Belgium Gardens & Fleuramour Flower Show Tour 2018

The city of Brussels was officially founded in 979 by Charles, Duke of Low Lotharingia, who set down Brussels’ first city charter. Since then Brussels has seen many rulers, renaissances and revolutions. Brussels is also becoming known as a mecca of style, art, and design. While attracting more and more big names in international fashion to its growing shopping districts, home-grown Belgian designers are rapidly gaining global notoriety. The streets of Brussels feature art and architecture created from an unmistakably Belgian point of view that cannot be replicated. This beautiful city is a center for fashion, art, and Belgian culture.

Upon arrival at the airport, make your way to the Thon Hotel Brussels City Centre. Centrally located in the heart of downtown 12 km from airport, just steps from the city’s main shopping street and a 10 minute walk to the Grand Place. Classic rooms for either twin or double sharing or double bed or single use. Check in from 12 Noon. Free WIFI, coffee/tea, hairdryer, private safe, comp. water.

https://www.thonhotels.com/brusselscitycentre

We will enjoy our Welcome to Belgium 3 Course Dinner this evening in the hotel restaurant including tea and coffee.

After breakfast our coach will take us to the show… Bilzen is approximately 1 hour away from Brussels.

Fleuramour will take place in the beautiful Alden Biesen Commandery in Bilzen. This magnificent castle with its huge terrain, an English park of 43 hectares with its sleek symmetrical flowerbeds in a French style, is a real attraction. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to admire the beautiful courtyard and interior of the castle and the church, bedecked in a sea of flowers. Combine this with a unique floral event and you’ll find yourself in a veritable fairy-tale. A wonderful day out for us to enjoy this spectacular floral delight. During Fleuramour, the largest international floral event, the Alden Biesen Commandery will be filled to the brim with a floral marvel. Following months of preparation, over 100 floral designers from home and abroad will dress over 35 rooms inside the castle with tens of thousands of flowers. To give you some idea of countries participating in the 2017 show – Belgium, The Netherlands, France, Austria, China, Germany, Spain, India, Japan, Poland, Romania, Russia and the United States. Every floral designer will be amazed at the variety and scope of the designs presented by some of the world’s best and lovers of flowers will delight in this sensory overload. We will be there from 10 am until 6 p.m. and there are venues that provide food.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xDkt9dhOBw video of the 2016 show and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tUNvpTuxqQ 2015 show

After our day here we will make our way back to our hotel by coach.

did you know?… In Belgium, beer is more than just a frothy beverage – it is a culture. With over 650 different varieties, many Belgian beers have personalized beer glasses in which only that beer may be served. The shape of each glass enhances the flavor of the beer for which it is designed. This tradition may seem like behavior reserved for wine snobbery, but Belgians take their beer seriously – and with good reason. The country has enjoyed an unparalleled reputation for specialty beers since the Middle Ages. I tried to bring a few bottles back last tour as gifts but where do you start? The choices are mind boggling, but do watch the cherry beer as I discovered it had a really high alcohol content. I hear beer with chocolate really relaxes you!

Who knew we would all be so lucky to be seeing all of this today! I hope you had plenty of cards for all your photos…

Breakfast included, Lunch and Dinner on own.

After a hearty breakfast we set off on foot for our incredible walking tour to include the Groete Markt. The Grand Place or Grote Markt is one of the most beautiful squares in Europe with architecture from 3 different eras (Baroque, Gothic and Louis XIV) making their marks on the square giving it an eclectic flavour. This eclectic quality earned the Grand Place a listing as one of the Sites of World Heritage by UNESCO in 1998. Historically, the Bruxelles Grand Place was essentially a market place where traders and citizens sold and bought food. Therefore you will notice that all the streets surrounding the square are named after foods like chicken (poulet), herbs (herbes), cheese (fromage) and so forth. Nowadays you will see grand old buildings standing in the place of market shelters. The Maison du Roi, in French means King’s House but the lesser used name of Broodhuis in Dutch, means Bread House. Most of the buildings were rebuilt or restored after the bombardment of Brussels by France in 1695. Overlooking you is the glowing Gothic tower of the Town Hall (Hotel de Ville) which one may mistake for a church or a castle. It acts as a great landmark because you can see the tower from most corners of the city. Just a short stroll away is what you are all aching to see, Mannekin Pis who has no less than 700 costumes to his name.

