over 10 years. big pharma. According to a survey carried out every “Twenty years ago you developed a drug, invested in two years by the European chemistry lobby Cefic, 84 it, then it reached the market after, say, seven years and percent of Belgians have a favourable opinion of the you had another 13 years before the patent expiry where pharmaceutical industry – up from about 76 percent you could make good money from the drug,” Gijssels in 2000, and about 18 percentage points above the EU recalls. “Now you have less time on the market, so the average. “This is the result of major communications price of the drug goes up to recoup the investment costs. investment, of having the company’s boss in the press, The cost of research increases but the chance of having a of talking about the industry’s contribution to the coundrug approved decreases because the efficacy and safety try’s economy,” Gijssels says proudly. demands are increasingly high.” In some pharmaceutical areas such as antibiotics, research investments are already dwindling because many companies find that the spending is not worth it, Gijssels warns. “The political environment doesn’t always understand that our drugs sales lead to more research,” he
I
G
“We have a gigantic impact on people’s lives, but it’s like the work of angels - no one sees it”
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Dr Paul Janssen continued working in his lab even after retirement in 1994 JANSSEN IN BELGIUM
Belgium is an essential part of Janssen’s – and Johnson & Johnson’s—global operations. In addition to its historical research and production centre on its Beerse campus, the group runs a chemical production plant in Geel and international distribution facilities in Courcelles and La Louvière, as well as the Johnson & Johnson European headquarters near Zaventem airport. Every penny spent by the group goes through the global treasury services in Belgium. “We’ve had lots of discussions with the Belgian authorities and got some important tax breaks,” says Stefan Gijssels, vice-president for communications and public affairs for Janssen Europe, the Middle East and Africa. “We work with them to make sure Belgium remains an attractive environment, and that’s one of the reasons why we continue to invest here. All our new
drugs are manufactured in the country.” According to Gijssels, Belgium has convincing assets to attract foreign scientists. “Belgium is welcoming: the quality of life is good here, people speak English, there are good international schools and lots of work opportunities for spouses,” he says. In 2007 and 2009, Janssen had to face the global economic crisis and two of its blockbuster products going off-patent at about the same time. The company cut about 600 jobs in Belgium at that time, but things are looking brighter today, as Janssen has recently advertised about 120 job vacancies.
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Your Money
The borrowers
A
s we enter the fourth year of the debt crisis, living within our means is the order of the day. However, credit is the lubricant that enables the economic machine to function smoothly and it’s not always practical to wait until you’re able to pay cash. Buying a home is an obvious example. Here are some points to bear in mind before approaching a bank for a mortgage.
Philip Curran is an independent financial adviser based in Brussels
THINK AHEAD
ILLIQUID ASSET
GOLDEN RULES OF BORROWING
When it comes to buying your own property, the natural tendency is to borrow as little as you can and pay it back as quickly as possible. Poor stock market returns and low cash deposit rates have reinforced this mindset. In reality, though, the key to successful financial planning is to anticipate what is likely to occur in the future rather than to expect a re-run of the immediate past. Everything in economics is cyclical, so it is wise to anticipate change. Even if you don’t think you need much in terms of mortgage funding for your home purchase, always look to optimise your borrowing, as there are many advantages to maximising the amount of mortgage loan finance you can obtain.
If you want to retain access to your funds, remember that money held outside property remains accessible at any time for any purpose, whereas money paid to buy property becomes illiquid.
• Look to obtain the longest loan term possible. This allows you to hold on to money that, net of inflation, is costing you very little for longer. • Depending on the interest rate comparisons, it is usually better to opt for a variable rate than a fixed rate. Belgians are very conservative with their finances and look to fix their loan rates for as long as possible. Unsurprisingly, bank profit margins tend to be wider on these more popular long-term fixed rates. Rather than fixating on the idea of paying exactly the same monthly payment in 10 years’ time as today (when the real value of the payments will have shrunk dramatically due to inflation), it makes more sense to focus on the type of loan which will cost the least overall. This is likely to be a variable rate loan, so if you can cope with payment levels that fluctuate, you are likely to end up paying less interest overall.
