Il Pasticcio. Italian Restaurant. Brussels

Summer holidays are still on our minds when we realise that Christmas holidays are just around the corner. Winter and its shorter and darker days seemed that suddenly arrived, and our busy daily life does not give us a break. Too much things to do, too much things we would like to do. Time just goes by too fast.

After being really busy these days preparing everything I want to do ( and I have to do) before Christmas holidays, I could find a little break and try a new restaurant in Brussels.

I have to say I loved it. It is an Italian restaurant, and, although we are truly used to find Italian restaurants everywhere, this one really surprised me.

I did not know the existence of this restaurant, but apparently it is really popular, (judging how crowded it was) and now I know why. You must book a table if you want to have dinner there, as it is only opened on Wednesdays and Fridays for dinner (and Monday till Friday at lunch time; sat & sun closed).

The aperitivo offered, and the high quality of the food, which is recognised by several Italian expats who were enjoying the dinner ( this is always a good sign), made me feel like if I was in the in a small village in Tuscany.  The menu card does not consist of several dishes: antipasto, pasta, and some fish and meat dishes, but they also have a suggestions card every day with, more or less three different pasta dishes (they even give you the chance to get a " misto di pasta" and try them all), and other dishes of the day that respect the truly traditional Italian food. The 100% Italian atmosphere, the kind service and the impressive pasta dishes, make of this restaurant one "must" in Brussels.

The restaurant is called Il Pasticcio and it is really closed to the European Parliament and the lively Place Luxembourg. 

If you are visiting Brussels or just still discovering this city, do not doubt to go!

Buon appetito!



Cornelissen & Son. Art Shop. London

Today I feel really nostalgic. Probably it is due to the place where I am living now, where the sky usually is painted by this colour.

I have to say that I have always liked "grey" as the colour ( and the weather) that makes you feel nostalgic, and, suddenly,  everything has this melancholic atmosphere that I find so interesting and inspiring.The main reason I started writing this blog is the wish of sharing little places, shops, cafes, food and other different things that I have recently ( and not so recently) discovered, and thousands of places I still have to see and would like to share with you, if there is someone on the other side. I have studied all my life in order to keep and conserve cultural heritage, old, and, usually, unuseful objects, artworks, buildings, old professions, and for this,and because I am a proud lover of handicraft production, I want to share all this with you.
 
There are always places that make our lives just nicer and that remind us smells and colours that seemed forgotten. And nowadays, in IKEA times ( I must say I love IKEA) when you do not know who makes what because everything is involved in a big consumption chain and at the end, you have the product in your hands without having any contact with its creator, we have to support the authenticity of small and charming places. When you go to these places, you just feel good, just better. You can experience buying a product that has been hand-made by the same person who is selling you, or at least that has been carefully selected.
 
For this reason, I wanted to show you today, a shop that keeps its charming and when you go inside, you discover an unknown ( or well known) world. Different kind of paintings, canvas, watercolors, leather notebooks, among others, can be found in this shop. But not only this, it is a shop where you can spend hours (all above if you are a lover of these products) because everything is carefully placed and selected and it still keeps the style of the old 19th century shop. 

If you go to London, do not hesitate to pass by this shop called Cornelissen & Son, really close to The British Museum, it will surprise you.