A Trip to A Mysterious Island

Let me take you back again to the Bois de la Cambre, one of the biggest greenest areas in the Belgian capital. This time - in autumn - we had taken one of the other entrances to the park because we wanted to see the island in the middle of a lake again. It's quite one of the most unusual sights of Brussels; some tourists seem to be even unaware of this place.

It was the end of September and the leaves on the trees were beginning to change colour. There was a crispness in the air and the sunlight had become softer. We went for a stroll around the lake, looking at the island from different sides.

Since we were there in the Bois de la Cambre in the middle of the afternoon, there were not so many people about. Ideal circumstances to photograph, in other words. Gradually, we saw the island becoming bigger and bigger. Right smack in the middle is a wooden building, called Le Chalet Robinson. It is actually a restaurant.

There were two fires that had destroyed the previous restaurants on the island. The current one dates from 2009; In order to get there, you need to take a small boat. If you want to know more about Le Chalet Robinson, check out their official website. Because of the splendid views, this restaurant is not quite cheap!

Tomorrow, I will be back on my movie website with another Oscars Update. The race is at full speed right now and we need to keep up!

When Old Makes Way for New - Duinbergen

Earlier this week, when I wrote about the coastal city of Ostend, I complained about the ugly new pier and highrise apartments and hotels that line the promenade... Unfortunately, such unflattering buildings so close to the sea are not restricted to Ostend itself; you find them literally everywhere at the Belgian coast.

After some aimlessly driving around on a beautiful autumn day in 2017, my travel partner and I ended up in the town of Duinbergen. This municipality belongs to Knokke-Heist, known to attract the more financially fortunate Belgians to the coast. Duinbergen though is smaller and has fewer shops. A bit further away from the coast, you can find lots of charming villas, built in the first half of the 20th century.

Although it was late September, temperatures were high enough allowing people to walk around in summer clothes and bathing suits and have some good old fun in the sea. I am quite sure however that the seawater must have been very cold...

Tourism started here at the beginning of the 20th century and exploded after 1950. Duinbergen is one of the last municipalities along the western part of the Belgian coast and is close to the border with the Netherlands.

So, that's it for this week on the travel website. On Monday I will take you to an island in the Belgian capital. Concerning the movie website, so far the Halloween special of Ghost Adventures is still not available on YouTube. Maybe I will update the site on Sunday, either with the special or with something completely new.

An Evening Excursion to Belgium's Highest Waterfall

The title is a bit misleading, but more about that later in this post. Anyway, Coo is a small town in the French-speaking part of Belgium. Most people visit it because of its waterfall, which is known to be the highest in my country. There are lots of cafes and restaurants here, but because of the popularity of the location, it's not cheap to drink and eat here. Better check out the surrounding towns or villages for food and drinks; it will be considerably less expensive.

Upon arrival, you can hear the thunderous sounds of the waterfall. Just follow the signs, descend the stairs and you can admire the waterfall. By the way, the river that you can see on some of the pictures is called the Ambleve.

The waterfall is 15 meters high, although touristic services say it's 13 meters. Because this is a hugely popular place, better visit it early in the morning or late in the evening (as we did). As you can see you will have the whole place to yourself. And the light is better!

As I said before, the title of the post is misleading, simply because this is NOT Belgium's highest waterfall! Better head to Reinhardstein, where there is one of 60 meters high. You will have to do some hiking, but you will be rewarded with some magnificent views. Anyway, because Reinhardstein is relatively unknown, most Belgians and foreigners still believe that Coo Waterfall is the highest in my country.

On the other side of the river, you can see Plopsa Coo, an attraction park, which, as you can imagine, also attracts a lot of people. But when not overrun by tourists, Coo is actually a cute town.

We didn't feel like driving home immediately after our visit to Coo and its waterfall. We ended up exploring the surrounding countryside, which is actually peaceful and magnificent. I still remember that it was a beautiful, tranquil evening at the beginning of autumn; in the valleys, you could see mist coming up...

Want to visit Coo as well and admire the waterfall? Or maybe have some fun in the attraction park? Have a look at this website for a bit more information. You can get there by car of course or by train. Check the website of the Belgian railways to know more.

On Friday I will take you back to the Belgian coast. Tomorrow, I will update the movie website.