discover benelux | issue 5 | may 2014

LUXEMBOURG’S WINEC O M M E M O R AT I O N S , F O O D A N D F A I R W A Y S

PLUS: DESIGN, CULTURE AND TOURISM

I S S U E 5 | M AY 2014

CARICE VAN HOUTENFROM HOLL AN D TO HOLLY WOOD

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 5 | May 2014 | 3

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COVER FEATURE6 Carice van Houten

Carice van Houten has shunned the easy Holly-wood route of playing one-dimension girlfriendsor wives for meaty roles in Dutch dramas, and ithas certainly paid off. Now one of the most suc-cessful actresses in Europe, she’s found yetmore fame in the hit HBO TV series Game ofThrones, which has just begun its fourth season.

SPECIAL THEMES14 Luxembourg’sWine Region

Luxembourg is one of the world's most under-rated and least known wine regions, yet its pro-duce ranks among the best, and you'd be wiseto try one of their delightful crémants.

25 Golf in Benelux

Don’t trust putt luck, look through our golf guideand better acquaint yourself with Luxembourg’sexclusive golf scene, which naturally everyone iswelcome to try. While the Luxembourg scenemay be intimate and tranquil, it’s a different storyin the Netherlands with over 200 golf courses.Holland Golf Travel is the company in the knowwhen it comes to where to play and where to stay.

32 WWI in Belgium

This year marks the centenary of the First WorldWar, a defining moment in world history thatchanged the shape of Europe. We put Belgiumunder the microscope with a closer look at

Malmedy, the Battle of the Frontiers andAntwerp’s approach to the centenary with itscity-wide programme Antwerp 14-18.

FEATURES19 Dutch design landscape

How is it that one country can produce theworld’s coolest furniture? Emily Gosling chartsthe country’s rise to prominence.

37 See & Do

May heralds everyone’s favourite singing com-petition and we’ve got an exclusive interviewwith this year’s Dutch entry, The Common Lin-nets.

39 Springtime sustenance

With a food festival on every single weekend inMay, Amsterdam’s foodie scene has never beenmore exciting. We take a look at what’s hap-pening, where and why.

43 Hotel of the Month (LU)

The Mont des Pins hotel in Belgium is a truegem, captivating guests of every generation withits top class cuisine, superb spa area and con-ference facilities.

44 Restaurant of the Month (LU, NL)

Gracing our pages this month is Amsterdam’shippest restaurant, MOMO. Set up in 2008, ithas added a new swathe of glamour to fine din-ing in the Dutch capital.

With produce from its own farm, local wines, anon-site bakery and stunning wine collection,Luxembourg’s Guddesch is a charming restau-rant for a hearty meal with a twist.

46 Attraction of the Month (BE, LU)

While Luxembourg embraces its past with ahuge exhibition dedicated to the Red Cross, wego underground in Belgium at the Domain of theCaves of Han, a truly spectacular undergroundnetwork of caves below one of Europe’s biggestwild animal parks.

BUSINESS49 Features, Columns and Calendar

With the European Business Summit and theEurope-wide elections, May is going to be an in-teresting month.

Regular columnists Josiah Fisk and SteveFlinders offer their take on business communi-cation and how to improve it.

PLUS11 Desirable Designs from Benelux | 12 Fashion Picks52 Luxessed | 55 Out & About | 57 States of Art58 Shallow Man’s Guide | 58 In their words

ContentsMAY 2014

Discover Benelux | Contents

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Discover Benelux | Editor’s Note

Dear Reader,

When we first started thinking about thepossibility of Discover Benelux, it seemedlike the ideal outlet for me to share my ap-preciation for Benelux, offering hints andtips to those travelling there and show-casing all the great inventions to comefrom the three countries.

But over the past six months I’ve beenconstantly taken aback by the sheer number of exciting ventures,inventions and events that these three countries are splurging outat a rate of knots. I mean, I knew Amsterdamwas a cool city buta trendy food festival on every single weekend in May? That’seven beyond my expectations. And Luxembourg? Hip designmust be in their genes judging by the talent we’re confrontedwith at their museums, art galleries and design studios.

And of course, not forgetting the adeptness of the Belgians atinventing (almost) everything we’ve ever needed. The Belgian ra-dio station Radio 1 has just hosted a competition to decide onthe best Belgian invention of all time. It’s a downright surprisinglist and some of my favourites are the Jpeg, roll-on deodorant,electric doorbells, pralines and saxophones.

This month’s cover is the peach on the pie, and I’m tremendouslyproud to introduce Carice van Houten. Starring in hit HBO TV se-ries Game of Thrones, probably the most downloaded TV showever, she’s Dutch to the core and a right laugh to interview. Herlatest book has kept me company over the dark winter and it’sone that I doubt I will ever tire of flicking through.

On that note, do feel free to flick through to our Out & About sec-tion, where you’ll find out where to go this May, which food fes-tivals shouldn’t be missed and where you can find thousands ofwomen running around a park.

We certainly know how to spoil you this month and our golf andwine mini themes could be the ideal impetus for a quick jauntover to Benelux.

Best,

Emmie Collinge,Editor

Discover Benelux

Issue 5, May 2014

Published April 2014

ISSN 2054-7218

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Scan Group

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Discover Benelux | Cover Feature | Carice van Houten

6 | Issue 5 | May 2014

Issue 5 | May 2014 | 7


Although Van Houten has won many BestActress awards, both in her native countryand internationally, and stars in the multi-Emmy award-winning hit TV show Gameof Thrones, the actress is resolutely Dutchto the core.

Confident, somewhat brash and frequentlytalking about nudity – she’s so typicallycomfortable she shares tales of her gy-naecologist in her book Antiglamour, whichshe co-wrote with her best friend and fel-low actress Halina Reijn. Naturally, herDutch traits render her friendly and forth-right.

The 37-year-old grew up in a forest nearUtrecht, where her childhood career aspi-

rations revolved around being an actress,singer, children’s author, detective or as-tronaut. Choosing the right drama acad-emy was a big decision, the 37-year-oldexplained, as she knew she wanted abroad education and acting on its ownwasn’t enough. Decision made, Caricemoved to Amsterdam where she has livedever since and attended one of the Nether-lands’ best performing arts schools, whereshe learned to compose, write and dance– “it was a bit like in Fame,” she says.

Before Hollywood called, Van Houten un-dertook a number of highbrow roles in theNetherlands: beginning with Martin Kool-hoven’s drama Suzy Q in 1999, to the har-rowing role of Rachel in the critically ac-

claimed Black Book by Paul Verhoeven in2006, a cancer-struck patient in Love Lifeand as the South African apartheid poet In-grid Jonker in Black Butterflies. That herrole in Black Book would appeal to an in-ternational audience as well, wasn’t some-thing Van Houten had expected, and itwasn’t until she was sat in the audience atVenice Film Festival that she realised howmany people were affected by it. The scriptof this heartrending tale of the Jewish re-sistance during WWII in occupied Holland,explains Carice, immediately entrancedher. “I’d never felt anything like this before– I knew that I had to have the part.”

“An old woman came up to me after thescreening, and I realised what a universal

Caught BetweenHolland and HollywoodHer fans will recognise her as the ethereal red priestess in Game of Thrones,but I encounter Carice van Houten navigating the tight, cobbled corners

of Amsterdam’s back streets.

TEXT: EMMIE COLLINGE | PHOTO: JANEY VAN IERLAND | STYLING: PASCALLE KOLDENHOFHAIR: MARVIN ZWART | MAKE-UP: GERDA KOEKOEK

8 | Issue 5 | May 2014

language acting is. I knew then that if Iacted in English I could communicate withas many people as possible and widen myaudience. The Dutch industry is tiny com-pared to Hollywood – we don’t even havetrailers. There is a complete lack of hierar-chy,” she laughs warmly, “sometimes itmight be me helping to move tables!”

Challenging over clichéLife sounds incredibly starry but VanHouten is hands-on when it comes to theDutch film industry. In fact, it is the limits ofHollywood which keep her in Amsterdam.“It has been a dilemma for me; whether tomove forward [in Hollywood] or stay in theNetherlands where I’m being offered somemeaty female leads,” she laughs. “I like tomake it hard for myself, I like a challenge.Of course Hollywood is tempting, it’s eroti-cising,” she elucidates. Not content withplaying a just-a-pretty-face role, she hasconsciously decided to remain in theNetherlands as faced with the choice of“playing a one-dimensional bitchy girlfriendor nagging wife”, Carice would handsdown choose a “great, meaty female leadin the Netherlands.” She colours a little asshe declares that she has a luxurious po-sition in the Netherlands that she doesn’twant to give up.

Beyond film, Van Houten is something of apolymath, having turned her hand to hersecond passion, music, and releasing aself-composed indie-pop album See Youon The Ice in 2012, which, according toVan Houten, “was always supposed to bean indie record”, writing, and her currentventure which include directing and pro-ducing what looks likely to be a film aboutGreta Garbo.

The flipside of glamourAntiglamour is the book that she madewith best friend and fellow Dutch actressHalina Reijn. Already in its fifth print run af-ter publication in November 2013, it is 301pages of brutal honesty and hilarity, con-fronting issues of body image, dreams, at-tractive men and the girls’ nether regions.Girls, says Carice, are so easily influenced,and one reason for making the bookAntiglamour was to show the flipside ofglamour. “We [Halina and I] are just the

same as all other girls, we have the sameheart, fears and sorrow. Yes, we do have aglamorous life but there is more to it.” Can-did and open, it is not dissimilar to Carice’sapproach to social media, which sees hersnap-happy with ‘selfies’ as she provokesand teases her fans – “They never expectto get anything back from me when they’rerude to me.”

Within the hand-scribbled honesty of thebook Antiglamour, Carice opens up abouther journey from stage school to film. “To-day there are so many girls who just wantto be famous but it was never like that forme. Acting was, and is, about expressingmyself. It was never about wearing beau-tiful dresses on the red carpet – althoughthat’s a bonus. Through my work I’ve madesome of the coolest friends you can imag-ine,” she laughs again, a common occur-rence during our conversation. Ever mod-est and self-deprecating, she reels off a listof celebrity friends, counting among themBill Murray and Rufus Wainwright. Realisingshe sounds like a show-off, she stopsabruptly. “These are people I really admiredbefore and now I know they’re just peopletoo.”

Is this how her role in Antony and the John-sons’ Cut the World music video tran-spired? “Exactly, we’re just friends. WhenI was making my album I just couldn’t helphearing his voice on one of the tracks. Soin return for his collaboration on my trackParticle of Light, I was in his music video.Two-nil to me,” she rounds off triumphantly.

An archetypal Dutch girl at heart, starring inone of the biggest budget American cableTV shows of all time, Van Houten is an un-conventional Hollywood star. Confident inthe nude, and with a strong presence onsocial media that sees her respond to in-ternet trolls, it’s refreshing to see an actresswho has the right priorities

Carice can be seen as the red priestessMelisandre in the fourth season of Game ofThrones which premiered on HBO in April2014.


Issue 5 | May 2014 | 9


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1: Buzzimilk

BuzziMilk’s designer Alain Gilles of BuzziSpace hascreated the perfect stool, capturing the very essenceof our yearning for the simple life with its simple eco-felt cover. Here we’re faced with a stylish,comfortable stool, not dissimilar from the milkingstools of days gone by. Hitting the contemporary feelon its head, these stools (with or without a cushion)will settle seamlessly into any office environment.(Price from 295 euros)

www.buzzispace.com

2: Twist table

This edgy dining table by the established Brussels-based company Interni Edition appeals to ouraspirations of an airy New York loft apartment. With asleek minimalist design and table legs like noother, this table could not make a trendier bedfor hip fashion and décor magazines to laytheir heads. (1,610 euros)

www.interni-edition.com

3: Royal VKB French Carafe and Decanter

It’s proven that decanting your wine makes it tastebetter but time after time we make the same lazymistake of pouring it straight from the bottle – nowthanks to design-duo Marleen Kaptein and StijnRoodnat we can serve a fine red wine or tap water instyle. The carafe allows the wine to breathe far betterand the petite glasses add a touch of rusticcoolness. (Price on request)

www.royalvkb.com and www.kapteinroodnat.nl

4: Grandma’s Buttons tablecloth

Once again Kiki van Eijk’s designs have captured ourhearts, taking us away from our mundane lives to aworld of enchantment and beauty. With a tablecloth

Issue 5 | May 2014 | 11

Discover Benelux | Design | Desirable Designs

Desirable Designs from BeneluxColour trends aren’t just for the runway –having the right colour scheme is just as important for your interiors. This spring is allabout muted, soft hues so consider investing in the collection of stools by Belgian design collective BuzziSpace. Our selection of

deceptively simple and functional products continues to raise the bar month after month.

BY EMMIE COLLINGE | PRESS PHOTOS

like this woven in Tilburg’s textile museum, how couldanyone even consider frowning?

www.kikiworld.nl

5: FIXIE

Spending your evenings at the desk? A shadowyspace in the office? The innovative Belgian designerFrederic Pieck has come up trumps with this supercool desk lamp. Incorporating an LED lampreminiscent of a trendy scooter light, and with theoption of being battery powered, this desk lampexceeds our expectations – your regular desk lampjust won’t make the cut now. (50 euros)

www.mookum.com

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Discover Benelux | Design | Fashion Picks

M A Y F A S H I O N P I C K S :

A masterclass in chicWith New York, London, Milan and Paris fashion weeks behind us showcasing next autumn’s trends

on the runway, we are happy to kick our knee-high boots and shearling coats for lighter wear the next fewmonths as autumn is still far off.

BY CATHERINE GOMEZ, FASHION ENTHUSIAST BLOGGING FROM CATINDREAMLAND.BLOGSPOT.COM

WOMENSpring has already kicked off in the Benelux and noth-ing says spring like colours and bold prints but re-member to tone it down a notch, keeping it as feminineas ever - think see-through and lace fabrics. Last butnot least, what would spring 2014 be without a mas-culine touch to complete the look, think of white sneak-ers, structured blazers or boyfriend jeans.

1: Runway Look from Dries Van Noten

Photo: driesvannoten.be

Bold floral prints, midi skirts, and see-through silksjust to name a few are perfect examples of the femi-nine take on the runway for Spring 2014. Dries vanNoten is as always a master in extravagance and op-ulence and this look takes a darker twist but retainsthe key elements of this season.

2: Bracelet from Anne Marie Herckes

Photo: anne-marieherckes.com

We can’t get enough of gold and this season is noexception. This lovely bracelet from Luxembourg’sAnne Marie Herckes hits the right spot with the beau-tiful orange tones and flowers just in time for spring.

3: Trainers from Maison Martin Margiella

Price: €320. Photo: net-a-porter.comNothing says “I’m cooler” this season than a casualwhite pair of trainers paired with a sleek outfit. Whatbetter model than this clean pair from Maison MartinMargiella with a hint of a mix of leather and suede?

4: Silk Camisole from Michael van der Ham

Price: €540. Photo: net-a-porter.comYoung Dutchman Michael van der Ham offers fash-ion-seekers an array of pieces where textures andfabrics intertwine. This spring collection is no strangerto his genre and although it was all about dresses,this beautiful camisole stands out as it sparkles withcrystals and metallic sequins forming a beautifulflower on a silk background.

5: Tuxedo Jacket from Haider Ackermann

Price: €1125. Photo: net-a-porter.comKeeping it simple is always in and nothing beats ablack and white garment like this oh-so-cool tuxedo.The oversized fit adds the chic touch (read mascu-line) to any outfit while keeping you warm on thebreezy May days. Who said clothes couldn’t be prac-tical at the same time as fashionable?

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Issue 5 | May 2014 | 13

Discover Benelux | Design | Fashion Picks

2 Tratlehner T-shirt

Price: €119. Photo: TratlehnerThere's no better way to spend your sunny weekendthan to decompress in a deck chair with a new t-shirton and a drink in hand. Handmade in Amsterdam,this Tratlehner tee is your ultimate companion for thisseason. The stretched fit, tapered waistband andpost card print give it a great casual distinctiveness.

*French for “Have you noticed how bloody fabulous I'm look-ing right about now?”

