discover benelux | issue 13 | january 2015

DELICIOUS BELGIAN CHOCOLATEEARLY-BIRD SUMMER DESTINATIONST H E B E S T B E N E L U X B I C Y C L E SPLUS: DESIGN, CULTURE AND TOURISM

I S S U E 13 | JA N UA R Y 2015

FAMKE JANSSENR ET U R N S TO H E R R O OT S

P R O M O T I N G B E L G I U M , T H E N E T H E R L A N D S A N D L U X E M B O U R G

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Issue 13 | January 2015 | 3

ContentsJANUARY 2015

Discover Benelux | Contents

4420

COVER FEATURE20 Famke Janssen

With an impressive career spanning thirty year,the fabulous Famke Janssen will now finally re-turn to her roots and act in her first Dutch pro-duction ever, as well as play a Dutch characterlater this year.

THEMES10 Delicious Belgian chocolates

Immerse yourself in the world of pralines, cocoamass and confectionaries and learn about thefinest Belgian chocolates.

24 Top early-bird summer destinationsThe start of the year is the perfect time to shoparound for the best summer deals, so here aresome of our top destinations.PLUS: Set sail to the Benelux by boat, page 34

40 Benelux bicycle specialFamous for its bike friendly roads and talentedpro cyclists, the Benelux will be taken over by itsbiggest bicycle fair, Vélofollies.

61 Fashion & jewelleryArtistic and independent fashion and jewellerydesigners show their best creations, fashion-able garments and sparkling jewels.

FEATURES9 Hotel of the Month, Belgium

Brussels’ THON Hotel Bristol Stephanie takespride in its generous and bespoke approach,giving you an ‘at home’ experience.

16 Language school Langues sur MesureThere is no better way to learn a language thenby immersing yourself in the culture of a foreigncountry.

18 Cheese & More by Henri WilligWith over thirty adventurous and deliciousflavours, Henri Willig has a favourite miniaturecheese for everyone.

BUSINESS54 The Zuidas, Regulars & Events

Read about Amsterdam’s thriving business cen-tre, the Zuidas, find out how Dutch entrepre-neurs turn waste into profit and our columnistsquestion their own work and explain how to em-power people. PLUS: The Benelux Business Calendar, page 60.

DON’T MISS6 Fashion Picks | 8 Desirable Designs64 Out & About | 66 Benelux Lifestyle Columns

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4 | Issue 13 | January 2015

Discover Benelux | Editor’s Note

Dear Reader,

January is a time of looking forward, sohere I would like to give a peek at won-derful things to come in Discover Beneluxthis year. This winter, we will delve into theWalloon town of Mons, crowned Euro-pean Capital of Culture 2015. Once aquiet place nearby the Belgian borderwith France, it has transformed into a

bustling city hosting 300 events and opening several new mu-seums this year, set to attract visitors from all over the world.

Moving on to spring, we will offer you a colourful glimpseinto the world of Dutch tulips that has a much more moving his-tory than one might expect from such a humble flower.

This summer the event no one can circumnavigate is theTour de France, with its Grand Départ in Utrecht. Moving souththrough the Dutch province of Zeeland and the Belgian citiesof Antwerp, Seraing and Huy, the cyclists will see some of theBenelux’s best sights.

Not long after that, our magazine will be dedicated to Vin-cent van Gogh, celebrating the life of this magnificent painterwho died exactly 125 years ago this July. With big exhibitionsall over the region, even the Keukenhof will arrange their tulipsin an ode to Van Gogh.

Next, we will look at the rich life of a little character who isturning 60 this year, Miffy. The Dutch children’s favourite bunnywill celebrate her birthday in style with a new, dedicated exhi-bition and a completely refurbished Dick Bruna House open-ing at the end of the year.

Then finally, let’s return to our current issue, starring the fabu lous Famke Janssen (see page 20). I could not havehoped for a better star to open 2015. With her impressive career spanning three decades in America, there is little sign ofher slowing down. This year she will even act for the first timein a Dutch movie.

I guess even after years in Hollywood, the Benelux stillholds enough interesting tales that are worth returning for.Let’s hope 2015 will be the start of another captivating story forall of us.

Myriam Gwynned Dijck,Editor

Discover Benelux

Issue 13, January 2015

Published 01.2015

ISSN 2054-7218

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This magazine contains advertorials/promotional articles.


Discover Benelux | Design | Fashion Picks

F A S H I O N P I C K S

Office chicJanuary is all about the start of the New Year, new beginnings, and of course, new clothes.

With all the festivities behind us, it’s time to discover some new ways to wear that business suit or maybe even give your old plain shirts a new look just by dressing them up or down, with very little effort.

Here are our top fashion finds that will guarantee you start your New Year fully in style.

TEXT: ARIANE GLOVER | PRESS PHOTOS

WOMEN1: Rediscover the suit

Suits have traditionally been seen as an out-

fit designed for men; however, SuperTrash

has spurned that thought and adapted it to a

women’s style and body shape. The best

thing about this look is that you can wear it on

a fun night out, as well as to a classy dinner

or business meeting.

Brady blouse €100

Jasino jacket €180

Paradox pants €150

Pekaboo pumps €160

Available at www.supertrash.com

2: The perfect tote

Start your first day back at the office in the

most stylish way possible with this beautiful

burgundy coloured tote from Belgian-born

fashion designer and former royalty Diane

von Fürstenberg.

€423

Available at www.dvf.com

4: Globetrotting leather

This luxurious leather trolley, in a robust co-

gnac colour is ideal for traveling to interna-

tional business meetings. Made by

PHILOMIJN, it is flexible and easy to use,

with a sturdy handle and solid wheels.

€679

Available at www.philomijn.com

3: The golden accessory

Looking for a new item to decorate your neck

and give your outfit a classy touch? Then this

thin necklace from Dutchbasics is exactly what

you need.

€125

Available at www.dutchbasics.nl

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Discover Benelux | Design | Fashion Picks

6: The wrist accessory

With this beautiful watch from one of the

most exclusive Luxemburgish jewellers,

Schroeder, you will never be late again to

that important meeting. This watch is a

real eye-catcher and a great way to step

away from the norm.

(Price on request)

Available at www.schroeder-joailliers.lu

7: Sporty suit jacket

Men in suits, working hard, looking serious…

Why not go for a sportier look this year, while still

including that classy shirt and blazer? Well, Cold

Method did it for you with their new suit collec-

tion. It’s stylish, has a luxurious look and at an

affordable price.

Darwin jacket €250

Steph shirt €100

Karter knit €100

Available at www.coldmethod.com

MEN5: Indigo shirt

This timeless Oxford will be one of your best in-

vestments this year, as it will never go out of

fashion. G-sus designed a very stylish shirt, in-

digo coloured, with little white buttons and a

small front-left breast pocket. This sure is a real

must-have.

€80

Available at www.g-sus.com

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Discover Benelux | Design | Desirable Designs

1: Sun year round

This enchanting photograph by Gaby Fling en-

titled ‘Monte Carlo’ captures that summer feel-

ing we all long for in the cold days of January.

With Mediterranean palm trees delicately re-

flected in the sunglasses, this print will give your

home a warm, sunny feeling whatever the sea-

son. The image, taken in 2014, is now available

in a limited edition of eight issues, each num-

bered and signed by the talented photogra-

pher. Available in two sizes;

96x144cm (€4,500)

133x200cm (€5,500).

gabysfling.com

2: Sleek yet solid as stone

Judith Wiersema is known for her sleek sculp-

tures that seek to address women's issues

while portraying a pleasing surface. This might

seem ironic but this contradiction attracts view-

ers and gives them a subtle message. The

sculpture ‘Push Up’ displays a beautiful body

captured in a bra that is almost too tight. It’s up

to the viewer to give this meaning and let their

fantasy flow. Wiersema works in stone, clay or

wood and then transforms it into aluminium or

bronze achieving a contemporary look.

€16,500

www.judithwiersema.com

5: Bright from every direction

These funky little sphere wall lights can rotate in

all directions. Via a built-in magnet, this is the first

and only lamp that achieves full 360° rotation so

you can light every corner in a room. The ‘12-25’

by Christian Van Suetendael, who is part of Bel-

gium-based studio Co Twee, is standard avail-

able in black, white and chrome. Other colours,

like this lively shade of blue can be supplied

upon request.

€200

dark.be

4: Stay warm with your feet up

This furry chair by Luxembourg designer

Christophe de la Fontaine is ideal to keep you

warm and comfortable throughout the winter.

The ‘El Santo’ is made from a flat piece of sturdy

sheepskin leather fixed to a metal base. The

unusual shape of this spacious chair makes it

look as if the seat is suspended in the air. Avail-

able with optional footrest.

€2,270

www.dante.lu

3: The ultimate road race bike

Want to take up competitive cycling this year?

The wind tunnel tested Reacto is the summit of

road bikes, being the fastest, most comfort-

able aero model. The frame weighs 1,000

grams, has a NACA-fastback tube profile and

direct mount brakes for optimal aerodynamic

performance. The top model is the Team-E with

Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 brakes and digital shift-

ing and a Rotor Flow Aero crankset. It’s the

bike of choice for the WorldTour Team Lampre-

Merida.

€7,500

www.merida.nl

D E S I R A B L E D E S I G N S

Start the year in styleLike so many of us, have you decided to work out more this year? Try competitive cycling with this top bike,

and you will race like a pro in no time. Then for the house, here are some beautiful designs that will bring warmth and originality into your home, perfect for a stylish start to 2015.

TEXT: MYRIAM GWYNNED DIJCK | PRESS PHOTOS

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Bearing the name of the Norwegiancreator of an international hotel group,Olav Thon, the THON Hotel BristolStephanie in Brussels offers rooms tofit the needs and the budget of everycustomer, from the businessman tothe couple on a leisure holiday. Thehotel in Brussels is one of the group’stop-end locations in Belgium.

Its interior is of the most exquisite taste, afine mix between classicism and elegantvanguard aspirations with a colourfulsplash. It will satisfy the demands of thepurists as well as those with the mostmodern of tastes. Located on AvenueLouise – a ten minute walk from the GrandPlace and very close to the European dis-trict – the THON Hotel Bristol Stephaniewelcomes you for business or leisure onAvenue Louise 91-93, 1050 Brussels.

“What we strive to do, is offer our clientsan at home experience in all circum-stances,” says Alain Vanbinst, general

manager of the THON Hotel BristolStephanie. That indeed is one reasonwhy this establishment offers some ofthe largest rooms in the city – from 35 to45 square metres. Two suites on the topfloor of the building are more akin to astudio than your standard hotel room.

What’s more, the at home experience ap-proach goes way beyond… If you are intown regularly, you might want to leaveyour suits on site: Vanbinst’s team will dry-clean them and have them ready for yournext visit, returning them as they were leftin your room. Or the team might even sur-prise you with a peignoir, a luxuriousdressing gown, with your initials on it.

With the same state of mind, on theground floor, the Thon Hotel BristolStephanie invites everyone to the restau-rant Ninety One which opened a fewweeks ago. The splendid furniture inturquois, olive green, mustard yellow andbright colours reflects the energy and

freshness of the food served by the ex-ecutive chef Sébastien Lemmens. Themenu is recomposed every ninety onedays, and the current highlights are theking crab ravioli in a Bourbon vanilla saucealong with chards sautéed in curcuma,wok cooked cod or a simple yet exquis-itely original Ninety One burger. “We wantour guests to discover new tastes andhave fun with them,” concludes Vanbinst.

Now you know where to go to on yournext trip to Brussels, the only caveat isthat one visit at the Thon Hotel BristolStephanie might make home feel a lotless like home… you’ve been warned.

www.thonhotels.be/bristolstephanie

H O T E L O F T H E M O N T H , B E L G I U M

Home has a new addressTEXT: HARUN OSMANOVIC | PHOTOS: HOTEL BRISTOL

Discover Benelux | Hotel of the Month | Belgium



This second edition is set to be an evenmore mouth-watering and deliciousevent for all chocolate lovers. From 6 to8 February, the Salon du Chocolat willcelebrate Belgian chocolate and willhighlight the roots of its unique savoir-faire.

During three days, the Palais 1 of the Brus-sels Expo will be entirely dedicated to allthings chocolate with 150 participants allunder one roof. Chocolatiers, pastry mak-ers, chefs and cocoa experts will displaytheir talent over 6,000 square metres of ex-hibition space, and share their passion withthe public.

This year’s programme will feature evenmore festive and educational activities that

will help visitors to better know the universeof chocolate and cocoa.

Visitors can expect continuing showsaccessible to all including:

- The greatest chocolatiers and pastrychefs will share their passion for choco-late and unveil their new products.

- The Chocolate Fashion Show with cou-ture outfits out of chocolate created bythe finest fashion designers and the mosttalented chocolatiers.

- Live demonstrations and culinary lessonsrun by pre stigious chefs and chocolatiers.

- Pastry workshops dedicated to the trans-mission of know-how.

- Educational workshops for younger visi-tors designed to introduce them to themagic of chocolate.

- A programme of talks & tastings on ma-jor topical issues to do with cocoa andchocolate.

- The presentation of masterful creationsand sculptures.

- A chocolate bookshop unveiling the latestculinary books with book signings.

- The great museums of chocolate featur-ing cultural exhibits.

After last year’s successful launch, Brussels is welcoming the second edition of the Salon du Chocolat. Taking place atBrussels Expo in February 2015, the Salon du Chocolat will host incredible chocolate companies, demonstrations,

tastings, pastry workshops, couture outfits made entirely of chocolate and much more.

TEXT & PHOTOS: SALON DU CHOCOLAT

The Delicious World of Belgian ChocolateS P E C I A L T H E M E

Brussels Salon du Chocolat

6-8 February

Venue

Brussels Expo

Tickets (in advance)

brussels.salon-du-chocolat.com

Discover Benelux | Special Theme | Chocolate



We’ve come to know chocolates with asoft or liquid filling as Belgian pralines. Theorigin of this type of candy dates back asfar as 1857 when Brussels pharmacistJean Neuhaus used chocolate to covermedicine and its bad taste. Fifty-five yearslater, in 1912, Neuhaus Jr. replaced themedicine with a more tasty filling and calledthe sweet a ‘praline’.

At the time, the word ‘praline’ had actuallybeen used for centuries already, to ad-dress another type of candy, namely sugar-coated almonds. Clement Lassagne, chefto the French Duke of Praslin, César

Gabriel de Choiseul, decided to dip al-monds in boiling sugar in 1636. Whenasked what this tasty sweet was called, henamed it after his master: Praslin. Later onthese sugared almonds became known as‘pralines’.

Back to Neuhaus Jr., who was a veryclever man, with an equally clever wife.The first pralines were sold in a typical Bel-gian cone shaped bag, mainly used forfries. Obviously these were not fit to keepthe delicate pralines safe and so NeuhausJr.’s wife designed a gift box, or ‘ballotin’,in which the pralines could be stored uni-

formly, safely and of course beautifullywrapped. The rest as they say, is history.

A culture of chocolateThese days chocolate and chocolate mak-ing is part of the Belgium heritage. Unsur-prisingly, on average Belgians eat 6 kilos ofchocolate per person each year (accordingto the Royal Belgian Association of theBiscuit, Chocolate, Praline and Confec-tionary).

Over the years pralines became a token oflove, not very surprising as each piece ismade by hand, or at least the true Belgian

The tradition of chocolate and praline making in Belgium is a longstanding one, for which the Belgians are knownaround the world. A lesser-known fact is where and when pralines were invented and by whom. To answer these

questions we first have to make a distinction: between the origin of the candy and the origin of the word.

TEXT: SILVIA DE VRIES | PHOTOS: NEUHAUS WWW.NEUHAUS.BE

A sweet but not so short historyB E L G I A N P R A L I N E S

Galerie de la Reine, Neuhaus’s original store




pralines are, with much thought and lovefor the crafts. The real deal is often free ofadditives as well, which means you’ve gotto eat the pralines quite quickly. But thatdoesn’t seem to be a problem for mostpeople.

Praline and pralinéPerhaps you never realised it, but there isa distinct difference between praline andpraliné. One being a piece of chocolatefilled with a soft or liquid filling, the other be-ing a certain type of filling. Praliné, a type ofcreamy filling, is made from crushed al-monds, hazelnuts or other nuts combinedwith boiled sugar, vanilla and cocoa (andsometimes cocoa butter), reminiscent ofthe original praline invented by ClementLassagne in 1636.