From here we visit the Petit Sablon Square. Originally a horse market, in 1890 it was converted into an elegant & charming flower garden with lavish fountains, surrounded by wrought-iron fences decorated with stone statuettes. Each figure represents a medieval trade or craft that brought prosperity to Brussels.

And the Art Nouveau area with some free time in the afternoon for shopping or sightseeing on your own.

did you know?… Belgian beer can be enjoyed at all times of the day or night, with lunch, apéro or dinner. There are 650 varieties of Belgian beer but you’ll normally only find the most popular types on a beer menu unless you go to Delirium, where all 650 are served plus about 2000 others.

Breakfast Included, Lunch and Dinner on own

Today we visit the beautiful Botanic Garden Meise, one of the largest botanic gardens in the world, for our Guided Tour. The greenhouse and outdoor collections together hold nearly 25000 accessions of living plants (about 17400 taxa and 3170 genera) which is about 6% of all known plant species of the world. Half of them can be seen in our greenhouses (Plant Palace), the other half, comprising cultivated and indigenous plants, grow outdoors. In the Plant Palace, you can experience plants from around the world no matter what the weather is, from carnivorous plants to succulents in the thirteen interconnecting glasshouses. There is a garden shop and The Tavern of the Orangery is open daily.

did you know?…The Orangery was built around 1818 to over-winter tender plants, like orange trees. Since 1959 it is used as a restaurant for the visitors of the Botanic Garden.

http://www.jardinbotanique.be/PUBLIC/GENERAL/tosee.php

The Museum David and Alice van Buuren is a private house built from 1924 to 1928 for banker and art collector David van Buuren and his wife Alice in Brussels, Belgium. The house was decorated by David and Alice as a total work of art to present their art collection in a rich Art Deco interior. The house is surrounded by gardens designed by Jules Buyssens in 1925 and René Pechère in 1968 and 1970. The house was declared a National Heritage site in 2001.

The gardens are an extension of the house in which they seem to penetrate. They are divided in three parts: the first one is “Picturesque Garden” designed by the landscape architect Jules Buyssens in 1924 that recalls the spirit of the “roaring twenties” and represents the geometrical ideas of the Art Deco. The second one, the “Labyrinth”, is inspired by the Song of Salomon and decorated with seven sculptures by the Belgian sculptor André Willequet in 1968. The third one, “Garden of the Hearts” was designed by Belgian landscape designer René Pechère in 1970 and brings a touch of romanticism to the park. There is a great harmony of style and time between the J Buyssens’s garden and the Art Deco house. 45 years later, Alice considered René Pechère’s gardens as a complement of her villa.

http://www.museumvanbuuren.be/en/maison.php

did you know?… During its heyday, Art Deco represented luxury, glamour, exuberance and faith in social and technological progress. Brussels is the capital of Art Nouveau and magnificent structures throughout the capital city are recognized as “world heritage” by UNESCO. The brilliant creative works of Victor Horta, Paul Hankar, as well as those of other architects, bring pleasure to thousands of visitors who enter the private world of these opulent houses every year. At the turn of the 19th century Brussels went through a period of unrivaled effervescence. The middle classes, merchants and artists opted to have their houses built in the style in vogue: Art Nouveau, marking the beginning of modern architecture and design. The Austrian architect Josef Hoffman and painter Gustav Klimt, the French architect Hector Guimard all joined the Belgian architects Victor Horta en Paul Hankar, Henry van de Velde, the furniture designer Serrurier-Bovy and the jeweler Philippe Wolfers to get their inspiration or produce themselves for the first time in a more liberal city.

