Expat Interview with Suheyla Ilgaz

Today we begin the first of our new Living Abroad video series by interviewing expat Suheyla Ilgaz.

Suheyla is originally from Turkey but has been living in Antwerp, Belgium for seven years. Check out part one of her interview below. If you don’t see the video below, use the direct link.

Stay tuned for part two of Suheyla’s interview coming soon.

We’re still looking for more subjects to interview for the series. If you’d like to share your experiences of living abroad, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

For more information about the Living Abroad videos, check out our video introduction with series creator, Jon Vannoy.

Living Abroad Series – Expat Interview with Suheyla Ilgaz – Part 1 is a post from: Expat Life in Belgium, Travel and Photography | CheeseWeb All content copyright Alison Cornford-Matheson and CheeseWeb

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2. Expat Interview with Kimberley Lovato
3. Interview and Photos on Expatify

Unveiling the Tram Experience Michelin Starred Dining in Brussels, Belgium

Normally the thought of eating in a moving vehicle conjures up images of congealed airline meals or hand-held drive-through snacks. Leave it to Brussels then to come up with a Michelin starred meal served while touring the city by tram. Welcome to the Tram Experience.

This week I had a chance to get a sneak peak at this new mobile restaurant and I must say, the concept is fascinating.

Each evening 34 passengers will dine on three courses while the tram circles Brussels.

The journey beings at Place Poelaert and continues up Avenue Louise (wont all of those chichi shoppers be jealous?). From there, the tram continues on to Flagey, Merode, Montgomery, the Tram Museum, Herrmann-Debroux, Boondaal Station and back to Poelaert via Buyl. The tram makes no stops but, luckily, there are rest-rooms onboard.

Unveiling the Tram Experience

The newly updated Tram Experience tram

From the drivers seat it looks like an ordinary tram

The tram, dating back to the 1960s has been completely refitted with sleek white tables and chairs and a customised kitchen, designed by sponsor Electrolux.

3 course meals will come from this tiny high-tech kitchen.

4 ovens, 2 fridges, 2 heating racks, 2 wine fridges and an induction table make up the trams kitchen.

And because this is Brussels, we can’t just have any old chefs creating the menus. These guys are true (Michelin) stars. Lionel Rigolet, of Comme Chez Soi; Sang-Hoon Degeimbre, of L’Air du Temps; Bart De Pooter, of De Pastorale; Pascal Devalkeneer, of Le Chalet de la Forêt; Pierre Résimont, of L’Eau Vive and Thierry Theys, of Nuance.

Tram Experience chefs, left to right: Thierry Theys, Pierre Resimont, Lionel Rigolet, Bart De Pooter and Pascal Devalkeneer

Chefs in Belgium are like rock stars and I couldn't resist taking this photo of the media frenzy around these guys.

Their creations will be carried out by chef and caterer, Denis Roberti. There will be 24 menus in total, changing every 15 days.

The inaugural trip of the tram will take place on a preview run, February 28th and has its first official trip on the 2nd of March. Tables on the Tram Experience are booking up fast. The price for the two hour excursion is 75€ for three courses including wine and water.

The Tram Experience is part of Brusselicious, a whole year celebrating gastronomy in Brussels. Expect to hear more about upcoming Brusselicious events here on CheeseWeb.

The Tram Experience – Michelin Starred Dining in Brussels is a post from: Expat Life in Belgium, Travel and Photography | CheeseWeb All content copyright Alison Cornford-Matheson and CheeseWeb

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Antwerp Zoo's Baby Elephant Kai Mook

We love animals, be it the furred, the feathered or the scaly. Despite this, it took us six years to visit the Antwerp Zoo, (Zoo Antwerpen in Dutch). It was six years too many.

Established in 1853, the Antwerp Zoo is the oldest zoo in Belgium and, in fact, is one of the oldest zoos in Europe. In 1983, both the architecture and gardens of the zoo were declared a historic monument.