Praliné can also be a stand-alone candy:covered by only the wrapping and not, asis the case with pralines, covered by alayer of chocolate. Due to its popularity, apraliné paste can be bought in jars andused – for example – as a spread on sand-wiches and cakes.

Delicate chocolate, delicate flavourThe flavour and texture combination forwhich pralines are known, and which

helped them gain their fame, is unique onits own. It took other Belgian chocolatiersyears before they were able to create apraline as delicate as the ones made byNeuhaus Jr.

Now, over 100 years later, the praline hasbecome not only an export product, butBelgian’s pride as well.

Pralines? Bon bon!

Bon is French for ‘good’. A redupli-cation of the word by French chil-dren created a nickname, if you will,for the filled chocolates that are alsoknown as pralines. In the Dutch lan-guage, the name ‘bon bon’ was alsoadopted. Currently, this is widelyused for chocolate sweets and ‘pra-line’ is usually used to describe thefilling.

Artisanal pralines

While Belgian chocolate is very pop-ular, not all chocolatiers use the na-tion’s own produce to create pra-lines. As a matter of fact, GeertVercruysse of Patisserie-ChocolaterieVercruysse in Kortrijk, doesn’t useBelgian chocolate at all. “I work ex-clusively with artisanal chocolatemakers and the only chocolate fromEurope I use, is Swiss chocolate.Personally I think the Swiss still makethe most delicious milk chocolate,”says Vercruysse.

By using chocolate from artisanalbrands such as Marou (Vietnam),Pacari (Ecuador) and the GrenadaChocolate Company (Caribbean),Vercruysse believes he has a headstart when it comes to making pra-lines. “Because I use the best choco-late from around the world I have thebest possible base from which I cancreate my pralines,” he says. “I don’tthink there is a secret to Belgian pra-lines; we have a long-standing tradi-tion when it comes to praline makingand chocolate, but in the end it’s theingredients you use that matter.”

BELOW: Galerie de la Reine, where theNeuhaus pharmacy was located in 1900



With the ambition to sustain small-scalefarming, over the years Ethiquable has suc-cessfully built a strong relationship withsmall farming cooperatives all over thesouthern world to bring products of highquality and taste to consumers in Europe.This ensures that everyday products suchas coffee, tea, cereals and chocolate comefrom their country of origin certified 100%organic, and contribute to a diet free ofchemicals and GMOs.

"The average consumer is more and moreconcerned with where their food comesfrom and who is responsible for making it,”says co-founder Stephan Vincent, “andthis is an answer that we can providethem.” Operating in over 20 countries andstill growing, Ethiquable values excellencein their products and pays close attentionto the economic, biodiversity and socialimpact of their work, putting the worker atthe centre of its scheme. “We strongly be-lieve that small-scale farming is a key com-ponent in sustainable development. Not

only does it ensure products of high qual-ity, it also allows farmers all over the worldto be able to live from their land and get afair price for their hard work.”

Invited by the Salon du Chocolat this year,Ethiquable was asked to present theirproducts next to the finest chocolatiersfrom Belgium, Switzerland and France,where it had already won the prize for Ca-cao Excellence last year. Beyond their eth-ical values, Ethiquable stood out by therichness of its cocoa beans in the creationof their chocolate. While different types ofbeans are often mixed together in the pro-duction of chocolate, Ethiquable keeps

beans from the same origin together, whichgives their chocolate a unique and power-ful taste.

“We really believe that it is possible to cre-ate a high quality product with high qualityingredients and still be able to meet social,economical and environmental responsi-bility. One doesn't have to go without theother,” concludes Vincent. The future looksbright and promising for Ethiquable, whichis still growing and looking to enlarge thescope of their work.

www.ethiquable.be


E T H I q U A B L E

A fair trade and fair tasteFounded as a cooperative enterprise in 2009, Ethiquable is a specialist in fair trade and

organic products, bringing to the Benelux the best and tastiest products from countries south of the equator in a fair and environmentally-friendly way.

TEXT: BETTINA GUIRKINGER | PHOTOS: ETHIqUABLE

Co-founder Stephan Vincent




There is chocolate, and there is Belgianchocolate… and then there is a third kind, akind of its own, an endangered species oftraditionally homemade Belgian chocolatethat triggers all sorts of pavlovian reflexeslike nothing else does: salivation, variouspupillary responses and ultimately mass re-leases of endorphin. Corné Dynastie is of thelatter ilk.

Jean Corné, the owner, is the last heir of theprestigious Corné house of praline established inBelgium for four generations. Unlike mostchocolate houses which have grown to becomefactories, Jean has established his workshop inthe old family house where he works with hisson Antoine and two employees who have beenwith Corné Dynastie for over 20 years.

“We really take pride in our products, and this iswhy each one of our pralines is almost entirelyhandmade,” explains Jean Corné. Each day,

upon arrival at the workshop, Jean and Antoineget an order from their store located in theWoluwe shopping centre in Brussels and startcrafting the delicacies, manually sealing hun-dreds each day.

“Most of our pralines, like the Manons which area speciality of ours, cannot be produced me-chanically,” says Antoine Corné. “This is proba-bly why we are among the last ones doing themthe traditional way.”

Every day, it is no more than four people – eighthands that is – who cut and carve, fill and stuff,then coat or seal and place every bite of joy inboxes that are shipped to the three stores of thebrand. All the hard work of eight hands for tonsof chocolate pralines and a proportional amountof joy.

www.cornedynastie.com

Every bite is joyTEXT: HARUN OSMANOVIC | PHOTOS: CORNé DYNASTIE

If there’s one cultural attraction in Brusselssure to please the kids it’s Choco-StoryBrussels, the chocolate museum. Not thatmany adults would object to a visit either –naturally with some tasting.

Belgium is celebrated worldwide for its choco-lates, and anyone visiting its capital who’s keento understand why should head to the rue de laTête d’Or. In a 17th century former brewery nearthe Grand Place three floors of exhibits and reg-ular live demonstrations explain the history of theproduct, its manufacture process, and whatmakes Belgian artisan chocolate special.

The owners clearly know their subject: “Mymother established the museum in 1998, andshe was the daughter of one of the Godivabrand’s founders and also created her own mar-que,” says Peggy van Lierde, its director since2007.

Chocolate is a passion the family wants to com-municate to the wider world: Choco-Story Brus-sels is behind the creation of the Route Belge deChocolat, and will be a prominent exhibitor atthe Salon du Chocolat in its home city in Febru-ary (see page 10). That passion has broughtsuccess, so much so that in 2016 it is moving tofar larger premises close by.

Exhibits like the beautiful antique chocolate potsand displays that illustrate how cocoa is grownand processed appeal to the mind; but the mainevent grabs the nose and taste buds: “The cul-mination of the visit is a demonstration of choco-late making,” says Peggy: “And of course atthe end you get to taste the famous Belgian pra-line!”

www.mucc.be

History to get your teeth intoTEXT: MARTIN PILKINGTON | PHOTOS: ANTOINE BRYNAERT (COURTESY OF CHOCO-STORY)



Anne-Marie Martiny who founded theschool over ten years ago, comes from amore medical background with training inspeech-language pathology, the methodsof which she has adapted to the learning ofa foreign tongue. Today the school offersclasses in French, German, Luxembour-guish, Dutch, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish,Russian, Arabic, Chinese and many others.

“During our classes,” says Martiny, “wehave noticed that many expats had prob-lems adapting to the local culture; this iswhy an important part of our teaching fo-cuses on the specific cultural aspects of liv-ing in that country.”

One of the reasons why Martiny’s schoolhas been successful and grown over the

past ten years is that she made sure thatthe students of Langues sur Mesure arenot just numbers in a system. They aretested, evaluated and their particular casesare taken into consideration when the pro-gramme is created, and this is somethingall the companies want to hear.

Recently, realising that people learn fasterwhen they like a class, its subject and at-mosphere, Martiny has built programmesof the most cordial kind. “We have organ-ised themed conversation classes, usuallyoccurring over lunch for ninety minutes,allowing students to speak freely and prac-tise while having fun.”

The school Langues sur Mesure also offersimmersion days during which Martiny takes

students on a field trip, to France or toGermany where education and fun coexist.

“We have had the chance of visiting Nancywith students and they loved it becausevisiting museums and learning about thearts and history of a region gives anotherdimension to the language; ultimatelylearning becomes easier and faster,” sheconcludes.

No matter what your level is, and whatyour goals are, Langues sur Mesure hasmany colours on its palette and just asmany approaches for its students.

www.langues-sur-mesure.com

Travelling abroad on business, moving to another country and becoming an expat, trying to learn the language of animportant new business partner… all these situations come with many challenges related to language skills. Languessur Mesure is one of the fastest growing language schools in Luxembourg with a method focusing on the level and

learning style of the students.

TEXT: HARUN OSMANOVIC | PHOTOS: LANGUES SUR MESURE

A bespoke language school that makes learning enjoyable and easy

Founder and director Anne-Marie Martiny(standing in the centre wearing red and black)

with her Langues sur Mesure colleagues.


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Our international network of private banking offices will look after all aspects of your family business finances, from daily transactions to long term investments. Its services cover everything from tailored financial management, through to helping you to optimise the legal and tax structures within which your assets are held.

As one of the world’s strongest banks and with more than 150 years of experience in private banking, we have just what it takes to ensure your future prosperity.

To find out what SEB can do for your personal wealth, contact us in London:Christian A. Hvamstad +44 (0) 20 7246 4307 [email protected]

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Now Henri Willig’s tasty cheeses are morepopular than ever – they are currently soldin twenty shops in and around Amster-dam, including a chain of trendy outletscalled Cheese & More by Henri Willig, andthey also supply to wholesale customers.“Even though we’ve grown a lot through-out the years, we still stay true to our phi-losophy of being a personal and honestbrand. We keep our production cycleshort; our cheeses go straight from thecountryside to the client,” says son WiebeWillig, the general manager.

Last year, the company celebrated its 40thbirthday and currently employs 350 staff.

With Wiebe as the second generation tak-ing over the business, the Henri Willig is stillvery much family-owned. “We make every-thing ourselves in our two cheese dairies.We own every milk truck that collects themilk, so we can ensure the quality of ourcheeses,” Wiebe says. “We go rightagainst today’s trend of companies gettingbigger and less personal and we see thatthis is something that appeals to people.”

Miniature cheese, maximal flavourKnown for their ‘Polderkaas’, ‘Hooidam mer’and characteristic miniature cheeses, HenriWillig is not a company to sit still. At themoment, 30 different types and flavours

are sold either made from goat’s, cow’s orsheep’s milk, and the selection is updatedevery year. “Some of our new flavours in-clude coconut cheese, a goat’s cheesewith lavender, and champagne flavouredcheese,” says Wiebe. Many of these vari-eties are exclusively available at their HenriWillig shops. The two most popular onesare the tried and tested Gouda cheeseand the more adventurous truffle cheese.

In fact, Wiebe and his team of cheese ex-perts come together every month to de-velop new, unique flavours. “Every year wecreate at least six new flavours. Some ofthese will replace other cheeses, others

It all started when Henri Willig inherited his family’s dairy farm. A farmer’s life wasn’t quite enough for him, so hedecided to do a course in cheese making. Together with his wife, Riet, he built a cheese dairy next to the farm and in

1974 they opened their own little cheese shop, selling a new brand of cheese labelled ‘Henri Willig’.

TEXT: MYRIAM GWYNNED DIJCK | PHOTOS: HENRI WILLIG

Discover the flavoursome world of cheese



Discover Benelux | Feature | Henri Willig

will stay in our range for years to come ifthey prove popular,” Wiebe explains. Whenasked about his personal favourite, Wiebedoesn’t have to think twice: “That is easy,our mature goat’s cheese. We’ve wonmany prizes with this.”

Cheese and much moreWhile cheese has been one of the Nether-lands’ biggest export products for years, inthe centre of Amsterdam was not a singleshop selling cheese until recently. In 1995this all changes when Henri Willig openedtheir first small-scale shop. This later de-veloped into a separate chain of trendy,high-end cheese boutiques Cheese &More by Henri Willig. “Every flavour of HenriWillig cheese is available here, as well as alltypes of cheese utensils and related prod-

ucts such as wine, savoury snacks andmustard, but also Dutch speciality prod-ucts such as liquorice, nougat and syrupwaffles,” says Wiebe.

The practical size of their miniaturecheeses are especially popular amongtourists as a souvenir or gift. To be sure youbuy a flavour you like, at Cheese & More byHenri Willig every single cheese can betasted first. Wiebe explains, “If there isn’talready a sample ready in the shop, themembers of staff are always happy to giveyou a taster of your cheese of choice.”

The full experienceIf the sight of cheese leaves you wanting toknow more, then you can join a daily work-shop at the Proefzolder for an informative

tasting session. Held every day in the af-ternoon for groups between two and 30people, you are invited to taste severalcheeses accompanied by a special selec-tion of wine or beer. Wiebe adds, “Peoplecan learn much more about our cheesesand we teach them about flavours andpairing the cheeses with the drinks.”

The Proefzolder is located at one of theCheese & More by Henri Willig shops inAmsterdam and opened last April. Cur-rently the sessions start at 4pm daily but inthe future Wiebe would like to run more. “Ifthe sessions continue to be as popular asthey are now, we would like to do theworkshop twice a day,” Wiebe confides.“For the next year, we are also makingplans to try to bring farm and customercloser together. We want people to be-come part of the cheese making experi-ence, so buying a cheese at one of ourshops becomes much more than justwalking in and out of a shop.”

henriwillig.comcheeseandmore.com


Discover Benelux | Cover Feature | Famke Janssen





After growing up in Amsterdam, Janssenmoved to New York in her twenties whileshe was working as a model. Switching toacting when she turned thirty, an early rolethat shot Janssen to international famewas in GoldenEye in 1995, playing thebeautiful and seductive Russian villain Xe-nia Onatopp. “I knew that after being a‘Bond girl’ there would be certain expec-tations about the rest of your career,” shesays.

In an attempt to fight through the Bond girltypecasting and saying ‘no’ to several pro-ductions, Janssen began to combine in-triguing roles in small independent filmswith the big blockbuster movies. “At theend of the day, you need to do the bigmovie roles, because your name meanssomething,” she says. “I’ve fought veryhard to maintain career longevity in this in-dustry. I’ve been very vigilant about theroles I wanted to do.”

From comic book to blockbusterIn 2000 this led her to become Jean Greyin X-Men, directed by Bryan Singer. At thetime, she had no idea that the film wouldgo on to become one of the highest gross-ing franchises in film history. “Bryan Singerwas mainly known for his independentfilms like The Usual Suspect,” she says.“Personally, I had no idea either, I didn’t

know the X-Men comics. It was during myresearch that I realised this is actually reallybig, and everyone had lots of ideas andopinions about the characters.”

The thing that attracted her to the role wasthe way the story was portrayed in a real-istic setting, tackling relatable conceptssuch as discrimination and intolerance. “Itwas very different from previous movies ofthe kind,” she says. “Plus, there were manystrong roles for women, which you didn’treally see either up to that time.”

The telekinetic and telepathic Jean Greyhad a guest appearance in last year’s Daysof Future Past and also featured one of theWolverine spinoffs co-starring Hugh Jack-man. Janssen says: “She is an interestingbut also quite a difficult character to playbecause everything happens in her head,which is tricky to express. Especially in amovie where all the other characters havesuch flashy powers.”

Rising again and againNicknamed the Phoenix, Janssen’s char-acter eventually became part of five out ofthe currently seven X-Men franchisemovies, despite dying several times. Shecomments: “That’s the beauty of it, youcan continue even after your character diesor is killed. This doesn’t often happen, but

it’s happened multiple times with me,” shesays. “In fact, I actually died four timesthroughout the X-Men movies.”

Unfortunately, Janssen is not expected torise again in the upcoming X-Men: Apoc-alypse, set to be released in 2016. Ayounger version of Jean Grey is rumouredto be played by Elle Fanning. “I saw it com-ing. The way Days of Future Past endedopened the door to going back in timeagain. I’ve heard it might be set in the 80sso then Jean Grey would be much youngerthan me,” she says. “Of course this is a lit-tle bittersweet, it would’ve been nice to bepart of it.” She adds, “I find Elle Fanningone of the most beautiful girls, so I’d bevery happy if she gets picked.”

Blood and goreAt the moment Janssen is on set filmingthe third and last series of the Netflix Orig-inal Hemlock Grove. Playing family matri-arch Olivia Godfrey, we asked Janssenwhat we can expect. “I can’t tell you that,it would ruin everything!” she laughs. “Buteveryone you expect to return will beback,” she says and assures us therewon’t be a dull moment in the show.

