Along the Belgian coast
In April 2025, we explore the Belgian coast. Our journey begins with a visit to the seaside resort of Ostend. We reach the beach via the huge Kursaal – Casino where Marvin Gaye recorded the music video for “Sexual Healing” in the early 1980s. The American soul singer stayed in a flat apartment along the […]
Autumn in Paris
Our hotel room with balcony overlooks Gare de l’Est. On the left, we can see a glimpse of the Sacre Coeur in the distance. The trip to Paris from Rotterdam took us only two hours and thirty minutes. The train is no longer called Thalys but Eurostar. Although we travelled first class, it did not […]
Fountains in Friesland
The shortest and nicest route to Stavoren is by water. Not far from the Enkhuizen train station, you can board the ‘Bep Glasius’ three times a day, a slender white ferry that cuts through the waves of the IJsselmeer. On the other side of the lake, we see the Ice Age-created Red Cliff where the […]
Jopie Huisman’s Frisian Paradise
Upon entering the Jopie Huisman museum, I can see his rags immortalised in oil paint on the walls. My patience is tested by the lady behind the counter who first wants to tell me about a podcast following three disappeared paintings, the functioning of the audio tour, the possibility to vote for the promotion of […]
‘Moments Contained’ at Rotterdam Central Station
Visual art works in public spaces can usually count on unvarnished comments in Rotterdam. These periods of habituation never last long, though. And after ten years or so, if you tried to remove the sculpture/mural/structure, you would get into trouble with the locals. Speaking examples of these grown loves are ‘Erasmus’ (the Laurenskerk initially opposed […]
Printed art in Vienna
Both the quality and the quantity of the printed art that Vienna’s two Albertina Museums have brought together is downright overwhelming. Visiting exhibitions like these is like running a marathon: beforehand, you have to think about the pace and the intensity with which you take in these multicoloured works. We start at the Albertina Modern, […]