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1 MENAs summer creeps nearer and people's hemlines climbnorth, we've assembled another lovely selection ofBenelux fashion excellence! The amount of talent thathas sprung forth from such a small part of the world isastounding and deserves every bit of attention. Plus,you earn extra boasting points if you 'only wear localfashions'. In the Benelux, there are always just a fewsteps of separation. So who cares if your friends grewtheir own kale, your mother's butcher's hairdresserwent to primary school with the chap who designedyour top!

1: SS14 Les Hommes

Photo: Yannis Vlamos for style.com

This dashing catwalk model looks even snazzier inhis spring-summer 2014 outfit from Les Hommes.Designers Bart Vandebosch and Tom Notte are tailor-ing experts, but keep it real by pairing this suit with apanelled leather t-shirt featuring a particularly appeal-ing pop of blue. M'as-tu vu?*

2: Angelo Van Mol shoes

Price: €380. Photo: Angelo Van MolMeet Angelo Van Mol: after graduating from the pres-tigious Antwerp fashion academy, Van Mol honed hiscraft in London's famed Savile Row. Now he's readyto take the menswear game over with his namesakebrand. These black dress shoes with glossy tips willset you firmly apart from your peers at the next blacktie event. Just be sure to sidestep any puddles of ad-mirative drool.

3: G-Star sunglasses

Price: €165. Photo: G-StarGlobal denim superpower G-Star is one of theNetherlands' biggest fashion assets. Founded in Am-sterdam in 1989, the brand has grown into a house-hold name and has expanded into other areas thanjust your jeans drawer. Pop on these thick-framedacetate shades, hum your life's soundtrack andswagger down the street like the tabloid press iswatching your every move.

4: Tim Coppens backpack

Price: €282. Photo: Barney’s New York

This cognac leather drawstring backpack by Belgiandesigner Tim Coppens is at the pinnacle of modernluxury luggage. Perfect for 'glamping' – camping in asilk muslin tent with room service (tent service?) – orfor climbing the peak of Mount... Monaco?

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Discover Benelux | Special Theme | Luxembourg’s Wine Region

H Ä E R Z L E C H W Ë L L K O M M

Experience Luxembourg’s wine regionTEXT & PHOTOS: VISIT MOSELLE

Following the famous Route du Vin, a 42-km route that winds from Schengen toWasserbillig, the traveller learns all there isto know about wine making and encoun-ters wine growers in the cellars along theway. The geography of the Moselle region,a hilly landscape cut out of limestone, is theperfect birthplace for viticulture. Flowingbetween the vineyards where the grapesfor the great Moselle wine ripen, the ro-mantic Moselle river forms the border be-tween the Grand Duchy of Luxembourgand Germany. This is a region to be ex-plored at leisure, whether by boat, by bi-cycle or on foot!

Land of “Crémant de Luxembourg”The appellation “Crémant de Luxembourg”has recently celebrated its 20th anniver-sary. Thanks to its finesse, elegance andfreshness, Luxembourg Crémant has en-joyed unparalleled success, winningawards every year at international compe-titions. Crémant is made using a traditionalmethod, which was mastered long ago.To reach the pinnacle of quality, it requireshard work in the vineyards and a rigorousselection of grapes and base wines. Thegrapes must be healthy, nicely ripe and in-

tact until pressed. A minimum maturationof nine months on the lees is required. Cré-mant can be produced from a single grapevariety or from a blend of several grapes,and can be vintage or not.

Gourmet experienceThe Moselle valley is home to numerousrestaurants with a refined traditional cuisinebased on terroir produce. This gastronomybased on local products seduces the dinerwith its simple, straightforward flavours andseasonal fragrances. But first and foremost,it gives you a genuine taste of the authenticMoselle region. Pike with Riesling sauce,and fried fish and crayfish à la luxembour-geoise are some of the greatest culinaryspecialities of the region. Restaurant ownerswith the Ambassadeurs label, will help youto discover the best Luxembourgish wines

and crémants. They offer contemporaryhigh-quality products whose subtle flavourstranslate the expertise of the winemakers ofthe Luxembourgish Moselle.

Welcome EuropeWhen you visit Luxembourg’s winegarden,don’t miss Schengen’s European Museum.Situated in the Three Border Region ofGermany-France-Luxembourg, the pictur-esque wine-making village of Schengenwas chosen as the setting for the famoussigning of the Schengen Agreement on the14th June 1985. The fact that the Agree-ment was signed in Luxembourg is testa-ment to the important role that the Grand-Duchy played as a mediator between itsEuropean neighbours.

www.visitmoselle.lu

Issue 5 | May 2014 | 15

“Dr Prosper Kayser created the museum tohouse his collections,” says Vera Weisger-ber, its director: “And to show how life waslived here a century ago.” This being Lux-embourg’s wine country, a significant partof that way of life was making, keeping,and enjoying wines.

Dr Kayser bought a dilapidated house inthis village by the Moselle in 1965, and af-ter two years of restoration, the museum’sdoors opened to the public. The antithesisof the glass-display-case-no-talking variety,the intimate feel reflects its very personalorigins, even taking its name from formerresidents. Other houses were added: firstone for the wine industry, with cooperage,the vintner’s life, even a treading-troughand of course a cellar; then another forweaving...

“The best way to visit is on one of the the-matic guided tours,” Vera advises. “Welight the fires in the kitchen and hearth,and use wood and dried vines like they didin 1617 when it was built. A guide can ex-plain the artisan tools and household uten-sils, and if you want we can take you out-side to look at the architecture here, orvisit a wine cave.” The museum’s own ar-chitecture merits inspection, the wallsmade of stones collected from fields andstreams, not quarried.

There’s hands-on stuff too, like weaving, orin keeping with its extensive collection ofancient toys – including a working train-setrecalling a service once vital here – and im-ages of children playing in bygone days,you can even try crafting a teddy bear.With its own restaurant Wäistuff whereMarianne Lorenz serves true Luxembour-geoise cuisine like Kuddelflèk (tripe) or porkwith broad beans – washed down withwines from a quality local cooperative youget to taste the country too.

“We want to preserve everything possible ofthe old artisan way of life here,” says Vera:“And we do that as much as is practical byrecreating an authentic atmosphere inbuildings as they were lived in back then.”

www.musee-possen.lu

Getting to know the wine of the country is part of getting to know the country. Understanding its past helps too.At the A Possen museum in Bech-Kleinmacher you do both together.

TEXT: MARTIN PILKINGTON | PHOTOS: A POSSEN

Where time stood still

The old artisan way of life is perserved at theA Possen museum. BELOW: Waistuff, the on-site restaurant, serves Luxembourgeoise cuisineand local specialities from this wine region.

16 | Issue 5 | May 2014

Surrounded by vineyards in the tranquilMoselle Valley, guests have been flock-ing to Hotel des Vignes for the pastthirty years to enjoy a heady mix ofgood views, good food, and good wine– the hotel even produces its very ownRiesling Grand 1er Cru.

With just 24 rooms, all offering panoramicviews, Hotel des Vignes has an intimatefeel, welcoming back its regulars year afteryear. With such a name, one might expectsaid regulars to be veritable oenophiles,but as owner and founder Cécile Oswaldexplains, this isn’t always the case.

“I mean, most people enjoy a glass of winedon’t they?” she smiles. “But you don’thave to be a wine connoisseur to stay here!Many people come because they love thecalm environment, our beautiful views andunique position.”

Overlooking both France and Germany,with views over rolling hills, the cultural at-tractions of Luxembourg City are only 20minutes away by car. “We have all the tran-quillity of the countryside, but we’re notlost!” laughs Oswald.

The hotel also welcomes travellers of anathletic persuasion. “The hotel gets quite afew cyclists who’ve travelled all the wayfrom Berlin or Switzerland on their bikes,”she explains. “They can allow themselvessome treats when they arrive!”

And with a chef hailing from France’s gas-tronomic Périgord region in charge at thehotel restaurant, this is certainly the placeto come for treats. “We like to mix Frenchgastronomy with local produce and re-gional flavours,” explains Oswald. Duckbreast with Pinot Noir sauce and dried figsand Fillet of pike cooked in a cream ofRiesling are just some of the specialities

which can be enjoyed from the comfort ofthe veranda.

Concerning the wine list, Oswald keepsan open mind. “We don’t limit ourselves toLuxembourgeois wine,” she says. “We ex-cel in whites, but when you need a pow-erful red, it’s best to go French.” That said,she encourages guests to try her ‘vin dejardin’, the hotel’s own Riesling Grand 1erCru. “It’s the king of wines!” she beams.

www.hotel-vignes.lu

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

Wine, dine and unwindTEXT: ANNA PARKIN | PHOTOS: HOTEL DES VIGNES

Discover Benelux | Special Theme | Luxembourg’s Wine Region

Set on the banks of the Moselle River,the Domaine Cep d'Or produces an im-pressive selection of high quality grapesranging from Elbling to Riesling, and isrenowned for its high quality sparklingwine (Crémant).

Nestled between the small towns of Stadt-bredimus and Ehnen, this visitor-friendlywine estate offers tastings and cellar visits,while on-site amenities include a shop andwine bar, where a resident sommelier is onhand to share his know-how.

At the helm of the Cep d'Or since 2003,owner Jean-Marie Vesque descends fromthe estate’s original founders, who hailedfrom the nearby Lorraine region and havebeen influential in the Luxembourgeoiswine scene for centuries.

Citing a glass of Riesling as his drink ofchoice, Vesque hasn’t lost any of his an-cestor’s passion for winemaking. He’s ea-ger to point out the differences betweenthe wines made in his home country, tothose of its close neighbours.

“Don’t think this is just the same as inFrance,” he warns. “We may have many ofthe same grape varieties as you would findin Alsace, but we have our own climate,this is our own soil, and that changesthings. Our wine is very rare, it’s precious.”

Although Luxembourg may be best knownfor its dry whites and sparkling wines,Vesque argues there’s a glass to suit allpalates at the Cep d'Or. “We offer twelvedifferent grape varieties, so whether youlike something dry, fruity, or sweet, you’ll behappy with your choice!” For more information: www.cepdor.lu

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Crémant de la crèmeTEXT: ANNA PARKIN | PHOTOS: JEAN-MARIE VESQUE / MARC WILWERT

RIGHT: Domaine Cep d’Or’s owner Jean-Marie Vesque

Issue 5 | May 2014 | 19

The oft-touted New York Times quote thatdubs Wanders ‘The Lady Gaga’ of designis perhaps a cliché worth repeating, andemblematic of the Netherlands’ designstory – a glowing narrative of designersthat push their disciplines to the very limits,creating work that surprises, delights andchallenges.

Ineke Hans, Dutch product designer andfounder of Ineke Hans Studio, says: “Whatis now seen as Dutch Design started offwith designers asking critical questionsabout the role of design and where to gofrom in the early 90's.

“This attitude of questioning has beentaught at the Dutch design schools for the

last two decades and has resulted in agroup of very critical and questioning de-signers in the Netherlands till today.”

The Emergence of DroogThe most recognisably adventurous, play-ful face of Dutch Design to emerge in thelast 25 years is the collective Droog (whichtranslates as ‘dry’, and creates pieces thatlook anything but) – a wildly innovativebunch of designers whose eclectic, con-ceptual pieces have shaped Dutch designthinking since their launch in 1993. How-ever, Hans says this wasn't necessarilyrecognised at the time.

“In the early 90's the companies did notpay much attention to Droog and the de-

signers like Piet Hein Eek,” she explains.“[They saw the designs as] nice for thebrain, but it did not sell.”

Droog was founded by Gijs Bakker andRenny Ramakers, and the launch collec-tion included pieces such as polyurethaneand stitched felt washbasins and TejoRemy’s Chest of Drawers, formed of a pre-carious-looking stacked series of differentrecycled drawers.

These pieces are redolent of avant gardeideas, looking to experiment with inheritednotions of functionality, form and process,while also often creating forms with acharming simplicity.

With the opening of Marcel Wanders’big, bold, brilliant and bonkers retrospective Pinned Up: 25Years of Design in earlyFebruary, the spotlight is once again shining over the rich design history of the Netherlands.

TEXT: EMILY GOSLING | PRESS PHOTOS

The landscape of Dutch design

Discover Benelux | Design Feature | The Landscape of Dutch Design

20 | Issue 5 | May 2014

Among Droog’s designers and their mosticonic pieces are Hella Jongerius and her2005 Polder sofa; Dick van Hoff with his2007 Work Lamp; Marcel Wanders, whomade his name with the 1996 KnottedChair; Maarten Baas and Jurgen Bey, cre-ator of the surreal 1999 Treetrunk bench.

The Dutch design attitudeOutside of Amsterdam, home to the Ri-etveld Academie (which produced design-ers including typography icon Wim Crouweland industrial designer Henk Stallinga),Eindhoven boasts Design Academy Eind-hoven, whose alumni include MaartenBaas, Tord Boontje and Jurgen Bey (Wan-ders was expelled after his first year there).

“The critical attitude that is taught at Dutchschools basically creates designers thattake nothing for granted and I think that isa very good attitude when you want towork in the design field,” says Hans.

Key Dutch design events include Eind-hoven’s Dutch Design Week; while Dutchdesigners such as the Wanders co-founded studio Moooi frequently fly theDutch design flag at other internationalshows such as London Design Festivaland Milan’s Salone del Mobile.

Stop the boring businessMoooi was founded in 2001 by Wandersand Casper Vissers, taking its name from


ABOVE:Moooi Amsterdam Showroom (Photo: Nicole Marnati /Courtesy of Moooi). BELOW: Chest of drawers for Droog by Tejo Remy. BOTTOM: Tree-trunk bench for Droogby Jurgen Bey (Photos: Gerard van Hees /droog.com).

Issue 5 | May 2014 | 21


the Dutch word for ‘beautiful’. The brandprides itself on its very unique and stylisedapproach to marketing, from its show-rooms that look to seem ‘as if someone’sjust moved away’– all artfully scatteredtoys and quirkily arranged products; tothe Erwin Olaf-shot promotional photog-raphy, depicting human models crammedinto boxes with the products. A keyMoooi mantra is ‘stop the boring busi-ness’.

Indeed, a trope uniting Dutch product de-sign is an aversion to ‘boringness’ and aplayfulness that makes design more thanan aesthetic choice, but a drive to make aspace full of excitement and inspiration.

The future of Dutch designSo where will Dutch design go from here?According to Hans, more and more emerg-ing designers are becoming autonomous,creating work in smaller batches thanks tomore advanced and readily available tech-nology.

New designers to look out for include Eind-hoven-based Raw Color, founded byDaniera ter Haar & Christoph Brach, andDirk van der Kooij.

“I feel that design is now more related to is-sues than to tangible objects,” says Hans.“It is nice and good that design has infil-trated in areas as healthcare and city plan-

ning, but there’s a danger of design turninginto storytelling only and getting out oftouch with making processes and industrialprocesses.

“I believe that it would be so interesting tomake some final steps from conceptualdesign and thinking into the world of in-dustrial production that has been ques-tioned so much by the conceptual Dutchdesigners.”

From their track record, if anyone can helppush these less-than-easy design ideas,it’s designers from the Netherlands.

TOP RIGHT AND PAGE 19: Marcel Wanders Pinned Up at the Stedelijk (Photos: Courtesy of Marcel Wanders). BOTTOM LEFT: Dirk van der Kooij, Flow Dining Chair TwoTone Yellow (Photo: Sanne Kooijmans). MIDDLE: Ineke Hans (Photo: Gerard van Bree). RIGHT: Moooi Amsterdam Showroom (Photo: Nicole Marnati /Courtesy of Moooi).

22 | Issue 5 | May 2014

Whether you know it or not, you have mostlikely experienced a Benthem Crouwel de-sign as they are the architecture firm be-hind many of the top public institutionsand transportation hubs in the Nether-lands. Founded in 1979 by Jan Benthemand Mels Crouwel, the firm has maintainedits talents for over 30 years creating thepractical yet innovative designs behindsome of area's most iconic buildings andpublic projects. Whether it's working on arenovation or building something com-pletely new, the firm has an expert ability tofind unequivocal solutions, lending origi-nality to each project. Benthem Crouwel is

involved in projects worldwide and has de-veloped a strong presence in Germanytoo.