LOW INTEREST
Low interest rate loans mean that the ‘hurdle’ rate your investments have to match to cover the cost of borrowing these extra funds is modest. INHERITANCE TAX
Be aware that when substantial sums are tied up in property, inheritance tax planning will be problematic. DEBT
There is a very real risk that the European Central Bank will have to follow the inflationary policies currently being adopted by the British, Japanese, Swiss and US governments, as it is unlikely that austerity measures and increasing taxes alone will reduce government and personal debts sufficiently within the foreseeable future. Fortunately, when governments use inflation to reduce debts, the real value of all debts, including mortgage loans, is reduced.
More guides on www.thebulletin.be
CASHFLOW
Unless the purpose is housing-related, loans are usually expensive and have to be repaid within a few years, leading to high monthly repayment commitments. So, if you are going to have a loan, make it a house loan. It is the only loan that allows you to spread repayments over decades thereby minimising the effects on your cashflow. CONTROL
If you take out a larger mortgage loan than you need, the surplus funds are your money. Money paid into a property, however, can only be accessed via a loan; it is the bank’s money, not yours. As a result, if you need funds for any reason at a later date, don’t be surprised if the bank takes advantage of this situation when it comes to terms and conditions. In certain circumstances, your request for a loan may even be declined.
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FEBRUARY 24 - M ARCH 8 2012
2
Lifestyle & Community
Piola Libri
VIVA ITALIA! You know you’ve arrived when The Guardian flags you up as one of the best bars in Brussels. It’s a well-deserved plug for Piola Libri; set up in 2007 by Jacapo Panizza and Nicola Taricco, it’s an Italian bookshop that manages to feel as European as the quarter it resides in. Just around the corner from the Commission, it serves as an afterwork hangout that’s perfect for an evening apéritif with friends. “We wanted to do something that was missing in Brussels,” says the affable Panizza, an environmental lawyer turned entrepreneur. “We also wanted to offer a different version of Italy – something more than pizza and pasta.” And this they do. Between March 1 and 4, Piola Libri will be taking part in Brussels Book Fair, where Italy is the special guest country, while on March 16 you can help the Libri posse celebrate their fifth birthday with a live performance from 1980s Italian crooners Righeira, of Vamos a la Playa fame. 66-68 Rue Franklin, Brussels, tel 02.736.93.91, www.piolalibri.be
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LOVE AT FIRST BITE The inside scoop on foodie favourites Denis Roberti
F
or 12 years, Denis Roberti has scoured the region of Walloon Brabant looking for fresh, local ingredients to supply his catering service Les Garrigues. With a passion for seasonal products and innovative Belgian cooking, he caters events at Belgium’s best restaurants, including the Michelinstarred l’Air du Temps. In his latest adventure, you’ll find Roberti in the kitchen of the new Tram Experience restaurant by Electrolux, which opens on February 15 and will run for one year as part of the Brusselicious initiative. Combining gastronomy and tourism, Tram Experience is set on one of the city’s old trams and, while touring the loveliest streets in Brussels, will serve Belgian classics re-imagined by Belgium’s top chefs. www.traiteur-garrigues.com www.brusselicious.com
BAR
I love the Théâtre du Vaudeville. It has a friendly atmosphere and tiny, dark alcoves where you can hide yourself away. When I’m there, I always order the same thing, exactly what I ordered the first time I went: a nice cold Leffe. THÉÂTRE DU VAUDEVILLE 12 Galerie de la Reine, Brussels
We say: There is a lot of history in this old theatreturned-nightclub-turnedrestaurant right in the middle of Brussels’ majestic Galerie de la Reine. While these days it caters mainly to tourists, few would not be charmed by its Art Nouveau decor and friendly staff. What’s more, it’s also open seven days a week
“My grandmother introduced me to Belgian cuisine and it was thanks to her that I discovered my passion for cooking”
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FEBRUARY 24 - M ARCH 8 2012
INGREDIENT
SHOP
RESTAURANT
RECIPE
I love aromatic herbs; I use them in everything. My favourites are wild garlic, chive blossom and mint flowers. I buy them from local growers and nurseries in my region. They bring freshness to my cooking and produce some really surprising flavours, especially when they are just in bloom. They also make great, edible decorations on plates. I also use a lot of spices, fusing the tastes of different culinary traditions around the world.