I have to admit, the zoo’s age played a part in my hesitance to visit. I’ve been to several European city zoos, one of my favourites being Amsterdam’s Artis, but sometimes their smaller size and age leads to cramped animal enclosures and run-down facilities.

I needn’t have worried. Despite its small size (10.5 hectares or 26 acres), relative to some of the enormous North American zoos, the animal habitats seem spacious and the zoo is constantly being updated and renovated. In fact, since my photos were taken last summer, a new lion habitat has been unveiled.

Antwerp Zoo's pretty Gardens and Architecture

The Antwerp Zoo has a daily schedule of activities and shows and has many education programs for students. It is one of the world’s leading zoos for research and education and is involved in many wildlife preservation programs.

But let’s face it, when it comes to visiting a zoo, we all expect interesting animals and exhibits and the Antwerp Zoo definitely scores well on this account. We particularly enjoyed: Vriesland (Freezeland), the penguin enclosure; Nocturama, an exhibit of nocturnal animals, including an enormous fruit bat; and our usual favourites the monkey house and the big cats. There is also a particularly interesting bird exhibit where there are no cages.

Look Ma, No Cages

The Antwerp Zoo has been particularly current with social media in the past few years and they regularly release updates on their Facebook Page, have streaming video to some of their exhibits and when a new zoo baby is born, there is a media frenzy.

The best thing about the Antwerp Zoo is how easy it is to get to. It is located just outside the doors of the Antwerpen Centraal train station. There is no need to worry about driving in the city or finding a parking spot.

But I’m sure you’re eagerly awaiting the photos of cute animals, so without further ado, here are a few of my favourites from our trip to the Zoo Antwerpen:

Monkey Tails!

What are you looking at?

Pelicans

Giraffe

Lions

and Tigers

and elephants, Oh my!

Here Kitty, Kitty

Have you been to the Antwerp Zoo? Tell us about your experience in the comments below. For even more to see and do in Antwerp, Belgium, subscribe to our free E-Zine, CheeeseWeb Escapes.

Visiting the Antwerpen Zoo in Antwerp, Belgium is a post from: Expat Life in Belgium, Travel and Photography | CheeseWeb All content copyright Alison Cornford-Matheson and CheeseWeb

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Eric Sohl Editor-in-Chief of Tasting and Living

We are passionate about food and travel, so when we discovered the website Tasting and Living, we were immediately hooked. Not only does the site discuss the always exciting food scene in Brussels, but it takes you on a food journey around the world, without ever leaving your computer.

When we had the opportunity to ask Tasting and Living’s Editor-in-Chief a few questions, we jumped at the chance.  Eric Sohl, is a Dutch/Belgian graphic designer, photographer, traveller and foodie, (sounds like our kind of guy right?) and the man behind Tasting and Living.

How would you describe Tasting and Living to someone who has not yet visited the website?

Tasting and Living reflects a broad view on food. It’s not just about recipes, it’s more about food and culture, travel, books, seasons, ingredients and even design. We’ve built it up around several sections, just like a magazine. There’s something for anybody interested in food, from foodies who want to know more about Umami for instance or even design freaks who are looking for a funky design tea trolley.

Your contributors are an eclectic mix of backgrounds and nationalities. Was this a conscious choice and what benefits does this offer our expat readers?

Our contributors are a mix of various types of people, just like Brussels, we represent a melting pot of origins, backgrounds, languages and interests. We have some Italian, Danish and English expats on the team so they have their specific angle on Brussels and the food scene, which every newcomer to Brussels can relate to. The combination with other non expats, makes it even more interesting because we try to stay away from the known and uninteresting foodie issues/places/restaurants because it’s easy to stay on the beaten track but more difficult to find the exceptional and worthwhile foodie place around town. So we also try and help the visitors to Brussels to really find the authentic taste of Brussels, which is something that would otherwise take you ages to find!