For Benthem Crouwel, each project be-gins by discovering its essence: Analysinga building's future use, the history of its lo-cation and determining the sense of placeand meaning it has to the public. “From thisspecific analysis, all design processescommence. As the parameters for theanalysis differ from project to project, ourdesign approach almost inevitably leadsto distinct solutions and, consecutively, toan individual identity for every design job. In

that sense, actually, all of our projects areunique, and are therefore different from anypredecessor.”

Since the firm's founding, sustainability hasbeen an integral part of their designprocess. A project's ecological, economicand social impact are taken into consider-ation and its final outcome strikes a balancebetween all three. “We continuously look forthe optimal – though not necessarily mostobvious – solution to a design problem.We pay close attention to the functionalityand internal logic of buildings and com-plexes. Benthem Crouwel takes pride in

T O D A Y ’ S T O M O R R O W :

Anticipating architecture’s futurewhile providing for present-day needs

A look into how one architectural firm manages to build everyday realities while stayingon top of the challenges of changing demands.

TEXT: JAIME SCHWARTZ | PHOTOS: BENTHEM CROUWEL

Discover Benelux | Design Feature | Benthem Crouwel

TOP LEFT: Ziggo Dome, Amsterdam, completed 2012, concert hall covered with approx 120, 000 LED fixtures and seat capacity of 17,000 (Photo: Jannes Linders). TOP RIGHT:Mall Koblenz, Germany, completed in 2012. Approximately 2,900 identical, three-dimensional shaped aluminum elements, painted in three different shades of green, form this dis-tinctive façade (Photo: Jens Kirchner). BOTTOM RIGHT: Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam, completed in 2012, museum for modern and contemporary art (Photo: Jannes Linders).

Issue 5 | May 2014 | 23

Discover Benelux | Design Feature | Benthem Crouwel

combining a signature style with compact-ness, simplicity, integrated ecosystems andan efficient use of materials.”

Much of the firm's work centres on the cul-tural and transportation needs of the public.Besides designing popular museums andvenues such as the Stedelijk Museum, theZiggo Dome, and RAI Exhibition and Con-gress Centre, the firm also tackles some ofthe Netherlands’ biggest infrastructure proj-ects. For the past 25 years BenthemCrouwel have served as the chief architectsfor Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport, a hubthat has become one of the world's mostimportant and acclaimed.

“Our approach is broadly valued: Fifty millionpeople travel through Schiphol Airport everyyear, more than the population of the Repub-lic of Korea.” For the past several years theairport has been voted ‘Europe’s PreferredAirport’ and is ranked fourth worldwide.

Their critical accolades and a growing fo-cus towards establishing better commutingoptions in the Netherlands has pushedBenthem Crouwel to the forefront of sev-eral large transportation projects. “Com-

muting is commonplace in a small countrylike the Netherlands, with a vast metropol-itan area of comparatively small centres:even our capital, Amsterdam, has less thanone million inhabitants. This explains thelarge number of railway-related projectsthat our firm has been involved in.”

Recent projects include Rotterdam CentralStation, the Randstad metropolitan district,and a brand new, seven station under-ground metropolitan railway in Amsterdam.

“We are now completing five central railwaystations,manywith high speed links to neigh-bouring countries and all of these projects willbe used by a large number of people.We de-signed these transport hubs for easy navi-gation with light, transparent and welcomingstructures that have individual appeal. In thefuture, Utrecht Central Station will accom-modate 180 million passengers annually.Every single one of them can expect to bewell taken care of, by providing him or herwith full comfort, optimal functionality and acontemporary, yet timeless, aesthetic.”

Addressing the influence social and tech-nological change has on our engagement

with public space, the firm published FiveArchetypes for a Changing World, whichhas recently been developed into an exhibi-tion too. Inspired by their completion of fiveexemplary architectural spaces over thepast 18 months the publication examinesthe specific architectural archetypes of theseprojects, questioning the use and relevanceof 19th century names for architecturalspaces, such as department store or railwaystation, in the multiplicity of our rapidlychanging world. The publication also out-lines how our contemporary expectationshave transformed architectural needs, ne-cessitating flexible designs that can adapt todualities of usage, something the firm hasbeen able successfully respond to.

“Benthem Crouwel Architects design forthe future and new technologies inspire usto devise innovative solutions. Our ap-proach allows for evolution in our designs,in our architectural language, shape,choice of material, colour, and daylightand/or artificial light influence, continuouslyand from project to project.”

www.benthemcrouwel.nl

TOP LEFT: Fletcher Hotel, Amsterdam, completed in 2013. The 60m high hotel, comprised of 120 rooms and an entirely glass facade (Photo: Jannes Linders). BOTTOMLEFT: Partners at Benthem Crouwel, top to bottom and left to right: Marcel Blom, Marten Wassmann, Markus Sporer, Joost Vos, Mels Crouwel, Jan Benthem (Photo: KoosBreukel). RIGHT: Rotterdam Central Station, Rotterdam, completed in 2014. Platforms have a largely transparent roof some 250 metres long spanning the entire track zone(Photo: Jannes Linders).

Discover Benelux | Design Feature | Equilibre Deco

Interior design is a potential minefield,we want to express ourselves with thedecoration of our homes, but don’tknow how to transfer our ideas into re-ality; Equilibre Deco can skilfully mentoryou to your perfect interior.

“I am not someone who imposes a de-sign,” starts Katty Chacun, the creative be-hind Luxembourg’s Equilibre Deco, “I workclosely with my clients to find out whatthey want, then suggest items and givethem a full design for their interiors.”

With 20 years of experience in interiors,Chancun can aid with everything from acolour scheme, room layout and furnitureto give you am interior that fits your needs.Chacun continues: “The key is to discoverwhat you want. After getting to know your

tastes I can mentor you on creating yourinterior.”

More than just coaching, Equilibre Deco of-fers a full range of services to completeyour interior, Chacun expands: “If you wanta design so you can do the work yourselfor want me to tell you which shops and ar-tisans to use, I can do that. I offer every-thing you need – from basic coachingthrough to project managing the work onyour interior, because my aim is to giveyou the interior you want.”

The notion of a bespoke design process iscertainly a new way of looking at interior de-sign, but Equilibre Deco really does deliver,Chacun concludes: “The space we live in isa reflection of us and with our coachingyou can really achieve something personal.”

www.equilibre-deco.comDesigners and Artisans d’Art expo:www.interiordesignersartisansdart.lu

E Q U I L I B R E D E C O

The interior design mentorsTEXT: PHIL GALE | PHOTOS: EQUILIBRE DECO

TOP: A completed kitchen design. BOTTOM: The creativeprocess can be performed collaboratively with Equilibre Decoor they can act as mentors, guiding you through the process.

Issue 5 | May 2014 | 25

Founded on June 11, 1991, the Luxem-bourg Golf Federation (LFG) is set to cele-brate its quarter century anniversary in2016. While originally comprising of a trio ofclubs with similar perspectives and goals,the federation’s three founding members(the Golf-Club Club Grand-Ducal, KiuokaCountry Club and Golf-Club Clervaux) arenow accompanied by three further golfclubs. As golf grew in popularity in Luxem-bourg in the nineties, the Grand Duchy wit-nessed a growth in the development ofgolf provision with the building of newcourses: Golf-Club Gaichel (1993), Golf-Club of Luxembourg-Belenhaff (1994) andChristnach Golf & Country Club (1994).

The FLG, now representing six affiliatedgolf clubs, manages approximately 4,000licences and holds a leading rank amongthe 60 federations that are members of

the National Olympic Committee of Lux-embourg (COSL). Furthermore, the FLG isa member of the European Golf Associa-tion (EGA) and the International Golf Fed-eration (IGF). Luxembourg’s history withgolf goes back decades and the sport’s in-fluence has been widespread; the EGAwas founded in Luxembourg on the 20thNovember 1937 and had the honour ofcelebrating its 75th anniversary in Luxem-bourg in 2012 with its 44 member coun-tries and many invites coming from the R &A St Andrews, IGF, PGA and Ryder cup.

With the FLG headquarters established atthe Golf of Luxembourg-Belenhaff inJunglinster, its missions and objectives re-volve around their desire to promote thesport, making it accessible to many. En-couraging, developing and overseeing golfactivities in the Grand Duchy of Luxem-

bourg is one of its key tasks, along with de-fending the common interests of the affili-ated golf clubs in Luxembourg.

Providing support and assistance to Lux-embourg golfers at a national and interna-tional level is a further priority, as is re-specting the golfing rules published by theRoyal & Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews.

– The centre of Luxembourg's golf sceneBY JEAN-MARIE THOMA, PRÉSIDENT, FÉDÉRATION LUXEMBOURGEOISE DE GOLF | EDITED BY EMMIE COLLINGE

The Luxembourg Golf Federation

Luxembourg Golf Federation's President Jean-Marie Thoma

Discover Benelux | Special Theme | Golf


26 | Issue 5 | May 2014

Set between Grünewald forest and thepopular Petite Suisse region, Golf de Lux-embourg is spread across 120 hectares oflong and rolling circuits, where natural ob-stacles emerge via enchanting scenery – astream, wetlands and shimmering lakes.

Ace locationSeduced by this verdant central Luxembourglocation, with its panoramic views and landprime for golfing, sibling duo Jean and MarcWeidert originally had the idea for Golf deLuxembourg in the late 1980s. Constructedfrom scratch, it was designed byGreen Con-cept under the supervision of America’s LarryKreh, a collaborator with leading architects inboth Japan and the States.

The course has now been up and runningfor over 20 years and is still under the con-trol of the same family. Despite being just 17kilometres from Luxembourg City, Golf deLuxembourg’s rural setting makes for apeaceful game. “This is the perfect setting,so calm, surrounded by greenery; you’replaying in the middle of nature!” enthusesMadame Annick Weidert, whose father wascentral to the conception of the course.

Family friendlyNow involved in all aspects of managingthe family business, Madame Weidert ex-plains that she and her family are keen forgolf to shed its clichéd perception. “Golfmust be seen differently. Generally, in Lux-

embourg it isn’t elitist; it isn’t just for certaintypes of people. We welcome a real mix ofplayers, from the really experienced to fam-ilies with children,” she explains. “We like tosee a real blend of people here and thatshows when you look around…”

Open daily, Golf de Luxembourg offers les-sons and clinics for both members andnon-members, while there’s a practice witha chipping green, putting green and threetarget greens to hone one’s skills. There’salso the compact ‘3 Par 3/27’ course, withnine different starting points and threegreens for 27 types of game. For playerswith a competitive streak, friendly tourna-ments are arranged by the club.

A golfer’s paradise in the heart of the countryside, the family-run Golf de Luxembourg attracts players youngand old with its inclusive initiatives, modern approach and friendly atmosphere. And with a charming Club Houserestaurant serving up classic French and Luxembourgeois specialities, you needn’t be a golfing fan to be seduced.

TEXT: ANNA PARKIN | PHOTOS: GOLF DE LUXEMBOURG

The exquisite pairing of golfand gastronomy in Luxembourg

Issue 5 | May 2014 | 27


Regular events such as Ladies Day andSeniors Day ensure that all important mix ofclientele, while younger players are enticedthanks to student rates for 21-25 year olds.For even younger players, entry is free forUnder-12s of all levels, while Over-12s canenjoy a very modest junior rate. “It’s reallyimportant for us to get young people ex-cited about golf,” says Madame Weidert.“We have children as young as six havinglessons. Although I would say any earlierthan that is a little too young, it’s best tostart early.”

The assortment of ages playing at Golf deLuxembourg is echoed by the variety oflanguages that can be heard on site. Whilearound half of the club’s regular golfers areLuxembourgeois, the other half come fromaround 30 different countries.

Classic to a teeThose visiting from across the Channel willfeel particularly at home in Golf de Luxem-bourg’s charming Club House, which issurrounded by the protected land of an18th-century farm and makes a popularwedding reception venue.

“The Club House was designed with a tra-ditional aesthetic, very much in keepingwith the idea of the great classic golfcourses,” says Madame Weidert of the200-year-old building, whose lintel bearsthe Latin words ‘Deo principi amicoqueoptimo aperi’ (God, Prince and friend bewelcome).

It’s the Club House restaurant wheregolfers come to refuel, whether they wantto discuss handicaps from the comfort ofthe light veranda or switch off and admirethe panoramic views over the course fromthe outdoor terrace. Service is continuousto account for those seemingly never-end-

ing playoffs. “It’s important for players to beable to enjoy a meal whenever they likewithout their games having to be re-stricted,” explains Madame Weidert.

Local delicaciesOpen daily except for Mondays, the restau-rant also welcomes the general public, of-fering moderately priced seasonal food.Among the Luxembourgeois specialitieson offer is La Bouchée à la Reine, a type ofvol-au-vent filled with chicken and mush-rooms, while the dessert menu includestrusted French favourites such as CrèmeBrûlée and Chocolate Fondant.

Head chef David Martinez joined therestaurant in 2005, working his way up to

being at the helm in 2012. A tradition forlong-lasting staff extends across the es-tate. “We’ve had pretty much the samepersonnel here since the beginning, sowhen people come back they always seethe same familiar and well-loved faces,”explains Madame Weidert.

“We’re a club in the truest sense of theword, a proper family business where all ofour golfers feel like family too,” she says,keen to emphasise that the mood at Golfde Luxembourg is far from cliquey. “Every-one knows each other here, and we’re al-ways happy to welcome new people intothe fold!”

www.golfdeluxembourg.lu

Golf de Luxembourg, centrally located just outside of Luxembourg's capital, is a rural golfing paradise for begin-ners to pros.

28 | Issue 5 | May 2014

The well-spoken and bright Daan Huizing,born in Zwolle in 1990, is one of theyoungest pro golfers in the world today.Well-rounded enough to fit his trainingaround his university degree in Utrecht, the23-year-old graduated in April 2013, allow-ing him to work fulltime on his swing. “Therewere gaps in my game,” he admits mod-estly, “so now I’m able to invest more andmore time and it’s leading to improvement.”Improvement came immediately after grad-uation with two wins on the Challenge Tour,for which Huizing gained considerable

praise – and a rapid promotion to the Eu-ropean Tour. “It all went so quickly last year.I have been working towards the EuropeanTour for so long and now I’m there.”

Yet the step up from Challenge to Euro-pean Tour is a remarkable one, so how isHuizing handling the big time? “In the Chal-lenge Tour there is only a bunch of guyswho have the potential to win, but it’s com-pletely different in the European Tour –there is a full field of great players every sin-gle week who could win.”

Huizing is talking to Discover Benelux fromhis home course of The Dutch, twenty kilo-metres from Rotterdam. His schedule hasbeen hectic and he’s grateful for the weekat home in mid-March. “I’m very lucky withthe weather this week,” he laughs, it’s analmost balmy 12 degrees Celsius on theday in question and set to rise over thecoming weekend.

Almost six months every year is spentcompeting, he calculates: “If I play 25 tour-naments a year, and each one lasts a

The Netherlands is a country known for providing a select bunch of top players, and the limelight once again shoneon the lowlands last year as their breakthrough player was promoted to the European Tour for 2014.

TEXT: EMMIE COLLINGE | MAIN PHOTO: PETRI OESCHGER /GALLO IMAGES

D A A N H U I Z I N G :

On his game, graduating and golf courses


Issue 5 | May 2014 | 29


week, then it’s half the year.” Trainingcomes next on his list of priorities – bothmental and physical. “Learning to deal withdistractions is really important, andstrengthening my routine is also key.”When asked about the physical demandsof golf, Huizing replies: “It is not a tough life,but it does take up a substantial amount ofhours. They’re long days and I have toforego lots of things as well as stayingphysically really fit – I think it’s only in Floridawhere people ride golf buggies, I alwayswalk miles!” Ever conscious that if he letshis game slip, “there is always someonewho’ll take your place.”

At home in the Netherlands, Huizingspends his days with his childhood coach.He believes that he wouldn’t have got asfar as he has if it hadn’t been for his coach.In his eyes, it is definitely worth putting inthe effort to find a good mentor for thoselooking to embark on a golf career. “Learn-ing correctly from the best is what youneed to do,” he explains. “I’ve had thesame coach since the year 2000, and nowhe’s director of golf at The Dutch so I al-ways come here. He doesn’t go every-where with me though – I normally travelalone to tournaments.” But with golf beingsuch a tight-knit sport, Huizing regularlybumps into other golfers or caddies whiletravelling to tournaments, and enjoys thecamaraderie and respect shown by play-ers. “It’s a gentleman’s game,” he saysmatter-of-factly, “Everyone’s polite, and weall help each other out.”

