Magritte Museum. Brussels

Going to a museum in the weekends, or during the calmer weekdays, can be an amazing experience if you are a museum-lover like me. Specially, and apart from the particular collections of each museum, visiting the new museums based on "the new museology theories" give the visitors a dynamic and educative experience.

Museums have experimented an important change since the 70´s, leaving aside the ancient exhibition way that was used since French revolution in 1789, whose revolutionary ideas created the public Museums we know today. The biggest traditional Museums such as Musèe du Louvre, Museo del Prado or the British Museum (opened in 1759) opened in the earliest XIX century and the ancient way used to exhibit their collections has been almost the same until, approximately, forty years ago.

In the 70´s, researchers and museum workers established a new exhibition and management method, a new theory, called " New Museology"  that involved the visitors 'participation, and where the artworks gave up their vocation to be admired, and they gained a new perspective.

Museums had to be more dynamic, interactive and participative, a new place to learn and be integrated as the same time, in the new society, a powerful place where visitors from different ages and cultures could participate together.

In Europe, thanks to these changes made in the Museums, they have become more and more popular, places where you not only go to admire the collections, but to attend conferences or workshops, participate in family activities, or just have a coffee or enjoy a lunch in their cafes and restaurants. Although there are still big steps to take, the new museology has arrived to stay.

A didactic Museum which follows the new museology theory is the Magritte Museum in Brussels. This museum reviews the life of Renè Magritte as well as his main artworks, passing by his first's works as a graphic designer. The articles, texts and photography's of his life help visitors to understand his life and his art in a dynamic and surprising way.

After enjoying the visit, stopping at the Museum shop is an experience you cannot miss if you come to Brussels, or if you are just looking forward to spending a nice day in this city.

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. 

Apple Pie. Winkel43. Amsterdam

I would like to share with you a cozy place which was recommended by one of my friends, who is actually from Amsterdam.

This place I show you today, is one of these cafes you wished was in your city. This kind of charmingplaces that are perfect to share an evening with your friends, or just go and read something on your own.

This cafe is located in one of the nicest neighborhoods I visited in amsterdam, which is called Jordaan, close to the the nine streets district, and the Noordermarkt, where you can enjoy a biological market on sunday mornings. This is an area full of restaurants, little shops and nice cafes.

Winkel43 is a small cafe where you can enjoy different sandwiches and soups, but what it is actually really famous, is its apple pie, the only cake they make. The smell of this cake is spread all around the cafe and it is probably, the best apple pie in the city.

I truly recommend you, if you ever go to Amsterdam, to stop in this cafe, have a coffee and try this amazing apple pie, while you listen to the music of the bar.  Just forget the time we are living in Europe at this moment and  enjoy these beautiful things that are still made nowadays and that make a bit sweeter our lives.

Teitur Concert. Botanique. Brussels

Last friday I had the opportunity to go to one of the best concerts I have ever been, where I discovered a great singer-songwriter.

His name is Teitur, he is danish and I truly recommend you to see him if you have the chance.

He played in an amazing and cosy cultural centre in Brussels, called Botanique, which is one of this few antique places that still survive in these times when old things are pushed into the background and apparently, really few people care about it. Where are going if we even do not care about these tiny things?

Anyway, this is one of the beautiful things I discovered in these difficult times.

Profitez vous.