Breakfast Included, Lunch and Dinner on own

Our visits today include meeting our local guide for a walking tour of Antwerp. After our tour we will visit a very special house.

Many renowned painters worked in Antwerp during the city’s heyday but Peter Paul Rubens is undoubtedly the most famous of them. Rubens House stands as one of the most renowned artist residences in the world. Together with his first wife Isabella Brant, Rubens bought a house with land in 1610 on the Wapper in Antwerp. Based on his own design, he had the house renovated and expanded. It became a home in the old Flemish style along with a lavish Southern Baroque studio. The two sections were elegantly joined by way of a grandiose portico. Together they formed a genuine palazzo on the Scheldt. Almost all of the works Rubens and his pupils created in the Rubens House (Rubenshuis) have been dispersed over major museums across the whole world, but there is still an impressive collection well worth the visit. Besides paintings from the maestro himself you will find other works of art and furniture from the seventeenth century as well as paintings from his pupils including works by Jacob Jordaens and Anthony Van Dyck.

For the reconstruction of the 17th-century renaissance garden, reference was made to visual sources such as Rubens’ painting, ‘Wandeling in de tuin’ (Strolling in the garden) (Alte Pinakothek, Munich), horticultural data and botanical works. The pride of the garden was undoubtedly the pavilion, which has remained practically intact. Rubens certainly knew the fountain, as well as the divisions into sections, the little wooden gates and the leafy pathway. It is also certain that newly discovered plants were present in the garden, such as the sunflower, tulips, the fritillary and potato plants, which were imported as decorative plants from the New World. Orange, fig and other fruit trees were also to be found here. Listed in the ‘Gardener’s Garden’ Book of Outstanding Gardens of the World.

http://www.rubenshuis.be/Museum_Rubenshuis_EN  and http://www.rubenshuis.be/en/content/house-and-garden

We will finish off our day with a visit to a chocolate shoppe where we will enjoy a nice hot chocolate and have time to shop for those special people back home.

‘There’s more to life than chocolate, but not right now’

did you know?…  Dame Blanche is the Classic dessert, often called Hot Fudge Sundae in English, and is made with premium vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, chocolate fudge sauce and cherries….oh yes!

Back to our hotel – wow Rubens and Chocolate! What a day…

Breakfast Included, Lunch and Dinner on own

I have been to this garden twice and just know you will love it…it is so uniquely different. Les Jardins d’Annevoie is just so special. Designed and laid out between 1758 and 1776 by Charles-Alexis de Montpellier, the chateau and gardens are an authentic historical record and, a living work of art. Graceful fountains and waterfalls fill the garden and the arbors with music. Above all, the Gardens of Annevoie reflect the history of the de Montpellier family, whose roots go back to the middle of the fifteenth century. Only at the beginning of the seventeenth century did Jean de Montpellier inherit the Annevoie estate, formerly owned by the de Halloy family. In those days, the de Montpellier’s were famous forge-masters. Jean de Montpellier’s son, Charles-Alexis, who was Mayor of the Court of Iron-merchants, made the means to lay out his Gardens and to extend the castle from this thriving industry (the work started in about 1758).

To this end, he found inspiration in his many travels through Europe. Thus the gardens’ concept is based on three philosophies: The French style or “art corrects nature”: The Italian style or “art adapts to nature”: and The English style or “art imitates nature”. These Gardens, where the splendour and majesty of the French style mix harmoniously with English romanticism and Italian refinement, have been designed to unveil their treasures only little by little, gradually as the walk goes along, and to lead you from one surprise to another, along with the extraordinary diversity in contrasts. Come and discover these magnificent, seventeenth century water gardens. Over twenty ornamental lakes and ponds fed by some fifty water jets, fountains and cascades go to make up water gardens which are unique of their type. Four springs act as feeders, while the Rouillon, the river that runs across the site, takes care of water collection and distribution. Charles Alexis had the sheer genius to locate the main reservoir, a 400 meter long canal at the highest point as well as installing a spring. Everything works entirely naturally; the water has been flowing non-stop for over 250 years.

