In 1938, René Magritte (1898-1967) gave a lecture at the Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp (Koninklijk Museum voor Schone Kunsten, KMSKA) on his vision of reality. There, he discussed the origins and development of his art, as well as the history of the Surrealist movement in Belgium.
Antwerp-Central all but ruled out as a stop on the Amsterdam to London Eurostar route
The City of Antwerp would love the Amsterdam to London Eurostar to include Antwerp-Central Railway Station as a stop. The 2025-2030 Government Agreement says so. But independent railway commentator Jon Worth doesn’t see it happening.
SEOUL | Skipping Myeongdong to shop at Starfield COEX Mall in Gangnam
Autumn 2024. Ten years after my first trip to Seoul in 2014, I am returning to the Republic of Korea, better known as South Korea. Not solo this time, but with Oriol, who has never been to Korea. On the itinerary: flying with Qatar Airways to Incheon via Doha, the capital Seoul, the historic city…
#CROSSCHANNELRAIL | Expanding UK-Europe train links most realistically leading to Switzerland
A new independent analysis has laid out the most comprehensive roadmap yet for expanding direct high-speed rail services between London in the United Kingdom and mainland Europe. The #CrossChannelRail Final Report, published on 17 November 2025, is the result of an unusually detailed investigation that included visits to sixty-three stations across the continent, technical assessments…
REVIEW | ‘Universal Tongue’, on dance, at Museum Aan de Stroom (MAS) until 4 January 2026
The Museum at the Stream (Museum Aan de Stroom, MAS) in Antwerp is currently celebrating the universal language of dance with ‘Universal Tongue‘, a monumental video installation by Dutch visual artist Anouk Kruithof. Running until 4 January 2026, the exhibition immerses visitors in a dazzling mosaic of dance from across the globe, showing how movement…
HOTEL REVIEW | Scandic Front in Copenhagen
I turned 44 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…
BELGIUM | Naming towns and cities: municipalities with Dutch, French, English and other translations
15 November is Dynasty Day or King’s Day in Belgium. 15 November being the name day of Leopold, the name of three of the seven Kings of the Belgians. To mark this occasion, and inspired by a Belga News Agency post, let’s take a look at names of villages, towns, municipalities and cities in the…
Winter in Antwerp 2025-2026 from 5 December to 4 January
From Friday 5 December 2025 to Sunday 4 January 2026, Winter in Antwerp will once again immerse the city in a warm and enchanting winter atmosphere. The City of Antwerp announced the plans today in a press release.
Rail should be functional, not fine art: EU leaders call for standardisation and lower costs
European Union Agency for Railways (ERA) chief Oana Gherghinescu has called for a radical shift in how Europe builds, funds, and manages its railways, stressing that rail should be functional, standardised, and affordable — not fine art.
Subsidies for night trains? “You cannot fix this until someone builds more sleeper and couchette carriages”
“I’m so tired of these arguments about small pots of money (or not) for night train operations. You cannot fix this until someone builds more night train carriages”, independent railway commentator Jon Worth posted on Bluesky. That last sentence in all caps. “Because then we can start to run night trains that aren’t with knackered…
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