The horror thriller series displays the mys-terious world of vampires and werewolvesin a very original and sophisticated manner,

F A M K E J A N S S E N

Returning to her rootsWhether it is as a femme fatale in the James Bond film GoldenEye, as fiery, red-haired Jean Grey in X-Men or

recently as the imposing Olivia in Netflix’s Hemlock Grove, Dutch actress Famke Janssen would hardly have escapedanyone’s attention. With a modelling and acting career spanning thirty years, this year she will do her first

Dutch-language production so Discover Benelux asked her what brought her back to her roots.

TEXT: MYRIAM GWYNNED DIJCK | PHOTOS: NETFLIX



with strong leading characters. The firstseason resulted in a dark, meandering andsomewhat disconcerting storyline. Thesecond season shifted towards being farmore graphic, with many extremely bloodyscenes. “Personally I’m not a fan of all thatgore and horror,” she says. “I actually hadno idea how extreme it was until it was fin-ished. Thankfully, I didn’t have much to dowith it in my role.”

Taking charge of her careerHaving turned 50 last year, Janssen ismore determined than ever. Alongside act-ing, she is trying to focus more on writingand producing. In 2011 she had her direc-torial debut with Bringing Up Bobby andlater this year, she hopes to start filming an-other movie she wrote, a satire based on anovel. “It tends to take very long to get amovie made, especially the kinds of films Iwant to make the most, that are nothinglike big blockbusters,” she says.

She says she hopes the writing couldeventually take over from her acting. “Es-pecially as when women get older, there

are fewer acting roles. I never wanted tojust sit by the phone and wait for otherpeople to decide what will happen to mylife and my career,” she adds decisively.“Taking the initiative suits me well.”

It is certainly something she’s done very con-sciously from the very start: “When I stoppedwith modelling, I thought, now I really needto think about my future.” So in the early1990s Janssen went back to school andstudied creative writing and literature at Co-lumbia University. In her spare time she tookacting classes. “Becoming a writer has al-ways been in the background,” she says, ex-plaining she saw her degree as something tofall back on, “it’s now come full circle.”

She also believes that having 10 years ofmodelling experience and a university de-gree already on her résumé probably helpedher acting career in the long run. “When Ilook around me I notice how difficult itsometimes is for actors and actresses tostay normal once they become successful.But I think being Dutch must’ve helped meas well to stay grounded,” she says.

Janssen never lost track of her heritage,even though she is very much settled inNew York where she lives. “I’m still veryDutch, I cycle everywhere, walk every-where, I still speak Dutch and of course Ihave family in the Netherlands,” she says.

Back to her rootsDespite it all, Janssen has never acted in aDutch movie, partly because she was al-ready living in New York when she started.“It takes a lot of energy to build a careersomewhere,” she says. “Had I gone backto the Netherlands, it would have been likestarting again from scratch.”

This will all change, as Janssen will star inher first Dutch-language movie called DeHeld after Jessica Durlacher’s psycholog-ical drama novel set in the Second WorldWar. With screenplay by Janssen’syounger sister Marjolein Beumer and herolder sister Antoinette Beumer as the pro-ducer/director, it will be a true family affair.“It is great that I can do this with my sis-ters. I’m really looking forward to it, it willbe our first collaboration,” she says.


ABOVE: Janssen is currently filming the third and final series of the Netflix Original horror thriller Hemlock Grove. She plays the imposing and seductive matriarch of the richGodfrey family, Olivia.




“We’re all in the same business, so whatwere we really waiting for?”

In May this year, Janssen will also be partof another production tying in with herDutch roots. The film, New Amsterdam willbe a historical adventure with Janssen inthe role of Dutch settler Agatha Van DerDonck. “You can imagine what the film isabout,” she says. “And it is of course veryinteresting for someone who has actuallymoved from the Netherlands to America towork in New York – which was first NewAmsterdam. It actually surprised me thisfilm hasn’t been made before!”

To get rid of her Dutch accent, Janssen ac-tually went to some intensive speechlessens early on. Having perfected herAmerican English over the years, she mighthave to delve back into her old self to getthe accent back. “I don’t really know actu-ally, we’ve not spoken about this yet,” shesays contemplating the role. “I think it mightbe tricky to get it back now.”

Starring among the starsMore recently, Janssen starred alongsideLiam Neeson in action thriller Taken 3, thethird and last instalment of the franchise.She comments on her role. “It’s hardly asurprise as it’s already in the trailer – I’ll die.But this sets off the entire story. I haven’tactually seen it myself, but as you canimagine, it is a much more emotional storyespecially for Liam’s character.”

When asked about co-starring films withmajor star actors like Oscar nominees Nee-son and of course Jackman – includingdoing many bed scenes with him asWolverine – Janssen laughs and replies:“What I find so fantastic is that I’ve been solucky with the actors I have been allowedto work with. They have all been incrediblynice, while there are also many people outthere who are not that nice at all.”

Released globally on 8 January, Janssenwill return as Leonore in Taken 3.

RIGHT: Actors Famke Janssen and Hugh Jackmanattend the X-Men 3: The Last Stand premiere at thePalais des Festivals during the 59th InternationalCannes Film Festival, 2006. Photo: Peter Kramer


Although the summer could not seem farther away during the grey days of January, this month is actually the best time to start looking for that perfect summer destination. There is no better way to get rid of the mid-winter blues than by visualising yourself in that sunny holiday location, finding the best

early-bird deals and shopping around for the vacation of your dreams.

TEXT: MYRIAM GWYNNED DIJCK | PHOTOS: VAKANTIEBEURS, VAKANTIESALON VLAANDEREN, SALON DES VACANCES

S P E C I A L T H E M E

Top summer destinations for early-birds

Discover Benelux | Special Theme | Summer Destinations




The VakantiebeursThe 45th edition of the Vakantiebeurs will giveyou some amazing ideas in their indoor 'treasurehunt' along sun and sea, culture and nature, ad-venture and action, simple or exotic. Under themotto ‘you'd swear you were already there’ vis-itors can immerse themselves in the atmos-phere of their favourite holiday destination. Therewill be plenty to taste, listen to, experience andenjoy. With a new Personal Travel Advice pavil-ion, a renovated Cooking Theatre, the popularCulinary Route, Camping by Night campsite ex-perience and of course up-to-date informationfrom experienced travellers and locals fromaround the world, you can fit the last pieces intoyour dream holiday puzzle.

When & where:14-18 JanuaryJaarbeurs, Utrecht

Tickets:Adults: €12 advance, €15.50 box office (con-cessions available for half-day passes)Children under 16: €5 advance, €6 box office(under 12 go free)

www.vakantiebeurs.nl

Vakantiesalon VlaanderenA wealth of wonderful and original holiday ideasawait at the Vakantiesalon Vlaanderen (Flan-ders). Visitors will be gastronomically spoilt dur-ing the culinary route and every day fantastictrips will be auctioned off for charity. With over80,000 visitors, the event is the biggest holidayfair for the Dutch-speaking part of Belgium andit continues to grow with many new nationaland international exhibitors. Besides the usualpopular holiday destinations, the Vakantiesalonwill also present theme zones with unique holi-day options, including culinary breaks. Everycontinent will be represented and will tempt vis-itors with their gastronomical holiday formula.The fair also offers plenty to see and do for themore active holidaymaker, including motorbike,hike and cycle packages.

When & where:22-26 JanuaryAntwerp Expo

Tickets:Adults: €7 advance, €10 box office (conces-sions available for seniors)Children under 18: €5 advance, €6 box office(under 12 go free)

www.vakantiesalon-vlaanderen.be

Salon des Vacances, BrusselsFind holiday inspiration at the Brussel Salon desVacances, the biggest holiday fair in Belgium.Discover thousands of exciting and fascinatingdestinations and book your holiday of dreams atan affordable price. From the mysterious north-ern lights to tropical cocktails in the Caribbean,a visit to the indoor villages will allow you totaste the entire world, all under one roof. Withthree theme routes, family, cycling and outdoorholidays, no type of traveller will be left out. Hostcountry this year will be Tunis, a Mediterraneanparadise that deserves a spot in the limelightand also France will have a great presence at thefair, showcasing its versatile and stimulating va-cation options.

When & where:5-9 FebruaryBrussels Expo

Tickets:Adults: €10Children under 12: free entry

www.vakantiesalon.e




Half a century ago a young couplestarted their Provençal campsite almost by accident – people kept ask-ing to stay on their land. Two genera-tions later the location remainsequally captivating – though the facil-ities have changed beyond measure.

Marius and Paulette Susini found theirseaside heaven in 1961 when the sailorand his wife, who was a chef, spent theircarefully amassed savings on a field 200metres from the shore at La Couronnenear Martigues. Every weekend wouldbe spent building their little house on theland, a tent pitched beside it. And everyweekend holiday campers would ask toput their tents and caravans nearby. Af-ter two years of hard work they had anew home – and a new campsite.

Today Marius and Paulette’s grandchil-dren Frédéric Cavalier and Joelle Susiniare running the site, and they’ve incor-porated their own touches: “We’ve

added a wellness area, and now alongwith the tent and caravan pitches havesome high-end chalets and fully-equipped tents,” says Cavalier. “And therestaurant now focuses on great localproduce, especially fish and shellfish de-livered here fresh daily.”

Frédéric says their Belgian clientele – about10 per cent of the total – is particularly ap-preciative of that local seafood cuisine,though the biggest draw for many of themis getting near to the creatures in their nat-ural environment rather than at the table.“It’s a great spot for divers,” he explains:“With the wrecks at Carro to be explored,and lots of fish like bass, John Dory, andeven conger seen in the waters here.”

The facilities have changed hugely overthe years, but there are plenty of con-stants too, not least the location. A shortwalk from beautiful beaches and littlestony creeks, and with Martigues – calledthe Venice of Provence for its famous

canals – plus the wild Camargue on thedoorstep, it’s a place for nature lovers andtravellers looking for some peaceful mo-ments. That’s what attracted those firstcampers who shared Marius andPaulette’s dream of tranquillity: “We’recontinually improving the services we pro-vide and the welcome for our guests,”says Cavalier: “But we’ve consciouslychosen to keep our activities few and sim-ple – for example there’s a boule pitch,and we rent out cycles. Our campsite isabove all calm and restful, a recipe thatbrings people back time after time.”

www.camping-marius.com

Sharing a dreamTEXT: MARTIN PILKINGTON | PHOTOS: KARIM SAARI

The local area around camping Marius offers a spectacular seafood cuisine, as well as a magnificent nature rich environment.




Classified as a 4-star camping since1981, Camping les Dunes provides di-rect access to the famous longstretch of sandy beaches of Brétig-nolles sur Mer. Welcoming visitorsfrom April to November, the campingprovides well-equipped mobile homerentals fitting four to eight peoplecomfortably, with television sets,sheets, blankets and electric heating.Wi-Fi is also available upon request.

For those feeling a bit more adventur-ous, thirty different pitching spots areavailable for tents and caravans, witheasy access to water and electricity.

As for entertainment and the animationprogramme, the camping has everythingin place to make it a memorable stay forguests of all ages and interests. Cre-ative workshops are organised for thesmaller ones aged two to 12, along witha weekly show to make their parents

proud. Teenagers can enjoy differentteam sports from football to basketballand volleyball while making new friends.On top of this, the camping has its ownheated indoor and outdoor aquatic parkfor extra fun for the whole family.

From the camping there is the possibilityto go on several hikes among the sur-rounding dunes and marshland, with allthe information provided at the recep-tion where the staff can advise you ontrails to follow. If you are more of thetwo-wheeled type, ask for a bike rentaland enjoy the beautiful cycling tracks ofthe Vendée region, among gorgeouslandscapes and breathtaking views.

And of course, being right next to thebeach, one can enjoy many afternoons inthe sea or sunbathing, while the sportyones can try out surfing or kite-surfing –the conditions are ideal for both begin-ners and more experienced surfers.

The region is also famous for its culturalsites, such as museums and churches,to dive more deeply into the history ofthe Vendée. If you come with children,the world-famous theme park Puy duFou is within an hour and a half away bycar for a day trip.

With great facilities, access to the beachand ideal location at the heart of theVendee, the Camping les Dunes awaitsyour visit! Go to the website for more in-formation, available in French, English,Dutch and German.

www.campinglesdunes.fr

B Y T H E S E A B R E E Z E A T

Camping les DunesTEXT: BETTINA GUIRKINGER | PHOTOS: DIGIDAAN



Every summer season, hundreds of fam-ilies from the Benelux travel to the shoresof the Atlantic Ocean in the FrenchVendée region, to find a quiet haven ofpeace and nature. The Domaine du Préhas the advantage of being just fifteenkilometres away from the beach of SaintGilles Croix yet also on the shores of thelake of Jaunay, making the site ideal fora relaxing time in the middle of a pro-tected nature reserve.

With its brand new facilities – built in2011 – the Domaine du Pré offers manyactivities for all types of visitors. At theheart of the park you will find a 500square metre artificial lake with sandybeaches, water games for kids, paddlingareas and a deeper water area for adultsto swim. Between July and August, the

Domaine du Pré offers a club for kidswith regular activities after which the en-tire family can meet for delicious localcuisine served at the park’s restaurant.

The facilities are all equipped with tastefulmodern furniture: studios for two, cottagesfor up to eight guests, the Domaine duPré can accommodate your every need. Allthe equipment for babies and toddlers canbe provided and is available on site in fam-ily cottages. If you want to keep more toyourselves with all-inclusive services –cleaning, bed linen and more – ask for thePrivilege cottage for a peaceful and relax-ing stay. Whatever your preference, theDomaine du Pré will surely invigorate youand yours because nature is comfortable.

www.domainedupre.com

Where nature is comfortableTEXT: HARUN OSMANOVIC | PHOTOS: DOMAINE DU PRé

Concluding that Dutch and Belgiancampers who return to Camping LeTatiou year after year do so because theflat Landes country reminds them ofhome is too simplistic. After all, thenearby beach of Lespecier is unlike any-thing in the Netherlands, and few willlive in surroundings as naturally beauti-ful as the site’s scented pine woods.

“People across the age range are at-tracted by the friendly family atmospherehere,” says reception manager Nathalie

Mengé: “And there are loads of things todo. Within the site we have two play-grounds for kids and teenagers, superbsports facilities, outdoor fitness area foradults, a great swimming pool and pad-dling pool, and of course you can alsoplay boules. And in the evening we haveactivities like dancing, karaoke, and the-atre for everyone!”

Nearby there’s an adventure park, paint-ball and archery are available, plus a net-work of cycle paths links to neighbouringtowns and Lespecier beach. The Biassite has naturally evolved since it openedin 1974, these days offering ‘campé-toiles’ (small tents on stilts), bungalows,and mobile homes, along with spaciouspitches for touring caravans and tents.

It’s nice to feel at home, but on holidayit’s great to sample local specialities,which at Le Tatiou only requires a stroll

to the restaurant: “They serve plenty ofregional dishes like duck confit and‘salade Landaise’ with duck breast andgizzards if guests fancy a taste of theSouth West,” says Nathalie. “But if theywant simple home cooking we’ve got amini-mart too – or simpler still, roastchicken and French fries to take away!”

www.campingletatiou.com

Full days and stomachs in Les LandesTEXT: MARTIN PILKINGTON | PHOTOS: CAMPING LE TATIOU




The family-owned 4-star camping Do-maine la Garenne was built to guaranteepeace and quiet to its visitors from Aprilto October. Spread over a large area of14 hectares with plenty of space to en-sure privacy between campers, it is theperfect summer getaway.

Ideally located in the hills of the Drômedes Collines in south-eastern France, andsurrounded by beautiful oak and pinetrees, campers can bring their own tentsor caravans and make their choice of lo-cation among the 40 pitch sites available,with access to sanitary facilities, free hotshowers and electricity. Otherwise, guestsare welcome to make their pick among arange of mobile homes and chalets, fittingbetween two to eight people comfortably.These are built in sustainable and eco-friendly materials, mostly wood, to guar-antee comfort and quality.

Particularly family-friendly and free forchildren under 3, the camping has its

own two swimming pools as well as apaddling pool and a large range ofsports facilities including a football pitch,an area to play the traditional pétanque,a ping-pong table and a trampoline.

With activities organised by the staff dur-ing the day, parents can relax at the barand regroup with the family at the cater-ing service available every evening dur-ing the high season of July-August.

