Sunday Morning Belgian Style

Yes, there are stalls selling socks - and even mattresses - but Belgian markets are first and foremost about the food,


shopping for lunch, brunch or the rest of the week


mouthwatering rotisserie chicken


something sweet and nutritious for dessert


choosing flowers for the table


and enjoying a treat while you browse.

Strip Feest

That's strip as in comic strip or BD (Bande Dessinée) Brussels 2010, not the kind you catch at the "gentlemen's club".

A two-day celebration of comics starting with a balloon parade through the centre of town on Sunday afternoon. This gets better and better every year.

If I had better planned my life I would be there this weekend through the next so I could join in the fun and catch Josh Ritter at the Botanique on Thursday. Next time!

Surrealism - not only about art

Manchester, UK

A quick round-up - without commentary - of the towns and cities visited during 2009


Mystic, CT - twice


Lawrence, KS


Kansas City, MO


Cleveland, OH


Newport RI - twice


Los Angeles, CA


Palm Springs, CA


Brussels, Belgium - twice


And of course - Paris, France

It was a good year...

Petit Tour

I'm hopping the Atlantic for a week; three countries in seven days. Apart from the necessary plane travel, I'm hoping to do it all by public transport - so it will be a cheaper, more eco-friendly version of the Grand Tour "Le petit tour light"


First a little planning



then... the first stop


a weekend here


culminating in a night of romance in the city of lights

Postings as and when... but watch out for a book review on the 14th.