Hiking Mt. St. Victoire

Ten years ago, I think we didn't even realize how lucky we were to do our Erasmus year in the picturesque Aix-en-Provence, in Southern France. Now that we celebrated our ten years of friendship with my three best Erasmus friends and we visited beautiful Provence again, it struck me how I had missed the region. It's clear blue sky, the smell of rosemary, the rough but friendly French accent, the fresh produce in the market at Place Richelieu. Ah, pure happiness!

One thing we did appreciate already a decade ago, was the presence of the majestic mountain of St. Victoire. It is the  true symbol of Aix-en-Provence, made famous by Cezanne's paintings. A nostalgic trip to Provence of course included a hike to the summit of the mountain (1011 m). 

This time we started our hike from the Maison St. Victoire (you can take the bus L110 from the city centre of Aix), where we acquired information on the various hikes to the top. Some of the paths are more demanding, so with our little rosé hangover, we opted for an easy one that we were already familiar with. The path follows the Southern side of the mountain and it offers beautiful views of Mont St. Victoire as well as the surroundings. The climb to the top is not very difficult but on a hot day, bring enough to drink with you and wear good shoes.

At the top of the mountain there's a little chapel and also a cabin where you can pass the night. We have great memories of the nights passed in the cabin, but this time we just enjoyed the views for a moment and after gathering our strength we made the descent to the other side of the mountain where we could take another bus (L140) back to the city (well, in the end, there was no bus and we hitchhiked, but that worked out fine as well).

 After hike, you deserve your glass of rosé. Close to the bus stop, there's a cosy restaurant with nice terrace. To the Mont St. Victoire!

Jungle trip with the tram 44

What a ride! 

You jump on an old tram at the underground station at Montgomery, west of Parc Cinquntanaire in Brussels, and soon you are following Avenue de Tervuren through Parc de Woluwe and Parc de Tervuren. 

It is great fun to take the tram through beautiful and superbly green Tervuren forest. At moments, the tram is riding through green alleys, or more like lush tunnels, and you soon forget the grey city behind you.

25 minutes tram trip takes you through green forests and parks.

Obviously, the trip is recommend by my 500 Brussels secrets guide. It features in the list of "The 5 best trips on tram and bus", No. 291: Tram 44. A tram ride might sound a bit weird tourist or Sunday activity, but this is a ride you should do at least once in Brussels.

On the way, you might have a quick glimpse of the luxurious private house called Stoclet House in Avenue de Tervuren. It is also No. 232 on the list of "The 5 best UNESCO world heritage sites". Its architecture represents the Vienna Secession and it is considered a masterpiece of its Austrian architect. Quite gorgeous and weird, but hard to see well from the street (and you definitely need to get off the tram if you care to have a closer look).

Midsummer culinary experiences: 5-star vegan cake

I made such a delicious vegan chocolate-strawberry cake for my Midsummer party, that I need to post the recipe here. I think it might be the best cake I've done for a long time and the recipe will be definitely used again. In addition, it was quite easy and, in cake standards, it's almost healthy (only 1.5 dl of sugar, a bit of maple syrup, and 8 table spoons of coconut oil as the only oil used).

Mix the liquids:

1 tsp apple vinegar

6 tbs coconut oil

3 dl water

Mix the following and add to the liquid:

2 dl wheat flour

2 dl almond flour

0.5 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

2 tsp baking powder

1.5 dl sugar

1 tsp vanilla

Bake in springform cake pan in 180°C for 30 min (use coconut oil for the sides of the pan and baking paper for the bottom).

Half the cake when it's well cooled down.

Make the chocolate filling:

2 ripe avocados

2.5 tbs cocoa powder

2 tbs coconut oil

3-4 tbs maple syrup

(water if necessary to make more fluid)

Spread the well mixed smooth filling on the other half of the cake, add strawberries cut in pieces.

Adjust carefully the other half of the cake on top and decorate with more strawberries and coconut flakes. 