Brussels has a lot of great food markets, but you’ll often find me at Mabru, Brussels’ wholesale market in Laeken. I always try to work with seasonal Belgian products and there you can really find everything.
I really like brasserie-style restaurants. I love the retro decor and relaxed ambiance. Two of my favourites are Les Brasseries Georges by the Bois de la Cambre and La Roue d’Or near the Grand’Place. The cassoulet at Brasseries Georges is just delicious and both restaurants have a large variety of dishes, fresh products and traditional but inventive menus.
This recipe takes me back to my early childhood. It is the first thing I can remember my grandmother cooking for me. She is the one who introduced me to Belgian cuisine and products, and it was thanks to her that I discovered my passion for cooking.
DRINK
My favourite drink is probably Leffe Ruby. You can drink it with everything. It is very fresh and the alcohol content is not too high, only five percent, so it doesn’t fill you up. It goes very well with your typical Belgian dishes like waterzooi with fish. I often recommend it to go along with recipes like my fish soup (see right).
MABRU 22-23 Quai des Usines, Brussels www.mabru.be
We say: The enormous Mabru market has existed for more than a century and is a mainstay for cooking professionals. Previously held in the Grand’Place before moving to Laeken in 1973, the market operates from the wee hours of the morning until 20.00. It hosts more than 150 vendors selling produce from all over Belgium and the world. Like wholesale supermarkets ISPC and Metro, Mabru is open to catering professionals only. However, guided tours are sometimes available for those willing to arrive at 5.00, allowing them to explore Mabru’s many stalls and even eat some breakfast
LES BRASSERIES GEORGES 259 Avenue Winston Churchill Brussels, www.brasseriesgeorges.be LA ROUE D’OR 26 Rue des Chapeliers, Brussels
We say: Les Brasseries Georges has all the vibrancy of the grand French brasseries of yesteryear. Its large terrace is the perfect place to enjoy oysters on a warm day while adventurous diners can enjoy specialities such as slow-cooked calf brains in vinaigrette sauce. La Roue d’Or, with its stunning Art Nouveau design and Magritte-lined walls, is an ode to the Brussels of old. There you can find classic Belgian dishes expertly cooked and paired with the perfect beer from their extensive list
FISH SOUP For six servings 2kg red mullet 1kg monkfish Sole and salmon scraps or bones Bunch parsley 2 pinches saffron 1/2 head garlic 1 bunch leeks 4 cartons peeled tomatoes 1 small can tomato paste 2 litres water or fish stock 1 tbsp sea salt Butter and olive oil (for cooking) Salt, white pepper, thyme and bay leaf
Sauté chopped leeks in butter and olive oil in a large pan and add the fish. Add the peeled tomatoes and tomato paste, followed by the garlic, parsley, thyme, bay leaf, saffron, fish bones, white pepper and salt. Pour in the water or fish stock and cook for 35 to 40 minutes. Remove all the large bones and blend with a mixer. Check the seasoning and adjust as necessary. If the soup is too thin, you can add some rice paste. Transfer to a large soup pot. Cook again on medium to low heat for between 35 and 40 minutes, and serve with fresh bread
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Behind the Scenes
The Surrealist Meatifesto Don’t believe everything you see: the Belgian meat industry is nothing like the way it’s portrayed in the Oscar-nominated ‘Rundskop’. We meet a Brussels butcher with a proud heritage by nicholas hirst photos by bart dewaele
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ind-bending juxtapositions: that’s what the Surrealists were after. And Magritte’s spirit need look no further than his home commune of Jette, where passers-by are greeted with the combination of a butcher’s shop and a sign declaring ‘This is not Daisy the Cow’ in French. But if the idea of a butcher who is also a practising Surrealist worries you, rest assured that the boss of Cortoos, Patrick van den Berge, is a safe pair of hands. If anything, he’s a typical Belgian, marrying fine humour with a discerning palate. Magritte wouldn’t have seen Van den Berge’s homage, though he probably saw the original butcher’s shop that opened on the site in 1932. While Cortoos itself
has existed for almost 40 years, everything around it has changed. When the supermarkets arrived, the round-the-block queues disappeared. Of the 25 butchers in Jette when Van den Berge arrived, 20 have been forced to lay down the cleavers for good. And yet business at Cortoos is booming. When I visit, it’s 8.00 and the shop is bustling with activity. “We’ve diversified,” says Van den Berge, explaining the key to his success. “We’ve started delivering to restaurants and catering, while in the butcher’s shop we’ve focused on quality.” It shows: Limburg pigs raised lovingly in Lilbosch Abbey rub shoulders with Blonde d’Aquitaine veal and spring lambs from the Basque Pyrenees.