Although relaxing by the pool or grab-bing a book from the camping library(available in French and Dutch) is alwaysan option, there are plenty of activities toenjoy during your stay at Domaine laGarenne such as hikes leaving from thecamping, bike rental to explore the re-gion, horse-riding in the surrounding na-ture or a visit to nearby Valence.

Also available in the surrounding area isthe beautiful artwork of Facteur Cheval –a unique castle to visit with the children

in an afternoon, after delighting yoursenses at the Cité du Chocolat in nearbyTain l'Hermitage.

For those seeking a more local culinaryexperience, the baker will provide youwith fresh bread in the morning and lo-cal farmers come by twice a week withfresh fruit and vegetables. On top of this,you can buy fully organic goat cheeseand honey provided from the farmsnearby, which are also open for visitors.

The camping Domaine la Garenne hassomething to offer to all, from children toadults, in the idyllic setting of the Drômedes Collines.

Please go to the website – available inFrench, English and Dutch – for more information and bookings.

www.domaine-la-garenne.com

TEXT: BETTINA GUIRKINGER | PHOTOS: DOMAINE LA GARENNE

An escape to nature and leisure




La Nautique is also surrounded by pic-turesque fishing villages and acres ofvineyards that produce the region’s ex-cellent Corbières wines. Located nearbythe former Roman stronghold of Nar-bonne and in the middle of the CatharCountry with its magnificent castles,there is also plenty to see for culture en-thusiasts. “From fishing to wind surfing,sightseeing and wine tasting, there issomething here for everyone,” sayscamping co-owner Miriam Malquier.

But its location is just one aspect of LaNautique’s appeal. The family-run camp-ing was set up in 1995 after the formerneglected campsite was completely re-built. Starting with two stars when theyopened, La Nautique now boasts fourstars and has an almost endless numberof facilities on site. “There is a bar, shopand restaurant, swimming pool and pad-dling pool, beach volleyball and tenniscourts, ping-pong tables, mini golf site,

football pitch, pétanque area, play-grounds and we have Wi-Fi covering over70 per cent of the site,” Malquier says.

The 16-hectare site has 270 normal camp-ing pitches – each with private washroom,shower and toilet facilities – and 120 rentalmobile homes. A unique feature of La Nau-tique is that every facility and several of itsmobile homes and chalets are wheelchairaccessible. “In 2005 we were the firstcampsite in the south of France to gain the‘Tourisme & Handicap’ quality label. Wealso rent out wheelchairs, both normal andelectrical ones and wheelchairs for in thewater,” Malquier continues.

During the high season, the campinghosts a range of daily entertainment andkids’ club activities, including night open-ings of the swimming pool, foam parties,ghost walks, live music and more. Sixtimes a week in July and August, thecamping’s mascots Charlie and Kiwi pick

up the children for the Cool Kids activities,for adolescents there are sports champi-onships and adults can enjoy zumba, aer-obics and aqua gym classes. Malquierconcludes, “There is always somethinggoing on. All our activities are aimed at aninternational audience and we also alwaystry to have speakers of Dutch, English,French and German on shift every day.”

La Nautique is currently taking bookingsfor the 2015 season and will open on 1March.

www.campinglanautique.com

When hearing about the wonderful location of camping La Nautique, in the south of France, it is tempting to wish away the cold winter days. The campsite in Languedoc-Roussillon is situated in a beautiful nature reserve, just a stone’sthrow away from a large inland sea along the Mediterranean coast where flamingos are dotted around the beaches.

TEXT: MYRIAM GWYNNED DIJCK | PHOTOS: CAMPING LA NAUTIqUE

Summertime dreaming




Nearing three natural lakes, it is on theshores of the largest of them that you willbe able to grab a spot right under thesun on a lawn that makes for a uniquegrass beach. Standing at the entrance ofthe camping, right before you is the lakeLaffrey, still, ages-old and that seems torun as far as the eye can see, all the wayto the foothills of Alpe du Grand Serre.

In the water, everyone finds joy. You will beable to enjoy the quietness of a fishingparty or swim in the crystal clear water ofthe lake which reaches depths of fortymetres allowing for wonderful scuba div-ing expeditions. The camping rents outcanoes for a ride on the lake but for moreserious sailors, sailboats are available atthe Cholonge, the nearby sailing club.

For hikers and bike riders, the scenery ofthe area is breathtaking. From the flanksof the Alpe du Grand Serre the panoramicview will amaze you with its pictorialFrench paysage. “Besides the beauty of

the region, we have a lot of guests whoare interested in its history,” says PascalCouderc, owner of the camping.

Indeed near the camping are the remnantsof the mining past of the region but moreimportantly the camping is on the road thatNapoleon took on his way out from captiv-ity. “Starting March 2015, which marks the200 year anniversary of Napoleon’s journey,events will be held throughout the road,especially in Laffrey which saw Napoleonencounter the army of the King, a crucialevent in French history.”

The Camping Au Pré du Lac is an all-in-one location: Via ferrata alpine routes,climbing, 300 kilometres of marked hikingpaths, roads and sceneries to delight bik-ers and horse riders, sailing, diving… thelist never ends. So make sure to mark it onyour next holiday trip and discover themajesty of the Matheysine region.

www.aupredulac.eu


A place of many wondersLocated in the Rhone-Alpes region, in the south-east of France, the camping site Au Pré du Lac has become

a destination of choice for vacationers coming from the Benelux and looking for a piece of nature.

TEXT: HARUN OSMANOVIC | PHOTOS: AU PRé DU LAC



Winner of the 2014 Zoover Award, the4-star camping Moulin de Surier is oneof the 25 top campings out of 8,500 inthe whole of France. Ideally located inthe beautiful region of Dordogne-Périg-ord, here are at least 25 reasons tomake this your destination this summer.

Having been a campsite for twenty years,the Moulin du Surier came under newmanagement last July who have given it anew life, with further plans to make it evenbetter. Open throughout spring, summerand autumn, the location is close to mag-ical: spread over eight hectares and sur-rounded by lush green nature, two lakesand a hundred year-old windmill that givesthe camping its name, it has everything toplease the eye and the senses.

Guests can pick between different types ofchalets and mobile homes fitting betweenfour and eight people comfortably, andwith spacious interiors to avoid being ontop of each other and enjoy a stress-less

holiday. The camping will also turn to‘glamping’ in 2015 – a more glamorousstyle of camping with appropriate, luxurioustypes of accommodation available on site.

As for activities and services, the campinghas it all: ping-pong tables, tennis, volley-ball, BBqs, swimming in the lake or thepool, fishing for children and professionals,bike rentals a whole range of board gamesto enjoy with family or friends. Next to oneof the lakes is a bar-restaurant called LaGingette where you can order lunch or din-ner from June to September. The swim-ming pool has its own bar with a collectionof refreshments and snacks which can beordered as takeaways. La Guingette’s isalso the meeting point for evening enter-tainment: shows with professional artists,disco, karaoke and much more.

The uniqueness of the site also resides inthe exclusive access to privately-ownedChateau de Bannes located nearby. Understaff guidance, guests are invited to light a

lantern and, together, make a night walk inthe gardens of the chateau – an adventurefor children and a delight for grown-ups.

On top of this, the region has its fairshare of cultural, historical and geologi-cal activities given the impressive num-ber of castles and caves nearby. For thesporty type, there is the possibility to goon horse-riding treks, hiking, fishing, playgolf, rent quads or organise an after-noon of cycling with the family.

So for the perfect holiday destination lookno further and visit the website (in French,Dutch and English).

www.lemoulindesurier.com

TEXT: BETTINA GUIRKINGER | PHOTOS: MOULIN DE SURIER


An escape to nature and a home away from home



With thousands of kilometres of coastline, inland waterways, lakes, canals and rivers, the Benelux is a wonderfully waterrich region. The Dutch and Belgian sea shores in particular have been popular for centuries, not only for naval transport

but also for leisure yachtsmen, from novices to veterans.

TEXT: MYRIAM GWYNNED DIJCK | PHOTOS: BOOT DüSSELDORF, BELGIAN BOAT SHOW

Set sail to the Benelux and beyond

While the summer is still far away, the be-ginning of the year is the perfect time tostart mapping your vacation and select aboat that fits your favourite journey. If youalready have a vessel for your voyage, thenthere are always new routes to take, inno-vative accessories to learn about and un-expected destinations to discover.

Sports like water and jet skiing, wake-boarding, fishing and other nautical activi-ties are also well represented along theBenelux seashores and waterways. Cov-ering all these aspects are two majorevents happening this winter. First there is‘boot Dusseldorf’ in late January, shortlyfollowed by the Belgian Boat Show in Feb-ruary. For every maritime enthusiast thesespectacular shows are not to be missed!



Discover Benelux | Mini Theme | Boats

BOOT DÜSSELDORF

Craving sun, wind, waves and the sea? Eu-rope’s largest yachting and water sports fairwill get you in the mood for summertime fun.With 1,650 exhibitors from 60 countries, ‘bootDusseldorf’ is truly a 360° water sports experi-ence. Shipyards, distributors and importers willpresent their boats, canoes, dinghies and glam-orous luxury yachts. Ride the waves on yoursurfboard, relax in a canoe, go fishing, diving, orset sail on a fabulous cruise – in Düsseldorf, thedreams of every yachting and water sports fancome true.

When & where:17-25 JanuaryDüsseldorf Exhibition Centre

Tickets:Adults: €15 advance, €20 box office(concessions available for weekday tickets andtwo-day passes)

www.boot.de

BELGIAN BOAT SHOW

This year, the 27th Belgian Boat Show will havean even wider variety of exhibitors and is ex-pected to attract over 30,000 visitors. This ex-clusive, national nautical lifestyle event pres-ents sailing and motor yachts, hundreds of newcabin cruisers, RIBs powerboats, jet skis, alongwith a selection of high quality used boats.There will also be prizes to win and visitors

bringing their wetsuits can have a go at thebiggest indoor lake the Wavesurfer, creatingwater waves of up to three metres high.

When & where:14-16 and 20-22 FebruaryFlanders Expo, Gent

Tickets:Adults: €10 advance, €12 box office (group concessions available)Children under 16: free entrance (under parental guidance)

www.belgianboatshow.be



“Designing a yacht is always a combinationof aesthetics and technique,” explains DeGroot, owner and founder of Guido deGroot Design. “We strongly listen to ourclients’ wishes, work closely with engineersand combine the needs of both into onedesign. The result must always be a yachtthat is the prom queen of the harbour, be-cause everything in the design is right. Theproportions and views from all sides mustbe perfect.”

Guido de Groot Design designs both inte-riors and exteriors for yachts. “Every designis custom. Our clients have a list of de-mands, for example how big it should be,

whether it should be a fast or a slow yachtand what it will be used for.” Some yachtsare meant for short stays on board, othersfor long ones. “And different people livedifferently,” he continues. “We discuss theneeds of our clients with them and basedon all the information we receive, we de-termine for example how many cabinsshould be in the yacht, how big the galleyshould be, but also the look and feel of theship. Thanks to our many years of experi-ence, we know how people live on a yacht,so we understand our clients’ wishes well.”

Guido de Groot Design started in 1997and specialises in innovative interiors and

exteriors for luxury motor and sailingyachts. De Groot started out as a car de-signer: “this gave me a good understand-ing of shapes and surfaces and a keensense for 3D objects. My love affair withyachts began back in 1986 when I saw thefourth ‘Highlander’ close to completion atthe De Vries Feadship yard. Awestruck bythe majesty of this 45-metre masterpiece,I started drawing yachts parallel with mycareer in car design. The next decade Ispent learning everything there was toknow about luxury yachts.”

The experience and knowledge that ispresent within the company, has its impact

A good looking yacht that suits all your needs perfectly is what you aim for when you have your own ship built. Leiden-based yacht designer Guido de Groot knows how to incorporate your demands

into the most beautiful and practical boat you have ever seen.

TEXT: JANINE STERENBORG | PHOTOS: GUIDO DE GROOT DESIGN

The perfect nautical experience




on the clientele. “We collaborate with pres-tigious shipyards in the Netherlands, Italy,China, Russia, Taiwan and Turkey and ourclients come from all over the world,” hesays.

When starting out with a new client, DeGroot starts with logical steps: “Each pro -ject starts with several meetings with ourclient. We need to get a good under-standing of what the client wants andneeds. After that we start to draw prelimi-nary concept drawings. At this stage, theexploration of ideas is quite free: we wishto push the boundaries and at all timesproduce good and interesting solutions.”After this, De Groot presents the designs tothe client. The best one will be developedfurther. “That’s when 3D computer pro-gramming comes in. This allows us tomake visuals for both the exterior and in-terior of the yacht. This way we make itmuch easier for the client to get an idea ofthe potential boat, long before the vesselhas begun construction.”

Over the years, Guido de Groot Design hasdesigned a large number of yachts. The de-sign studio now employs seven people, allwith a love for yachting and a backgroundin industrial design, engineering or archi-tecture. By now, the team designs abouteight yachts per year. “Besides designs re-quested by clients, we develop our ownconceptual yachts. We make somethingwe think is innovative, something that mighthit the market or something we think is in-teresting to clients.”

Through the years, the focus on what is im-portant in a yacht has changed slightly.“Because of the financial crisis, it has be-come more and more important to focuson becoming more innovative to attractpotential clients. This, together with thefact that international safety regulations foryachts have changed, has led to betteryachts and better designs.”

Another shift De Groot sees is the demandfor ‘toys’. “Submarines on board are start-

ing to become popular,” says De Grootand adds: “the accommodation of thesehas an impact on the appearance of futureyachts.” A submarine might sound ex-treme, but many requests have passed DeGroot’s ears. “We’ve built yachts that cango 50 knots (which is over 100 kilometresper hour) for example.”

After spending almost thirty years in theyachting business, De Groot hardly everblinks an eye at what might seem like ex-treme requests. “We have seen it all. Be-sides, a request is a challenge, not a prob-lem.” Talking about challenges: “We are noteasily shocked by requests!” De Groot hints.

www.guidodegroot.com



Founded in 1965 because of HenriWauquiez's love for the quality and speedof sailing boats, the shipyard grew rapidlyand soon started exporting to the UK, Ger-many and Scandinavia from its workshopin northern France. This was also the resultof a close collaboration with British archi-tects to make the designs both efficient,safe and beautiful. Today, the luxury brandis stronger than ever in the creation ofsemi-custom models, meant to fit every-one's aim and ambition: from a yacht forfour to five yearly leisure trips on theMediterranean Sea to a ship fit for a full-scale crossing of the Atlantic or a sailingtrip in the Caribbean – Wauquiez has it all.

Satisfying your sailing ambitionsSome of the models available are all-timeclassics, such as the Centurion, whichgave birth to the Gladiator models 9, 10

and 11. Built for performance and comfort,this beauty possesses a slender hull, sleeklines, a low, discreet roof and a cockpit anddeck designed for manoeuvring and re-laxing. With a powerful build, thorough-bred and as steerable as a racing yacht,the result is a perfect mixture of comfort, el-egance and strength.

Other popular models include the Pilot Sa-loon, Opium and Optio. The Pilot Saloonstands out by her elegance and innova-tion, both above and below deck. She of-fers an aft cockpit and owners’ cabin, aswell a panoramic view from the saloon,which offers optimal interior lighting andexceptional sea views. The hull is made ofsandwich fiberglass/balsa, using the vac-uum infusion technique: unidirectional andcomplex quadri-axial and UD glass-fabricsinfused with vinylester resin, and impreg-

nated, vertical balsa ensure further light-ness and strength. The vinylester resinand gel coat suppress osmosis phenom-ena. The deck is processed with the sametechnique, but with PVC foam instead ofbalsa for further weight reduction abovethe waterline.

The Opium on the other hand is far moresuitable for cruising, racing or a voyage.Her speed, safety and comfort make heran ideal option for longer adventures. Ontop of this, she gives the feeling of homeaway from home through her luxuriousand spacious interior which successfullycombines waxed teak and composite ma-terials.

Finally, the Optio stands out as the firstDaysailer created by the brand, and incor-porates all the hallmark features. Among

Wauquiez is a name, a brand, and more importantly a tradition in the art of crafting luxurious sailing boats of the highestquality. With 50 years of history and constantly creating new designs and improving their current models, a sailing yacht

signéWauquiez is likely to become your next big investment.

TEXT: BETTINA GUIRKINGER | PHOTOS: WAUqUIEz

For a true experience of the sea, choose Wauquiez Yachts




others, she boasts unmistakable sophisti-cation, luxury and craftsmanship. Further-more, the Optio has been resolutely de-signed for high performance, given herprogressive chine hull and sleek deck; thestandard model includes full racing equip-ment. A joy to the senses!