Impress your guests and enjoy!

Treasure-hunting at the Jeu de Balle fleemarket

Jeu de Balle fleemarket in Marolles district of Brussels is great Sunday fun. However, if you're truly interested in finding something interesting, be patient and come early. Otherwise, it's just nice to go through the weird bric-à-brac - there's plenty of it - and enjoy the atmosphere.

Obviously, the market (no. 206) is in the list of "The 5 Best Street Markets of Brussels". 

The neighborhood should invest in some more nice cafés to enjoy breakfast before heading to treasure-hunt. Chaff in the North-Western corner of the square (photo below) is among the few nice choices. Cappuccino is decent in Brussels standards...

Testing Brussels brunch scene (Part 1)

There doesn't seem to be an end for the brunch trend (oh, that rhymes). And why should there be, it's a great way to spend Sunday noons and maybe even invite some people along that you don't know so well. 

Brussels follows the trend and there are plenty of nice brunch places that I'm trying hard to discover (here's one long list of possibilities). 

Inside Ici.

Today we had a delicious Sunday brunch at Ici in Ixelles. The waitress was a bit puzzled by my request for a vegetarian option, but I finally got the brunch without salmon and ham (that were completely unnecessary in any case). 

Ici offers two options for brunch, either a small plate for 15 EUR (something like egg, orange juice, coffee, bread, croissants, and selection of cheese and ham) or a big plate for 23 EUR that we all opted for (see below). 

The ingredients were super fresh and carefully chosen, and for once it really felt that you couldn't make a better brunch at home with a little effort. Brunch that fills your stomach, but at the same time you feel that you ate something healthy.

Sunday brunch at Ici. Great salads with quinoa/chickpeas and beans/fennel, melon, salty pancake, season's veggies, smoothie, yogurt with granola, croissants... And plenty of cilantro, yam!

I, of course, love places like Ici with Nordic-influenced trendy interior design and cosy atmosphere (however, when will we expect something a bit different?). The neighborhood around Place Brugmann also deserves a greater exploration some day (for other brunch places as well as the cool shops). Definitely going back to Ici if there is ever a situation that I have tried out all the other Brussels brunch places... (Well, maybe even before.)

However, a big minus for serving sandwiches with foie gras. This doesn't fit the kind of eco-healthy atmosphere of the place. Ici, please, stop serving foie gras, it's not worth the animal cruelty, right?

Café de la Presse gets crowded.

Another place for good brunch is the very popular Café de la Presse at Avenue Louise. In contrast to Ici, it features in my Brussels 500 secret list "The 5 Best Places for a Sunday Brunch" (No. 67).

There were four or five different options for the brunch and each of them could be made vegetarian (thank you!). Instead of the (quite disgusting and dry looking) sausages that my friends ordered I got a very tasty falafel-filled wrap. The portion was a bit too big, but what is brunch without indulgence and little gluttony? However, compared to Ici, Café de la Presse feels much "cheaper", and of these two, I would rather go back to Ici. But for a bigger group of friends, Café de la Presse would fit better.

Café de la Presse brunch.

Café de la Presse is also nice for a coffee break and some little Macbook work; this hasn't gone unnoticed among the nearby young hipsters. The place is easily packed with students (ah, it makes you jealous of their free time) - and after all it is not that great for working with cute guys coming and going. So just go for the coffee and for example nice green tea cake.

Cappuccino and green tea cake at Café de la Presse.

Of course, I have also tried out the classic brunch place L'Orangerie at Parc d'Egmont. It is included in the list of "The 5 Best Terraces for Sitting in the Sun" (No. 144). Unfortunately, the few times I've been there it has rained, so I might need to get there once more for the terrace. 

The brunch buffet (29 EUR) is abundant with pastries, salads, freshly made crêpes, hot dishes, cheese, a variety of desserts, etc. The place is not that special (except for the nice park), but it's a good choice for spending hours with a bigger group. And leave some space for those crêpes!