After arriving at Cortoos in 1976, Van den Berge worked his way up to partner and then owner. Butchery appears to run in the blood: “My father was a butcher, as was his father before him.” The business remains a family affair: Van den Berge joined the company at 15 and his daughter now runs the shop. “I have grandchildren and, who knows, maybe them too?” he muses. If family professions spanning five generations are the exception nowadays, then so too are thriving high-street businesses. Cortoos is happy to break both moulds. Cortoos 610 Chaussée de Jette 1090 Brussels www.boucherie-cortoos.be
FEBRUARY 24 - M ARCH 8 2012
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Culture & Events
Ars Musica
MUSIC WITHOUT BORDERS, whether temporal, geographic or stylistic, will resound in the 24th edition of this festival devoted to contemporary music, its historic bass lines and its future prospects. Multicultural, multi-disciplinary, unbuttoned yet high-minded, the festival has cast off its elitist mantle and opened up to the here-and-now of new music creation, with its wide-ranging influences and unfettered experimentation. On the programme, 29 world premieres and 19 works commissioned for the occasion plus a host of others by well-known and emerging composers, some in their early 20s, many from outside Europe. The performers, similarly diverse, are likewise top-notch. Belgian composer Claude Ledoux, the artistic director of this edition, has subtitled the event ‘Altra Cosa’, suggesting it will be like nothing you’ve ever heard before. It’s a privileged chance to listen and discover. March 1 to 31, Liège, Mons, Brussels, Antwerp and Bruges. www.arsmusica.be
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Focus – Mercator
Charting the globe The next time your GPS tells you which way to turn, give a thought to Gerard Mercator, who mapped the heavens and the Earth from his study in Leuven by cleveland moffett
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hese days when practically everybody has a smartphone or a GPS in their car, maps are mostly for befuddled, guidebook-clutching tourists who more often than not give up and ask a native, ‘Where am I? How do I get to where I’m going?’ These are the questions that we inhabitants of the planet have been asking ourselves ever since we first built boats to sail the
seas or drove coaches to cross continents. The most famous mapmaker of them all will be remembered this year on the 500th anniversary of his birth. Gerard de Cremer, born the son of a poor cobbler in the West Flanders village of Rupelmonde in 1512, upgraded himself to Gerard Mercatoris Rupelmundanus when he went to university in nearby Leuven. A diligent and ambitious student, the young Mercator
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lived at a time of revolutionary advance Travel was still high adventure, and maps in knowledge, the period that came to be were as necessary as food and medicine for known as the Renaissance. Erasmus of any extended voyage. The only informaRotterdam had introduced the study of tion that a mapmaker had to go by were Hebrew, Greek and Latin at Leuven, and the the not-always-reliable tales of merchants, still-startling medium of printing meant diplomats, slave traders or seamen who had that the Bible and classical learning were been to the far corners of the Earth and lived for the first time widely available in aca- to tell the tale. Geography, or ‘cosmography’ demic circles. Aristotle’s word on scientific as Mercator and other desk-bound explormatters was law, the Church ers preferred to call it, was a having forgiven him his igno- NEW PUBLICATION necessarily inexact science, rance of Christian doctrine. one that had to be continually LE MONDE EN CARTES. GÉRARD MERCATOR ET updated whenever new and LE PREMIER ATLAS DU t Leuven, Mercator MONDE, BY THOMAS more convincing facts became met and befriended HORST available. In Mercator’s day, the With colour G e m m a F r i s i u s reproductions of work of the second-century (from Friesland), all the plates from Greco-Egyptian geographer 15 years his junior and already Mercator’s Atlas and astronomer Ptolemy was of 1595 regarded as a mathematician Co-published by still consulted with respect. and cosmographer of genius. Fonds Mercator (no Brussels, The two men became lifelong relation), tudying the ways of and Faksimile friends and collaborators. Verlag, Munich the world – the seaAmong many other scholars Available in French, sons, tides, phases of and German at Leuven at that time who were Dutch the moon – and ques400 pages, €69.95 to become famous in their own www. tioning long-held assumptions right was the