Next week will see the 19th installment of Crossing Border, a literary and arts festival spanning both Holland and Belgium, tickets are on sale now; we suggest you hurry though this year’s line up is attracting a lot of attention so tickets won’t last.
The Dutch installment of Crossing Border lasts from 16th-19th November and then it moves over to Antwerp over the 19th-20th.
Crossing Border is hosted in multipl locations in The Hague’s Theatre Quarter, comprised of Royal theatre (Koninklijke Schouwburg) and the National Theatre (Nationale Toneel Gebouw). And the festival continues in Antwerp’s Toneelhuis theatre.

This arts festival is true blend of creative disciplines, including film, music art and literature. It encourages flourishing talent, workshops, talks and Q&As are all a part of it. There will also be readings and performances from celebrated artists over the course of the festival.

The lineup has now been confirmed so for more information look at the Crossing Border website, some of the stages that have drawn our attention include this year’s Pulitzer winner Jennifer Egan as well as novelists Ali Smith and Paul Murray. We’re also going to be fighting our way to the front of the crowd to see Laura Marling, Emmy the Great and CAKE performing on stage.

Tickets are selling like hot cakes but there’s still time to get to this amazing festival. P& Ferries is an ideal way to get across the Channel on your way to Holland or Belgium.

Image credit: Ludovic Hirlimann

Tags: Belgium, Lifestyle, Netherlands, P&O Ferries by Karim Beerahee
No Comments »

Remembrance Sunday has just passed and we approach Armistice Day this Friday to commemorate the ending World War 1. The Armistice signed between Allies and the Central Powers on the “Eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month” is given special resonance with it being the eleventh year of the new millennium.

This anniversary brings veterans, historians and relatives of the fallen to France to continue the memory of deeds and sacrifices of our fighting forces. Both Belgium and France offer tours of some of the sites of the major battles of WW1. Over the remembrance period museums in Normandy offer special exhibitions and private collectors loan items such as military maps for the examination of the public. Though the Armistice of 11th November stems from WW1 the two minute silence invites us to reflect on the heroism and horrors of all armed conflicts from the Great War to those in continuance today.

If you wish to pay your respects at the site of these there are various daytrips and 3 or 4 day tours available which include the Somme and Ypres as well as noted locations of WW2 operations such as Dunkirk, Market Garden and Omaha beach.

If you wish to tour alone or in a private group the option of a personal tour or MP3 guide will give you a truly informative trip.

Some guided tours include overnight lodgings and coach trips back to Calais to keep things easy for your ferry trip back to Blighty

Image credit: Mike Knell

Tags: Belgium, France, History, P&O Ferries by Karim Beerahee
No Comments »

Bruges has carried the title of Europe’s chocolate capital for centuries. What, you didn’t know that? Then why not cross the channel over to Belgium with P&O Ferries and see for yourself?

From this week until early December, Choc in Brugge (Bruges) is a month-long expo dedicated to the good stuff where people can wander around the city, take part in workshops, visit museums, learn about chocolate history and of course sample some of the local produce. And with Christmas fast approaching, what better time to treat yourself to some sweet treats and maybe grab something for the kids to snack on during those cosy winter evenings?

For example, there is the chocolate museum Choco-Story, which traces the 400 year history of chocolate in Europe, including its different variations and applications throughout the years.

During Choc in Brugge, more than a dozen local high-end restaurants will have special items on their menu that will get every chocolate lover’s juices flowing. Whether it’s ’filet steak, duck or scallops, the Michelin-decorated chefs have a number of chocolatey delicacies on offer.

On 11, 12 and 13 November, the Choco-Laté festival will take place in Bruge. Chocolatiers, pastry chefs, sculptors and many other artists will present their artwork to the public, who can also check out the latest trends in the fields of fair trade and wellness.

To get to Bruges for the Choc in Brugge event, you can take a P&O Ferry from Hull to Zeebrugge, from which it’s only 10 miles down the N41 motorway.

Image credit: Kristina D.C. Hoeppner

Tags: Belgium by Matthias Scherer
No Comments »

If you feel a restive city break on the continent coming up, a journey to Europe’s 3rd richest city Brussels, could be on the cards.
As you may have seen from the iAmsterdam post last week a tourist card is a very economical way to get a feel for a new city and Brussels offer a similar deal.

A Brussels Card can be purchased to last, for up to 72 hours, and will entitle you to free entry to 30 of Brussels’ museums and offer discounts to many more. You’ll also get free transport on underground, bus and tram. For this reason you may want to pre-order your card so it can be picked up upon arrival at either the airport, train station or a Brussels Tourist information office, the details are given to you upon purchase. Alternatively you can just buy your card upon arrival at any of the mentioned locations – but there is a discounted online price.

Your Brussels card will also entitle you to discounted meals and drinks in participating locations as well as certain designer boutiques, exhibitions and attractions.

A P&O Ferry can get you to Zeebrugge, and you can tour through Belgium on your way to Brussels, pick up your card and absorb as much culture as you can take.

Image credit: John.Karakatsanis

Tags: Belgium, History, Lifestyle, P&O Ferries by Karim Beerahee
No Comments »

We can understand the widespread urge of many people to escape the European autumn with a trip to warmer climates, but there is much to be said for a trip that doesn’t include long hours at an airport. A drive across the channel, for instance, will not mean that you can ditch the winter coat, but it will broaden horizons and relax in equal measure.