Growing up with a keen golfing father en-sured Huizing’s introduction to the sport.“Plastic clubs on par 3 courses on holiday,”he says with a chuckle. Throughout schoolhe received “more than enough support” tobalance textbooks and training, but nowthe economics degree is behind him he’sdelighted to be able to spend as muchtime as possible outdoors. “SometimesI’m in sponsorship meetings or inside for afew hours,” he says, “and then when I getoutside all I can think is how good it is to beback in the fresh air.”

With regards to where to play, it’s a no-brainer for Huizing. “My coach and physioare both at The Dutch, it’s got a good

green and you can practise well here.” Hissecond-favourite home country course isthe exclusive Hilversumsche in amongstthe trees, while he aspires to play at Au-gusta. “Playing the Masters would begreat. It’s very tough,” says Huizing in awe.“I do like beautiful courses with views, but

St Andrews with its history and tradition isanother great course to play.” Huizing willbe touching down in Morocco, Spain andChina all within the next month, and hisgoal is to keep the card for the EuropeanTour for the following year.

Daan Huizing during day 3 of the South African Open Championship at Glendower Golf Club on November 23,2013 in Johannesburg, South Africa. Photo: Luke Walker/Sunshine Tour /Gallo Images

30 | Issue 5 | May 2014

As you explore the Netherlands you’llno doubt stumbled across a number ofwell-manicured golf courses in amongstthe windmills and canals. But with theexpertise of Holland Golf Travel you canrest assured that you’ll arrive at thesecourses in style – rather than stumbling.

With over 250 golf courses in the country,there is certainly enough fairway for foreignvisitors, says Hans van Rooden, the ami-able founder of Holland Golf Travel. A pas-sionate golfer, he’d been on many a foreigngolf holiday before setting up the fast-grow-ing company in 2012. A chance meetingwith an ambitious acquaintance led to theidea of golf tourism in the Netherlands.

A previously unheard-of concept in thelowlands, the company essentially providepackage holidays for avid golfers. Includedin each of their packages – of which there

are over 30 – is a stay in a luxury hotel,green fees for nearby top golf courses,and a chance to acquaint yourself withDutch culture, history and cuisine.

When asked what’s so attractive aboutplaying golf in the Netherlands, VanRooden doesn’t hesitate before reeling offa list of reasons: the abundance ofcourses, the great Dutch infrastructure andthe high density of courses.

From his own personal and professionalexperience in the golf industry, it is VanRooden’s eye for fine detail that is key tothe success of the company. He’s keen tohighlight the high-end golf experience heprovides. Citing the House of Golf pack-age, which includes a stay in the 5* Houseof Golf hotel in Noordwijk, a picturesquetown on the Dutch coast, and daily greenfees at Holland’s three most beautiful

courses: Kennemer Golf and Country Club,Noordwijk and The Royal Haagse Golf andCountry Club – his personal favourite, he’squick to add. Playing host to EuropeanTour events certainly testifies to the qualityof a course, and nowhere is this more ap-parent than at The Royal Haagse and Ken-nemer. Incidentally, the KLM-open in Sep-tember is held annually at Kennemer andtrips around this international competitioncan be arranged.

Transporting your own golf equipment canbe a costly business with airlines, but yourgolf bag worries can be quelled, as natu-rally Holland Golf Travel are able to providefirst-rate clubs. Alternatively, if your club isyour slice of treasure, the ease with whichthe Netherlands can be reached by train orferry should not be underestimated.

www.hollandgolftravel.nl

H O L L A N D G O L F T R A V E L

Don’t leave it to putt luckTEXT: EMMIE COLLINGE | PRESS PHOTOS

TOP: Kennemer Golf and Country Club in Zandvoort (Photo: ngf.nl). BOTTOM LEFT: Hotel Huis ter Duin in the coastal resort of Noordwijk where Holland Golf Travel organisegreat golfing holidays (Photo: Huis ter Duin). MIDDLE: The Royal Hague-Koninklijke Haagsche Golf & Country Club in Wassenaar (Photo: Pauline van Till). RIGHT: FounderHans van Rooden loves nothing more than spending his days on the golf course (Photo: Hans van Rooden).


Issue 5 | May 2014 | 31

From tropical islands, beach resorts andslick urban city breaks, Liberty Resorts’owner Jeroen van Mierlo has beeneverywhere, but he finds unquestionableappeal in the classics: France, Spain andhis home country of the Netherlands.

These countries have long lured sun-seek-ing travellers from northern Europe to theirshores, valleys and cities. With the Dutchcompany of Liberty Resorts now in chargeof the complete management of severalluxury villa and bungalow parks, Van Mierlois keen for everyone to take a slice of theluxury. “Our name stands for freedom.We’re only happy if we’ve contributed toyour enjoyment of your holiday. It’s all aboutthe feeling of freedom, like our name,” heexplains.

“We offer quality over quantity, that’s whynone of our luxury parks havemore than 100holiday lets. Every single one of our proper-ties has to meet strict high standards.”

It’s difficult not to be captivated by the sur-rounding countryside of the villas. Wholedays can be spent on the enormous terraceof your pool, or strolling around the region,hailing a buggy and heading to the golfcourse, the pool or the beach for freshlygrilled fish and a swim in the warm water.

From the chateaus and rivers of France’sProvence, Ardeche or Poitiers, or the tapas-fuelled, sun-drenched Costa Blanca, LibertyResorts have a range of options available.Closer to home is the Park Hunzebergen inthe Dutch town of Drenthe, “a place whereeveryone greets each other on the street.”

For Van Mierlo, their brand new luxuryapartments in Altea, Spain, are in the diaryfor this summer. Built on the mountain-side, almost all the apartments offerpanoramic views over Altea.

Liberty Resort’s villa park in France is agolfer’s paradise, and Van Mierlo has long

harboured a passion for golf. “We offer aspecial golf-orientated holiday, so why nottreat yourself to a week at Domaine lesForges?” he suggests. The 19th centuryestate is nestled in a rustic retreat, ideal forsome undisturbed relaxation and refreshinggolf on the neighbouring 27-hole course.

www.libertyresorts.nl

L I B E R T Y R E S O R T S

Quality over quantityTEXT: EMMIE COLLINGE | PHOTOS: LIBERTY RESORTS

TOP LEFT: The view of Altea from Liberty Resort’s new holiday apartments. BELOW: Park Hunzebergenin Drenthe – a taste of luxury in Holland. RIGHT: Liberty Resorts have luxury bungalows and villas withor without private pools.

1 week stay at a luxury villa at theDomaine les Forges

1 x French breakfast1 x three course dinnerVIP Packet1 week Greenfee4 person villa: now just €599.6 person villa: now just €749.Private pool for an additional €125.

This offer is valid up to and including29 June 2014 and for any holidays after31 August 2014.

Use the code Benelux when booking.

32 | Issue 5 | May 2014

Discover Benelux | Special Theme | WWI in Belgium

On 4th August 1914, the first Germantroops crossed the Belgian frontier atGemmenich. For the Germans on theirrace to Paris, the neutral country of Bel-gium was merely a roadblock to becleared from their path.

The fortified cities of Liege and Namur werethe first to fall, and the Germans thenmoved in the direction of the fortified en-closure of Antwerp. Brussels, the capitalcity, was itself not worth fighting for. Afterthe Fall of Antwerp, the Belgian troops fledin retreat towards the IJzer. Here, in Octo-ber 1914 the possibility of flooding the IJzerplain was first discussed. This huge massof water separated the German and Bel-gian soldiers and stalled the frontline, hold-ing it fast for four years. Life in occupiedBelgium was little better. ‘Poor little Bel-gium’ was able to count on strong inter-national support and received tons of foodvia the Nationaal Comité voor Hulp enVoeding (National Committee for Aid andNutrition) which saw the starving Belgians

through to end of the war. While the FirstWorld War came to an end on 11th No-vember 1918, many Belgian womenwaited in vain for their fathers, husbands,brothers and sons to return. The countryand its inhabitants were in pieces.

From 2014 to 2018 the first disaster of the20th century is being commemoratedacross the globe. The Belgian National In-stitute for Veterans and Victims of War, setup in the aftermath of the First World War,strongly advocates the Great Commemo-ration. For this purpose, the Institute hascreated two travelling exhibitions which areopen to the public. The exhibition ‘DeGroote Oorlog in grote lijnen’ (The First

World War in brief) sets World War I in an in-ternational, Belgian and local context anddeals with the basics of the war, The FirstWorld War for Dummies you could say. Thesecond exhibition is entitled ‘The Congoand the First World War’ and sheds a lightnot only on the former Belgian colony dur-ing the war, but also on the lives of the 32Congolese soldiers who fought in Belgianuniforms in Namur, Antwerp and along theIJzer. Both exhibitions are free to visit andinformation is available in Dutch, Frenchand English. Alongside the exhibitions, theInstitute plans to launch a website at theend of 2014 which will list and detail the ap-proximately 40,000 Belgian soldiers whofell during the war. The website will be called‘The Belgian War Dead Register.’

For more information about the variousprojects or if you would like to know moreabout the location and timings of the exhi-bitions, please visit: www.warveterans.beor have a look on www.facebook.com/Warveterans.be

The Great Commemoration of BelgiumTEXT: GRIET BROSENS, HEAD OF MEMORIAL DEPARTMENT | TRANSLATED BY EMMIE COLLINGE

ABOVE LEFT: The travelling exhibition The Great War in general (© IV-NIOOO. Photo: Jerusalem Pierard). RIGHT: The Belgian Military Cemetary in Houthulst (© IV-NIOOO).BELOW: Occupied Belgium was dependant on foreign aid during the war (©Koninklijk Paleis Belgie).

Issue 5 | May 2014 | 33


The Battle of the FrontiersTEXT: ADELE REUTER | TRANSLATION: ANNA PARKIN/EMMIE COLLINGE | PHOTO: LA LORRAINE GAUMAISE/MICHEL LAURENT

TOUR ITINERARYDay 1:10:00 am Citadelle de MontmédyThis stop offers an understanding of howFrench soldiers lived in the citadel and alsodemonstrates what the German occupationmeant.

Ethe villageEthe was one of the villages which sufferedmost during the fighting in August 1914.Musée de la Bataille des Frontières en Gaumein Latour

Or Musée Gaumais in VirtonAn exhibition of paintings by Nester Outer de-picting various war scenes, destruction, andcivilian life during the First World War.

Day 2:10:00 am Village of Louppy-sur-Loisonor Stenay townFirst World War Guided Walk, RossignolFlorenville War Memorial

Price starts at €127 pp. including stay ata 2** hotel or €35 per person per dailyexcursion.

To make a reservation, please contactGaume’s Maison du Tourisme:Phone: 0032 (0)63 57 89 04

mtg@soleildegaume.bewww.soleildegaume.bewww.lorraine-gaumaise.com

With 2014 marking the centenary ofWorld War I, visitors will be flocking tothe sites of some of the world’s mostbrutal battles. While many tours com-memorating the fallen of the four yearwar will centre on Ypres and Passchen-daele, there is a vast area of Belgiumwhich came under fire during these tu-multuous years and which should notbe overlooked.

The region of Gaume, directly on the bor-der to France, with its warm climate andstunning scenery, bore witness to a tug ofwar between the French and the Ger-mans.

In August 1914 dreadful battles took placeon the Franco-Belgian border between theFrench and German armies. On 22 Au-gust 1914, at the peak of the fighting,81,000 soldiers were killed, injured or madeprisoners. Numerous French and Belgianvillages were partly destroyed and severalhundreds of civilians became the innocentvictims of these battles.

The Battle of the Frontiers tour offers awider perspective on the suffering of themilitary and civilians alike in this southernBelgian province. Gaume’s tourist officehave set aside a 48-hour period in which topresent an informative yet heart-warmingtour of their region. Taking in the citadel ofMontmédy, the tragedy of Ethe village, themuseum of the Battle of the Frontiers inGaume, architectural gems of Louppy-sur-Loison, the Florenville war memorial, the14-18 walking tour in Rossignol as well asindulging in some of the finest artisanalBelgian chocolates along the way. While it’sa tour that’ll tug at your heart sleeves, it’salso a chance to visit some lesser-known,picturesque Belgian villages with a Frenchtwist.

Village of Louppy-sur-Loison

The Military Cemetery of EthePhoto: Adele Reuter

34 | Issue 5 | May 2014

With three pillars of events focusing on his-tory, refugees and culture, the aim ofAntwerp’s Vredescentrum (Peace Centre),a non-profit centre active in providing peaceand remembrance education, is to con-nect the past, present and future as part ofthe city-wide centenary programme. ThePeace Centre’s Ann Govaert explains whythey’re at the helm of the commemora-tions: “Our angle of vision has always beenpeace and the difficulty to achieve it, and sothis commemoration programme, Antwerp14-18, with over 50 different Belgian and in-ternational partners, continues our vision.”

Antwerp 14-18 consists of historical walks,lectures, exhibitions, audio trails, art pro-

jects and more. Finding the balance be-tween supplying knowledge and offeringan experience has been the main concernof the centre. “Fortunately we’ve not ex-perienced such a disaster again since theSecond World War but it’s still vital foryoung people to learn about such situa-tions. The human side of the war, ofrefugees and their experiences, is as im-portant today as it was back then.”

“Peace, democracy and freedom,” shepauses for a moment. “These are normal formost of us in Western Europe but there arestill countries which are undergoing conflictand the link between the past and present,between Belgium in 1914 and Syria today is

a connection which we’re keen to explore.”With an interactive trail for children exploringpeace and conflict, they’re confronted withchallenges which require them to work to-gether and build bridges.

Govaert speaks proudly of the Peace Cen-tre’s collaboration with seven of Antwerp’smost prominent museums: “Our messageis that Antwerp builds bridges. Both figu-ratively, linking the past and present, acrossgenerations, between the different projectpartners and Belgians and foreigners, butalso literally by reconstructing the pontoonbridge which served Antwerp’s residentsand refugees well during the early monthsof the war.”

Antwerp builds bridges tocommemorate the First WorldWarThe stories of the First WorldWar, one of the defining events of the last century, cross borders and continents.

Today, entrenched in the psyche of future generations is the concept of peace, and it is peace which pervades Antwerp’sPeace Centre’s approach to the centenary.

TEXT: EMMIE COLLINGE | PRESS PHOTOS


Issue 5 | May 2014 | 35


After the German’s successful assault onthe fortified cities of Liege and Namur inearly August 1914, their sights turned toAntwerp, one of northern Europe’s mostpowerful mercantile cities, and the city soonwrithed under the attack, succumbing onlyafter almost three weeks of heavy bom-bardment. Govaert explains: “At first the citycentre was attacked by zeppelins – low-fly-ing, unlit, noiseless airships – which causedlots of destruction and even some deaths.Antwerp-born artist Panamarenko’s exhibi-tion at the museum of modern art (MuHKA)is strongly related to these zeppelins.”

Granted the role of National Reduit (Strong-hold) in 1830, Antwerp was the country’s fi-nal defence and housed the army, royalfamily and government for a number ofweeks in 1914. By early October the fate ofAntwerp was sealed. Thousands gatheredon the banks of the river Schelde, desper-ate to cross and seek refuge in the Nether-lands, UK or France. Several temporarypontoon bridges were hastily assembledacross the river by the army. One of these,the pontoon bridge, 390 metres long, sawtens of thousands of people pass over ituntil it was blown up on 9 October, 1914.“The pontoon bridge was initially for sup-plies,” expands Govaert, “but after a time itbecame an escape route.” Now, the Peace

Bridge will be reconstructed as part of thecentenary commemorations and the storiesof those who benefitted from its position arebeing collected. On the first weekend in Oc-tober, 100,000 people are welcomed tocross the river from right to left, walking in thefootsteps of the refugees who fled Antwerp.On the left bank there will be a wide culturalprogramme on offer, while back in the citythe cooperating museums will be open withspecial temporary exhibitions.