You write about two things we’re passionate about here on CheeseWeb, food and travel. How did these passions develop for you?

A large part of what I do for the blog is Travel and Food. I love the combination of being abroad and trying to get to grips with the local food scene. It could be finding the best ‘bashimi’ dish in Kyushu, Japan (raw horse meat) or the best capers in Pantelleria or sampling the best Chenin Blanc of the year in Cape Town. I think that once you have understood the food scene, then you are well under way in understanding how the local ‘society’ works, because most of the time food brings people together, not just to still your hunger, but for a social, personal reason and that’s when it gets really interesting. Many of our readers or followers on twitter talk about more things than just the best recipe for a sauce, for instance René Redzepi of Noma talks to me about his seaweed that has been ‘fermenting’ for the last three months or FM Brussels talks to me about having spotted Martha Stewart in La Quincaillerie in Brussels. So you can see it’s more than just the ‘making’ of the food that we try and highlight.

Tasting and Living - A website for travellers, foodies and design junkies

Many of the foodie websites in Brussels are in French or Dutch; Why did you decide to make Tasting and Living primarily English?

Yes, it’s true, I found a lot of sites or blogs are in French or Dutch, so I decided we would do a mix: about 80% is English and about 20% is Dutch. I think English could be a bridge between all the linguistic problems we have here in Brussels and also I want readers from all over the world to be able to read what we write about. However since September of last year, I have started to write more in Dutch too because I am the ‘culinary expert’ of FM Brussel, which is a Flemish radio station, so the listeners like to find the written texts of what I have been talking about, on the blog in their own language. We’re also participating in ‘Honest Cooking’ which is a great platform for about 200 food writers, journalists, chefs, mixologists etc from all over the planet combing some of the best articles. It has a massive following and has some top talent, ie the Guardian food supplement writers etc. So Tasting and Living can participate with them if we keep things in English.

For you, what is the best thing about the food scene in Brussels?

The best thing about the Brussels food scene is the variety and quality. You can just find anything! The only condition is that you need to know where to go to find it

What one thing would you like to change about the Brussels food scene?

The only thing that I sometimes get irritate by is the service level. When you travel abroad a lot, you can immediately see that for instance the States have a much higher level of service and respect for the customer. It doesn’t hurt to smile a bit more, maybe that sums it up?

If you could choose your last meal, what would it be and where would you eat it?

My last meal would have to be tomates crevettes for a starter, then a thai red curry and then a Dame Blanche! Although they don’t work together as a menu at all, it’s what I need at least once a month. And I would eat it in the best place in the world: at home.

Do you have a special food or restaurant our readers ‘must’ try? 

For the moment one of my favourite places in Brussels is still Neptune near Flagey. However they change all the time. In Tokyo it’s Ryu Gin. In Cape Town it’s La Colombe. In Nova Scotia it’s Fleur de Sel (Lunenburg). In Denmark it’s Gitte Kik’s Smorrebrod and the list goes on …

What’s next for Tasting and Living?

I’m very excited to start Tasty Dinners soon. We have had many brainstorming sessions about this and soon it will all become real! The idea is to have a theme and around this we will organise an event that involves food, art, design, travel … everything that we try to feature on Tasting and Living, by bringing all the people together that I have had the privilege to meet during my foodie hunts around Brussels and beyond. It’ll be a series of evenings that people will talk about because we will source the best of the best. Unique people, ingredients, wines, restaurants and food that together become an event that people can attend and enjoy.

We can’t wait to check out the Tasty Dinners and see what else Tasting and Living has in store. 

Tasting and Living – An Interview with Eric Sohl is a post from: Expat Life in Belgium, Travel and Photography | CheeseWeb All content copyright Alison Cornford-Matheson and CheeseWeb

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1. Sustainable Travel and Living in Brussels – An Interview with Xavier Auclert
2. Living Abroad a Video Interview Series by Jon Vannoy
3. Living Abroad Series – Expat Interview with Suheyla Ilgaz – Part 1

Exploring Iceland's Golden Circle

If you’re looking for dramatic landscapes and incredible natural phenomena; if you crave wide open spaces without another person in view; if you want to be inspired and have your breath-taken away, all without venturing too far from the comforts of a capital city, Iceland’s Golden Circle is the place for you.