A work of artWhile it is extremely important for thecraftsmen at Wauquiez to be at the highend of technical and technological devel-opments, this shouldn't come at the costof comfort and elegance. This is why theinteriors are treated with the same careand attention to detail as the rest of theboat along the creation line. No conces-sions are made on the materials pur-chased and every creation is treated as awork of art.

When most Wauquiez debutantes walkinto a boat the first thing that comes tothem is the delicate smell of the bees wax.It is purchased from a nearby abbey withhundreds of years of tradition and used for

the wooden elements of the space. This isonly one of the many details that are givenspecial care and love.

The interior just shows how much pride aWauquiez craftsman takes in a job welldone. Bulkheads and cabinetwork are fit-ted and varnished with the most preciseattention, which make the work as pleas-ing to the eye as to the touch... Everythingis done in the most classic and traditionalway of sailing construction, with all piecesassembled manually, for greater precisionand aesthetics.

A winning combinationNominated for the prize of the EuropeanYacht of the Year in the luxury category andclose to what could be called ‘the Oscarsof watersports’, Wauquiez is in tough com-petition with the crême de la crême of boatmakers, which already says a lot aboutthe standard it has already achieved.

Eventually what will always make the luxurybrand stand out is its winning combination

of high-tech and tradition, with the aim tokeep ‘surprising’ new and old customersand stay relevant in the elite world of yachtcraftsmanship. Never out-dated, never outof fashion, you are invited to join theWauquiez experience and find out moreonline (available in French and English).

www.wauquiez.com



Discover Benelux | Special Theme | Cycling

That cycling is one of the most popularpastime activities can be seen at the bicy-cle fair Vélofollies like nowhere else. Forthe ninth consecutive time, this annual cy-cling event will take place in the KortrijkXpo, Belgium, a bicycle bonanza at thetop of every cycle enthusiast’s agenda inthe Benelux.

Filled to the brimWith over 275 exhibitors, Vélofollies is notonly the biggest but also most varied bicy-cle fair in the Benelux. Next to race bikesand mountain bikes, the event stretching

40,000 square metres also offers a wealthof travel bikes, city bikes and electric bikes,supplemented by a full array of acces-sories, cycle clothing, trips and advice.

Vélofollies is a paradise for the cycle en-thusiast, representing all the major brandsin the field, including Shimano, Cam -pagnolo, Trek, Cannondale, Ridley and Merckx. Each will display their full range atthe fair along with their latest products,developments and trends. For national andinternational brands in Europe, Vélofollies isthe bicycle fair of choice.

Also recreational cyclists will have plenty tosee and do with a large number of chil-dren’s bikes, retro bikes and city bikes ondisplay by household names such as Ox-ford, Batavus and Miverva as well as newbrands Koga and Gazelle.

Tried and testedBecause of the growing popularity of theelectrical bike, the organisers created an in-door e-bike track in a separate large hall.This way even more bikes can be tried outat the varied track. For more informationand advice regarding e-bikes, workshops

Out on the streets, you notice the difference, the number of cyclists keeps on increasing in Belgium. More and morepeople are clearly taking to the bike, either as a way of transport or as relaxation. Never before did the cycle unions

count as many members as they do now, across every age range.

TEXT & PHOTOS: VéLOFOLLIES

V É L O F O L L I E S

The Benelux’s biggest bicycle fair




will be held at the fair tackling commonquestions like battery use and chargingcapacity.

For more adventurous BMX riders, thesecan also be tested at a pump track at theRambla. Under supervision, visitors can tryseveral off-road bikes and test their capa-bilities. Then for children there will be achance to make a first round on a bicycleat the Belaey Trials Academy. Vélofolliesclearly offers something for all ages.

More than cyclingOn top of the latest collections and trends,the fair will be peppered with fascinatingactivities like chat sessions with currentand retired professional cyclists, team per-formances, workshops and autographsessions. Several stars of competitive cy-

cling will attend, including Niels Albert, RobPeeters and predicted Tour de France win-ner Wout Van Aert. Felici Gimondi will cel-ebrate the 50th anniversary of his tour vic-tory, and also the Bike of the Year will belaunched.

When & where:

Kortrijk Xpo, Belgium16-18 January

Tickets:

Adults: €10 advance, €14 box officeChildren under 12: €5 advance, €7 box office (under 6 go free)

www.velofolies.be

Vélofollies is a true bicycle bonanza and the highlight of the year for many cycling fans in the Benelux. From clothing and accessories to every type of bicycle you can thinkof, all aspects of biking will be represented at the fair.




One of the first things that springs tomind when anyone mentions Amster-dam is its bikes. You know a city hasmany bikes when its local authoritiesstate there are well over 600,000 but“we cannot tell for sure”. As soon asyou arrive at the city’s central stationit is clear that this is a population thatmoves on two wheels, as flanking thestation are numerous multi-story bicycle parking areas.

Unlike London, where the riders battlewith the mass of cars, buses and trucks,Amsterdam’s policy on bikes is different.Compared to Greater London, Amster-dam is tiny, yet it has over 400 kilometresof bike lanes, separated from the traffic.

Amsterdam council’s tolerance and ten-dency to embrace all things cycling is reflected in the riders’ styles. There arevery few, if any, Lycra and high vis-cladriders racing with the traffic. Instead, Am-sterdamers can be seen cruising around

on their relaxed Dutch bikes at a moreleisurely speed and in normal clothes –sometimes on the phone, sometimes carrying umbrellas to shelter from the rain– while the number of riders wearing helmets can be counted on one hand.

The question then must be asked: “howcome things are so different in Holland’scapital?” It isn’t hard to see where Amsterdam’s passion for the bike comes

from; with an intensely compact, flat city,with numerous, narrow, twisting streets,driving a car is clearly a disadvantage.Added to that is the fact that bikes take pri-ority over cars, a mentality that is light years

away from London (and the UK as a whole),where the car is king. It is then no surpriseeither that 68 per cent of all journeys aremade on two wheels in Amsterdam.

All of this leads to a pleasant, safe and en-joyable environment to ride a bike in. Thereare very few incidents between cars andbikes in this city. Discover Benelux evenspotted a cyclist run a red light in the pathof an approaching police car, where thepolice officer kindly stopped and apolo-gised to the rider for being close to him,while technically it was the cyclist who waswrong. An interesting scene to observe,but also a reflection of the mentality that isat the core of this bike-friendly city.

Everyone in Amsterdam rides a bike,they have done so all their lives. Whenthey drive a car they understand the vul-nerable position of cyclists compared tomotor vehicles. So it is the car that givesway: a great model that all major cities inEurope should take note of.

TEXT & PHOTOS: PHIL GALE

A M S T E R D A M

Europe’s most bike-friendly capital city


www.velofollies.be

16 - 18 JAN 2015#velofollies

The bike show for the cyclist and cycling enthusiast.

Online presale: € 10 (adults), € 5 (6 to 12 years)

At the doors: € 14 (adults), € 7 (6 to 12 years)

Buy tickets online & save!

Your Partner in Anglo Dutch BusinessThe Netherlands British Chamber of Commerce (NBCC) is the only bilateral non-profit

membership organisation solely dedicated to promoting Anglo-Dutch trade and investment.

From our start in 1891, we helped thousands of companies and entrepreneurs expanding

their business abroad.

The Netherlands-British Chamber of Commerce, 125 years experience in

Anglo-Dutch trade and investment promotion. Contact us now for:

• Access to interesting network events

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Email: [email protected]

Or visit: www.nbcc.co.uk



Merida, the long-established Tai-wanese bicycle producer, has stoodfor decades at the top of its game –and podiums too. Synonymous withthe world’s best value mountain bikes,its focus has widened to incorporateultra-lightweight, high performanceaero road bikes, coveted carbonframes, a streamlined women’s rangeand its own World Tour team.

When the eminent mountain bike manu-facturer announced its intention to de-velop road bikes, cyclists of the worldlistened. Known for its innovation andproficiency, with over three decades ofexperience contained within some of theworld’s most advanced bicycle produc-tion facilities, we were sure Merina wouldcreate something special.

Launching its first complete road bike col-lection in 2010 was a huge undertakingbut one which the world’s second largestbicycle manufacturer relished. Now withthe Reacto, Scultura and Ride series,each out performing more establishedroad brands, Merida is rightly proud. Fromthe Benelux headquarters in Apeldoorn,

we caught up with head of Benelux, Pe-ter Koperdraad, whose outspoken lovefor the sport is contagious. “More peoplethan ever are out cycling and the beautyof the sport is that there are no con-straints, no time boundaries or limita-tions,” explains Koperdraad. “There’s afreedom associated with cycling that isworth discovering.”

With the research and developmentheadquarters in Germany and the man-ufacturing Hq in Yuanlin, Taiwan,Merida’s expertise is unmatched. “We’vegot the best of both worlds. The pro-duction facilities in Taiwan are so cleanyou could eat off the floors – even en-tering the paint line requires entrancethrough high pressure cabins to removedust particles,” he says incredulously.

TEXT: EMMIE COLLINGE | PHOTOS: MERIDA

MeridaMore bike, more fun!


A complete line-up of MTB and Racing bikes is available forladies, an often overlooked market.




With development as their key principle, it isthe German R&D team of 20 designers andproduct managers who are responsible forthe brand’s new offerings to the cycling mar-ket. With mountain bikes as their core prod-ucts, their forays into road bikes, sports e-bikes, cyclocross bikes and children’s bikeshave proved worthy expansions, aided andabetted by the team’s world-class mountainbike team, the Multivan Merida Biking Team.Producing mountain bikes with both the 27.5and 29 inch wheel size they have every vari-able on offer to suit any type of off-road rider.

With road racing’s rapid growth, Merida’schoice to sign up as the title sponsor of theItalian World Tour team Lampre-Meridawas a wise one. Since 2013 the brand hasbenefitted greatly from access to the pelo-ton, the elite group of cyclists who take onthe world’s grand tours. “We’ve spent timein wind tunnels, looking at positions and di-mensions to determine the influence of thebody and the bike on its speed,” he ex-plains. With their presence on the roadscemented and their prominence in this dis-cipline apparent, Koperdraad is excitedabout the team’s set-up for 2015 onMerida’s highest-specification bike, the fullcarbon Reacto, whose aerodynamic gainsare a feat of the German R&D know-how,weeks of rigorous testing by the team andthe Taiwanese manufactory’s expertise.

All these advancements trickle down im-mediately, meaning that amateur ridersbenefit equally from the brand’s serious

skills. After the Reacto, there’s the Scul-tura (available in carbon or alloy), idealfor serious riders and optimally designedfor comfort on those longer (120 kilo-metres or more) rides with the perfectbalance of lightness and stiffness. Alter-natively, for road riders who are afteradded comfort, there is the Ride series,with its slightly more upright positioningthat would have you believing that theyellow jersey is within your grasp.

With the introduction of their female-spe-cific road and mountain bike range,Merida have tapped into an often over-looked market. Steering clear of typically‘girly’ colour schemes, the Merida bikeshave sacrificed neither design nor per-formance, making them basically a unisexequivalent with a marginally smallerframe. The lower bottom bracket, shorterhandlebar stem and softer front suspen-sion combine to create mountain bikesthat are far more suited to women.

Combining the R&D skills of their Germanoffice with the production know-how of

their Taiwanese office, Merida offersbikes that have not only been designedto suit any rider – but any budget too.Not stopping there, they also want toshare their expertise and passion for allthings two-wheeled through theirBenelux-based test centre.

www.merida.nlwww.merida.com

Inspired to start cycling but unsureof where to begin?

With thousands of bikes to choose from, it

can be quite overwhelming, agrees Koper-

draad. Just 85 kilometres from Amsterdam,

the Merida Benelux Experience Centre can

be found in the Netherlands’s largest forest,

the Veluwe – meaning that door-to-trail rid-

ing is done with ease.

The Experience Centre, the first of its kind

within cycling, can be compared to test-dri-

ving a car: “You’d never consider not test-

driving a car, but that’s what’s expected

with bikes – until we opened the Experi-

ence Centre that is. Chat to your local

dealer first, they'll set up an appointment

here for you. Once you arrive your desired

bike will be ready with GPS and route navi-

gation on your handlebars, leaving you free

to ride for a couple of hours. Once you re-

turn, you can shower, relax in the café and

discuss bikes with us.”

Webshop (Benelux only):

www.meridawebshop.nl

Contact: [email protected]

At the "state of the art" factory in Taiwan, bicycles are produced to the highest standards.

Merida's 29-er, carbon frame, Fox suspension and the newShimano XTR groupset 2x 11, now available



Held up as a beacon within the world oftwo wheels, it is the country’s over-whelmingly warm attitude to cyclingand its benefits along with its infra-structure and manufacturing, that haverendered the Netherlands a veritabletreasure trove of bicycle-related prod-ucts – and one which continues to growthanks to Almere-based Buzaglo.

The importer of choice for Benelux’s cyclingdistributors, for Buzaglo the sport’s rise inpopularity couldn’t have come at a bettertime. Director Frank Konijn explains howBuzaglo’s own steady growth has been mir-rored by that of cycling’s. Since it began,Buzaglo has held exclusive import rights formany rising Asian brands, including Dahonfolding bikes, Tektro brakes, Velo saddlesand Minoura’s home trainers to name a few.

Almost exclusive access to the ever-im-proving Asian manufacturing market hasbeen greatly beneficial to the Buzagloteam, who have spent the past fewdecades contributing their own knowl-edge of the industry and fusing it with


TEXT: EMMIE COLLINGE | PHOTOS: BUzAGLO

Benelux’s top folder

Asia’s unmatched manufacturing effi-ciency. “We’ve been Europe’s sole Dahonservice centre for many years,” explainsKonijn, “and few know their products aswell as we do. We perform all the Europe-based repairs here in Almere and have ahuge range of bikes in stock.”

Folding bikes, the preferred mode oftransport for a growing proportion of thepopulation and ideal for cities like Ams-terdam, Luxembourg City and Brussels,have witnessed a huge rise in demandover recent years and no more so thanfor the Taiwanese brand of Dahon. De-spite the competition on the market, Da-hon folding bikes are applauded for theircomfort, rideability and forward-thinkingdesigns, making them one of the world’smost coveted folding bike brands. Dat-ing back 25 years, the Dahon productrange spans all sizes (16, 20, 24 and 26inches), all prices and all purposes, withfolding commuter bikes, folding moun-tain bikes and folding e-bikes too.

Not content just importing their passion,the Buzaglo team impart it as well withtheir own brands, creating highly sought-after and much needed parts and acces-sories. Nigh on every single item requiredby a cyclist is catered for in their broad andpopular ranges with IKzI lights providingthe necessary illuminations, Nietverkeerd(it’s not bad) panniers, and their children’sline of bike accessories, PeXKids, to makecycling that bit safer and that bit more fun.

buzaglo.nl

ABOVE LEFT: The Ciao was the Bike of the Year 2006 in the Netherlands – the highest prize a bicycle can get –and now also available as an electric bike.




The ointments and creams of qM SportsCare are the first fully natural sports careproducts available. “Over ten years ago Inoticed a gap in the market for highquality body care products forsportsmen and women,” explainsqM Sports Care founder Johan vanSteendam. With a background inaromatherapy, a Master’s degree inphysiotherapy and a career as am-ateur cyclist, the qM product line isa logical outcome of this observa-tion.

Many professional cyclists andother sportsmen and women al-ready enjoy the benefits of the qMSports Care line, thanks to a spon-sorship deal with the Pro Tour cy-cling teams Etixx-quick Step and Katusha. “Among the cyclists are the fa-mous Tom Boonen, Alexander Kristoffand Joaquim Rodriguez,” adds VanSteendam. “Other qM enthusiasts areFrederik Van Lierde, winner of Iron Manin Hawaii in 2013, and Kelly Druyts,world champion scratch 2014.”

The base of essential oils is the distinctivefeature of the qM Sports Care products.Van Steendam explains the advantages of

this: “Your skin is waterproof, so it can’t ab-sorb water, but it can absorb the volatile es-sential oils. The oil ends up in your blood-stream, so they can make a difference inthe muscles.” The ingredients of the oint-ments and creams depend on the goal ofthe products. A perfect cream for this coldtime of year is the Hot Embrocation. Van

Steendam: “It’s a warming lotion to use incold or wet circumstances. Its ingredientsare red pepper, mint and eucalyptus to

heat the muscles, and menthol makesyour skin feel refreshed, so it does notsubtract heat from the muscles.”