While most exhibitions will run betweenMay-December, it is this weekend in Octo-ber (3, 4, 5) that is the focus. With a 5 euroticket to cross the bridge, you may also en-ter all the venues involved, for free or at adiscounted rate. The MAS, the MuHKA,FotoMuseum, Red Star Line Museum, Eu-geen Van Mieghem, Royal Museum of FineArts Antwerp, House of Literature and the

Middelheim are some of the venues to hostspecial commemorative centenary eventsand the spectrum of artists, both from Bel-gium and abroad is significant.

The full list of events is available onwww.antwerpen14-18.bewww.visitantwerp.be

One and a half million citizens made a desper-ate retreat from the city, with one million seek-ing refuge in Holland, 250,000 in the UK and250,000 in France, and the city bid goodbye to20 per cent of its population over thesebridges.

The pontoon bridge will be reconstructed bythe Belgian and Dutch Armies and opened onOctober 3-4-5, 2014. Tickets to cross one wayon Friday evening, Saturday and Sunday areavailable at www.antwerpen14-18.be

ABOVE LEFT: The mass exodus out of Antwerp in 1914. RIGHT: Lieutenant H Baldwin, as part of an exhibitionentitled Shooting Range – Photography in the firing line. ©FotoMuseum.

OPPOSITE PAGE: The Peace Bridge which will be reconstructed and passable. ABOVE LEFT: The MuHKA exhibition Panamarenko Universum, a retrospective of one ofAntwerp's post-war avant garde artists. TOP MIDDLE: The Moderns. Art during the Great War at the Royal Museum of Fine Arts, Antwerp. BOTTOMMIDDLE: The Refugeesat the Van Mieghem Museum. RIGHT: Far from the war at the Red Star Line Museum


Malmedy, in the East Cantons of Bel-gium, is a small town with a very uniqueand thrilling history. The gateway to thehigh Fens, it is located at the foot of aplateau which was declared a naturereserve in the late 1950s.

Malmedy is a get-away destination like noother. The nature, forests and scenery willnot fail to seduce you; a pictorial patchworkof colours, it is both pretty and peaceful.

However, make no mistake, the tumul-tuous past of the town will also enthuseevery history buff. “Malmedy was one oftwo Francophone towns that were Ger-man before World War One,” explains JeanMaus, Director of the Royal Syndicat d'Ini-tiative of Malmedy. A hundred years later, tocommemorate the event, a unique collec-tion of WWI artefacts will be presented.

The exhibition will follow the story oftwo local soldiers from the time, it will in-clude contemporary uniforms, and will takeplace in the Malmundarium, an 18th Bene-dictine monastery whose history alone youought to discover.

“In 2014, we will also hold an exhibitionof 60 original etchings by Rembrandt,” saysImelda Heuschen, in charge of the Mal-mundarium, “along with a show presentingsculptors from Zimbabwe with a very inter-esting technique using serpentine.”

The name of the city presumably comesfrom the latin expression Malo Mundarum,purifying the evil. Whether you are fond ofart, have a passion for the history of Europeor simply looking for a peaceful retreat,take a chance on purity.

www.malmedy.be

Scan Events specialises in the design, planning and management ofcorporate entertainments, exhibitions, conferences and meetings.

Our services include:

• Creativity and content• Locating venue and vendors• Budget planning and development• Negotiating rates• Invitations• Entertainment• VIP assistance• Arranging speakers• Design and production of printed material• AV and technical support• On-line delegate registration

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2

A purifying journey throughtime and nature

TEXT: HARUN OSMANOVIC | PRESS PHOTOS

TOP:Malmedy. BOTTOM: The exhibition space at theMalmundarium, a 18th benedictine monastery. Photo:Pierre Coupez

Issue 5 | May 2014 | 37

Discover Benelux | See & Do | Clogs Museum and Factory

The Dutch are world famous for theirwooden shoes. There are all kinds oftypes for all kinds of occasions. Bridalclogs, fishermen’s clogs, peat clogs, iceclogs , smugglers’ clogs.

“The smugglers had clogs with a reversedsole. This means that the footprints were inthe opposite direction to their real foot-prints,” explains Kooijman, whose love forclogs is contagious. Willem Kooijman (58)is the proud owner of the clogs museumand factory in ‘De Zaanse Schans’ in Zaan-dam, near Amsterdam. It remains a fam-ily business today, set up by his parents in1974. Now, the third generation hasstarted working there as well.

The wooden shoe may look uncomfort-able, but a good clog has an orthopedicfoot shape and it’s an official safety shoe.“A car can drive over a clog. There might bea little crack, but your foot will be fine,”says Willem proudly. “The oldest clog foundin the Netherlands dates from 1230. Theshape hasn’t changed that much sincethen. That is the power of the Dutch clog.”

Life with clogs is different every day. “I’veseen the entire world pass through here,”says Willem. “Sumo wrestlers, astronauts,film stars, musicians, politicians. Clogsunite, I’ve seen it in my shop. The Ameri-cans standing next to Russians, looking atthe making of clogs like brothers.”

The museum shows the life of the clogthroughout history. While some have spe-cial decorations, others have differentshapes. There are some rather special andmodern clogs, and it is pretty remarkableto see the ones with high heels and the oneadorned with Swarovski crystals.

The workshop demonstrates the creationof a Dutch clog in a mere fifteen minutes.“We have a machine that dates back from1935. It is perfect to show visitors how theclog is made. Modern machines work withthe same principle, it is just the techniquethat speeds up the process.”

Willem’s love for the clog is infectious. “Tocelebrate our shop’s 40th anniversary (April2014), we’ve rebuilt the large clog in frontof our store. The previous clog was oldand affected by the weather, but the newclog is perfect. The proportions are better,but otherwise he is exactly the same. Aperfect clog for a 65-foot-tall man!”

Want to experience the traditional Dutch culture?De Zaanse Schans is located just outside Amster-dam. It is a popular tourist attraction with historicalhouses, farms, museums and windmills. From Am-sterdam Central Station take bus 391 (50 minutes)or the train (15 minutes) to Koog-Zaandijk station.

www.clogs.nlwww.zaanseschans.nl

“Clogs unite, I’ve seen it”TEXT: BERTHE VAN DEN HURK | PHOTOS: RIK BRAUNE AND IWEIN MAASSEN

The clogs museum and factory in‘De Zaanse Schans’ in Zaandam,near Amsterdam.

LEFT: Three generations working together at theclogs museum and factory.

38 | Issue 5 | May 2014

Representing Luxembourg at Bocuse D’OrEurope culinary competition is the 33-year-old Damien Klein. The outspoken, tattooedLuxembourger shuns tradition and ap-proaches food with an ardent zeal – a con-vention which has seen him rise in promi-nence, star in three TV-cookery series inGermany and Luxembourg, and gain a bitof a rep as a kitchen rebel.

Although still relatively young, Klein haslong since had the eyes of the culinaryelite on him. His avant-garde cuisinefirst attracted attention at Apoteca inLuxembourg City, and led to biggerand better restaurants in Germany andat home in Luxembourg.

With the European championships ofthe world’s most prestigious gastro-nomic competition taking place inStockholm on 7 and 8 May, we catchup with Klein in the kitchen, busy prac-

tising the complex dishes he’ll have fivehours and 35 minutes to complete on theday.

Spread over two days, twenty of Europe’sbest chefs will prepare two dishes for the14-member jury. In an atmosphere akin toa football stadium, thousands of spectatorswill be watching their every move, explainsKlein. “Every day is spent training. Since Iwon the Luxembourg round back in De-

cember this is all I’ve done. The prepara-tion has to be perfect, it has to be exact. Ihave to capture the flavour of the design,”he says fervently.

Each competitor has a select team to as-sist them with the two dishes. Being heldin Sweden, it’s only fitting for local food totake pride of place: the fish plate consistsof coalfish, Belon oysters and blue mus-sels, while Swedish pig represents the

meat challenge. “It really does haveto look like a work of art,” explainsKlein.

With twelve countries going furtherto the world final in Lyon next Janu-ary, how does Klein rate hischances? “I keep getting askedthat,” he laughs modestly, “and Ipromise you, we are doing our ab-solute best to get to the final.”

Participating in‘the Olympics of the kitchen’represents the pinnacle of any top chef’s career – yet winning inStockholm this May doesn’t mark the end of it – it’s all about reaching the world final in January 2015 in Lyon, France.

TEXT: EMMIE COLLINGE | LE PHOTOGRAPH/SIRHA

Gastronomic Olympics

Discover Benelux | See & Do | Gastronomic Olympics

Issue 5 | May 2014 | 39

For decades, food has been confined torestaurants and cafes, with outside eatingrevolving around a slightly wobbly and dif-ficult to light barbeque or a less-than-gourmet picnic. But over the last few years,our attitude to dining has undergonesomething of a facelift. The boundaries be-tween fashion and food are becoming evermore blurred. Honing in on the surge ofpopularity for street food, fashionable chefsare donning denim and plaid, decking outold VW camper vans or ramshackle trail-ers, and it has never proved so profitable.

Gatherings such as Amsterdam’s Week-end van de Rollende Keukens [Weekend ofthe Rolling Kitchens] is one such weekend

which – when blessed by good weather –entices thousands of hungry hipsters. IgorSorko of Mister Kitchen, the company re-sponsible for the mass influx of petrol-guz-zlers onto the Westergasfabriek terrain, ex-plains that they’re expecting 15,000 peopleon each day of the final weekend in May.Hip, driveable eateries offering a mind-blowing variety of food is not a sight you’llsee every day but it is certainly one thatyou’ll treasure.

“We really didn’t see the popularity comingwhen we first started out seven years agoas a small open air restaurant on De West-ergasfabriek,” recounts Sorko. Back thenthere were only around 25 food trucks in

the country, but now Mister Kitchen are in-undated with requests from other rollingkitchens. “Over 300 food trucks registerbut we can only host a maximum of 130 ofthem,” he sighs. But 130 different foodtrucks must mean such a plethora of food,what delight shouldn’t be missed? “AllRolling Kitchens are so different that I can'treally mention a highlight. But people haveto try our Butch&Dutch sausages and ourbeautiful rhubarb liqueur Rabarcello.”

Nouveau rough“Amsterdam has always had a tradition ofhaving restaurants in special locations –often [in disused or forgotten] industrial ar-eas,” explains Sorko. Consciously choos-

In a city with hordes of museums, canals and bicycles, it is only fitting that food ranks high on the agenda and this isnever truer than in the month of May. Marking Amsterdam’s ode to food is the Food Film Festival, Rolling Kitchens, the

Amsterdam Coffee Festival and a whole host of other edible entertainments.


A M S T E R D A M

The month of May: a fine time for food

Discover Benelux | See & Do | A Fine Time for Food

40 | Issue 5 | May 2014


ing these nigh on derelict buildings is astatement that appeals to many of Ams-terdam’s cool creative types. The currenttrend, he tells us, has been dubbed ‘nou-veau rough’ – Rustic-style eating with meatfrom rarely-eaten animals and vegetablesfresh out the ground. It’s straightforwardand simple, using ingredients from bygoneeras, with chefs who are often young andrecognisable from their tattoos and beards.Hip right across the globe in 2013 and2014, this edginess doesn’t appear to besubsiding just yet.

As Amsterdammers often prefer more inti-mate affairs, rough and ready locations areeasy to come by among the shipyards anddocks, and the choice of the NDSM-werf(shipyard) for the Amsterdam Coffee Fes-tival on 2 and 3 May could not be betterchosen. Combining coffee and artisanfood, music and beverages, these twodays will be a flurry of caffeine-fuelled an-tics, tasting the best from Europe’s top

baristas. Expect the smell of freshly roastedbeans, grilled cheese and oven-freshcakes.

Trend-setting capitalsYet events are not limited to the odd week-end. Such is the prominence of food inthe Dutch capital that even top restaura-teurs are branching out and setting them-selves up with temporary homes. Thisworldwide surge in pop-ups is having thesame effect from New York to London,Amsterdam to Ankara. Embedded in thefoodie scene in Amsterdam is Verity Man-ley, making up one of the team behind theTaste of Amsterdam, she offers herthoughts on the current trends: “Pop-uprestaurants are definitely trending in Ams-terdam at the moment – examples areBaut, Robert Kranenborg’s Thrill Grill enRépère. They’re full to the rafters everyevening thanks to their refreshing take onyour typical restaurant and their limited life– pop-ups are without a doubt ‘in’.

“Also hot in Amsterdam are food trucks –like the ones at Rollende Keukens – andTaste of Amsterdam is collaborating withthe Food Truck Company to create a Tastebus, which is going to ride around Ams-terdam with a famous chef as a sort ofpop-up restaurant.”

The capital plays host to the roving eventTaste of Amsterdam in Amstelpark in May.A slightly bigger and more established four-day affair now in its sixth year: workshops,celebrity chef demos, films, discussions,tastings and much more. Attracting up-wards of 25,000 thousand people, this fes-tival caters to everyone, from the buddingcook to the Michelin-starred master.

A date for your diaryAnother date for your diary is RestaurantDay on 17 May. This initiative invites virtu-ally anyone to open a restaurant for oneday only. Happening 4 times a year in 55countries at the same time, Timo Santala

ABOVE AND PREVIOUS PAGE: Sample a mindblowing variety of food in the outdoors at the Amsterdam’s Weekend van de Rollende Keukens (Weekend of the RollingKitchens).

Issue 5 | May 2014 | 41


explains in his TED talk about the conceptof the Finland-born worldwide food carni-val: “We all have dreams and opening upyour own café or bar is a very commondream. When kids play, they play home ordoctor, but on restaurant day we all playthe game together. Anyone can play, any-one can participate.” The February editionof Restaurant Day saw over 60 one-daypop-ups in the Netherlands, with peopleflinging their garage doors wide open,scouting extra chairs for their kitchens andpreparing lavish multi-course meals to de-light friends, families and strangers.

Sharing in the pleasure of food, and usingfood as a tool for integrating, is also ap-pealing to City Food Route, an initiativeset up by two amiable Amsterdammers,Tine and Floske. Their objective is to openyour eyes to what’s available in your neigh-bourhood. Understated local restaurants,cafes and shops that deserve more atten-tion are visited on their maps that guideyou around the city’s districts. Similarly,keen foodies Hungry Birds organise inti-mate, handpicked tours of the capital’sbest-kept foodie hangouts – street food,ethnic food and local specialities all feature.The tours can be tailored so that everyoneleaves satisfied.

Away from the festivals, marquees andfood trucks, the food industry is blossom-ing on both the big and little screens. Withhit TV shows such as Masterchef, HeelHolland Bakt and The Great British Bake-Off, Amsterdammers are equally as ex-cited about on-screen delights as on streetones. The Food Film Festival returns on 9,10 and 11 May for the 4th time after 3sold-old editions. Food and film combine toenthral mouth and mind, this is a conceptcreated by the Youth Food Movement, anetwork of young chefs, farmers, and sup-pliers who advocate a ‘good clean and fairfood chain’. Debates, discussions, films,and food provided by Michelin-starred chefJoris Bijdendijk.

Food, it seems, can be just as creativeand forward thinking as the rest of the cap-ital. Competing with architecture and de-sign, food is carving its own path and har-vesting a bountiful crop of attention.

ABOVE: Food Film Fest – Workshops, screenings, discussions and food. Photos: Bart van Baardwijk/Workshopphoto: Maartje Strijbis. BELOW: Taste of Amsterdam attracts upwards of 25,000 people

Amsterdam Coffee Festival2, 3 May

Restaurant Day17 May

Food Film Festival9, 10, 11 May

Taste of Amsterdam15, 16, 17, 18 May

The Weekend of the Rolling Kitchens28, 29, 30 May and 1 June

42 | Issue 5 | May 2014

Discover Benelux | See & Do | Belgium’s First Barbeque Academy

Belgium’s first barbecue academyTwo Flemish entrepreneurs and their plan to fire up Belgium's BBQ enthusiasts

TEXT & PHOTOS: IMMI ABRAHAM

As you walk up to the door of 'BBQ Acad-emy' in the quiet East-Flemish village of As-per-Gavere, the lovely smoky smell of siz-zling food wafts towards you. As barbecueexperts, buddies Koen Maes and Tom DeJaeger founded this one of a kind institutedue to a rising demand in BBQ workshops.While Tom prepares some hors d'oeuvresal fresco, Koen chats to us about the innerworkings of this unique learning place.