http://www.annevoie.be/?page=jardins/visit&lang=en

From this wonderful visit, we journey to another unique and peaceful place, Maredsous Abbey where we might meet some Benedictine Monks who make this place their home. The abbey itself is an impressive structure, built in the neo-gothic style, and towering over the Molignée valley. Its buildings emanate a strong sense of spirituality, a calm which is quietly infectious. Here you can relax and enjoy the beautiful Abbey gardens, soak up their tranquil atmosphere, and admire the natural splendour of the abbey’s setting. Maredsous Abbey was founded in 1872 and was one of the first Belgian abbeys to re-establish its links with the country’s rich monastic past, after the destruction of the French Revolution (1789-1799). Today, thirty-two monks live, pray and work in this pastoral location. They follow the Rule of St. Benedict – ‘ora et labora’ (pray and work) – a tradition that goes back to the year 529AD.

We will enjoy a 3 course lunch here along with one of their famous Maredsous beers. Also equally famous are their cheeses and there is also a bakery here allowing you a really nice snack option for later on in the day if you want just a light dinner. The light Maredsous Blonde was the abbey’s first beer and the monks still drink it daily at lunch. The brown beer ‘Brune’ was originally only brewed for Christmas. The Maredsous Triple is served in the abbey on special occasions.

http://www.maredsous.be/

We end our day with a Guided Visit to another gem, that of the Chateau de Freÿr. Named after the Scandinavian goddess of beauty, the castle of Freÿr with its gardens in the style of Le Nôtre is located on the left bank of the Meuse, between Waulsort and Dinant (province of Namur, Belgium). They form one of the most magnificent natural sites in Belgium. It has also been classified as one of Wallonia’s major heritage sites. Dating back to the Middle Ages, Freÿr was a keep given in fief by the Count of Namur to Jean de Rochefort Orjol in 1378. His granddaughter Marie married Jacques de Beaufort in 1410. Their descendants have kept the estate until the present.

Designed in the style of André Le Nôtre in 1760 by Canon Guillaume de Beaufort-Spontin and enlarged by his brother Philippe in 1770, the gardens are set on walled terraces on the left bank of the Meuse. They offer views towards the woods to the north and towards the Meuse to the east, and their peace and serenity contrast with the naked rockface on the far bank. Ponds and fountains babble on the lower level where orange trees spread their delicate perfume. The trees came to Freÿr in the first part of the 18th century from Lunéville, the residence of the Duke of Lorraine. They are the oldest trees in cases in Europe. The wooden cases are still built according to the original design. The upper level is covered by hedge mazes (6 km) that unveil their mysteries one by one: a set of patterns inspired by card game figures, a theme also present in the terra cotta statues made by Cyfflé. At the very top of the gardens, the Rococo pavilion commands the view on the Meuse and seduces by its delicate stucco decoration, based on the theme of fertility with cornucopia and Tritons. The right bank of the Meuse is dominated by cliffs (more than 100 meters high, 340 million years old), from which one has an exceptional view of the estate.

For those of you that watched the series ‘Recreating Eden’ you would have seen an episode on this garden. What makes it really special are the orange trees, some as old as 350 years.

Back to our hotel – what a fantastic day we have had! Pack up tonight please.