This month, two new products willbe released. “We call them ‘pantscreams’ in Belgium. They’re madeto protect the buttocks against irri-tation and friction. We made it afterreceiving requests from professionalcyclists. For gentlemen, the ProRace Chamois Cream is available,and for women we created the firstcreams especially for females: theLadies Choice Chamois Cream.”

qM Sports Care will be attending the cy-cling fair Vélofollies in Kortrijk, Belgium,from Friday 16 to Sunday 18 January (seeour Out & About calendar on page 64 formore information).

www.qmsportscare.com

If you ever spent a few hours riding a road bike, you know your muscles as well as your buttocks will be in pain aftersitting in the saddle that long. The one hundred percent natural body care products of QM Sports Care relieve pain in

the muscles and soften pain of an irritated skin.

TEXT: JANINE STERENBORG | PHOTOS: qM SPORTS CARE

Eliminating saddle pain



The SWS story started in 2006 andcombines a passion for cycling, crafts-manship, high quality components andspecific technical knowledge. After anextensive discussion with the client,SWS wheels are produced entirely byhand and designed to enhance your ridefor years to come, and clients take ex-treme pride in Kris’ workmanship.

“Mass manufactured wheels just can't pro-vide the quality that we do at SWS. Thesedays the big brands have other priorities,such as high volume production at the low-

est possible costs, confronting them withcertain limitations,” replies Kris Seminck tothe question of why to choose hand-builtbicycle wheels. For serious cyclists, wheelsare not just an integral part of the bike; theinfluence is felt in its handling, comfort andperformance, making them one of thebike's most worthwhile investments.

Committed to perfectionMany companies are not able to investthe time to balance spoke tension andextensive spoke stress relief as SWSdoes. However, as this process is critical

to the performance and long term dura-bility of wheels, Seminck performs ten-sion uniformity measurements on everysingle wheel – a process which demandsa tolerance standard for spoke tensionwell beyond industry standard values.Seminck is convinced that this is theonly way to guarantee that wheels arereliable and perform to their potential.

“SWS is committed to produce the high-est quality wheels,” he says passion-ately, “and yes, this does mean it takesme more time to build these wheels.

From his well-loved workshop just outside of Flanders' Aalst, master wheelbuilder and cycling aficionado Kris Seminckexplains that the process of wheel building is a craft form that cannot be rushed.

TEXT: EMMIE COLLINGE | PHOTOS: SWS CYCLING

Bespoke wheels from Belgian experts



Performing strict quality controls whichlarger companies feasibly cannot under-take, enables me to produce consistentwheels every time. A well-balancedhand-built wheel will outperform andoutlast any machine-built wheel. It willfeel more responsive and will stay truefor thousands and thousands of miles.”

Expert experienceWheel building as a handicraft has beenslowly dying out, but there is a core ofdedicated professionals who are doingtheir utmost to keep it alive. In true Bel-gian style, Seminck grew up surroundedby bicycles and living next to the Flem-ish Ardennes means that his childhoodwas characterised by cobblestones andthe annual Belgian Classic races.

Experience in repairing wheels and prob-lem solving across the whole spectrumof bicycle brands for years has taughtSeminck valuable lessons, meaning thatSWS wheels have been specifically de-signed to avoid these issues he has pre-viously encountered. One substantialbenefit to SWS’s small-scale productionis its very close technical relationship

with his suppliers, each hand-selectedbased on the technology and quality oftheir components. Using only thoseparts that work – and will keep workingfor years to come – he guarantees thathis wheels will be fully serviceable.

Too often, mass-produced wheels arediscontinued after a few months oryears, leaving the customer no choicebut to buy a brand new set. It is Sem -inck’s goal to support his clients to themaximum so if they need a repair yearsdown the line, he will definitely be able tofix it, providing outstanding servicethrough unparalleled durability.

As the only official DT Swiss Service Cen-tre for wheels in Belgium and Luxembourg,Seminck has been servicing the renownedbrand's wheels for years, thereby boostinghis own wheel building skills even further.

Proven by performance The ultimate choice for bike enthusiasts,SWS's wheels have been proved to per-form well, and this is never more visiblethan when they stand at the top of apodium. The decision to support several

teams and individual athletes has alwaysbeen an inspired one. Currently at the topof the world standings for the 2014/2015season, performances by the Dutch cy-clocross rider Sophie de Boer and theBelgian paracyclist Diederick Schelfhouthave definitely been helped by the dura-bility and handling of their SWS wheels.

Based on Seminck’s expertise and pas-sion, anyone riding SWS custom-builtwheels gets that extra-added push, en-abling them to ride harder, faster andmore comfortably. Akin to tailor-madesuits or custom-made shoes, thesewheels have enhanced properties thatare designed and built solely for theclient and intended to last.

www.sws-cycling.com

This year, SWS is launching a brand

new ‘exclusive and high-end’ wheel

series at Vélofollies in Kortrijk, Belgium

on 16-18 January. Be there!

See page 40 for more information.


The ultimate choice for bike enthusiasts, SWS's well-balanced, hand-built wheels will outperform and outlast any other wheel. This is never more visible than when they fin-ish at the top of a podium.



Sportune can safely say that they are theabsolute best in their field in the Benelux.Their customers are leading companiessuch as Brussels Airlines, Duvel Moortgatand the Kellogg Company. Sportune isbrilliant in concept and product develop-ment and offers accompanying servicesfor businesses. According to Van Ouytselit is because Sportune knows and under-stands the athlete, as well as the compa-nies and brands. “We do not only speaktheir language, we understand what it isthe customer wants and needs. We workclosely with top athletes to develop thebest products. We know that our cus-tomer is not always directly the athlete,but sometimes a company or brand.”

Sportune differentiates itself from othercreative agencies by making sportsweartheir core business. They develop newproducts like clothing, but also providegreat services. Van Ouytsel: “The clotheswe deliver breathe the brand in detail;

the product type, the properties of theproduct, the printing of the products,the 'woven labels', hangtags and pack-aging. It is not about us, but about max-imising the brand and brand experiencefor the final user of the products.”

Branded sportswearResearch and statistics show that if com-panies support their employees with, in-ter alia, sport activities or products, theemployees develop a better a relation-ship with the company. By providing em-ployees the tools to go out and enjoysports, results not only in a better rela-tionship, but also results in more produc-tive, positive and healthy employees. Forthis exact reason, the leading Belgian air-line Brussels Airlines promotes an activelifestyle among its employees worldwide.Sportune suggested working togetherwith the airline to create a range of run-ning, walking and cycling gear. Sportunehandled the design, development, pro-

duction and distribution of the productsfor the employees of Brussels Airlines.

Many people love (to do) sports, so it is notstrange that sports sponsorship is the world’smost active branch of advertising. Sportuneresponds to this with ingenuity. “We createsportswear which helps and supports theathlete, but also keep in mind that our cus-tomer wants to strengthen its brand. Wereach people in their spare time while they pur-sue their passion,” says Van Ouytsel: “Sport isemotion. That is what we respond to, to in-crease the customers’ or employees’ loyalty.”

Love for a brandAn individual can almost be in love with abrand or company. “Two great examplesare Herbalife and Vedett. Both brandshave true fans who want to have all theirproducts. For Herbalife we have createda collection of products for enduranceathletes; we aimed at amateur runners,gym enthusiasts and athletes,” says Van

Sportune is a quirky and successful Belgian company that specialises in the development of innovative custom clothing concepts. “We create sportswear which helps and supports the athlete, but also keep in mind that our customer

wants to strengthen its brand,” says Stefan van Ouytsel, co-founder of Sportune.

TEXT: BERTHE VAN DEN HURK | PHOTOS: SPORTUNE

Sport is emotion




Ouytsel. Sportune created a collectionwith custom developed products, mar-keted under the Herbalife brand. Therange is constantly adjusted by Sportuneand supplemented with new products.

Van Ouytsel: “For the Belgian premiumlager Vedett, we have also created some-thing special. Vedett is known for its inno-vative and fun marketing campaigns, withgreat attention to authenticity and individ-ual experience of customers. Vedett putsits fans as people who enjoy being thecentre of attention. To emphasise brandvalues, Sportune developed a unique retroshirt from merino wool, inspired by the cy-cling jerseys of yesteryear.”

Four businessesSportune distinguishes itself by the drivefor innovation in terms of products, butalso in terms of service. Sportune hasfour business units: ‘Custom Sportswear’(NODRUGS) which is distributed directlyto clubs and corporations; ‘Collections’that are for sale at events and through se-lected dealers; ‘Private Label’ productionsfor other companies and brands; and‘Custom branding’ product developmentand distributing: tents, flags, printedleisure clothing, printing etc.

No drugs for teams“Clothing and products help the athletewithout the use of drugs,” he says. Thereis a little joke in the name, but theNODRUGS collection is very serious andvery successful. This mainly customsportswear brand is distinctive becausethe designs are classy and a bit naughty,and in full colour. Van Ouytsel: “We havedeveloped this brand for the people whotry to go beyond their sportive capabilities,for no one other than themselves. Themessage in this collection is ‘The hero is inyou’. It is exactly what we want to providefor people who want to reach their limitsand more. It is not about the big heroes,but about themselves. The NODRUGScollection has products that help peopleand support them to continue to becomebetter at their sport, their passion.”

www.brandwear.be www.sportune.com




Some years ago, it all started whencyclist Andrea Tafi ended his profes-sional career to pursue a differentdream: creating sportswear for peo-ple who have the same passion for cy-cling as he does. Last year a new com-pany was created by businessmanGuy Colman. Together they combineItaly’s expertise in fashion for cyclingwith Belgian business quality.

Eye for detail is everything for this youngbrand. The designs are exclusive; the ma-terials used are of the highest quality andthe presentation of the clothes is distinc-tive. If you want to differentiate yourself onthe bike, you need to be introduced tothe Andrea Tafi cycling brand.

The wow-effectIn the representative shops of Andrea Tafi,you will find a bottega, a shop-in-shopconcept where the whole collection in-cluding accessories is outlined. “We wantto create the best shopping experience forour customers,” Guy says. “We want ourdealers to give the best possible service: in

terms of product information, giving ad-vice and dressing the cyclists, man orwoman, from head to toe. Our customershave to experience a wow-effect from themoment they walk into a bottega, to wear-ing their brand new Tafi-outfit on their nextbike ride. We give the customer value formoney and the opportunity to completehis/her outfit with lots of accessories.”

From the start of this year, you will alsofind a unique collection of sunglasses:each adapted to the existing clothingdesigns and available in different typesof lenses suitable for every specific use.Also a new line of skincare products willbe launched mid-2015. Furthermore, TafiSports is making plans to increase thecollection with shoes and helmets, allbranded and designed by Andrea Tafi,combining high quality products with ahigh sense of fashion.

AvailabilityThe brand today is mainly active in theBenelux markets, but after a successfulyear Tafi Sports is looking to expand all

over the world. Recently, a bike shop inAbu Dhabi was added to the dealer listand many others are expected to follow.Also for teams and companies, TafiSports offers custom-made cycling wear.Upon request, it will happily send out anoffer for a tailor-made proposition.

Experience it yourself by visiting one thedealers in the Benelux or surf to TafiSports’ new website with brand newwebshop. The company will also be rep-resented at Vélofollies on 16-18 Januaryat stand number 130 (see page 40).

www.andreatafi.com

TEXT: CATHY VAN KLAVEREN | PHOTOS: ANDREA TAFI

D I F F E R E N T A N D H I G H q U A L I T Y C Y C L I N G W E A R ?

Andrea Tafi is your brand





“Nothing compares to titanium,” saysRalph Moorman, general manager ofVan Nicholas. “It’s stronger than alu-minium, lighter than steel and it doesn’tcorrode. We have such a strong belief intitanium, that we exclusively use this ma-terial for our bicycle frames.”

Depending on the user, bicycles put upwith a great deal of abuse: weather in-fluences, different terrains and strongforces. Few metals can endure all this aseasily as titanium. It was only a matter oftime before keen cyclists would discoverthe timeless beauty of its unparalleledproperties. “Our company started manu-facturing titanium bikes in 2006 and con-sumer response has been overwhelm-ing,” says Moorman. Clients, ranging

from world-travellers to road racers, canconfigure their bikes to their own needsthrough the company’s website.

The company’s high-end road, mountainand touring models are each designed witha drive for perfection. Radical ideas, in-dustry trends and feedback on existingmodels are combined to form a designthat is simulated and tested exhaustively,after which the engineers return to theirdrawing tables for the next round. “Ourclients expect and deserve the best possi-ble riding experience,” explains Moorman,“so that has always been our mission.”

Even to the untrained eye, the end resultis impressive. Since titanium does not re-quire any weather treatment, the slightly

brushed frames give the bikes a sleekand minimalistic look. However, it is whenpedalling away with them that the real dif-ference is noticed. “Van Nicholas bikeowners love the durability of the framesand the smoothness of the ride. Thesebikes are truly a long-term investment.”

The company’s dedication and its stellargrowth have not remained unnoticed. In2012, Van Nicholas joined the powerfulAccell Group, a global holding of bicyclebrands. It allowed Van Nicholas to scale upits manufacturing process and reach alarger market. Wherever you call home,chances are you’ll encounter a VanNicholas on a country road near you.

www.vannicholas.com

A trusted force in medical, marine and aerospace applications, titanium is a premium material in consumer goods. But did you know that this metal is also used in the bicycle industry? Dutch bicycle

manufacturer Van Nicholas explains why we should all be riding titanium.

TEXT: ANDRé GUSSEKLOO | PHOTOS: VAN NICHOLAS

Why cyclists are turning to titanium



This year, more than 15,000 square metresof office space will become available. This of-fers opportunities for larger (and smaller)parties who want to be accommodated atthe zuidas and/or in the World Trade Center.

For WTC Amsterdam Business Club thisalso creates new and interesting opportu-nities. The last few years we have had astable number of approximately 560 mem-bers. With the possibility of new companieswe are also able to grow. And growth for aBusiness Club means new business op-portunities for its members.

At the heart of the ZuidasSince the opening of the World Trade Cen-ter Amsterdam in 1985, WTC AmsterdamBusiness Club has been an inspiring andvaluable meeting place for business con-tacts. The club is primarily intended toserve the directors and managers of com-panies within the premises of the WorldTrade Center Amsterdam and/or the Am-sterdam zuidas area, the business heart ofthe Netherlands.

All of the 330 tenants in the World TradeCenter Amsterdam are represented inWTC Amsterdam Business Club. Morethan 95 per cent of the membership hasoffices in the greater metropolitan Amster-dam area. Our members are employed atcompanies including Kempen & Co,Michael Page, IMC Financial Markets &Asset Management, ABN Amro, Bank ofTokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ (Holland) N.V, FreeUniversity Amsterdam, Houthoff Buruma,Amsterdam RAI, Mövenpick and Akzo No-bel.Godfried Schölvinck is responsible for theday-to-day operation of the club. He main-tains contacts with the (prospective) mem-bers, the media and neighbourhood con-

tacts, and organises the programmes andtakes care of the marketing and commu-nication.

Business focusWTC Amsterdam Business Club has a di-verse range of programmes with both con-tent-rich and more informal elements. Sev-eral themes relate to the current state ofaffairs in the zuidas area, such as talent de-velopment, infrastructure, electrically pow-ered transportation, accessibility, art andthe public space, and are presented on arecurring basis.

Six events per year are organised to pro-vide opportunities to make new contacts.A variety of speakers have inspired us al-ready. Amongst them are Dick Berlijn,Frans Timmermans, Mart Visser, Hans vanBreukelen and Prince Maurits van Oranje.If you would like to learn more, we have al-ways time for a cup of coffee to provideyou with further information.

In September 2016, the I-tower of the World Trade Center Amsterdam will be available for rent. This is very special because the occupation rate has been very high (97 per cent) in recent years. Therefore availability

was relatively small and spread out over several towers.

TEXT & PHOTOS: WTC AMSTERDAM BUSINESS CLUB

Connecting businessA M S T E R D A M ’ S z U I D A S

Discover Benelux | Business | zuidas



Buying a house is not easy. Or rather: get-ting the right mortgage is not easy. Youdon’t have to find one on your own though.The small and highly educated team of theindependent mortgage advisors at deKredieter, based in the central lobby of theWorld Trade Center area in AmsterdamSouth, can help you find the best mort-gage tailored to your needs. “Instead ofspending a lot of money on every singlepiece of advice you get at separate banksand insurance companies, you can reducethe costs by letting us do the job,” says deKredieter founder and co-owner FrankBakker, “and it saves you a lot of time too!”

