Where to stay in Brussels? Royal Windsor Hotel Grand Place

The choice of this hotel was a key point for our long weekend in Brussels. Not only was it in the heart of the city, 2 minutes walk from the Grand Place, but it was also competitively priced: we found a great rate for that time of year, which was the end of August.

The Royal Windsor is royal in everything and grand in comfort, style and service. We liked our Premium room, combining classic charm with modern amenities and I fell for its luxury toiletries by Gilchrist & Soames. 

Having slept soundly, we enjoyed the full American buffet breakfast. We had a choice of freshly squeezed juices and fresh fruit, a wide selection of pastries and fresh breads, jams and marmalades, an assortment of smoked meats and salmon, cheeses and salads, various dairy products, tea and coffee.

The "Waterloo Bar" is where guests can relax in a cosy and calm atmosphere. One of their bartenders won second place in this year’s Belgian National Cocktail Contest. To be honest, we didn’t try any of his cocktails. We were in a romantic mood and had a crush on a typical brasserie (see the upcoming post).

Since pictures are worth a thousand words, I leave you with my photo gallery of the Royal Windsor.

Royal Windsor Hotel Grand Place

Rue Duquesnoy 5

1000 Bruxelles

Tél: +32 2 505 55 55

www.warwickhotels.com/royal-windsor

Brussels the Land of Chocolate, Beer and Comic Heroes!

Brussels is a city that holds some wonderful memories for me. I had already visited it twice before. The first time was in the summer of 1990. The weather was gorgeous and I enjoyed the history and culture at my leisure. The second time I visited was in May 2011, for a family trip over a long bank holiday. It was slightly chillier with a sharp wind, but I remember it was still perfectly comfortable to walk around in jeans, jumper and a coat. It was marvellous.

This time it was somewhat different: we went for a romantic escapade at the end of August, from Thursday to Sunday.

The first day we just enjoyed a long walk through the old town, where many of the significant monuments and attractions are located: the Grand-Place, the immodest statue Manneken Pis, the Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert and went shopping in Ixelles to buy a couple of things from an African store.

The next day, our tour started with the Atomium. My companion had never been there, so we spent the whole morning in the area. In the afternoon our first port of call was the Muséee Magritte, which displays works of the greatest surrealist Belgian artist after whom it is named. It is located on the Place Royale. After, we strolled to the Palais Royal de Bruxelles and walked through the Parc de Bruxelles where we admired the beautiful statues, the fountain and its stunning water jet.

On Saturday morning, we went on our own to explore the Brussels Comic Strip Walk. We both adored that area of Sainte-Catherine and stopped for my favourite beer, Leffe. We enjoyed the place so much that we returned there that same evening after dinner.

The afternoon was spent basically in the lovely area of Sablon, a place with various restaurants, shops, chocolatiers and an antiques market.

On Sunday morning we went for just one last walk and got my favourite biscuits from La Cure Gourmande: delicious butter biscuits with different flavoured fillings. If you buy more than 500g the vintage metal box, ideal to keep the biscuits, comes for free.

In the afternoon we headed to get pampered in a splendid spa (will tell you more about this in a future post).

Of course there are many more interesting things to see but we decided to skip them through lack of time and to privilege quality over quantity.

Why visit the capital of Europe? Because it is the kingdom of sweets and delights: waffles, fries, Pierre Marcolini and Godiva chocolates, light and dark beers, mussels! The kindness of the Belgians with their accent makes you literally melt…une fois!!!

This Saturday

Lately I am always working against the clock, with many things happening at once (and a cold that did not leave me for a week). However, I must not forget that it is important to set aside time to take care of Number One! I have been feeling guilty of neglecting myself lately and so I have made a resolution to change that and have taken measures.

From now on, Saturday will be my day, the day I choose to take care of myself. The only conditions are to organise my diary, switch off the smartphone and start early! This Thursday I even bought the weekend groceries, as there were fewer people in the shops and good promotions, too.

Early this Saturday, I tidied up my house (I am an early bird) and did the laundry. Then I headed to a sports centre. I started with 45 minutes of swimming, good for the body and mind, and super energising! Afterwards, I relaxed in the Jacuzzi, sauna and Turkish bath.

When I returned home I did a manicure and a homemade hair mask and finished with a blow dry. It was so good to feel beautiful again!

Turning to my look, I chose this skirt from Globe. I bought it a long time ago, but only found a suitable opportunity to wear it today. It was love at first sight when I set eyes on it.  The skirt does not need many accessories and is super comfortable!

In the evening, we went out for dinner. My sweetheart surprised me with a gourmet restaurant, Vertig’O which has been awarded a Michelin star. It is located by Lake Geneva in the Hotel de la Paix. We enjoyed refined cuisine; everything we ordered was extremely appetising! As a starter I had a variety of foie gras, apple roasted with cider vinegar and crunchy hazelnuts, my main dish was lamb with vanilla, pumpkin and pakchoy and for dessert I had textures of pure dark chocolate.  The service was impeccable. I loved the new décor, a lovely contemporary setting with warm colours, yellow daisies and soft lighting. This is a romantic venue for an intimate night out….