Breakfast and Lunch Included, Dinner on own

After breakfast, we set off for Bruges and once there meet our local guide for a walking tour of this most magical city. After our tour, we visit the Groeninge Museum. A splendid and very valuable collection of Flemish masters is the pride of this museum. First of all, there are two works by Jan Van Eyck, the first and most important ‘Flemish Primitive’. The museum’s masterpiece is ‘The Madonna with Canon Joris van der Paele’, which Van Eyck painted in 1436. The rich detail of the clothes of the people in this painting make it one of the true treasures of early Flemish medieval painting. A second work by Van Eyck is the portrait of his wife ‘Margareta Van Eyck’

Hotel: 4 Star Hotel de’Medici, Bruges for 2 nights

Hotel de’ Medici is located on one of the most romantic canals of Bruges, only few minutes walking distance from the main Market Square in the centre. All are equipped with en-suite bathroom, tea and coffee making facilities, individually controlled air – conditioning and heating, radio and HD Flatscreen TV, in – room safe, minibar, hairdryer, telephone and Free WIFI.

http://www.hoteldemedici.com/

I cannot think of a nicer city to enjoy a day of leisure in than Bruges. If you set out to design a fairy-tale medieval town, it would be hard to improve on central Bruges. Picturesque cobbled lanes and dreamy canals link photogenic market squares lined with soaring towers, historic churches and old whitewashed almshouses. And there’s plenty of it. And in the evening enjoy the many sights that are lit up. With over 50 chocolate shops, the choice will be hard but they say that the Chocolate Line is the brightest and best – including such flavours as wasabi and black olive and tomato and basil, and don’t forget you can buy pots of chocolate body paint here too – just in case you need some… The whole city emanates an appreciation of the past, a love of the present, and enthusiasm for the future. Enjoy your day!

Our Farewell Dinner will be held this evening at a very special restaurant, Patrick Devos, and will include 3 courses with aperitif and wine. The Restaurant Patrick Devos is housed in a historic building in the heart of Bruges. According to earliest sources available, dating from around the year 1300, the house was a refuge of the Ghent-based Saint Peter’s Abbey. Behind the beautiful late-Gothic facades one discovers authentic Art Nouveau and Art Deco salons from 1900-1935, something which is unique for Bruges. The Art Deco dining room was completely designed by the renowned Ateliers d’Art de Courtrai De Coene Frères. Adjacent to it is a breathtaking Louis XVI salon. Behind the house, the intimate winter garden can be found dating from the early 1900’s and laid out in an Arts and Crafts style. These treasures of the interior arts form the setting for your gastronomic experience in Bruges.

http://www.patrickdevos.be/En/index.asp

This morning after breakfast we will have some more free time before we leave for lunch at again, a very unique place, the Friet Museum.

If you have some time for shopping….pick up some Speculoos: Initially baked for Saint Nicholas’ Eve, December 6, but are now available all year long. These slightly browned short crust cookies are very crunchy and oh so delicious and would make lovely gifts for those back home. On the front side are usually stamped images or figures of the life of Saint Nicholas.

Frietmuseum (Fries Museum) Everything you have wanted to know about fries and more!

Belgian fries are different from the French fries, they are thicker and are baked twice. They are eaten with meals or as a snack and they are served with a large selection of sauce like mayonnaise, tartar sauce, Russian dressing, or béarnaise sauce. Belgians consume an average of 165lbs of fried potatoes per person each year, a third more than Americans.

It is claimed that fries originated in Belgium and that the ongoing dispute between the French and Belgians about where they were invented is highly contentious, with both countries claiming ownership. This didactical museum sketches the history of the potato, Belgian fries and the various sauces and dressings that accompany this most delicious and most famous of Belgian comestibles. The museum is housed in Saaihalle, one of Bruges’ most attractive buildings. You will enjoy them the traditional way, with an assortment of snacks and sauces and a drink.

http://www.frietmuseum.be/en/

Then we make our way to Brussels with a stop at a private garden along the way. Bijsterveld Gardens owned by Birgit Rouseré.

And finally we are at our hotel at the airport, the Thon Hotel Brussels Airport to repack, rest and get ready for our flights home tomorrow. The hotel offers free WIFI and free shuttle to the airport. https://www.thonhotels.com/brusselsairport

Breakfast and Lunch Included, Dinner on own.

After breakfast you make your way home or stay on a bit longer perhaps…