Antwerp-born mercatorfonds.be were activities that the Church Abraham Ortelius, designer regarded with deep suspicion. and publisher of the first modern atlas, the The Inquisition, after all, was still very Theatrum Orbis Terrarum. Also compet- much in business and active in its search ing and cooperating in the increasingly for the slightest suspicion of heresy. In Leuprofitable science of mapmaking was the ven, Mercator had expanded his research Englishman John Dee, fresh from Cam- from the drawing of meticulous maps to the bridge and now eager to study at the creation of terrestrial globes and celestial prestigious University of Leuven. spheres, works of extraordinary precision Long before Columbus, get- and beauty. But these were the 1540s, and ting from one place to an- Emperor Charles V sent soldiers and inother on the surface of the vestigators throughout his vast domain Earth or seas had been to search out anyone and everyone who a complex and highly might be harbouring unorthodox thoughts. risky undertaking. In February 1543, two of Charles’s loyal heretic-hunters knocked on Mercator’s door and asked his wife where he was. Mercator had married Barbe Schellekens seven years earlier, had had six children by her and was leading the life of a reclusive scholar. When the inspectors found he was not at home, they ransacked the house in search of incriminating documents, then issued a warrant for his arrest. The Emperor’s soldiers found him in Rupelmonde. They wasted no time in seizing him and locked him up in the town’s huge and gloomy fort to await trial by the judges of the religious authorities. Visitors to the town today will see no more than two of the fort’s original 17 towers, the rest of it having decayed over the centuries until it is now no more than a curiosity.
A Opposite
Detail of Belgium from Mercator’s Atlas, 1595 Below
Celestial globe showing the constellations, made by Mercator in 1551
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Gerard Mercatoris Rupelmundanus, cosmographer extraordinaire, 1512-1594
EXHIBITIONS MERCATOR. EXPLORING NEW HORIZONS
Museum Plantin-Moretus 22 Vrijdagmarkt, Antwerp March 24 to June 17 www.museumplantinmoretus. be MERCATOR DIGITAAL
Highlights include three of the atlases in digital form (in Dutch) SteM, Stedelijke Museum 14 Zwijgershoek Sint-Niklaas March 4-August 26 www.mercatordigitaal.be MERCATOR’S LIBRARY
The cartographer’s book collection partially reconstituted Mercator Museum Sint-Niklaas March 24-June 30 http://musea.sint-niklaas.be/ mercator
FEBRUARY 24 - M ARCH 8 2012
When Mercator’s wife found out what hymnals. And of course he also did a lucrahad happened to him, she proved to be a tive business in the sale of maps, among fierce defender of her husband’s rights. By them Mercator’s. using every connection with influential In 1551, Mercator received an invitation people in high places that the scientist from Duke William of Jülich in Germany had made during the course of his rise to take the chair of cosmography in a new to international fame, she succeeded in university that the duke was planning to getting him freed after seven months of open in Duisburg. It was a field of study that imprisonment. If the judges had found included all of natural science, combining him tainted with Lutheran sympathies, the study of the Earth with its place in the he would in all probability have universe. been burned at the stake like PRACTICALITIES Productive as he was, a man William Tyndale, whose crime YOU CAN’T GET THERE as ambitious as Mercator could was translating the New Testa- FROM HERE never be entirely satisfied with Eager to see the ment into English. Tyndale, an home town of Gerard what he had achieved. He died Englishman, was captured in Mercator, I went to in Duisburg in 1594 at the age of Antwerp and sent to Vilvoorde the station and asked 82 while still working on his last for a return ticket to Prison for execution. great work, the Cosmographia, Rupelmonde. which was a description of the Rupelmonde? Never n his release from heard of it, said the Earth and the heavens in five friendly fellow behind the Rupelmonde the counter. I massive volumes, yet “keeping f o r t , M e r c a t o r enquired further and repetition to a minimum,” the got back to work learned that some businessman in him promised, time ago inventing new and improved Rupelmonde was “lest he who buys the work devices for surveying, naviga- incorporated into should be overloaded with too tion and astronomical calcula- neighbouring many maps.” Kruibeke. The tion. His most valuable client birthplace of the The name of the scholar remained the Emperor; Mer- world’s most famous from