The Belgian city of Ghent is declaring every Thursday a vegetarian day.
Civil servants and councillors will opt for vegetarian meals and are urging the public to follow suit. Recipes and tips on vegetarian cooking will be offered and about 90,000 ‘veggie street maps’ are being printed to help people find the city’s vegetarian restaurants.
A party was held in the city, 30 miles west of Brussels, to celebrate the first Veggie Day. On the buffet tables were aubergine caviar and broad-bean falafel.
Ghent’s initiative is aimed at drawing attention to the impact of livestock on the environment. The UN says livestock is responsible for nearly one-fifth of global greenhouse gas emissions.
Councillor Tom Balthazar said that abstaining from meat for one day a week was ‘good for the climate, good for your health and good for your taste buds.’ “There’s nothing compulsory,” he added. “We just want to be a city that promotes sustainable and healthy living.”
by Andy Moreton
Belgium is often neglected by tourists doing the grand European tour. Luxique can help you book some of the top luxury hotels in Brussels, the capital, as well as beautiful luxury hotels in Bruges.
The rail tunnel under the English Channel linking Britain and France will be back to full capacity on February 10th after the completion of work to repair damage caused by a fire last year.
The fire broke out on September 11th aboard a shuttle train carrying 27 trucks from Britain to France. Since then, both cross-Channel freight and Eurostar passenger trains from London to Paris and Brussels have been disrupted.
Officials said they suspected the fire started in a truck’s braking system that overheated and spread to a tyre.
In December, the Eurostar company estimated the cost of the repair work at around 55 million euros (£52 million / $71 million), with overall operating losses put at about 105 million euros (£100 million / $136 million).
by Andy Moreton
One of the most unusual landmarks in western Europe is celebrating its fiftieth anniversary.
The Atomium was built in the Belgian capital, Brussels, to mark the city’s staging of Expo ’58. It’s 335 feet tall and features nine interconnected steel spheres forming the shape of a unit cell of an iron crystal magnified 165 billion times.
Three spheres are currently closed to the public for safety reasons, but others are easily reachable by escalator. A two-year renovation of the structure has provided revamped exhibition spaces, a restaurant and activities for schoolchildren.
A number of events are planned to mark the anniversary and all people celebrating their 50th birthday between now and October 19th will get free admission on their special day. Details at www.atomium.be
Brussels’ charms are rather unsung in comparison with London, Paris and Rome, but it’s a beautiful city with many interesting places to visit. Luxique offers a selection of luxury hotels in Brussels, including the chic Dominican, which stands on the site of a 15th century abbey.
By Andy Moreton
