Belgium‘s national railway operator NMBS / SNCB will celebrate a major milestone next week as it marks the 100th anniversary of its creation. On 23 July 2026, exactly one century after the Belgian Parliament approved the law establishing the railway company in 1926, passengers and railway staff will be treated to special anniversary activities, while…
Month: July 2026
REVIEW | Candeo Hotels Hiroshima Hatchobori
Autumn 2025. We – Sam and Danny, Michel and Wille, and Timothy – are travelling to Japan for a quite classic tour of the Land of the Rising Sun. We are flying separately as we used miles. On the planning: Tokyo, Kanazawa, Shirakawa, Osaka, and Expo 2025, Hiroshima, Himeji, Miyajima, Kyoto, Nara, Nagoya, Hakone, and…
PRIDE AND PREJUDICE | Europe must defend diversity and democracy against growing pressure, says professor Hendrik Vos
2026 marks the nineteenth (19th) edition of Antwerp Pride. From Wednesday 5 to Sunday 9 August, Antwerp in Belgium will once again be taken over by rainbow vibes. Prides are a mix of celebration – parties – and activism and advocacy. For the 2026 edition, the organising committee focuses on fearing less and being fearless.
DENVER | History Colorado Center
September 2025. After Oscar came to London in June 2024 and I joined him there for a day, I’m now going to his hometown of Denver in Colorado. My second trip to the United States in 2025, after visiting my uncle and aunt in Wilmington, North Carolina. No, Denver is is not on foreign tourists’…
ANTWERP | ‘Between us. Exploring queer spaces’: Museum Aan de Stroom (MAS) hosts exhibition for 20 years Antwerp Pride, from 26 February to 30 August 2027
2026 marks the nineteenth (19th) edition of Antwerp Pride. From Wednesday 5 to Sunday 9 August, Antwerp in Belgium will once again be taken over by rainbow vibes. Prides are a mix of celebration – parties – and activism and advocacy. For the 2026 edition, the organising committee focuses on fearing less and being fearless.
First Mechelen Canal Pride on Saturday 25 July
Mechelen will make Belgian LGBTQIA+ history on Saturday 25 July 2026 when it hosts the country’s first-ever Canal Pride. Inspired by Amsterdam‘s famous canal parade but on a much smaller scale, the event will see decorated boats and canoes travel along the city’s Binnendijle waterway in a celebration of diversity, visibility and inclusion.
France welcomes 102 million visitors and earns €77.5 billion from tourism in record-breaking 2025
I turned 45 in June. I have this tradition – when possible – of not being in Belgium for my birthday. From Sweden in 2013 to the Châteaux of the Loire Valley in 2014, Lake Orta in 2015, Rome in 2016, London in 2018, North Carolina and Virginia in 2019, England in 2022, and Rotterdam…
Brussels Airlines, mixologist Manuel Wouters and Filliers launch ‘Heritage’, a new signature aperitif
Brussels Airlines has teamed up with Belgian mixologist Manuel Wouters and distillery Filliers to create ‘Heritage’, a new signature aperitif that is now exclusively available in Business Class on long-haul flights. Heritage pays homage to Belgium’s emblematic flavours: elderflower, apple and pear. This signature drink underscores the unique ‘Boutique Hotel’ approach Brussels Airlines offers its…
Fearless in uncertain times: Antwerp Pride confronts fear with hope
2026 marks the nineteenth (19th) edition of Antwerp Pride. From Wednesday 5 to Sunday 9 August, Antwerp in Belgium will once again be taken over by rainbow vibes. Prides are a mix of celebration – parties – and activism and advocacy. For the 2026 edition, the organising committee focuses on fearing less and being fearless.
VILNIUS | Museum of Occupations and Freedom Fights
August 2025. We’re travelling to the Baltic States: Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, and more specifically their respective capitals Tallinn, Riga and Vilnius. Are they interconnected by rail? Yes, but not in the most straightforward or userfriendly way possible. The Rail Baltica project should remedy this. Unsurprisingly though, this megaproject faces political and budgetary hurdles. It…