Not a tourist trap - Nüetnigenough

As a tourist you always suspect that the places too close to the main tourist attractions are expensive, touristy, and not authentic. Surprisingly, in Brussels centre, you can be just around the corner from Grand-Place and find nice bars that drag locals and lucky tourists alike - and some new locals ready to discover the city like myself.

One such place is Nüetnigenough (hard to spell or pronounce) at Rue du Lombard 25. From outside it already looks tempting with its Art Nouveau facade and beautiful windows. It's a traditional but relaxed place with interesting food - unfortunately, nothing for the vegetarians except for the day's soup or some Indian curry - like rabbit in a gueuze sauce, and a great selection of Belgian beers.

The menu of Nüetnigenough.

The bar/restaurant is (of course!) in the secret Brussels list for "The 5 Best Local Beers and Where to Drink Them". For Nüetnigenough the book recommends Lindemans Kriek Cuvee René (No. 154 in the list), but I had something completely different, as the very friendly waiter was ready  to recommend some of their rarer beers. 

Relaxed place, friendly atmosphere, and nice service - what more do you want after escaping the crowds of Grand-Place?

Paradoxal Florence

After a few hours of working on Sunday (and more hours spent on checking flight connections, comparing hotels, investing in social networking (which is just a fancier synonym for wasting time on internet), and reading news), I deserved a little Sunday passegiata aiming for a gelato. There was a 10-metre-long queue waiting for some good ice cream in one of my favourite gelaterias close to Duomo so I did a detour to a bookshop hoping that the gelato-hungry tourists would disappear in the meantime. I was already quite irritated by the tourist masses when I arrived at Piazza Duomo where my irritation turned into a depression. The Duomo is the most reknown symbol of Florence so it's normal that the piazza is overwhelmed by tourists the whole year around but today it just felt unbearable.

Sometimes, Florence feels like this!

I love the cathedral. It's an extraordinary piece of architecture and Brunelleschi's dome built in the early 15th century doesn't stop amazing me. You'll get the best view of the dome from the hills around the city centre, from the frog perspective it doesn't seem at all as imposing as it is in reality. The Battisterio next to the Duomo is also a wonderful building, and the oldest church in Florence (most probably ancient Florentines used to pray for Mars in this same place). Lorenzo Ghiberti's golden doors facing the Duomo are so beautiful that Michelangelo declared them as the gate to paradise. Until the end of the 19th century, all the Florentines got baptised in this building. And of course, il bello campanile, the 85m tall bell tower designed by the famous Reneissance painter Giotto. Obviously, I'm not the only one who wants to admire the piazza every now and then, and I have to admit that even after 3 years of close relation with the Duomo, I still look up to admire the dome and the campanile when I pass by. But it drives me crazy that I have to push my way through the tourist groups who are following a Spanish flag, a sunflower, an umberella, or whatever their tour guide is waving in the air. The city is ruined by the tourists, there's no doubt about that. My little visit to Bologna this week was refreshing in this sense. In comparison to Florence, there are basically no tourists.

View of the Duomo from Giardini di Bardini.

The gelateria was still busy when I returned from the book shop. In bad mood, I continued my way to another one. I crossed Piazza Signoria and was wondering if the tourists are more interested in taking funny photos of themselves with the statue of David than in the art and architecture of the city. Unfortunately, the most stupid tourists are also the most visible ones. In the corner of the Uffizi museum, a pantomimist was entertaining a small audience by making fun of the passers-by. I've always wondered that in these situations I would be wittier than the clown. Suddenly I turned my head and saw the guy on all fours, crawling behind me and peeping under my short skirt while the audience was laughing at my expense. I blushed, laughed and sent him a kiss in the air. After all the irritation, I was laughing myself about this tourist show until I found the next gelateria too busy as well.

Then suddenly, Florence can turn into this!

I returned to my own neighbourhood behind Santa Croce. There's an amazing change in atmosphere when you cross to the Eastern side of Via Verdi. Tourists somehow disappear and you start hear Italian language once again. I got my artisanal ice cream next to my place. Cioccolato alla canella and pistacchio. Satisfied.