Who is this school meant for?KOEN MAES: “This school is for small busi-ness owners, barbecue fans, professionalcaterers, grilling novices. Anyone interested inthe art of barbecueing, basically! Our coursesrange from entry-level to more haute cuisine.We even do corporate teambuilding.”

What are this academy's biggest assets?MAES: “Variety, for one. We have a nice ar-

ray of different barbecue sets, from the fa-mous Green Egg to the Oklahoma smoker– which everyone just calls The Locomo-tive. We can also bank on our experience,we're both very involved in the barbecuescene both locally and internationally. Mypartner Tom has won several prizes withhis BBQ team and I ran a barbecue cater-ing business for years.”

What are your goals?MAES: “We want people to really enjoythe act of barbecuing and to learn newtricks. But, we don't see ourselves asknow-it-alls: it's very important to have adialogue with our 'students' and learnfrom them as well. We'd also love to de-velop our own barbecue set and we're intalks to do just that! But the bigger picturereally is building our brand and expanding.We want to have academies in all five of

the Flemish provinces and assert our-selves as a quality label.”

So if you have a dad who likes his ribs theshade of burnt granite or a mum whothinks raw cod in some tin foil is the heightof sophistication: the BBQ Academy mightjust be what everyone at the table needs!

Course info:One sessions costs €65, VAT incl.Foods and drinks included.Max. 16 heads per course

Contact:BBQ AcademySlaapstraat 29A9890 Asper-Gavere

www.bbqacademy.be

LEFT: The small but cosy academy is centered around this large dinner table. TOP RIGHT: For the main course an exquisitely grilled duck breast topped with rocket andmango squares. BOTTOM RIGHT: Vegetarians can try some lovely grilled mushrooms with a blue cheese stuffing.

Issue 5 | May 2014 | 43

Discover Benelux | Hotel of the Month | Belgium

One of Wallonia's gems, can it really get better than the Mont des Pins? A hotel ideal for both business and leisure travellers.

The Mont des Pins hotel, tucked awayin the Luxembourg Ardennes, really hassomething for everyone and offers abreak that will leave a lingering memory.

Hidden in its secluded and charming loca-tion, 5 minutes’ drive from the well-knownWalloon city of Durbuy, it is a hotel for everygeneration, and every walk of life. “We havea mixed and very diverse clientele who staywith us, because of the services we haveon offer,” begins Sarah Rongere, responsi-ble for marketing and communication.

With everything needed for the perfectweekend break and weekday businesstraveller, Mont des Pins has more thanenough for everyone’s wish list, Rongerecontinues: “With our spa and spa suites(where a private spa is linked to a suite) weare perfect for a weekend break. We also

have state of the art conference facilities,which, mixed with our wide range ofrooms, are perfect for a modern day busi-ness’ needs. And we are also opening anew ultra-modern gîte on 10 May, 2014. Itcaters for up to 58 people with kitchen fa-cilities, so while it is naturally perfect forlarge families, it is also great for team build-ing for businesses.”

With the ideal blend of conference andwellness already present, it would be easyto overlook the amazing location. Situatedin the rolling green hills of the Ardennes,Mont des Pins has so much more to offer,Rongere explains: “Our diverse nature is re-flected in the diversity of our surroundings,with the Luxembourg Ardennes ideal forhikers, mountain bikers and anyone wholoves nature, not to forget those who lovegastronomy.”

Food is also a central part of Mont desPins, with their restaurant, Senza, offeringa full range of top class cuisine, Rongereelaborates: “All of our ingredients are locallysourced because we want to offer ourclients a taste of the region.”

Business or pleasure, activities in the localarea or relaxing in the luxury rooms andspas, being catered for or cooking for your-self, Mont des Pins has it all, making it amust-stay for anyone travelling in Wallonia.

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

Mont des Pins – Something for everyoneTEXT: PHIL GALE | PRESS PHOTOS

Domaine Mont-des-PinsMont des Pins 100, 6941 Durbuy(Bomal-sur-Ourthe), Belgium0032 8621 [email protected]

44 | Issue 5 | May 2014

Discover Benelux | Restaurant of the Month | The Netherlands

Standing proudly at the pinnacle of Am-sterdam’s hip dining scene is MOMORestaurant, Bar & Kitchen. Set up in2008 by the trendsetting cool hunterYossi Eliyahoo, it quickly redefined theDutch capital’s approach to dining.

By day it’s the place for drinking your cof-fee or working at your laptop, planning aprosperous start-up, chatting with clientsor resting your legs from shopping. At thecrossroads of nature and contemporarycool, MOMO, located next to Park HotelAmsterdam (www.parkhotel.nl), is withinspitting distance of Vondelpark and PCHooftstraat, Amsterdam’s answer to BondStreet. The name, Japanese for fresh, blos-som and peaches, was chosen by Eliya-hoo after much deliberation. For him, Asiancuisine is the most sophisticated cuisine toexist. “Health, taste, exoticism and sim-plicity define it.”

MOMO is open from late morning throughuntil late, with a lunch, dinner menu and

late night cocktail bar, as well as the chef’sweekly specials. The food emerging fromthe open kitchen, headed by long-timehead chef Hari Shetty, former head chef atNOBU, and a team of the world’s kitchenelite, is made for sharing. Diners are en-couraged to order lots of small plates, eachone more distinct and tasty than the last.Eliyahoo is particularly fond of the “reallyspecial” foie-gras sushi rolls and says thepan-Asian cuisine is perfectly comple-mented by the cocktail menu, especiallydesigned by award-winning mixologists. Ahand-picked team, each specialists in theirown field, including designers and chefs,bring Eliyahoo’s vision to fruition.

Evenings pass by in a whirl of delightfulcocktails as socialising, networking andcasual chitchat abound with live DJs everynight providing the backdrop.

Yossi Eliyahoo came to Amsterdam in2008 after an overwhelmingly successfulrestaurant venture in the UK and ap-

proached the Dutch project with ambitionand excitement. His aim was to createsomething that “perfectly complementedthe city”, promising “cosmopolitan, high-end Asian cuisine with a 360° bar experi-ence.” The concept of the open kitchenand fresh design, he explains, was novel inAmsterdam.

Since MOMO’s success, he’s establishedtwo further trendy Amsterdam eateries,each with their own distinctive characterand clientele. All three restaurants, MOMO,Izakaya Asian kitchen & bar and TheButcher-Burger bar with the most exclusivespeakeasy bar, attract celebrities andtrendy locals alike. “Glamorous and ele-gant, as well as being fresh and upcom-ing,” is Eliyahoo’s description. With recentguests including The Temptations, Ri-hanna, Drake and Jade Jagger, it is unde-niable that MOMO has certainly becomesomething of an Amsterdam institution.

www.momo-amsterdam.com

R E S TA U R A N T O F T H E M O N T H , T H E N E T H E R L A N D S

MOMO: The pinnacle of hip diningTEXT: EMMIE COLLINGE | PHOTOS: MOMO

Issue 5 | May 2014 | 45

Discover Benelux | Restaurant of the Month | Luxembourg

Luxembourg is a country with a stronggastronomic culture. Tucked away inthe countryside just north of Luxem-bourg City is Guddesch, a warmingrestaurant that continues this culturebut with a refreshing twist.

“Let’s say that all of our clients know wheretheir food comes from when they come tous.” Pia Dentzer starts: “We use producefrom our farm and also local produce to of-fer the best possible Luxembourg andmodern French cuisine, all in a relaxed at-mosphere.”

Since starting as an outlet for their farmproduce in 2009, the restaurant has grown,and the farm is not really the main focus ofthe business now. “We have seen a hugeinterest in our restaurant, which we knowis due to the quality of the food we servehere,” continues Dentzer. From a set menuto À la Carte, Guddesch has something tosuit all tastes. “Our set menus changeweekly, whilst our À la Carte changes everythree months, we are just heading into as-paragus season so already planning disheslinked to that.”

Guddesch is more than just a restaurant;following its success the owners have de-cided to add to the services they offer,Dentzer expands: “Since November wehave been able to offer rooms, with the

opening of our hotel, as well as our on-sitebakery, cooking school and our wine col-lection.”

Diversity is at the core of Guddesch, see-ing them offer a wide range of services, butstill sticking to their principles of good food.The restaurant, situated on the first floor ofthe building has the ability to accommo-date groups of up to 50 surrounded byFeng Shui inspired décor, Dentzer contin-ues: “We employed an expert in Feng Shuifrom Austria to help us create a relaxed at-mosphere; it is central to allowing ourclients to have the best experience.”

With meat from Limousine, fresh producefrom local farmers, wine from their collec-tion, Guddesch really has enhanced theidea of Luxembourg gastronomy, Dentzerconcludes: “We are really passionate aboutour restaurant and work hard to provideour clients with everything they need toenjoy our gastronomic delights. Our hotel,courses and events just add to this enjoy-ment of good cuisine.”

www.gudd.lu

R E S TA U R A N T O F T H E M O N T H , L U X E M B O U R G

Guddesch: GastronomicLuxembourg with a twist

TEXT: PHIL GALE | PHOTOS: GUDDESCH

Guddesch has seen extraordinary growth in its popularity since its early days as a simple outlet for its farm produce.

With clean lines and simple decor, the Feng Shui ofGuddesch is as positive and appealing as the food.

46 | Issue 5 | May 2014

The museum offers both a microcosmof European history and a window ontoone of our most beguiling borderlands.The Centenary of the Great War alsomarks the founding of the LuxembourgRed Cross, showcased in a compellingexhibition. “Help!” also focuses on thesignificance of the Red Cross to us all.

Luxembourg City History Museum is thecity in miniature. “It’s a very vertical mu-seum, much like our city itself, all valleysand vertiginous hills,” says spokesmanBoris Fuge. “Visitors are often impressedby the spectacular panoramic lift whichslices through six floors of the site, linkingthe upper city to the rock foundations.”Visiting Heads of State have dutifully

traipsed round the museum but, grinsFuge, “For dignitaries, it’s not exactly acelebrity haunt, more a rainy-day retreat.”

Their loss is our gain. The museum mirrorsthe city that surrounds it. Tucked into acluster of patrician mansions, it feels be-sieged by its past, much like the city itself.Battled over by the great powers of theday, Luxembourg has always fought topreserve its heritage. Inside, the sense of`fortress Luxembourg’ emerges, with itsramparts and rock faces. The museum oc-cupies the site of a monkish retreat, ac-cording to Fuge: “Here the powerful Abbotof Orval had his city residence, which actedas an embassy and even as a refuge intimes of war.”

The city’s strategic setting made it a pawnfor its neighbours, including France, theNetherlands, Germany and Belgium. Thedisplays help you get to grips with the for-tifications, once among the most impreg-nable in Europe. Here, you can engagewith the UNESCO-listed old town, perchedon a rocky spur, riven by gorges, riddled byrock passages, and framed by dizzyingcliffs. Fuge particularly likes “the hiddencorners which reveal secret staircases,vaulted cellars and low-ceilinged rooms.”The museum traces the city’s millennialhistory from its foundation to its flourishingrole at the heart of Europe. But there’s noneglecting broader themes, such as theemergence of Luxembourg as a bastion ofEuropean institutions. “We’ve even tackled

Discover Benelux | Attraction of the Month | Luxembourg

A T T R A C T I O N O F T H E M O N T H , L U X E M B O U R G

History to the Rescue– Luxembourg City History Museum

TEXT: LISA GERARD-SHARP | PHOTOS: LUXEMBOURG CITY HISTORY MUSEUM (MHVL) AND C WEBER.

Issue 5 | May 2014 | 47

Discover Benelux | Attraction of the Month | Luxembourg

witchcraft in a previous exhibition,” smilesFuge, not that he’s impugning the virtue ofLuxembourg’s fairer sex.

First Aid on the frontline“Help!”, the latest exhibition, sees the mu-seum at its boldest and most Eurocentric,suggests Fuge: “By a clever coincidence,the exhibition celebrates both the Cente-nary of the Luxembourg Red Cross andthe origins of the Red Cross movementsome fifty years earlier.” The founding of theInternational Red Cross in 1863 paved theway for the First Geneva Convention a yearlater. The rest is not just history but anevolving story that touches on how we en-gage with the world. The exhibition rangesacross the organisation’s humanitarianconcerns, from delivering First Aid andsafeguarding health care to visiting de-tainees and reuniting families.

Given the centenary of LuxembourgRed Cross, Fuge relishes the focus onthe local front too: “Although obvi-ously smaller than the French or Ger-man Red Cross, ours has alwaysbeen highly active and supported bycitizens, including the patronage ofthe Grand Duchess herself.” It wasfounded in response to the outbreak

of the Great War, but rooted in the blood-shed and sacrifice of the Franco-Prussianwar in 1870, in which Luxembourgers alsotended the wounded, albeit as members ofthe broader Red Cross. Luxembourg’s lib-eral intelligentsia, including steel magnates,signed up as founding members and madesignificant bequests to their fledgling RedCross.

The exhibition doesn’t shy away from con-troversial areas, such as the ineffectual roleof the Red Cross in the Nazi era. Luxem-bourg’s association was forcibly incorpo-rated into the German Red Cross while, onthe wider international front, there arecharges that the Red Cross failed to cham-pion detainees in the concentration camps.

Today’s Luxembourg Red Cross hasmoved into the social sphere, with a sur-prisingly radical agenda. “Beyond the

atrocities of war, our Red Cross also tack-les significant social issues, such as pros-titution, care for the elderly, and subsidisedshopping for the underprivileged,” confirmsFuge. “But the locals remain generally sup-portive, including many who sign up asblood donors.”

Nor does the exhibition gloss over the freshchallenges to the Red Cross. It tackles is-sues such as whether we should offer aidand under what circumstances. “We raisequestions but let visitors reach their ownconclusions,” says Fuge, as ever, the fair-minded Luxembourger. In essence, this isliving history, what the museum does best.“Yes, in some ways I have a dream job,”smiles Fuge, “promoting culture and her-itage – and opening visitors’ eyes to ourworld.”

OPPOSITE PAGE: View of the Corniche from Luxembourg City History Museum. ABOVE LEFT: Luxembourg City History Museum – set in several patrician townhouses.RIGHT: `The City on Show’ permanent exhibition in the Salle Forteresse (Fortress Room). BELOW: `Help! – The Red Cross in Luxembourg and throughout the world’ exhibition.

“Help!” – The Red Cross in Luxembourg andthroughout the world exhibition runs from 16May 2014 to 29 March 2015 in LuxembourgCity History Museum (Tues-Sun 10am-6pm,until 8pm Thurs). Linger in the lovely gardensand vegetarian-friendly `Am 14’ museum café,14, rue du St-Esprit, tel. +352 4796 4500,www.mhvl.lu

48 | Issue 5 | May 2014

Discover Benelux | Attraction of the Month | Belgium

Understanding centuries’ worth of ge-ology helps in part to grasp the unique-ness of this subterranean world. Over100,000 years ago the river Lesse splitand a rogue stream headed off into thelimestone rocks of the Massif de Boine.Gradually it paved its way through thehillside, leaving the Caves of Han in itswake.

Underneath one of Belgium’s largest wildanimal natural reserves runs the riverLesse, surrounded by an underground net-work of passages, cavernous rooms withrocky ceilings up to 60 metres high, aswell as some of the most spectacular sta-lactites and stalagmites you’ll ever be privyto see. Unbeknownst to the animals thatroamed above, the extensive cave networklay dormant until 1815, and public accesswas granted in 1895. “The caves wereused by the very first humans in prehistorictimes,” begins Kim de Lescluze from the

Domain of the Caves of Han, “and there’sproof of their existence in our PrehistoHanmuseum – jewellery, tools and other arte-facts that they left behind.”

Set in a 250 hectare expanse of woodland,the entrance to the caves is far more obviousnowadays. Reaching the concealed world isdone easily by tram from the village of Han-sur-Lesse, near Namur. The home of brownbears, wild boars, lynx and other wild ani-mals is soon to welcome evenmore endan-gered animals, with a refuge for vultures andmore space for bears. “These are animalsthat’d struggle in the wild today, perhapsthey are injured or circus animals,” explainsde Lescluze. With feeding sessions for chil-dren, as well safari trips around the park,how close can visitors get to these preda-tors? “They are friendly – but ultimately, theynever lose their instincts. Our male bearWillystands at 3 metres tall – so he’s a little tallerthan us,” she says with a chuckle.

