I've been neglecting 'my garden' this year. The courtyard I planted up so lovingly three years ago is not quite gone to rack and ruin - just not not receiving the maintainance that it deserves (though my landscape architect neighbours said I chose the plants and planted up the courtard well :-) .
The last 2-3 days I have been paying it more attention. Each time I have seen a blackbird flying in or out of the ferns that I bought back from Cornwall three years ago which are now well established. It's a rare treat to see a blackbird in Brussels. Guess she's built a nest there and that I should continue to beningly neglect the garden for the summer - unless until the chicks are fledged.
Showing posts with label Brussels life. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Brussels life. Show all posts
Tuesday, 30 June 2015
Saturday, 22 June 2013
Form and colour
One of the residents in our small block left a strange piece of sculpture (a protype) in the courtyard garden that was obviously suitable for being transformed into a planter. I had several ferns that I had rescued from going to landfill in Cornwall and they had outgrown their pots. My neighbours donated a similarly pot-bound hoster.
The courtyard at Ribaucourt doesn't get many hours of sunlight so for the rest I went for shade tolerent plants - focusing on contrasting forms rather than colourful flowers. The elongated fern leaves and generous roundness of the hosters have been interplanted with grasses and cineria (the silvery-blue plant with crenalated leaves, that shines more in winter). The pink campion thriving in the background was a volunteer that was in the soil with one the ferns and adds a bit of colour. There are one or two other wild flowers struglling to break through from under the ferns. A couple of bulbs, left over from last summer, with spiky leaves (that may or may not flower) complete the landscape. I'm rather pleased with my 'installation'.
Meanwhile in the kitchen I have been playing with colour. I recently came across black pasta for the first time and just had to try it. It's organic (coloured with squid ink) and I have been playing with it since. This dish combines the black past with seafood and vegables cooked in red palm oil and tumeric. The mozarella and chives were more for more show than an integral part of the recipe but they did add intesrting new flavours
The courtyard at Ribaucourt doesn't get many hours of sunlight so for the rest I went for shade tolerent plants - focusing on contrasting forms rather than colourful flowers. The elongated fern leaves and generous roundness of the hosters have been interplanted with grasses and cineria (the silvery-blue plant with crenalated leaves, that shines more in winter). The pink campion thriving in the background was a volunteer that was in the soil with one the ferns and adds a bit of colour. There are one or two other wild flowers struglling to break through from under the ferns. A couple of bulbs, left over from last summer, with spiky leaves (that may or may not flower) complete the landscape. I'm rather pleased with my 'installation'.
Meanwhile in the kitchen I have been playing with colour. I recently came across black pasta for the first time and just had to try it. It's organic (coloured with squid ink) and I have been playing with it since. This dish combines the black past with seafood and vegables cooked in red palm oil and tumeric. The mozarella and chives were more for more show than an integral part of the recipe but they did add intesrting new flavours
Wednesday, 5 June 2013
Saturday gigs - 2013
Muziek Publique is one of my favourite institutions in Brussels. They run a venue near Porte de Namur Metro. It’s an old music hall type of place, seating maybe 500 - it has an ornate balcony (although I’ve never seen it occupied- perhaps for safety reasons). The concert hall is hidden away in a modernistic (read 1960s - or so) shopping mall. They must have built the mall around it (which must have involved a lot of lobbying from conservationist groups, but that’s another story for another time). The atmosphere is intimate, the audience covers a wide age range and the front of house is largely staffed by friendly volunteers.
They put on world music concerts about four times a week and these have become a regular haunt for me. This year alone I have been to see The Carolina Chocolate Drops (a black hillbilly band - from guess where?), two Malagasy bands (I’ve been listening to world music for twenty years or more, yet never come across Malagasy music before – I was impressed), the Bonny Men - an Irish folk band (whom I thought took themselves a bit too seriously – but this was their first European tour) and Samurai, a bunch of five accordionists (all of different nationality). That’s about one a month and every band has been so good that I have bought one of their CDs. In fact the only (paid) concert I’ve been to this year that wasn’t at Muziek Publique was Ron Sexsmith at Botanique (another more-than-pleasant venue).
But that’s not all they do: they also run music courses and every two months they hold a ball: ‘Bal Queimada’ at the Maison du Peuple in St Gilles Parvis. This is a bit like a barn dance, but so much more. Again the age group is wide (from teens to pensioners), the music is largely Celtic, the dances are frenetic and one of the highlights of the night is the ritual burning of the Queimada- a Galician(?) cocktail consisting (I think) of apple brandy, spices and coffee beans –it’s like a highly alcoholic version of Red Bull (except it tastes nice). Naturally after several shots of that no-one wants to go to home after the ball, so one inevitably ends up in another bar (the choices in and around St Gilles Parvis are quite extensive) with friends (existing old or newly discovered) and don’t think about going home until the wee hours (or later). Last Friday was one such evening – and Saturday became a non-event. It’s definitely one of the social highlights of my calendar in Brussels. Oh did I mention it’s free for members?
Here’s a few gig photos from the first half of 2013.
Malagasy band
Ron Sexsmith
Malagasy performer
Samurai
They put on world music concerts about four times a week and these have become a regular haunt for me. This year alone I have been to see The Carolina Chocolate Drops (a black hillbilly band - from guess where?), two Malagasy bands (I’ve been listening to world music for twenty years or more, yet never come across Malagasy music before – I was impressed), the Bonny Men - an Irish folk band (whom I thought took themselves a bit too seriously – but this was their first European tour) and Samurai, a bunch of five accordionists (all of different nationality). That’s about one a month and every band has been so good that I have bought one of their CDs. In fact the only (paid) concert I’ve been to this year that wasn’t at Muziek Publique was Ron Sexsmith at Botanique (another more-than-pleasant venue).
But that’s not all they do: they also run music courses and every two months they hold a ball: ‘Bal Queimada’ at the Maison du Peuple in St Gilles Parvis. This is a bit like a barn dance, but so much more. Again the age group is wide (from teens to pensioners), the music is largely Celtic, the dances are frenetic and one of the highlights of the night is the ritual burning of the Queimada- a Galician(?) cocktail consisting (I think) of apple brandy, spices and coffee beans –it’s like a highly alcoholic version of Red Bull (except it tastes nice). Naturally after several shots of that no-one wants to go to home after the ball, so one inevitably ends up in another bar (the choices in and around St Gilles Parvis are quite extensive) with friends (existing old or newly discovered) and don’t think about going home until the wee hours (or later). Last Friday was one such evening – and Saturday became a non-event. It’s definitely one of the social highlights of my calendar in Brussels. Oh did I mention it’s free for members?
Here’s a few gig photos from the first half of 2013.
Malagasy band
Ron Sexsmith
Malagasy performer
Samurai
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