If you’re taking a P&O Ferry to the continent this summer, you may be tempted to explore the fascinating cultural cocktail that is Belgium. John Hillman explains all…

Before you set off in search of Trappist beers and some the best sea food in the world it’s worth taking a moment to get acquainted with Belgium’s unique and complicated character.

This is the home of Tintin, Surrealism and a seemingly disproportionate number of world class female tennis players. It is also a country of great internal complexity.

The dual language and culture that exist is Belgium has long been a source of tension between sections of the two communities. In the north of the country we have Flanders, a Flemish speaking region boasting the historic cities of Bruges and Ghent. In the south French speaking Wallonia is interspersed with smatterings of German speaking communities in the east.

In the middle of all this sits Brussels, the great capital of the EU and home to NATO. Bilingual and cosmopolitan, it is one the grand European cities, a place of majestic architecture, incredible art galleries and some of the best restaurants you’ll ever visit.

But the cultural divide is one that has put Belgium under a great deal of pressure recently. With the country’s Prime Minister having tended his resignation five times in the last three years, it seems possible that the divisions between these two regions may yet reach a point where a continued marriage becomes impossible. If that’s the case, it may be worth making sure that you visit before Belgium as we know it changes forever.

Image credit: Wolfgang Staudt

Tags: Belgium, P&O Ferries by John Hillman
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Nestled in the in the heart of the mysterious medieval Mont Saint Michel, lies La Mère Poulard. Rosie Khdir discovers the charming history and delicious gastronomy behind this famous French restaurant and hotel.

It was back in 1888, when Annette and Victor Poulard opened their inn at Mont Saint Michel. The Island had been closed to the world during the years of the French Revolution in 1789 when it stood as a prison.

Annette’s two loves, other than her loyal husband Victor of course, were cooking and Mont Saint Michel, and after opening their Inn on the island, she fast became a culinary star. She had around seven hundred delicious recipes that earned her the nickname Mère Poulard, title of honour which distinguishes talents female chefs.

Of all her dishes, the most famous was her omelet which is now famous the world over. Guests today can still enjoy her glorious recipes in the Hotel of Mère Poulard. The restaurant adjoins the Omelet room where her famous dish is cooked over a wood fire, just as it was in times gone by, in the great fireplace.

Dinners can also taste the many other delightful dishes, from Normandy foie gras, salt meadow lamb from Mont Saint Michel, Brittany lobster, farm-raised poultry, vegetables of the season and the traditional Mère Poulard desserts and sweets.

The fame and popularity of Mère Poulard is displayed throughout the hotel with paintings and autographs from its famous visitors. Celebrities such as Claude Monet, Rita Hayworth, Woody Allen, Glenn Glose, Juliette Binoche, Arthur Rubinstein, Christian Dior and Yves Saint Laurent passed through Poulard’s doors.

Many politicians such as Margaret Thatcher, Winston Churchill, Theodore Roosevelt and Georges Clemenceau visited, as well as numerous royals from the UK and Japan.

Today the hotel is every bit as popular and provides guests with a cosy room with beautiful views of the island and delicious traditional French food. If you wish to learn the secrets of Mère Poulard’s dishes you can even enroll in the cooking school of Mont Saint Michel.

For more details on reservations visit the official Mère Poulard website.

With P&O Ferries you can get a crossing from Dover to Calais in a car with up to nine people starting from just £30 – it’s then just a short drive to Mont Saint Michel.

Tags: France, History, Lifestyle, P&O Ferries by Rosie Khdir
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When they say that good things come in small packages, they must have been talking about these little museums in Antwerp. Rosie Khdirexplores…

With all the amazing museums in Antwerp it is sometimes easy to forget the little hidden gems that don’t get as much publicity. This blog looks as the smaller places that are definitely worth a look.

Newspaper museum

This is a museum that hosts a collection of contemporary and older newspapers from 126 countries. It is divided into four sections: the history of writing, the origin of printing, the history of newspapers and the life and work of Abraham Verhoeven.

Mineral museum

This museum holds a fascinating collection of fossils and minerals from over a million years gone by. It is privately owned and has been operated by volunteers for more than 30 years. If you have a real interest in history or geology this place is the perfect little afternoon visit.

Stampe and Vertongen aviation museum

The Stampe and Vertongen aviation museum shows a collection of Jean Stampe’s military airplanes are on display alongside Hitler’s infamous V1, or Vergeltungswaffe Einz, which serves as a chilling reminder of how Antwerp was hit during the Second World War. This museum is ironically situated overlooking the runway of Antwerp – Deurne airport, in a beautiful peaceful garden.

Eugeen Van Mieghem Museum

This museum is a little gem. Its displays the works of Eugeen Van Mieghem (1875-1930) a Belgian artist who was famous for his depictions of life at the waterfront, an example of which you can see above. The museum holds 150 of his works, as well as pieces by other by Antwerp artists and is a delight for art lovers.

You can get there easily with P&O Ferries using the Hull – Zeebrugge route, or alternatively via Dover to Calais from where it is just a short drive along the E40 to the Belgian border. Prices start at just £30 for a car and up to nine people.

Image via Wikimedia

Tags: Belgium, History, Lifestyle, P&O Ferries by Rosie Khdir
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