Ah, looking for the next Sunday!

Where to bring your mum for an aperitif in Brussels?

To Cirio.

My ultimate guide to Brussels, "The 500 Hidden Secrets of Brussels", has Cirio in the list of "The 5 Best Bars to Drink Like a Local" (No. 96).

This is a place where already Jacques Brel used to drink half-half, i.e. drink with half sparkling wine and half white wine. The waiters wear traditional black suits with bow ties and the Art Nouveau interior from the beginning of the 20th century deserves to be labelled as one of the most beautiful in Brussels.

Cirio has a long history. The Italian entrepreneur Francesco Cirio opened many cafés around Europe a hundred years ago, but this one in Brussels is the only one to survive (go before Starbucks takes over...). It's not perhaps the coolest bar in town, and I'm not sure to what extent it's a place to drink like a local rather than a grandma tourist, but the half-half is inexpensive and good. A must when your mother comes over for a visit!

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?

Mediterranean eating in Brussels

After Iran, back to Brussels life...

I've already written here about how it is sometimes quite challenging to be vegetarian in Brussels - or at least, how it might be difficult to enjoy high quality vegetarian food here. Belgian cuisine does not provide excellent opportunities for this, but luckily the city is full of world cuisine that is more adapted for veggie-eaters. Thank god for immigration and globalization (yep, otherwise I would be complaining only about the Finnish food...). 

Recently I've tried two choices from the 500 Brussels secrets list of "The 5 best restaurants for Mediterranean cooking". 

Where is my couscous with a twist?

I have to say that even though I love tajines and couscous, in the North African restaurants their veggie versions are often pretty much the same stuff over and over again, and even though it's guaranteed good it's really nothing special. No. 23, La Kasbah, in Rue Antoine Dansaert in the Centre, has an atmospheric interior and great service, but the vegetarian couscous was slightly boring - the same as everywhere and nothing I couldn't cook myself. It's a pity because the place is very nice otherwise. 

No. 24, Kif-Kif, in Square Biarritz in Ixelles, however was an excellent choice for a vegetarian - or any food lover. The owners have blended Moroccan and Jewish traditions and the meze plate was superb with more than ten different veggie dishes. The place is cool and trendy with a young crowd attracted by the fresh approach. 

Kif-Kif mezes, a great treat for vegetarians, and not too expensive either.

I don't if it was for the weekend and some bigger groups celebrating birthdays, but there was also a surprise moment when a female dancer in typical harem sort of clothes came to make a dance performance. We were a bit unprepared for this and, to be honest, it took us a while to have a comfortable feeling about the half-naked dancer. In the end, we decided to enjoy the show and the beautiful dance as well as the dancer. For sure, at least that night, it wasn't a place for a quiet romantic dinner, but for a fun celebration Kif-Kif would be an optimal choice.

Kif-Kif, empty cups, and food happiness.

Closer to my work, and indeed, in the list of "The 5 best places for lunch in the European Quarter", you'll find at Place de Londres No. 44, El Turco. A wonderful Turkish restaurant, which is the best possible place for lunch in the neighborhood (and with a pleasant terrace). So far, it is also the best Turkish restaurant where I've been (not only in Brussels but anywhere). There is a lunch buffet with plenty of vegetarian (and even vegan) options and they taste all too good for a light lunch. The big portion below in the photo comes to around 12 Euros. The Turkish coffee there is also very good, though 3 EUR price is a bit high.

El Turco's wonderful lunch buffet.

Another possibility for this type of food in the EU quarter is L'Oriento next to Place Jourdan (and not in my list of 500 Brussels secrets). It is also an excellent choice for people loving Middle Eastern cuisine (and a weekend brunch that I still need to try). As in El Turco, they have a lunch buffet. You either pay by weight or you can choose an all-you-can-eat lunch for around 15 Euros. Guess which one I chose...