De Kredieter is the ideal mortgage advisorfor expats who are house hunting in Ams-terdam and are looking for advice with afair price tag. Bakker: “We’re experiencedin working with expats. We know which

banks offer the financing they need, wespeak international languages, we’re veryflexible and if you have any questions, youcan simply drop by at the office.”

“It’s important to be well informed beforeentering the housing market, so you knowexactly in what price range to shop, in or-der to deal with acceptable monthlycharges later,” says Bakker. Based on theirexpertise and 20 years of experience, thereis no doubt de Kredieter will find you thebest deal. The company works with al-most every bank and insurance companyin the Netherlands, which allows them tofind the cheapest mortgage with the bestconditions on the market.

“After our search, we’ll present the mostsuitable mortgage and explain the up- anddownsides of all aspects,” says Bakker.

All of de Kredieter’s advisers are profes-sionals. They are for example affiliated withthe Dutch federation for financial planners(Federatie Financieel Planners). This meansthey are obligated to update their knowl-edge annually, so you can expect a clearand trustworthy planning and explanation.

What mortgage is best for you depends onmany factors, all of which de Kredieter willtake into account. Bakker says: “Buyingcheap can get very expensive when youdon’t understand the possible nasty fineprint for example. Don’t invent the wheelyourself. After all, you’re dealing with a LOTof money!”

www.kredieter.nl

The housing market in the Netherlands is finally improving again, especially in the Zuidas of Amsterdam. Buying a house in the booming area in Amsterdam is currently much

cheaper than renting one, as more and more expats are discovering.

TEXT: JANINE STERENBORG | PHOTOS: DE KREDIETER

The best mortgage for your home

Fund your future home with the mostfavourable mortgage deal


“We’re one big family here, we just happen tospeak 42 languages!” enthuses Jonnie Goyer,principal of the British School of Amsterdamsince September 2013. Providing world classlearning across four departments, from earlyyears up to secondary school, children can set-tle in, whatever their background. “There’s astrong sense of care and warmth,” explainsGoyer. “We pride ourselves on knowing the chil-dren and the parents really well.”

The day school’s inclusive approach extendsto its admissions policy, which is intentionallynon-selective. “Our pupils’ academic abilitiesrange from just below average to brilliant and weget great results,” Goyer adds. Following theEnglish national curriculum, it’s the only schoolin the city to offer A-Levels. Although this meansthe school loses pupils wishing to take the In-ternational Baccalaureate, they gain many whosee the benefits of a specialised approach.

“If you want to study medicine, you can takeall three sciences at A-Level,” enthuses Goyer,adding that A-Levels allow pupils to play to theirstrengths and hone talents outside the class-room. This complements the school’s advocacyof an all-round education, placing emphasis onextra-curricular activities.

“An education here is focused on the indi-vidual. It’s about developing the whole individualand enabling each to become the best possibleversion of themselves that they can be. It’s about

unlocking potential and opening minds,” assertsGoyer. “The British School of Amsterdam doesnot just build strong academic foundations, webuild strong people.”

www.britams.nl

Currently the only school in Amsterdam to offer A Levels, this non-profit establishment welcomes pupils aged three to18 from across the globe to reap the benefits of British independent education in a warm environment.

TEXT: ANNA PARKIN | PHOTOS: BRITISH SCHOOL OF AMSTERDAM

One big international familyDiscover Benelux | Business | British School of Amsterdam

AmberAge 14

English/Dutch

“Our school is for everyone who wants a top-class British education

in the Netherlands”

From expats to locals seeking an international education, the British School of Amsterdam provides top-class British schooling for children of all nationalities aged 3 to 18. Our curriculum leads to the respected British A-Level qualification accepted by universities worldwide.

Every day is an open day at the British School of Amsterdam. Contact: [email protected], +31 (0) 20 67 97 840, or see www.britams.nl

TEACHING PEOPLE, NOT JUST TOPICS

Jonnie Goyer,principal of

British Schoolof Amsterdam



Discover Benelux | Business | Columns

‘Plain language? What’s that?’

Like most of us, I have a little canned description of

what I do that I can trot out during the inevitable (and

usually quite enjoyable) train or airplane conversation

with a seatmate.

Trouble is, I can’t get my spiel to work. I’ve tried

at least a dozen angles. No matter what I say, it

doesn’t communicate.

That might be okay for some professions. But

when your job is giving people advice on how to

communicate, the inability to communicate about

that becomes a bit, well, ironic.

So I resolved that when I attended an international

gathering of plain language professionals in Antwerp

this past November, I would ask my colleagues for help.

They were all sympathetic. “I know,” one sighed.

“You say you’re a plain language specialist, and there’s

a silence, and then you say ‘I take those incompre-

hensible notices from companies and governments

and make them more readable.’ They say ‘Oh’, and

there’s another silence, and then they say, ‘Hey, did

you see Arsenal – Newcastle last week?’”

While it’s nice to know you’re not the only person

who can’t communicate the fact that you communicate,

I was disappointed that nobody had any suggestions.

This made no sense to me. How could it be that

an entire profession whose function is to help peo-

ple get their message across could fail to have found

a way to get its own message across?

Yet in a funny way, with plain language, it does

make sense. The whole goal of plain language is to

let the reader focus completely on the content, with-

out having to struggle with the language. In other

words, the way you know a plain language expert

has done a good job is when the reader has no

inkling that the job

was ever done (or

needed to be). It’s a

profession that is all

about not gaining at-

tention for itself.

But doesn’t plain

language need a

compelling way to

promote itself to the

public? Probably not. The people who need to un-

derstand the value of plain language are the com-

panies and governments with the horrible commu-

nications. And their awareness is growing rapidly.

Meanwhile, if you ever get a government notice

you can understand, thank a plain language expert.

Just don’t ask them to explain what they do.

What communicates?TEXT & ILLUSTRATION: JOSIAH FISK

Josiah Fisk

If you already know – and can say – what the difference

is between delegation and empowerment, please skip

this month’s article. But I chose this topic because

most of the many managers I’ve worked with can’t in

fact do this, and yet it’s a critical distinction for any man-

ager to be able to make. So, if you’re still reading, think

about this:

- Delegating a job to someone over whom you

have authority in the workplace, means telling them to

carry out the work while you retain the final responsi-

bility for the job being done.

- Empowering someone to do a job means not

only telling someone to do the work but handing over

the responsibility to them as well.

When you empower people, you help them to be-

come more responsible for their work, and to develop

the confidence to take on new and bigger responsibil-

ities; you stretch them; and you encourage greater

commitment, involvement and motivation in them.

How do we decide when to delegate and when to

empower? If you don’t know the Situational Leadership

model developed by Hersey and Blanchard in the 70s

and 80s, then Google it today. It tells us that good man-

agers adapt their leadership style to fit the level of ma-

turity of each individual or team. You delegate to new-

comers as well as providing lots of support and direc-

tion. As they develop experience and confidence, you

encourage their growing autonomy by empowering

them more. Try plotting the position of each of your

people on a graph indicating experience and confi-

dence. Doing this makes us think more about just how

we manage the people who report to us. We can ask

our reports where they think they are too. We can ex-

plain the distinction between delegation and empow-

erment to them. We can further surface the process by

discussing why and how we decide between delega-

tion and empowerment for them.

In an international context, be ready to spend more

time explaining why you want to empower or delegate

a task to someone to avoid confusion with, for exam-

ple, a team member from a very hierarchical work cul-

ture – one where the boss is always in charge. They

may feel insecure or threatened, or may feel that you

are not doing your own job properly. International com-

munication takes longer but it’s worth the effort.

Empower your peopleTEXT: STEVE FLINDERS | PRESS PHOTO

Steve Flinders

Steve Flinders is a freelance trainer, consultant, writerand coach who helps people develop their communi-cation skills for working internationally. He’s also a mem-ber of the steering group of Coaching York whichaspires to make York the coaching capital of the UK(www.coachingyork.co.uk): [email protected]

Josiah Fisk is the head of More Carrot LLC, a clear communications company with offices in

Boston and Luxembourg.



“We were inspired by the book The BlueEconomy by Gunter Pauli, a Belgian guywho tells people you can make newbusiness models out of local stuff, wasteespecially, and this can make a differ-ence and more jobs,” says MarkSlegers, who, along with Siemen Cox, isone of the two co-founders and direc-tors of Rotterzwam. The idea they arefollowing is one of the sustainable, envi-ronmentally friendly business models es-poused by Pauli, who was born inAntwerp in 1956. Now living in Tokyo,Pauli founded the zero Emissions Re-

search & Initiatives think tank, zERI,which, guided by the Kyoto Protocol,aims to reduce carbon emissions.

From coffee to oyster mushrooms“If you drink coffee, 99.8 per cent of thebean is thrown away. Only 0.2 per cent isin the cup. In the Netherlands we are oneof the biggest coffee drinkers in the world.About 120 million kilograms of coffee isimported every year,” says Slegers, givingbackground information about Rot-terzwam’s source of energy for growingmushrooms.

“We collect coffee waste from cafes in cen-tral Rotterdam. We bring it here on a cargobike and make a substrate out of it, mix it,and put oyster mushroom seeds in. Thenit will become a mushroom in five to sixweeks and we sell the mushrooms back torestaurants in the city,” explains the entre-preneur in the tiled basement of Tropicana.

A base for local entrepreneursThe site of Rotterzwam’s operations is awell-known riverside landmark. Tropicanawas opened by Center Parcs in 1988,hosting a heated wave pool, waterslides, a

A local man jokes that Tropicana in Rotterdam has changed from a zwemparadijs (swimming paradise) into azwamparadijs (mushroom paradise). The former tropical leisure pool closed its doors to the public in 2010 and in 2013

became the centre of operations for Rotterzwam, a company producing oyster mushrooms.

TEXT & PHOTOS: STUART FORSTER

Entrepreneurship mushrooms in the Benelux



Discover Benelux | Business | Entrepreneurship in the Benelux

sauna, beauty and wellness treatment ar-eas plus a dance club. Unlike other prop-erties owned by Center Parcs, Tropicanadid not have accommodation and wassold in the early 1990s. People continuedto use the pool and its slides until 2010,when the attraction was closed.

In 2013 the go-ahead was given for Trop-icana to be used by local entrepreneurs.The terrace was re-opened as a café-bar,making use of loungers and seating leftbehind and recycled from the building’sprevious incarnation. The concept hassubsequently been developed further andAloha now also incorporates a restaurantand a landscaped, sub-tropical park fea-turing indoor plants.

The premises are also the head office ofKromkommer (‘crooked cucumber’), acompany promoting the use of misshapenfruit and vegetables; products that are usu-ally rejected by shops because they do notmeet the exacting aesthetic expectationswhich modern society places on food prod-ucts. Kromkommer found that producesuch as double-legged and twisted carrots

was being discarded as waste, despite be-ing perfectly edible. The company producessoups and organises initiatives to distributeand sell misshapen farm produce.

Recycling waste for profitIn order to create the ideal base for grow-ing mushrooms, Rotterzwam mixes wastefrom coffee beans, discarded during roast-ing, with the used grinds. “The mushroomsbreak down the chemicals in the coffee, soyou don’t get the taste; they taste of nor-mal oyster mushrooms,” says Slegers.

There’s also a practical reason why Rot-terzwam keeps their operation local andcollects grinds frequently. “If you have cof-fee grinds older than five days you haveother fungus in it and you have to steriliseit, so that introduces energy costs,” saysthe company director.

Tropicana’s erstwhile changing roomshouse the various phases of Rotterzwam’soperations, from the preparation of thesubstrate to mushrooms that are about tobe harvested. Slegers shows off discardedclothes hangers, which he found on the

site, from which plastic bags hang riddledwith white fungal growth. Oyster mush-rooms protrude from holes. Around 7,500kilos are harvested annually.

Each bag is good for two or three mush-room harvests then becomes part of the4,000 to 5,000 tonnes of compost pro-duced by Rotterzwam each year. Thecompany sells its compost back to thecity, helping plants around the municipalityto grow. This isn’t Rotterzwam’s only by-product. “Mushrooms break down the cof-fee grinds with enzymes. We extract themand sell these enzymes back to the waterand sewerage companies who havewaste. You can make biofuel from thatwaste. The yield of the biofuel will rise 20per cent with enzymes, so they becomemore profitable,” says Slegers. The entre-preneur believes that exchanging ideas inan open source manner is an effectivemeans of spreading the popularity of theblue economy concept and changing howpeople think while benefitting the environ-ment. “Nature makes no waste. If you lookat nature and learn how it works you canmake a profit,” he says.



A new year brings with it new opportu-nities. Why not start 2015 by learning anew skill, discovering a new interest orbroadening your knowledge?

Below we have listed some excitingevents that can make this year more in-teresting and productive than ever.

Ethnic Foods EuropeAmsterdam, the Netherlands, 12 – 15 JanuaryOver 60 brands from 20 different coun-tries will fill the Amsterdam RAI with thesmells, colours and flavours of farawayfoods. Manufacturers, suppliers, busi-nessmen and culinary enthusiasts will try tomake a lasting impression on the visitors’taste buds. Falling on the same weekendas Horecava – the largest food service fairin the country – the second weekend ofJanuary is a great time for foodies.www.ethnicfoodseurope.com

Presentation Skills TrainingBrussels, Belgium, 15 JanuaryThis one-day course aims to help partici-pants improve their public speaking skillsand is set in the grand Science Auditorium.By recording the presentation a trainer willgive feedback on vocal and non-verbaltechniques, visual aids and delivery of the

message. The course will also focus onhow to respond to audience questions andmanage nerves.www.communicatingeu.com

AgriflandersGhent, Belgium, 15 – 18 January Every other year the Flemish agricultural fairis allowed to bloom, attracting 80,000 visi-tors and over 320 exhibitors. The event fo-cuses on the cattle industry in the broadestsense of the term, and visitors can pur-chase everything from farm animals to ed-ucational books. Learn more about the in-dustry, services available and the newesttechnological innovations or take part incompetitions and the famous animal shows.www.agriflanders.be

Global Forum on Subsea Explorationand Production TechnologyAmsterdam, the Netherlands, 19 – 20 JanuaryRepresentatives from all the big namesacross the vast industry of the subsea sec-tor – Shell, BP, Aker Solutions, the ScottishGovernment and many more – will speak atthis second annual forum. They will explorethe challenges related to the decline of nat-ural oil and gas and will discuss subseastrategies to examine and resolve this issue.www.prosperoevents.com

Legal Risks and New Technology ConferenceBrussels, Belgium, 22 – 23 JanuaryThis conference by the IBA TechnologyLaw Committee supported by the Euro-pean Regional Forum will focus on arange of issues relating to new technolo-gies, including integration, security andgovernance. The talks are aimed at pro-fessionals in the financial services and technology sectors as well as those inter-ested in the latest developments in tech-nology law.www.ibanet.org

Conference on Extraction and Knowledge ManagementLuxembourg City, Luxembourg, 27-30 JanuaryThe Centre de Recherche Public-GabrielLippmann is a public institution devoted toapplied scientific research and technolog-ical development. It will host this annualconference discussing the current state ofEGC (Extraction et Gestion des Connais-sances) in the French-speaking world asprofessionals from data mining, statisticsand information visualisation will look atcurrent business trends. Researchers, stu-dents and industrialists from a large varietyof fields will be attending.www.crpgl.lu

TEXT: STINE WANNEBO | PHOTOS: ETHNIC FOODS EUROPE

Benelux business calendar



“The jumpsuit is a classy basic everywoman should have, just like the little blackdress and the trench coat,” companyfounder Astrid Elisee says. “Our jumpsuit isvery adaptable, it can be worn to work, outand about and on a night out. Many of ourclients own it in several colours.”

Just three years ago Elisee started herown fashion label with a collection of silkitems. When she saw the enthusiasm andcontinuous positive reactions from cus-tomers wearing her jumpsuit – who shenoticed felt instantly more confident – shedecided to make it her main and only busi-ness. “The cut of the jumpsuit is just spot-on, it fits anyone. It is timeless, classy,smart and just a perfect basic,” she says.

The fact that the jumpsuit is suitable foranyone and any occasion is exemplifiedby Elisee’s clients. Her target group is

women from 20 to 70 years old. Shecomments, “My mother, who is 70, ac-tually has three of our jumpsuits in dif-ferent colours. Then another customergot married in our jumpsuit!”