The Golden Circle is a popular tourist route in the Southwest of Iceland. It covers the three most popular tourist attractions in the country: Thingvellir National Park, Gullfoss Waterfall and the geysers of Haukadalur.

We visited the Golden Circle, last summer, as part of our four day stop-over in Iceland. We chose to rent a car, for flexibility, but there are many guided day-trips running from Reykjavik. Despite the popularity of the Golden Circle, however, we still found many beautiful vistas to ourselves.

Nearly Empty - Despite its popularity the Golden Circle still has wide open spaces.

Thingvellir National Park

Our first stop was Thingvellir National Park; written as Þingvellir, in Icelandic. This park is roughly 240km² and was added to the UNESCO World Heritage Sites list in 2004 for its historical, cultural, and geological importance to Iceland.

Thingvellir was the site of the original Icelandic parliament in 930. It is also the spot where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates meet and is home to the largest natural lake in Iceland.

Thingvellir National Park's majestic vistas

Driving on the main roads in Thingvellir is easy and the route around the Golden Circle is clearly marked. Of course, Andrew wanted to venture off onto some of the side roads, where we found ourselves virtually alone. Around every bend, we found beautiful scenes which kept my camera busy working overtime.

Clearly marked - It's easy to find your way around the main sights in Iceland

The Geysers of Haukadalur

The next stop on our Golden Circle adventure was to see the geothermal activity at Haukadalur. Haukadalur is home to several geysers; one of which, Geysir, is where we get our English word for thermal waters erupting from the ground.

There is nothing more mesmerising than watching a pool of water bubble and boil until it finally erupts and jets into the air. This happens frequently, about every 5-10 minutes, with Geysir and Strokkur, the two main geysers at Haukadalur.

There she blows! Geyser erupting in Haukadalur

The landscape around the geysers is eerie. Steam rises from the ground and puddles bubble and boil. It is easy to see why Icelanders are such strong believers in fairies, trolls and other magical creatures.

Meeting a new Icelandic friend

But extreme practicality comes into play in Iceland as well. The same geothermal activity that gives Iceland its geysers also provides 26% of Iceland’s power. It provides 87% of the heat and hot water to Iceland’s buildings. The rest of the country’s power comes from hydro with only 0.1% coming from fossil fuels.

Hot stuff - run-off from the geysers

Geothermal activity in Iceland

Gullfoss Waterfall

Speaking of hydro power, the final stop on our tour of the Golden Circle was Gullfoss, one of Iceland’s most spectacular waterfalls.

Called the Golden Falls, in English, Gullfoss is one of the most dramatic waterfalls we’ve ever seen. The Hvítá river drops 32 metres into a crevice in the earth, dumping between 80 and 140 m³/s of water over the edge.

Gullfoss Waterfall - Words and photos don't do it justice

One of the strange things about Gullfoss is you can’t see it until you are standing right above it; the river seems to vanish into the earth. Hiking down the steps to stand beside the waterfall, is well worth it, even though you eventually have to climb back up!

From the top of Gullfoss, on a clear day, you can also see another of Iceland’s natural wonders in the distance, the Langjökull glacier. We were lucky enough to have clear views of Iceland’s second largest glacier.

Langjökull glacier visible in the distace

We spent a full day travelling around Iceland’s Golden Circle and although we saw the major sights, we barely scratched the surface of what this spectacular area has to offer.

For the more adventurous, you can rent off-road vehicles and explore Iceland even more in-depth – something we’d definitely consider doing next time.

Visit this photo gallery to see more photos from our visit to Iceland’s Golden Circle.