While above ground it is fascinating to beconfronted by these animals on Belgiumsoil, it is underground where visitors are re-ally impressed. Stalagmites and stalactitescreate otherworldly reflections in the un-derground river, and the ever-changingcolours never fail to amaze, says deLescluze.

Tour guides lead visitors through two chillykilometres of caves, while in the fresh airthere is both a 2km and a 5km walkingroute that encompass the best of the wildpark. Few attractions can compete withhundreds of thousands of years of history,the world’s natural evolution, a concealedworld and some of nature’s most excitinganimals.

www.grotte-de-han.be

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

Glistening stalagmites and grizzly bearsTEXT: EMMIE COLLINGE | PRESS PHOTOS

Below 250 hectares of woodland liesthe underground network of caves.

Issue 5 | May 2014 | 49

UKTI are teaming up with a series of ex-pert speakers to help UK companieswith their overseas eCommerce strat-egy.

The series kicked off last month with ageneral introduction to eCommerce byPieter Van Bastelarere of COMEOS - TheBelgian Federation for Commerce andServices. The webinar was enormouslysuccessful, bringing in a varied audience ofUK and overseas retailers and eCommerceservice providers, all interested in makingthe most of the opportunities this small, butpowerful country has to offer.

Why Belgium?Located in the heart of Europe, Belgium isa compact multilingual and multiculturalcountry endowed with a strategic location.Belgium represents an accessible marketwith high potential for British retailers andservice providers. When it comes to e-commerce, more and more Belgians are

shopping online. In 2012 57% of Belgiansshopped online, with 30% spending morethan €150. Given its proximity to the UKand with the number of consumers andvalue of the market both growing quickly,Belgium should be considered an ideal ex-port market for your business.

Why now?E-commerce and m-commerce are rapidlygrowing sectors, and an increasingly im-portant part of any retail strategy. As aleader in this sector in Europe, UK com-panies are held in high regard for their abil-ity to integrate e-commerce features into

an overall retail strategy. With the online re-tail market due to change in 2014 followingthe implementation of new EU rules, e-commerce opportunities are set to growalong with demand for innovative onlineretail services and solutions. As a dynamicconsumer market, numerous opportuni-ties will be found in Belgium over the com-ing years.

UKTrade & Investment hosts webinarseries on eCommerce in (and to) Belgium

TEXT & PHOTOS: UKTI

On 20th May 2014, UK Trade &Investment alongside Lara Jelow-icki, Senior Ecommerce Consultantat Practicology, will be hosting ournext webinar, centred on the themeof eCommerce strategy for UKfirms looking to export to Belgium.

For a copy of the recording of thefirst webinar or to sign up to thenext one, please email WouterDebeyne, Senior Trade Adviser forUK Trade & Investment in Belgiumat [email protected]

For more information on opportuni-ties for UK companies in Belgium,follow @UKTI_BE on twitter

Discover Benelux | Business | UKTI

Photo: dreamstime.com

50 | Issue 5 | May 2014

Discover Benelux | Business | European Business Summit

Business leaders and policy makers todiscuss rebuilding a competitive Eu-rope at the 12th European BusinessSummit in May 2014.

2014 is shaping up to be a year of politicalchanges. The European Parliament (EP)elections in May, the new European Com-mission appointments in the autumn, aswell as a series of local and national elec-tions in member states will bring about arenewed European political landscape. Eu-ropeans are now looking beyond the crisisand for the best ways of promoting growthand competitiveness. The EP elections arean opportunity to reflect on the Europeanproject and to look at what kind of Europewe need.

Growing the digital economy, boosting in-dustrial policy, financing innovation, bridg-ing the skills gap, an energy strategy forEurope, the challenges and opportunities

of the Transatlantic Trade & InvestmentPartnership, and maintaining citizens’ trust,are some of the issues that will arise whensetting out the business agenda for thenext five years.

These topics will be discussed in Brusselsten days before the European Parliamentelections at the 12th European BusinessSummit (EBS) on the 14th and 15th of May2014.

The EBS is an initiative of BUSINESSEU-ROPE and the Federation of Enterprises inBelgium (FEB), hosted by the Belgian Min-istry for Foreign Affairs at the prestigiousPalais d’Egmont in Brussels.

In the words of European CommissionPresident Jose Manuel Barroso, “the Eu-ropean Business Summit plays a key rolein supporting Europe’s large entrepreneur-ial potential.” EBS 2014 will be no different,

acting as a platform for business leaders topresent their priorities to the European in-stitutions. This year’s theme is “The Busi-ness Agenda 2014 – 2019: Rebuilding aCompetitive Europe”.

Over the past 12 years, the EBS has be-come the largest and most influential busi-ness forum in Europe. In 2013 the summitwelcomed 1700 participants, 80 speak-ers, and 200 journalists.

Speakers for this year include President ofthe European Commission, José ManuelBarroso, European Commissioners, CEOsand the nominees for EU CommissionPresident from the main European parties.

Registrations to attend the 2014 EuropeanBusiness Summit are open to the public.

For more information on the programmevisit www.ebsummit.eu

What does Business expect fromthe EU over the next five years?

TEXT & PHOTOS: EUROPEAN BUSINESS SUMMIT

ABOVE: Neelie Kroes, Vice-Presidentof the European Commission andCommissioner for the Digital Agenda.LEFT MIDDLE: Jose Manuel Barroso,President of the European Commission

Issue 5 | May 2014 | 51

Discover Benelux | Business | Columns

Do you enjoy reading about macroeconomic overlays?No? How about currency forwards? Securities

lending? Haircut policies? (These are all actual termsfrom investment prospectuses.)

Well, here’s some good news. Every UCITS, OEICand other collective investment scheme in the EU is nowrequired to publish something called a Key Investor In-formation Document, or KIID.

Unlike a prospectus, which is all about legal pro-tection and regulatory compliance, the KIID is aboutcommunication. Each KIID has to say what the invest-ment aims to do, how it intends to do it, and what lev-els of risk and cost are involved. Not only that, KIIDs arelimited to just two pages (except for certain complex in-vestments) and should be in plain language.

The KIID is truly innovative. It’s the first investmentindustry document that is a hybrid between a legal doc-ument and a consumer document. So rather than end-less lists of possible techniques and risks, a well-writ-ten KIID describes the investment’s overall“personality”.

The KIID also makes a valuable distinction be-tween the two main types of risk. A numerical scale(from 1 to 7) reflects the investment’s “everyday” risklevel, while short descriptions tell you about the “bad

day” risks — the ones that occur rarely, but can be sig-nificant when they do.

So how do today’s KIIDs measure up, communi-cations-wise? Most could be better. Plain languagerequirements notwithstanding, they often are full of jar-gon (although at least there’s only two pages of it).

But the best ones do communicate. And it’s likelythat firms will improve their KIIDs over time. The regu-lator in Luxembourg, the CSSF, has welcomed inno-vative thinking about the KIID, and among Europeanregulators has led the way in embracing the spirit of theregulation and not just the letter. That’s important — be-

cause Luxembourg happens to be the EU’s largestcenter for investment funds.

Like healthcare and legal matters, investments aresomething most of us wish we understood but assumewe never will. The KIID represents an effort to changethat. It’s a small effort and an imperfect one. But youhave to start somewhere. And the KIID is a great start.

Josiah Fisk is the head of More Carrot LLC, a clearcommunications company with offices in Boston andLuxembourg.

What communicates?TEXT: JOSIAH FISK | PHOTOS: COURTESY OF JOSIAH FISK

Josiah Fisk

I heard this the other day:“Good job, David.”“Thanks for the feedback.”

But David wasn’t actually getting feedback, he was re-ceiving praise. Giving and receiving praise is great butsaying “Well done” to someone is not going to helpthem do better next time.

So what is feedback for? In two words, it’s to improve.This distinction is important because constructive feed-back – short, quick, simple and frequent – can makepeople at work both happier and more productive. Un-derstanding the following differences will help you cre-ate a feedback culture at work:

1 Praise. Telling someone that they’ve done a goodjob. (Do you praise people enough? Do you receiveenough praise?)

2 Positive feedback. Praise plus a specific reason:“Great job, Katie. You handled those tricky ques-tions really well.”

3 Constructive or developmental feedback. “Nexttime, I would cut down on the number of slides sowe can focus more on you.” This is the one whichraises performance.

4 Negative feedback. I only give negative feedbackand use negative language in cases of serious un-derperformance but I guess Sir Alex Fergusonmight disagree so I’ll leave you to make up yourown mind on that one. I certainly wouldn’t want towork in a place where the absence of criticism is in-terpreted as praise, would you? You may not wantpraise to be over the top, but we all appreciate andare motivated by recognition from time to time.

Management books talk about the feedback sand-wich – start with a layer of praise or positive feedback,then provide the meat – the thing that will help me im-prove my future performance – and then finish with an-other layer of praise. But actually, I’m only interested inthe meat – like at Pixar. Walt Disney's got people to dobetter work than they imagined they were capable of.He coined the term ‘plussing’ as a way of making anidea even better and he frequently told his animators toplus it, even when they had already produced verygood work. Today at Pixar, managers have a very directway to get feedback called ‘Pixar plussing’. They sim-ply ask: “Just tell me what needs changing.”

What about feedback in an international context? I’ll talkabout that next time.

Steve Flinders is a director of York Associates(www.york-associates.co.uk). He supports people whowork internationally through training and coaching. He’salso a member of the steering group of Coaching Yorkwhich aspires to make York the coaching capital of theUK (www.coachingyork.co.uk): [email protected]

Thanks for the feedbackTEXT: STEVE FLINDERS | PRESS PHOTO

Steve Flinders

With over 500 million citizens in 28 memberstates, the role of the European Parliamentshould not be underestimated and events thismonth will certainly set the direction of the nextfew years.

ABAL Luncheon12.00, 5 May 2014Légère Hotel, Munsbach, LuxembourgLast January, Fortune’s 100 Best Companies toWork For list was published in the US. The GreatPlace to Work Institute, with its 25 years’ expe-rience working with leaders of the world’s bestworkplaces, compiled and analysed the com-mon trends among those firms. Thus PatriceBrun, Managing Director of the Institute in Lux-embourg, will highlight how to learn from themand at the same time show how foreseeing andhandling those tendencies in companies in Lux-embourg is a crucial point when it comes to hu-man capital management and one’s organisa-tional performance.www.amcham.lu

European Business Summit14 and 15 May 2014Palais d’Egmont, Brussels, BelgiumAs an official media partner to this event, wewholeheartedly advocate the theme for thisyear’s European Business Summit: “The Busi-ness Agenda 2014-2019: Rebuilding a Com-petitive Europe.” Drawing more than 1,500 par-ticipants from over 60 countries to the event,including some of Europe’s most prominentpoliticians, business leaders and individuals,these two days of seminars, presentations anddiscussions will cover a range of Europe-wide is-sues such as finance, industrial growth andglobal competitiveness. www.ebsummit.eu

Belgian National and Federal Elections25 May 2014www.elections.fgov.be

European Parliament Elections22 - 25 May 2014With each member state voting for the 751Members of the European Parliament duringthese four days, the course of the EuropeanUnion will be decided by the evening of Sunday25 May. The next five years of the EU will beshaped by the members elected this month.www.elections2014.eu

52 | Issue 5 | May 2014

Discover Benelux | Business | Calendar

I just want to clarify two things: in Luxembourgwe don't live in castles or palaces and not every-one is a billionaire.

It's surprising and funny to discover what im-age people have of Luxembourg - provided thatthey even have heard of it. For those that haveand don't mistake it for Brussels or Liechtenstein,they often know that it has one of the highestGDPs in the world. They may assume that every-one is super rich and lives a fairytale life.

I'm not denying that people do lead com-fortable lives but most of us live in houses orapartments. And I have only ever known of onefamily, other than the Grand Duke, that lived ina château.

When I was in Rio last month and ordered adrink at my hotel, I insisted on paying in cash,instead of having it billed to my room. I just liketo pay my dues as soon as I can, in order toavoid surprises later on. 'But for you this is noth-ing,' the waiter said. I felt insulted and the needto justify myself: No, I don't have a sugar daddy,and yes, I do have to work for a living!

And that's what most people do. We all needto have a job to stay afloat. There are some‘lucky’ women and men (!) who are married andcan rely on their partners to bring home the ba-con. Others live off inheritances. Good for them!

Of course, through my travels I occasionallysee striking social differences in other countriesand I can’t help but draw comparisons withLuxembourg, where the vast majority of peopleare okay off. But it’s not Beverly Hills and thereis no such thing as the Luxembourg dream. Idon’t have a cash cow at home and I have tomake ends meet at the end of the month.

A Finnish girl once told me that in her coun-try there is a saying that ‘being born in Finland,is like winningthe lottery’, butwhen I travelledthere, I didn’tsee any castleseither.

Crushing the mythTEXT: ANOUK K. | PRESS PHOTO

Anouk K.

Benelux Business CalendarTEXT: EMMIE COLLINGE

AMCHAM

I’m a bit star-struck as I chat to the Nether-lands’ entry to the 2014 Eurovision SongContest. Two household names in them-selves, the duo of Waylon and Ilse De-Lange, the Dutch incarnation of a youngLoretta Lynn, are fully committed to theirdecision to represent their county at anevent that even they admit is sometimesmore about the act than the song.

“But it’s three minutes,” says Waylon pas-sionately. “Three minutes of music that welove, music that we breathe.” As cheesy as

that might sound, the pair have been work-ing on a country music album for the pastyear, channelling their inner Nashville andpaying homage to the great country artistswho inspired them. “We’re just doing whatwe normally do,” continues Ilse. “We’refortunate that we can perform at this Eu-rovision as true artists, doing what we be-lieve in.”

While country music has never grown be-yond puberty in the Netherlands, it’s inNashville, USA, where these two singer-

songwriters felt at home. Citing JohnnyCash, Dolly Parton and Waylon Jenningsas idols, the pair encountered each other“running around as teenagers on Holland’ssmall country scene”, and after stints livingin said American city, they’re excited to becollaborating as the Common Linnets.

With their track entitled Calm After TheStorm, they are hoping to surprise the Eu-rovision audience in Copenhagen this May.Showering praise on Anouk (the Dutch en-try for 2013) who finished in ninth placeand whose honest approach to the songcontest “did everyone a favour, as she re-defined the meaning of the contest, bring-ing it back to the song,” the pair believepeople will look differently at the competi-tion this year.

With seven studio albums and a greatesthits cd already released, Ilse has cementedher position as a darling of the countryscene, but how will it feel to play to the 125million viewers of Eurovision? “It’s just abig arena full of people,” she answers mod-estly. “With us, it’s what you see is whatyou get, and we’re staying true to our-selves.” Neither of the pair thought twicewhen asked to partake, and despite thefear of the dreaded nul points, they’re op-timistic and proud that they’re presentingsomething that “nobody would expectfrom the Netherlands.” Whether they’ll per-haps regret it a few years? The answer isa defiant ‘no’ from Waylon, “there’ll be noregret in 20 years. We just love countrymusic and take that very seriously.”

www.thecommonlinnets.com

Issue 5 | May 2014 | 53

E U R O V I S I O N 2 0 1 4

Meet the CommonLinnets

TEXT: EMMIE COLLINGE | PHOTOS: PAUL BELLAART

Discover Benelux | Culture | The Common Linnets

54 | Issue 5 | May 2014

Earlier this year Dutch twins Renee and LoesWijnhoven released their debut album on Excelsior Recordsunder the name Clean Pete. Now set for release in Belgium on 5 May, the twins are busy touring Benelux and

poised for string of festival dates over the coming months.

TEXT: EMMIE COLLINGE | PHOTOS: DANIQUE VAN KESTEREN – 88 FOREVER

Introducing: Clean Pete

An unagreed-upon registration by cello-wielding twin Renee for arguably thebiggest music competition in the Nether-lands, the Grote Prijs van Nederland,prompted your typical sibling argument.Registration duly retracted, the Brabant-born sisters’ lives resumed: living together,studying together and playing together. Butafter musing on the issue for a while, othertwin Roes was convinced – although stilldoubtful that anything would come of thecompetition – and a letter was sent to theorganisers asking to reinstate them.