For Elisee the choice to go for silk was aneasy one. She has always had a love forsilk garments because of its exquisiteand versatile qualities. “Silk looks luxuri-ous, it flows beautifully and falls perfectlyaround the body and washed silk has acool-casual look for daily use. Plus, youdon’t throw away a silk clothing item, sothat fits with our sustainability policy.”

At the moment Elisee’s jumpsuits areavailable in numerous high-end boutiquesacross the Netherlands and Belgium withLondon and Paris as the next step. Sheis also planning to venture into Scandi-navia and Italy in the near future, as well

as expand the collec-tion with more time-less basics. She adds:“We want to keep asense of exclusivity inour brand and we arevery selective whenwe choose new out-lets for our label.Sometime this year wewould also like to in-troduce new items likethe boyfriend shirt.”The jumpsuits with longor short sleeves, madefrom washed heavy silk– now available in fivenew winter colours –can be bought directlyfrom the website.

astridelisee.com

Timeless, elegant and versatile, that is the jumpsuit by Dutch fashion designer Astrid Elisee. Made from high quality silk, it has a sophisticated cut that suits any body type and is available in a dozen stylish colours. Popular withactresses, politicians and celebrities, it’s no wonder shops call her up daily because they’re running out of stock.

TEXT: MYRIAM GWYNNED DIJCK | PHOTOS: ASTRID ELISEE

Discover Benelux | Fashion | Astrid Elisee

The perfect fit



PHILOMIJN is a company that createsluxurious leather (unisex) bags and interioraccessories, but it all started with the cre-ation of a scarf. Philomijn: “I still was a stu-dent, I had no money at all, and had noth-ing else than a piece of wool. I created ascarf which I wore myself. The stores Iwent to, to sell my products, wanted tobuy the scarf immediately. From that pointon I started PHILOMIJN. Later on, I cre-ated a leather version of that scarf.”

Honest and sustainable designsAccording to Philomijn, simplicity andfunctionality should go hand in hand. “Welike fashion but we are not in fashion,” shesays. This means that PHILOMIJN doesnot participate in the trends and seasonsof the fashion world. This enables her tosupply the products all year round, which

is different from other fashion companies.“The designs are timeless and honest. Allour products are produced as authenti-cally and sustainably as possible. Every-thing is manufactured in-house. We canswitch and deliver quickly because wehave a great network of craftsmen.”

The collection is sold in high-end fashionboutiques and interior stores in theNetherlands, Belgium, Germany, Switzer-land and Hong Kong. Philomijn: “Our goalis to grow in Europe. Our bags love trav-eling, so we also want to go overseas.”

Luxurious leatherPHILOMIJN only uses the best leatherfrom Italy. All the leather is as sustainablyproduced as possible; they even haveleather which is 100% ecological.

Philomijn: “We want to create honestproducts. Most of our craftsmen are lo-cals or located in the Netherlands.”Leather becomes more beautiful overtime and when used. “At fairs, we oftenbring along used bags, so people cansee how beautifully the leather ages.”

www.philomijn.com

Leather products that are artisanal, timeless and made with love and attention. Everything is produced as sustainably as possible, and with a sharp eye for quality. Atelier PHILOMIJN designs it all: bags, wallets, belts, tablet covers and cushions. “The design must be original but timeless, so it is still fashionable in ten years,”

says Philomijn Eijssen, founder of PHILOMIJN.

TEXT: BERTHE VAN DEN HURK | PHOTOS: PHILOMIJN

Timeless and honest designs

Discover Benelux | Fashion | Philomijn



“People tend to connect jewellery to acertain emotion,” Reijrink explains.“Sometimes life hands you memories youwant to keep, which makes you long forsymbolism, beauty and sentiment. For ex-ample, when starting a new chapter inyour life.” Reijrink’s handmade jewellerymatches all these criteria, are all one-of-a-kind and suitable for any outfit. Reijrink: “Ido not conform to any design hype. Imake the jewels that I like.” Yet her time-less necklaces, bracelets, brooches andmore have made it into a wide range offashion magazines. “When you look at myjewels, they fit many styles, for examplepunk, romantic and minimalistic. I thinkthere are too many stigmatised styles.People should quit sticking to one styleand not be afraid to mix and match.”

Reijrink creates all the jewellery by handin her studio in The Hague: “I don’t havea standard collection available. I like to

keep creating new things. As a result, notwo items are the same and at everystore that sells my jewellery, you’ll finddifferent items selected especially in thestyle of each store.”

The new ‘Exclusive Line’ is an exception tothis. ”These are the only jewels I don’t cre-ate by hand. I design them, a befriendedTokyo-based silversmith makes them.” Allitems are made from 18 carat gold onsterling silver, precious stones, fresh waterpearls and enamel and the design is in-spired by fine French antique jewels andthe journeys Reijrink has made. “Every-where, nature was a big inspiration. Thecolourful mix of lush flowering plants,bright coloured berries and nature in mo-tion have inspired this collection.”

It is hard to imagine that Reijrink has notbeen a jewellery artist all her life. Untilfour years ago she worked for a big cor-

poration when she started to sell items toher colleagues. Shops became interestedand before she knew it she was an en-trepreneur. “It got out of hand!” shelaughs. “And in the beginning I was stilldeveloping my own style. By now, I haveone: fine details, originality and wearabil-ity are what characterise my jewels.”

www.petrareijrink.com

Creating a beautiful piece of jewellery that matches any outfit, but is still a unique and eye-catching piece of art. That isone of the ways to describe the art of The Hague based jewellery artist Petra Reijrink. There is a lot more to her though!

TEXT: JANINE STERENBORG | PHOTOS: PETRA REIJRINK

Crossing the borders of styles

Discover Benelux | Fashion | Petra Reijrink



A splash of colour on the grey cityLuxembourg City, Luxembourg, 2 – 3 JanuaryFor two consecutive nights the world-fa-mous Cirque éloize will perform their stun-ning show Cirkopolis. Set in a grey andtired factory landscape, the actors,dancers and acrobats will be rebellingagainst the monotony and spreadingcolour and fantasy. The show combinestheatre, dance and circus in a poetic im-pulse of life, leaving audiences both in-spired and moved. The gripping perform-ances received the 2014 Drama DeskAward and the artistic director is the cele-brated Jeannot Painchaud.www.cirque-eloize.com

Love is in the airLuxembourg City, Luxembourg, 10 JanuaryA whole new kind of wedding fair is set to-take place in Luxembourg this month –

one that is trendy, edgy and vibrant. TheLove Bash concept was created by threeladies eager to give brides and groomsacross Europe a pop, rock or quirky alter-native wedding. Imagination and innovationwill flow through Luxembourg’s Neumün-ster Abbey when photographers, florists,musicians, event planners and caterers allgather to explore the possibilities of a non-traditional wedding day.www.thelovebash.com

A chocolate palette Brussels, Belgium, 10 – 13 January Imagine chocolate and confectionary asfar as the eye can see, when the estab-lished christening fair appears under thenew name of Fedoba. There will be sugar-covered almonds, sweets in all shapes andsizes, home décor, bath salt and everythingin-between. For professionals this will be

an excellent opportunity to meet otherswith the same interest and have a look atthe latest fashions. Visitors are likely toleave the fair with a big cotton candy cloudof ideas and perhaps slightly high on sugar.www.fedoba.com

Cycling in circlesKortrijk, Belgium, 16 – 18 JanuaryBicycle mania will be hitting Belgian city ofKortrijk when the Vélofollies Expo entersFlanders this month. It is the sixth year in arow that the event has been hosted hereand every year it attracts cyclists and sportfans from all over Europe. Velofollies is thelargest and most diverse bicycle show inthe Benelux region and covers the entireworld of cycling – from BMX and mountainbikes to racing and city bikes. In addition toan abundance of fun activities there willalso be opportunities to purchase acces-

Out & AboutNow that the dark winter days are behind us, there seems to be a rhapsody of refreshing colour appearing in the midst of the cold and grey weather outside. Astonishing theatre acts, luscious sweets, vigorous events,

chocolate fairs, 2015 is starting with a promising and vibrant list of events.

TEXT: STINE WANNEBO | PHOTOS: HOLLAND.COM, PETER STIGTER



Discover Benelux | Culture | Out & About

sories, bike tips and trips. Read moreabout cycling and our featured exhibitorson Vélofollies on pages 40 to 53. www.velofollies.be

Fashion by the NetherlandsAmsterdam, the Netherlands, 16 – 26 JanuaryThe Dutch fashion week always devotes alot of attention to the up and coming de-signers and this year will be no exception.The Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Ams-terdam has a wide range of catwalks,shows and concerts running over a num-ber of days making visitors able to pick andchoose when it comes to what they wantto see. Expect a spectacular event thatwill be nothing short of stunning.www.fashionweek.nl

The annual tulip explosionAmsterdam, the Netherlands, 17 JanuaryNational Tulip Day, on 17 January, marksthe official beginning of the tulip season inHolland. Every year Amsterdam’s DamSquare is transformed into a garden oftens of thousands of tulips (which is only aminuscule part of the 1.7 billion Dutchtulips that are sold every year). Attendance

is free and visitors can even pick somefree tulips – just make sure you arrive early.Every Dutch tulip grower takes part in thefestivities, organising surprises and pro-motions. In addition there will be marvel-lous gardens displaying Holland’s trade-mark flower like no one else could.www.holland.com

Antiques á la modeLuxembourg City, Luxembourg, 30 January – 2 FebruaryFind your way through the ages, styles andmaterials in the hunt for the perfect pieceof art or antique to fit your taste. At TheLuxExpo Art & Antiques Fair antiques aredisplayed along contemporary art as overa hundred exhibitors from over ten coun-tries convene this month. Art and antiquelovers get the chance to meet profession-als who have an ocean of knowledge intheir special fields. From old books andjewellery to prints and furniture, there willbe a treasure for everyone hidden some-where among all the voguish artefacts.www.antiquaires.lu

Cirque éloize

Cirque éloize



Discover Benelux | Culture | Columns

I don’t know anyone who hasn’t evermade resolutions for the New Year; themost common ones are related to goingon a diet, starting a gym routine and quit-ting smoking. The inspiration for makingpositive changes to our lives usually arisesin the last quarter of the year. That’s whenwe start saying, “on 1 January, I will starta diet and I am determined to lose x num-ber of kilos.” With this target date in mind,we spend the remaining days of the oldyear indulging in our perceived vices.When 1 January arrives, our determina-tion to resist the piece of chocolate is atits strongest. We have now switched toe-cigarettes or we have even gone coldturkey. And we can’t wait for 2 Januarywhen the gym opens and we can submitour membership application.

I would guess that we manage to maintainthis new virtuous life for a couple of weeksup to a month. But before we know it, ourold habits have taken over again and wegive in to food temptations, we havestarted skipping gym workouts and we areback to chain smoking. We explain ourfailure to maintain our resolutions by tellingourselves and others that we have no time

and there is too much stress in our lives.And when we approach the end of theyear, we go back into resolutions modeand make great plans for the next NewYear that again we won’t follow through.

My solution to this is simply not to makeany New Year’s resolutions. When you areserious about making changes in your life,you should not wait until 1 January to ex-ecute them. There is only ever one besttime to take action: it’s now; neither in thepast, nor in the future. If you can give it upnow, in this very moment, the chances arethat it will be a lasting change and thatyou have succeeded in breaking the cycle.

Read more about Anouk’s life and travels on her

lifestyle blog www.luxessed.com

TEXT & PHOTO: ANOUK KALMES

The solution to New Year’s resolutions

Video art is perhaps the most alienating ofall arts. Maybe that is because when it isdone badly it can look little more than aschool kid playing around with his newcamera like a toy. However, when donewith a little more thought, video art can tapinto and tackle things that other art formscannot. Tony Oursler is a vanguard of con-temporary video, and in this site-specificexhibition, I/O Underflow at the Oude Kerkhe has used video to tackle the complexand increasingly important issue of howwe differentiate between our virtual worldand reality.

As the Internet takes an ever-firmer graspover our lives, we spend more hours everyday staring at a screen. We consume end-less photos, digital imagery and visuals inthe digital sphere and then have to be ableto instantly switch back to the real world.

The Oude Kerk provides the perfect settingto visualise this idea. Oursler’s videos areprojected onto the architecture, carvingsand stained glass of the old church creat-ing a beautiful juxtaposition between thetwo. The outcome is to put the viewerthrough a metaphorical Turing test; havingto constantly decipher and flick betweenwhat is real and what is machine.

This is the first time Oursler has exhibitedin the Netherlands in over 15 years, andalongside this commission, Oursler alsoprojects his works onto the façade of theStedelijk Museum, as well as onto the out-side of the Oude Kerk itself, as part of theAmsterdam Light Festival which runs until18 January.

I/O Underflow by Tony Oursler at the OudeKerk, Amsterdam is on until 29 March.

S T A T E S O F A R T

Deciphering reality and the virtual worldTEXT: MATT ANTONIAK | PHOTOS: TONY OURSLER



Discover Benelux | Culture | Columns

At the time of writing it’s the end of oneof those typical, grey Dutch days. Whileit hasn’t been really light out all day, thesky turns even darker when night falls,and across the canal I can see peopleswitch on the lights in their homes. It re-minds me of a similar moment, a coupleof days ago. I took a bus from Amster-

dam to Haarlem; I didn’t need a book ormobile to keep me occupied.

While driving through different neigh-bourhoods into the seemingly forgottenstretch of land between Amsterdam andHaarlem, what you witness is the dailyevening rituals of many a household.

See, the Dutch tend toleave the curtains open,allowing passers-by aglimpse into their homes.

What unfolds while drivingpast home after home withrooms lit against the darkbackdrop of the eveningsky is a slideshow of inte-rior design, people and rit-

uals. Black walls, red walls, white walls.Wallpapered walls; flower print, stripesor dots. People enjoying dinner alone orwith their family or no dinner at all, justhomework at the table… Homes with anempty table, a table full of titbits, a tablefull of food. Nothing is as diverse as thehuman being and therefore also the placethey call home.

I love this time of night, when everythingis covered in a blanket of darkness, whichto me makes the world a little gentler: thesound of daily life slowly fades away, peo-ple going home, stopping working. Itseems so normal, yet when you look atthe process closer or through the win-dow of a bus, you see that even the mostmundane things have a silver lining.

TEXT & PHOTO: SILVIA DE VRIES

Thoughts on evenings

A common request received by the Shallow

Man is for advice on where to live in Amsterdam.

An area that offers a lot of contrasts and is

pretty trendy right now is Amsterdam West. To

do it justice, I will split it into two main neigh-

bourhoods: Oud West and Bos en Lommer.

According to the Roman Catholic Church,

Purgatory is the place between Heaven and

Hell, from where those who have not committed

mortal sin go to heaven. The same could be said

of Oud West. It is situated tantalisingly close to

the Heaven of Amsterdam South and also within

smartphone-snatching, easy scooter-riding dis-

tance to the Hell that is Bos en Lommer.

If you want to see up and coming yuppies in

their natural habitat, move to Oud West. This

neighbourhood is hip, consisting of deli-

catessens, good wine dealers, and plenty of

lively cafes. Back in the day, the Shallow Man

could frequently be seen at Cafe Oslo, fighting

off cheap-boot-wearing ladies with bad hair-

cuts. Think of Manhattan’s East Village and you’ll

be in the right ballpark.

In recent years, lots of renovations have

taken place here, making it an incredibly good

value place to buy or rent property. When going

for breakfast or lunch during the weekend,

please be careful not to trip, due to selfish par-

ents parking their bugaboo pushchairs any-

where they please. That aside, Amsterdam Oud

West gets the Shallow Man’s seal of approval,

something I'm sure will bring joy to the local

council.

If Dante were alive today, he’d have based

his masterwork, Inferno, in Bos en Lommer. For

those of you not familiar with Dante, he wrote

about taking a tour through hell. I’m sure that

there’s a Dante straat in Bos en Lommer some-

where. Like Amsterdam East, Bos en Lommer is

at the very end of known civilisation. It’s a long

and perilous journey to get there, and upon ar-

riving you’ll soon realise that apart from the joys

of doner, some gambling halls and a few local

social clubs, there is very little to do there.

If you are looking for a neighbourhood which

even Taxi drivers are afraid to take passengers

to (even though many of them live there) and

want to be guaranteed a life of boredom and

eternal torment, move to Bos en Lommer.

www.amsterdamshallowman.com

Where to live when living in AmsterdamTEXT: SIMON WOOLCOT | PHOTO: SILVIA DE VRIES


discover benelux | issue 13 | january 2015

Documents

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