For even more information about Iceland, where to stay, eat and visit, sign up for our free CheeseWeb Escapes Ezine. You’ll get access to our archives where we featured Reykjavik as one of our destinations.

Exploring Iceland’s Golden Circle is a post from: Expat Life in Belgium, Travel and Photography | CheeseWeb All content copyright Alison Cornford-Matheson and CheeseWeb

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Introducing our new video series, Living Abroad, by Jon Vannoy

We have something a bit different to share with you today and it’s something we’re very excited about.

American expat Jon Vannoy, who now lives in Antwerp, has started a new video project he’s agreed to share with the CheeseWeb audience.

Jon will be interviewing people in Belgium about their experiences living abroad. These folks come from all different backgrounds and nationalities, but each have stories to share about expat and immigrant life.

This first video is with Jon, himself, explaining the project.

If you can’t see the video, watch it on-line:  Living Abroad – Introduction.

We’d love to hear your feedback about Jon’s new series in the comments below.

Living Abroad a Video Interview Series by Jon Vannoy is a post from: Expat Life in Belgium, Travel and Photography | CheeseWeb All content copyright Alison Cornford-Matheson and CheeseWeb

Related posts:

1. Living Abroad Series – Expat Interview with Suheyla Ilgaz – Part 1
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3. Tasting and Living – An Interview with Eric Sohl

Orchids in the Basilica

With the cold and snow of the past few weeks, Brussels has been pretty monochromatic. If you’d like to spice up your winter with some colour, head over to the Basilica of Koekelberg before March 18^th and check out the orchid show.

The interior of a church may not be the first place that comes to mind for staging a flower exhibition; and the Magie des Orchidées (Magic of Orchids) is more than just a few tables filled with plants. But somehow, the dramatically high ceilings and brilliant natural light of the Basilica of Koekelberg make this the perfect setting.

Last week, I made my way to the Basilica, with my friend Janice, from Colors of Brussels. We weren’t sure what to expect from the orchid show, but it certainly wasn’t what we found when we got there.

We arrived early on a weekday and basically had the exhibition to ourselves.

As we walked into the first section, we found ourselves in a museum of orchids. The flowers were displayed in individual niches with low lighting to emphasise the colour of each bloom. The setting was formal and dramatic.

An Orchid museum in the Basilica

Orchid on display

Stepping into the next section was a completely different experience. We found ourselves in front of a waterfall, erected inside the church, with more orchids surrounding the water garden.

A waterfall in the basilica... why not?

The next room consisted of elaborate, modern displays of orchids, many of which were suspended from the ceiling.

Contemporary Orchids

From there, we headed to a display of table settings. These were incredibly over-the-top; some in a good way, some, not so good, but fun nonetheless. We both remarked on the use of feathers and sparkles everywhere. We may not dress our own tables this way, but we both agreed, we’d love to be invited to a party that did.

One of the less sparkly displays... We'd love to be invited to this party!

The grand finale of the orchid show was a café, set up to look like it was outside at a Kasbah. It came complete with a sailboat covered in orchids (we’re not sure why the boat was in the dessert, but never mind), a turtle pond, sand, and a Kasbah-like wall with giraffes peeking over. Yes, it was all a bit silly but fun just the same.

A kasbah in Koekelberg

A beauty of a boat

Admission to the orchid show, also grants you access to the rooftop panorama of the Basilica. (Normally it cost 4€ to visit the rooftop). The Basilica of Koekelberg is one of the tallest religious buildings in the world, so it offers a great view.

It had been at least three years since I’ve visited the church, and I was happy to see they’ve installed a brand new glass elevator.

In my opinion, the view from the basilica is still one of the best in Brussels. On a clear day, you can see Grand Place, the Atomium, and many of the city’s other churches and landmarks.

The best view of Brussels for my money

It was a lovely morning out, to brighten up our cold winter days. Don’t miss this little splash of colour and enjoy the beautiful orchids.