Life could have been very different for the23-year-old twins had this re-think not hap-pened, as sitting on the jury of the GrotePrijs van Nederland was a certain AnneSoldaat, and while the girls didn’t win thesinger-songwriter category as hoped, theirtalent was certainly noted. A few weeks af-

ter the show Soldaat thought it might notbe a bad idea to take the twins on tour withhim. An impromptu duet during a sound-check led the duo to become a trio, andSoldaat can now regularly be seen drum-ming away with Clean Pete.

“Dutch isn’t the easiest language to createbeautiful lyrics with,” explains Loes. Choos-ing to sing in the twin’s native language ofDutch was never a conscious decision,but they love the challenge. “The soundsdon’t lend themselves to beauty – not likeEnglish with ‘I love you’.”

Clean Pete is gentle, heart-warming musicthat doesn’t immediately jump out at you,deftly weaving tales of love, loss and sim-ple joys, in a style not dissimilar to TheKinks. For the twins, who grew up on a dietof classical music, discovering the guitar

aged 14 was a revolution. Pop music be-came their calling and the fusion of cello,guitar and their unspoilt voices lends itselfto delightful summery-pop.

www.cleanpete.nl

CLEAN PETE TOUR DATES2 May, Heartland Festival, Hengelo, NL

3 May, Here Comes The Summer,Vlieland, NL

5 May, Bevrijdingsfestival, Zwolle, NL

9 May, Mezz, Breda, NL

15 May, Music Village, Brussels, BE

18 May, De Nieuwe Bibliotheek,Almere, NL

24 May, Geen Daden Maar WoordenFestival, Den Bosch, NL

Discover Benelux | Culture | Clean Pete

Issue 5 | May 2014 | 55

Sticking Around – over 50 years of migrationto Ghent27 April – 2 November 2014Ghent, BelgiumWith one in five ‘Gentenaars’ [people of Ghent]originating from other countries, the city hasbeen greatly influenced by the waves of immi-gration. Ghent’s city museum STAM has createda city-wide exhibition with audio extracts andguided tours, which bring this migration to life, asyou encounter the personal stories of somepresent-day residents as well as those of by-gone eras.www.stamgent.bewww.blijvenplakkeningent.be

Amsterdam Tulip Days3 and 4 May 2014Amsterdam, the Netherlands.With a glimpse of some brightly coloured tulips,you’ll be smiling for days, so make the most of

these two very special days in Amsterdam. Af-ter collecting the pass-partout at Museum vanLoon, you’ll be able to explore Amsterdam’smany fine gardens and revel in the abundance oftulips.www.tulpendagenamsterdam.nl

Love Songs (Veldeke)4 May 2014Vooruit, Ghent, BelgiumNine youngsters aged between 13 and 23 spentthe past year with theatre director and chore-ographer Michiel Vandevelde on the hunt foranswers to the question of what the concept oflove means today. A powerful dance perform-ance focusing on love, the power of groups andideas that can change the world.www.vooruit.be

Lotto Kites InternationalOstend, Belgium

10 and 11 May 2014Two days of colourful and crazy kite flying on theBelgian coast strikes us a wonderful way towhile away the hours. Expect kiteshows, work-shops, rokkaku fighting, stunt kites and evenmore cool airborne antics.www.kites-oostende.be

OUT &ABOUT

Discover Benelux | Culture | Out & About

May heralds the highlight of everyone’s year and don’t deny it.With the annual Eurovision Song Festival in Copenhagen on May 6,our Benelux contenders should not be written off as they have some strong contenders this year – particularly the Dutch dream-duoof Isle DeLange andWaylon. Elsewhere there are tulips galore during the Dutch Flower Parade on the first weekend in May, as a

plethora of colourful floats traverse 42km from Noordwijk to Haarlem via Keukenhof.


56 | Issue 5 | May 2014

Discover Benelux | Culture | Out & About

Food Film Festival9, 10 and 11 May 2014Westergasfabriek, AmsterdamScreenings, invited chefs, special previews andworkshops based on food and film and the win-ning combination of the two.www.foodfilmfestival.nl

MEGALOPOLIS14, 15, 22 May 2014MUDAM, LuxembourgA series of workshops organised as part of MU-DAMINI, these two-hour long sessions give sixto twelve year olds the chance to design theirideal city, complete with buildings, architecturalfeats and façades.www.mudam.lu

Taste of Antwerp15 - 18 May 2014Waagnatie, Antwerp, BelgiumMore Michelin stars, more top names fromGault&Millau, more food and more fabulousguests for the 8th staging of this now annualevent.www.antwerpenproeft.be

Taste of Amsterdam15 – 18 May 2014Amstel Park, Amsterdam, the Netherlands

Imagine ‘foodie heaven’ - then come along tothis massively popular event and your initial im-age might not have been so far removed fromreality after all. With demonstrations, workshops,tastings, stalls, and entertainment, these fourdays are set to make your tummy rumble anddelight your taste buds.www.tasteofamsterdam.com

Thomas Ruff exhibitionSMAK, Ghent, Belgium17 May 2014 – 24 August 2014This exhibition centres on the three decades ofgenre-influencing photography by the GermanThomas Ruff. Showing work from his influentialportrait series of the 1980s through to develop-ments in style and playing with light and shadow,at times political and with a critical eye on soci-ety.www.smak.be

Marikenloop 5km and 10km ladiesrunning race18 May 2014Nijmegen, the NetherlandsProud to be “the biggest and loveliest” women’sonly race in the Netherlands, females canchoose between 5km and 10km on a fast, flatcourse.www.marikenloop.nl

The Weekend of the Rolling Kitchens28 May to 1 June 2014Westergasfabriek, Amsterdam, the NetherlandsWith a mass influx of achingly hip ‘rollingkitchens’, you can expect to see some verycool, pimped up VW camper vans serving somereal culinary treats. Not just your typical burgervans, these will be offering pretty much any-thing for veggies, meat lovers and any other de-sires you might have. Open daily from 13.00 to23.00.www.rollendekeukens.nl

Mister More Lady Less25 – 27 May 2014Location as yet unknown, CarréRotondes,LuxembourgFlemish theatre company Studio Orka have cho-sen a container in an as-yet-unannounced su-permarket car park as the stage for this at timeshilarious, at times emotional play, focusing on MrMore and Lady Less in this part-detective-part-lovestory.www.rotondes.lu

ABOVE LEFT: Marikenloop 5km and 10km ladies running race. TOP RIGHT: Mister More Lady Less (Photo:Phile Deprez). BOTTOM RIGHT: The Weekend of the RollingKitchens.

Issue 5 | May 2014 | 57

Discover Benelux | Culture | States of Art

Beautiful and baffling in equal measures,many people have been reeled in by themysterious allure of Michael Borremans’works. This month I too was drawn in by themagnetism of his works and visited the Assweet as it gets retrospective at BOZAR,Brussels.

Experiencing the works first hand makes for aparticularly personal experience. The myriad ofreferences the artist riffs off blur into a hazysplendour, and so the interpretation of the piecesremains subjective. You can proposition theorieson political commentary, or you can simply de-light in the sheer skill on show. The exhibition iscomprehensive without being overwhelming and- judging by the throng of visitors - a huge suc-cess.

Across town and providing an equally impressivevisual experience was the Nathan Sawaya TheArt of the Brick at Bourse. The Lego-king’splayful constructions caused endless gasps of‘whoa’ by children and adults alike. The aston-ishing sculptures are a refreshingly light-hearted

experience in the excessively serious world ofcontemporary art.

Although rapidly turning into a hub for contem-porary art, it would have been amiss to visitBrussels and not experience more than just theart that the city has to offer. Even if Brusselsperhaps cannot boast the same blockbuster at-tractions as its European counterparts, it has adistinct charm that stills reels in holidaymakers.However, the Grote Markt really is one of Brus-sels’ trump cards; a cobbled square which isranked amongst theprettiest in Europe. Thegothic and baroque ar-chitecture blend tobreathtaking effect,with museums andrestaurants on everycorner. After a quicksnoop around the bou-tiques and shops in thetrendy Fontainas, webriefly rested our wearylegs in the Parc Royal.

However, no trip to Belgium would be completewithout sampling some of its famous beer.Hence why we decided to culminate our whis-tle stop tour with a quick drink at DeliriumMonasterium. The beer was so good in fact,that we considered it rude not to sample a fewmore, and ultimately ended our night table-dancing to rock’n’roll in Sainte-Catherine!

Brussels serves up more exciting and diverseartistic offerings next month. The Kunstfesti-valdesarts, and Romanian bros Gert and Uwe

Tobias’ exhibition at Gladstone gallery aretwo events in May not to be missed. Whilstin the Netherlands the astounding WorldPress photo competition continues its re-markable review of 2014 at De Nieuwe Kerk,Amsterdam.

Michael Borremans The Angel 2013 300 x 200 cmOil on canvas Courtesy Zeno X Gallery Antwerp.Photo: © Dirk Pauwels.

Away from the wilds of Scandinavia, theshady backstreets, seedy bars andhouseboats of Amsterdam have a cer-tain appeal to crime novelists. Nowhome to fictional former detective PieterVos, The House of Dolls tells the story ofthe latest brooding incarnation toemerge from David Hewson.

Unable to move on from the inexplicabledisappearance of his daughter, Vos is drift-ing helplessly as his life bumbles along indisarray. Residing on a houseboat on thePrinsengracht canal, in the “very local, veryAmsterdam” Jordaan district, Vos is drawnback into the web of the police headquar-ters on Marnixstraat. Somehow entangledin the city’s organised crime network, Vos’daughter’s disappearance shows strikingsimilarities to the latest case to wreakhavoc on the city.

With a climate that’s “a little friendlier” thanthat of Scandinavia, Hewson was imme-diately drawn to Amsterdam as the settingfor The House of Dolls and admits that“while it’s a pretty dark book at times, thepeople in it aren’t gloomy Danes —they’re bright, sparky Amsterdammers

wrestling with some awkwardproblems.”

What works well are Hewson’sintricate descriptions as he ex-pertly delves into the depths ofthe Dutch capital. As Vos ped-als from crime scene to houseboat, few British authors areas proficient at David Hewsonat capturing the ripples causedby crimes.

With the second Amsterdam book alreadyfinished and a potential Dutch TV adapta-tion in the pipeline, it looks like we can ex-pect more brooding canalside disquietfrom Pieter Vos and his colleagues.

The House of Dolls by David HewsonTEXT: EMMIE COLLINGE | PHOTOS: MARKBOTHWELL.COM / MACMILLAN

States of ArtTEXT: MATT ANTONIAK | PRESS PHOTO

58 | Issue 5 | May 2014

Discover Benelux | Culture | Columns

The Shallow Man has lived inAmsterdam for ten yearsnow. People often ask mewhat specific things I reallylike about this city. This is adifficult question as there areso many things to love aboutliving here, but here are fivethings that make it a joy tolive here.

1. Innovative approaches tocommon health problemsAlmost every EU member statehas banned smoking in publicbars to protect the health ofemployees and customers. InAmsterdam, the innovative andknowledgeable owners of manybars, have discovered that ifthey allow smoking after 11pm,it is not in the least bit detri-mental to health. It's wonderfulin 2014 to still be able to visit a smoky bar andnot have to worry about the effects of passive

smoking. This isalso great for mylocal dry cleaner,who gets a lot ofextra business dueto my clothes hav-ing the wonderfularoma of cigarettesafter a night out.

2. MultitaskingNo one can multi-task as well aspeople in Amster-dam. I see proof ofthis every day.While cycling, peo-ple are busy tex-ting, holding handswith other cyclists,or my personalfavourite, passingthrough a red light

while cycling, smoking and sending a text. Onlyin Amsterdam.

3. An Ugg for all seasonsWhether the sun is shining, or it's a freezingcold day, you'll never see so many ladies wear-ing Ugg boots as in Amsterdam. Indeed I haveit on good authority that the people responsiblefor the Dutch dictionary are considering addinga new collective noun, an Ugg of Dutch women.

4. Brown shoes can be fashionableI've never seen so many brown shoes as I havein Amsterdam. As I stated in my book, the Am-sterdam Confessions of a Shallow Man, “Dutchmen and brown shoes go together like dronesand dead civilians.”

5. Bring the noiseThere is no greater pleasure than being in anAmsterdam eetcafe, and sitting next to a tableof Dutch ladies whose common motto tends tobe ‘why speak when you can SHOUT as loud aspossible.’

This and the other four items above, are justsome of the reasons why I love Amsterdam.

What I miss most about theNetherlands:Its flexibility with short distance travel. Withthe UK being an island, you’re dependenton transport across the pond, which limitsyour freedom of mobility. In the Nether-lands, this immediate constraint is notpresent as we’re part of the mainland; youare always a stone’s throw from a com-pletely different country or culture.

What the Netherlands has that the UKneeds:A wide selection of desserts based ondairy products. In the Netherlands allacross the country you can find a wide se-lection of different dairy products groupedby the term “vla”. They come in variouscolours, tastes, textures and even added

content such as small chocolate pieces orother sweets. Although it’s a poor com-parison, the product that would resemblevla best is custard in the UK.

Where I feel most at home in the UK:London is my new home. It’s the only cityI’ve lived in this country and that will most

likely not change. I like the British country-side, the nature, surroundings and the dif-ferent people, but life outside the city is, inmy opinion, too relaxed and too quiet. I likethe fast-paced city lifestyle as it motivatesyou to make the most out of every minute.

What I’m looking forward to in the 2014:This year I’m looking mostly forward to myholidays. First up is a friend’s wedding in anidyllic vineyard in California, then, for the ic-ing on the cake, I am treating myself to atrip to Brazil during the World Cup.

Beneluxer: in their wordsJohannWiebe is a Senior Precious Metals Analyst at Thomson Reuters and has been living in London for over 4.5 years.

He was born in Bavaria, a province in Southern Germany, but grew up in Helmond, a former textile strongholdin the Netherlands.

The Shallow Man’s guideTEXT: SIMON WOOLCOT | PRESS PHOTO

Johann Wiebe

Issue 5 | May 2014 | 59

Almost four years ago and for only the thirdtime in history, the Netherlands reachedthe FIFA World Cup final after beating Braziland Uruguay in the quarter and semi-finalsrespectively. Following a bloodcurdling 120minutes of football in the sweltering heat ofSouth Africa’s FNB Stadium, also knownas The Calabash thanks to its resemblanceto the tradition African cooking pot, AndresIniesta of Spain scored the only goal of theevening, securing Spain’s first FIFA WorldCup victory.

The defeat came as a blow for the Dutchplayers, staff and supporters, who havebeen unable to win any meaningful silver-ware in international football other than theEuro Cup in 1988. However, upon their re-turn to the Netherlands, the Dutch gavetheir heroes a warm welcome, expressing

their appreciation for the achievement witha cruise through the canals of Amsterdam.

The national team’s balance of experienceand youthful flair has been championed asthe reason behind their brush with suc-cess and this is reflected in a generation ofestablished professionals that play on aweekly basis with the highest echelons ofEuropean football, complemented by acouple of motivated, eager, success-hun-gry youngsters.

At this year’s World Cup in Brazil, the Dutchare pooled together with Chile, Australiaand Spain in Group B. Ironically, Spain vs.the Netherlands will be the first match forboth nations, bringing back memories ofthat special night four years ago that endedin joy for the former and tears for the latter.

Despite the fact that the Netherlands man-aged to qualify pretty convincingly for theFIFA 2014 World Cup in Brazil, expecta-tions of a repeat show in the final havebeen tempered. On paper, the Dutch stillhave a decent squad with some promisingnew faces, however, driven by the debacleduring the EURO Cup 2012 in Poland andUkraine, with not a single victory in thegroup stage, moderate scepticism of theirability to secure any silverware prevails.Therefore, favourites to win the CopaMundial 2014 are Argentina, Germany,Spain and of course the hosting nationBrazil. The Dutch Lions will be no morethan a dark horse.

Ruminations on a Dutch facein the final

TEXT: JOHANN WIEBE | PHOTO: DREAMSTIME.COM

Discover Benelux | Culture | Fifa 2014 World Cup

Safest car ever tested

discover benelux | issue 5 | may 2014

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