After a so-so week, this splendid Saturday was more than welcome. It started with this beautiful bouquet of orange roses from Rosolo Perfect Roses which my sweetheart brought me…The symbolic message of offering orange roses expresses desire, admiration and enthusiasm…exactly what I needed after a lacklustre week!

I thought I would leave you with some snapshots that sum up this Saturday!

Have a lovely week!

Reader’s Look

White blouse: Mango

Reptile print clutch bag: Code43 boutique

Red skirt: Globe

Ankle boots: Bagatt

Necklace: Y. Yendi

Best Desserts in Geneva - Aimé Pouly

Series 1 - 4th quarter 2015

This post celebrates my favourite desserts from a cafe/bakery/pastry shop in Geneva. I have only documented delicacies here that I have tried personally (and many times….). This time, however, it was more a case of a rediscovery.

For this quarter, I’ll cover Aimé Pouly in the Old Town, a company that exists since 1974. Today it has grown to a chain of 31 shops.

The primary value for Aimé Pouly is to respect customers and their opinions. This is put into practice by ensuring that its products are homemade from local ingredients, fresh each day.

Traditionally, Aimé Pouly is a kind of Geneva institution. It is the bakery where many people buy croissants, pains au chocolat and all kinds of viennoiseries for a rapid breakfast at their work place. Bad habits, but I know many who do...They also let Pouly take care of their midday snacks. People tend to say “I’m going to Pouly” instead of “I’m going to the bakery”, just to give you an idea!

NOW I want to tell you about the new face of this chain of friendly neighbourhood bakeries.

A two star Michelin chef has come on the scene and taken up the challenge bringing Pouly up to date. The great classics have been revisited and refined to give new tastes, new visuals with a modern and original shape at an affordable price.

Are you ready for the show???

1) Raspberry Tartlet “Tartelette Framboise”

Breton shortbread covered with fresh raspberries and topped with a light vanilla crème pâtissière (custard cream).

Sadly this is a seasonal product and will no longer be available, however Pouly is working on the next seasonal fruit tartlet as I write.

2) Carack

This famous old-fashioned Swiss specialty is usually round, but now has a distinctive Swiss army knife shape. Shortcrust pastry is covered with a generous layer of intense Swiss dark chocolate ganache, covered with green-tinted fondant icing.

3) Carrot-shaped Tartlet “Tartelette Carotte”

On a base of sweet shortcrust pastry there is a layer of carrot and hazelnut cake, covered with orange-tinted fondant icing.

4) Lemon Tartlet “Tartelette Citron”

Breton shortbread covered with tangy lemon curd cream.

5) Raspberry Eclair “Éclair Framboise”

Choux pastry filled with a mousse-like raspberry Diplomate cream.

6) Salted Butter Caramel Eclair “Éclair Caramel au beurre salé »

Choux pastry filled with a mousse-like salted butter caramel Diplomate cream.

7) Coffee Eclair “Éclair Café »

Choux pastry filled with a mousse-like coffee Diplomate cream.

8) Chocolate Eclair “Éclair Chocolat”

Choux pastry filled with a mousse-like chocolate Diplomate cream.

The tea-room is relaxed and fun, yet still smart, with a high ceiling and discreet lighting from the ceiling lamps. I fell for the little library corner with dark wooden shelves and exposed stonework. The ambiance is pleasant and cosmopolitan.

I was invited by Aimé Pouly (accompanied by a gourmet work colleague) to taste their new pastries. We were warmly received by the Marketing Director and the Shop Manager at their Old Town tea-room shop.

This is my genuine opinion, otherwise I wouldn't have written about it. As always with all my posts, this is not sponsored.

Aimé Pouly - Four de Bourg

Rue Étienne-Dumont 1

Vieille Ville

1204 Genève

Tél: +41 22 310 4514

www.pouly.ch

Ask the Dust by John Fante (1939)

This is the story of Arturo Bandini, a young writer in 1930s Los Angeles who falls heavily in love with the elusive, mocking and unstable Camilla Lopez, a Mexican waitress. Struggling to survive, he perseveres until at last his first novel is published. But the bright light of success is extinguished when Camilla has a nervous breakdown and disappears . . . and Bandini neglects the writer's life he fought so hard to attain.

Author: John Fante was born on April 8, 1909 in Devon, Colorado. He wrote about writing and the people and places where he lived and worked, which included Long Beach, Manhattan Beach, the Bunker Hill district of downtown Los Angeles, California, as well as various homes in Hollywood and Malibu. Diabetes cost him his eyesight and led to the amputation of both of his legs. He died in 1983.

My thoughts: This is a nice book which is easy to read. It made me want to read it again and, indeed, I have read it twice. I have many of John Fante’s books. The main character in this book is Bandini.  He encapsulates the entire history of an Italian immigrant childhood: the misery, the humiliation of the cheated mother and the beatings of the father. I've considered the possibility that Bandini is Fante, sitting in that dour Bunker Hill apartment, reflecting on a hard life of devastating failures punctuated by occasional successes. Bandini is a young man, among so many other aspiring writers. He only wrote a few books, leading a life in dingy hotel rooms and inspired by sensual love.