One city to take in on your next trip to mainland Europe could be Liège in the Western, French-speaking Ardennes region in Belgium. Close to the Netherlands and Germany, it’s a great stopover on any European road trip and well worth a couple of days’ exploration.

A university city, it offers that cosy student town feel as well as typically European architectural history in the shapes of castles, churches and government buildings. One is the Chateau de Jehay, built in the Renaissance period and stuffed with lovely details from that era – the furniture has been preserved beautifully, and the gardens with their waterfalls and statues make for some great walks.

The Museum of Walloon Art is a great tip for art aficionados. It is dedicated to artists from the francophone region of Belgium and shows off work from the 16th century onwards, all the way up to today. Children younger than 12 get in free, and entry is for all on the first Sunday of every month. The Museum of Modern & Contemporary Art is another great hangout, specialising as it name indicates on paintings and sculptures from the last 150 years.

If you’re into your modern architectures, have a look at the main railway station in Liège, which sports an impressively complex and slick structure of white beams arching over the top of the train tracks.

To get to Liège and experience its cosy, unique atmosphere and sights, you can take a P&O Ferry from Hull to Zeebrugge, from where you can start your little European road trip – with Liège as your first pit stop!

Image credit: Philippe Teuwen

Tags: Belgium by Matthias Scherer
No Comments »

This year sees an exciting new event for tourists in the untapped world of Belgian gastronomy. So make sure you have a spare notch on your belt to loosen up your waistband for ‘Kooket’ at the end of October 2011 in Bruges. Star-chef Gert van Hecke and over 25 of the best chefs Bruges has to offer will be serving up the finest cuisine in the Bruges’ famous Market Square, a fantastic setting for some of the best food you’ll ever taste.

This culinary event runs from the 29th of October to the 31st, you’ll have your choice of courses costing between 3, 6 or 9 euro. If you find yourself wishing that you could have some of this cooking form your own home then have no fear. Kookeet 2011 will also play host to a number of cooking demonstrations from a select few master-chefs, in the halls under Bruges’ famous landmark Belfry Tower. So you can get an education in fine cooking and be moments away from one of the most famous landmarks in Belgium. Also if you take a serious liking to the food served up then you can always make the most of the Belfry Tower and climb up to the top to assist in your digestion.

To get to Bruges for Kooket 2011, the very first of what is sure to become a tradition in the sleepy town of Bruges, then take a P&O Ferry from Hull to Rotterdam and you’ll be just a short journey to one of Belgium’s most famous cities and a first class cook-fest.

Image credit: Arnie J

Tags: Belgium, Lifestyle, P&O Ferries by Karim Beerahee
No Comments »

We hate to be the ones breaking it to you, but yes, it is that time of year again. Actually, we don’t hate it – Christmas time is amazing, and the earlier you envelop yourself in it, the better. No holiday season is complete without a visit to a Christmas market, and why not go and have a look at how our friends in Europe are doing theirs?

Belgians love their street markets, and this year’s Christmas Market in the capital Brussels, which will take place from Friday 25th November until Sunday 1st January 2012, is set to be another highlight among European Christmas markets. Belgium is a great place to visit in the autumn and winter months anyway, and if you’re having a look around for a little break around early December this might be just the ticket for you.

A genuinely European affair, the Brussels Christmas Market will see exhibitors from their neighbouring countries setting up shop around the city, turning its marketplaces into a hustle and bustle with those distinctive Christmas smells and sights of handicrafts and decorations.

The Brussels Town Hall will be decorated and illuminated, and there will be an ice skating rink as well as a big ferris wheel. In short, everything you’d need for a trip to get you into the festive spirit.

To check out the Brussels Christmas Market on your next trip to Belgium, have a look at the great deals on offer from P&O Ferries. You could, for example, travel from Hull to Zeebrugge for up to 5 days from only £109 each way, a price which includes a car and two passengers.

Image credit: garypembridge

Tags: Belgium, P&O Ferries by Matthias Scherer
No Comments »

If you are after a unique and fun way to tour Belgium on your holiday we may have just found the thing for you. Jog Tours is an international tourist industry which provides guided tours across large cities at a jogging pace. Now that the cold season is upon us if you don’t fancy wandering around Ghent in the cold, looking about buildings with only a guidebook for information this tour will heat keep you warm, you’ll get all the information you need about the city and be able to ask questions as well.

Let me allay you your initial fears, the tour is a group jog not a race, your guide will set a pace with which everybody will feel comfortable and you can choose between 6 km, 8 km and 10 km tours of the Historic Center, Arts & Parks and the Old City. Scheduled tours run daily and provided there is more than one person in attendance the jog is on, come sun or rain.

If you are going as a party then you can book a custom tour, the scheduled tour is a great way to make new friends though. The cost of a tour is very reasonable and you can check out the route on their websites and see if there’s anything in particular that you wanted to keep an eye out for.

To get to Ghent, one of mankind’s oldest settlements, take a P&O ferry to Belgium and your just a short distance from your Jogging Tour holiday.

Tags: Belgium, Lifestyle, P&O Ferries by Karim Beerahee
No Comments »