Rupelmonde is perhaps cator could not afford to hold cartographer has best know n in connection been wiped off the a grudge. When he completed map with the Mercator Projection, a terrestial globe and other TO GO TO KRUIBEKE his most famous innovation. precision instruments that Take the train to Still used today, with improvecould be of help to Charles V, Antwerp, then get ments, it greatly simplified the a bus to Kruibeke. he sent them to his court in Incidentally, if you’d navigational difficulties that Brussels. Charles received like to visit the sailors faced trying to follow them with enthusiasm, eager Mercator Museum, the latitude, longitude and it’s not in Kruibeke; to make use of them in his mili- it’s in Sint-Niklaas. meridians that separated here tary campaigns against rebel And you can take from there. In simplifying the Protestants in Germany. The the train all the way world, the projection inevitably campaign with Charles at the distorts the size of continents head of it proved a resounding success, and the distances between them, but it still but the rare scientific instruments were provides the most practical way to estimate destroyed in a fire. Charles promptly wrote directions. Of course, Columbus managed to Mercator’s workshop in Leuven and or- to get across the ocean to the New World dered replacements. without Mercator’s projection, and it was Mercator does not seem to have lost just as well, since he landed there by misany sleep over the fact that the products take. of his workshop were being used to fight and defeat the reformists he secretly sympathised with. Like his friend the printer Christopher Plantin, whose workshop is now a museum in Antwerp, Mercator kept his religious convictions to himself. Plantin avoided trouble by turning out strictly orthodox Catholic breviaries, missals and
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CAPITAL LIFE Your city, your agenda Stéphanie Bruyer, 35, runs creative language classes with Frenchinbrussels Tell us about what you do I run workshops that offer people a creative way of learning French using drama and even cooking. I started doing the workshops three years ago because all French classes were quite traditional and I wanted to offer people something different.
What didn’t you like about normal language classes? After sitting in front of a computer all day at work, most people don’t want to sit down again for two hours in the evening learning a language. It’s good to get people active. It creates a good atmosphere and even if people are tired when they come to the class, they aren’t when they leave! What happens in class? For Act&Talk, we use drama and improvisation adapted to language learning: movement,
vocal exercises, pronunciation and articulation to help develop people’s confidence in speaking French. Who are the classes for? Absolutely anyone, though it is not appropriate for absolute beginners as you need some knowledge of French so you can speak in the past, future and present tense. The next session begins on March 14, but there is only capacity for 10, so people must book in advance. www.frenchinbrussels.com
My diary SATURDAY FEBRUARY
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WEDNESDAY MARCH
ANIMA FESTIVAL
COMPTOIR FLORIAN
Late-night animated film screenings in Flagey’s studio four Flagey, www.animatv.be
SUNDAY FEBRUARY
Tea with my colleague Sara to prepare our upcoming Act&Talk session 17 Rue Saint Boniface www.comptoirflorian.be
SUNDAY MARCH
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A visit to one of the best bakeries in Brussels, just by Place Châtelain 130 Rue Américaine saintaulaye.be, tel 02.538.48.15
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JOGGING IN THE FORÊT DE SOIGNES
LE FOURNIL DE SAINT AULAY
MONDAY FEBRUARY
7
I start at the Centre Sportif d’Auderghem because there are three tours of 5, 10 and 20km, well-indicated by markers 2057 Chaussée de Wavre
Animation takes centre stage at Anima festival
WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY
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TROP BON
FELICITY
I love this small slow-food place. Lovely food, veggie or meat, and all freshly made 1 Chaussée de Vleurgat www.tropbon.be
Quality clothes and accessories from local creators, including the owner 40 Rue Américaine www.felicityshop.be
FRIDAY MARCH
2
YOGA AT CENTRE YOGA BKS IYENGAR
Very professional centre that organises workshops Willy Bok, 155 Rue Philippe Baucq, tel 02.345.35.60
SATURDAY MARCH
3
FLAGEY MARKET
I like buying organic and local vegetables from Vincent Cantaert and recommend Jacques Defrenne for the best chicken and cheeses www.bioguide.be/marches