It’s easy to reach the Basilica of Koekelberg via metro. Take the metro to the end of the line at Simonis and then just walk straight up the park to the front of the Basilica.

Admission (Includes Panorama)
Adults € 8.50, senior citizens € 7.50, children € 2,50

Opening Times
Monday-Saturday from 10 am - 7 pm
Sundays from 1 – 7 pm (last ticket at 6 pm)

For even more photos from the orchid show, be sure to check out our Facebook Page and like us for updates.

The Magic of Orchids – Basilica of Koekelberg, Brussels is a post from: Expat Life in Belgium, Travel and Photography | CheeseWeb All content copyright Alison Cornford-Matheson and CheeseWeb

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La Britannique Mexican Brunch, Brussels

If a 15€ all you can eat Sunday Brunch in Brussels sounds impossible, you obviously haven’t visited La Britannique. We hadn’t either until last weekend. Our only regret was that we hadn’t done so sooner.

We’ve been hearing a lot about La Britannique, a British owned catering company in Brussels. We had sampled their food at various events and been following their Facebook page for some time.

We stumbled upon them again while researching brunches in Brussels and discovered they frequently host a Sunday table d’hôte, or host’s table. When we saw the upcoming theme was Mexican Brunch, we knew it was high-time to give it a try.

The Sunday brunches are held at La Britannique’s catering headquarters, in Forest, as they don’t have an actual restaurant, yet (read on to find out what’s coming soon). So we headed across town.

As we strolled up to the gate and rang the bell, we almost felt as if we were about to dine at one of those under-ground restaurants, that seem to be all the rage right now. That’s where the clandestine feeling ended. We were welcomed like long lost friends, by Chef Alex Weston, and immediately offered a cocktail. Now this is our kind of place!

We looked around the bustling commercial kitchen (and I do admit to experiencing some appliance envy) as we were seated at a small round table at the end of the counter. The long host’s table was already full of happy diners of all ages and languages – a true Brussels experience.

If you’ve never eaten at a table d’hôte, the concept is quite simple. You eat whatever the chef cooks, generally sitting at a communal table or tables, with other diners. Everyone shares, family-style.

Because it’s not an actual restaurant, the chef can’t actually charge you a set price for the food. Instead he asks for a ‘suggested donation,’ in this case 15€ for adults, but you are free to give whatever you like. We feel for the quality and quantity of food on offer, it is worth much more.

Once we were happily installed, with our Bloody Mary’s, all manner of tasty treats began arriving at our table. Fresh salsa and guacamole accompanied home-made tortilla chips that we are still dreaming about; then came re-fried beans and a black-bean chilli with a hint of chocolate. Meat chilli followed shortly thereafter. By the time the main-course, of huevos rancheros, arrived we were already feeling full, of course it didn’t stop us. The dessert course was cinnamon crepes and a basket of delicious goodies that we couldn’t stop sampling.

We were so excited about our Mexican Brunch, we didn't remember to take photos until after we had dived in!

All the while Alex chatted with us and made sure everything was to our liking. How could it not be?

Alex took the time to tell us about his newest project. In March, La Britannique will be opening a café and shop in St. Gilles. It will be open early morning to late night and offering take-away services as well as a cosy place to eat in. We can’t wait to see the new space and keep you posted on this new venture.

If an in demand catering business, a table d’hôte, and a new café and shop aren’t enough to keep Alex and his staff busy, La Britannique also offers cooking classes, for groups of up to 12 people.

We think world domination may be next on La Britannique’s list, but Alex insists he is simply making Brussels, “a tastier place, one bite at a time.”

Sunday Brunch – La Britannique, Forest, Brussels is a post from: Expat Life in Belgium, Travel and Photography | CheeseWeb All content copyright Alison Cornford-Matheson and CheeseWeb

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3. Hopdog – Healthy Hotdogs in Brussels