In the aftermath of the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest in Liverpool I wrote an op-ed for Songfestival.be, a Flemish fan medium. This is a translation and slight adaptation, as the original was written fit for the Songfestival.be audience. Belgium won the ESC only once, in 1986 with Sandra Kim singing ‘J’aime la vie’.
ICELAND | Kevlavík – Bridge Between Continents – Reykjanesviti Lighthouse – Reykjanestá – Gunnuhver Hot Springs – Grindavík – Reykjavík
Iceland in November and December? Really? I saw an Icelandair promotion on Instagram which I couldn’t resist. The catch? It had to be late November to the start of December 2022. But I could – easily – enthuse Oriol to come along for a road trip in the South and West of Iceland.
NMBS / SNCB dons train in rainbow colours for pride
For International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, Biphobia, and Intersexphobia (IDAHOBIT) and for Brussels Pride, NMBS / SNCB added rainbow colours to one of its Siemens Desiro Main Line EMUs. The #trainbow refers to Trainbow Belgium, the LGBTQIA+ network at the Belgian Railways, i.e. NMBS / SNCB, Infrabel and HR Rail.
REVIEW | Radisson Red Liverpool
Inspired by the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest, we travelled by train to England in March. Combining ESC host city Liverpool with the industrial heritage of Manchester. Manchester to Liverpool was also the first steam railway line ever. A perfect pretext to travel to The North.
Plans for a steam train heritage service between Brussels and Mechelen shelved
“If all goes well, Train World will operate steam train between Brussels and Mechelen (Malines), reports Gazet van Antwerpen. The service could start in 2020″, we wrote in 2019. Quod non. Minister for Mobility George Gilkinet (Ecolo) declared in Parliament it’s not happening because it’s too complicated.
LIMBURG | Bokrijk, an open-air museum of folk buildings heritage
On sunny October 2022 Tuesday, Jeroen and I visited Bokrijk, an open-air folk heritage museum near Genk in the province of Limburg. The Netherlands have the Nederlands Openluchtmuseum in Arnhem, Sweden has Skansen in Stockholm and Belgium has Bokrijk.
28 MAY | 150 years of trams in Antwerp
On 25 May 1873 the first horse-drawn tram ran in Antwerp from Meirbrug to St. Willibrord Church in Berchem, which back then was outside of Antwerp. On Sunday 28 May 2023, 150 years later, the Flemish Tram and Bus Museum or Vlaams Tram- en Autobusmuseum (VlaTAM) and heritage umbrella organisation META hold a Tramfest centered…
Museum At the Stream opens ‘City at war, Antwerp, 1940-1945’ exhibition on 8 September
On 8 September 2023, a new exhibition at the Museum Aan de Stroom (Museum At the Stream, MAS) about Antwerp during World War II opens at the MAS. Antwerp was particularly hard hit by the war. Nazi terror, persecution of Jews and military violence killed 25,000 city residents. Captivating personal stories make this important part…
RAINBOW EUROPE MAP AND INDEX 2023 | These are the LGBTQIA+ friendly and LGBTQIA+ unfriendly countries in Europe
Trans and intersex rights at the forefront of positive change for LGBTQIA+ people in Europe, the 2023 Rainbow Map and Index by ILGA-Europe finds. Despite intense anti-LGBTQIA+ attacks in several countries, equality is still advancing across Europe.
REVIEW | Icelandair Brussels Airport (Zaventem) to Reykjavík (Keflavík International Airport) on Boeing 737 MAX 8 in Economy
Iceland in November and December? Really? I saw an Icelandair promotion on Instagram which I couldn’t resist. The catch? It had to be late November to the start of December 2022. But I could – easily – enthuse Oriol to come along for a road trip in the South and West of Iceland.
Trip By Trip 