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Justice and History from the Blues in Memphis to the Walls of Derry
Memphis, Tennessee Fountain City, Indiana Warsaw, Poland Derry, Northern Ireland Travel has a way of putting a human face on history, and on justice. History can be a good teacher, a source of ideas about what issues divided people in the past and ways — good, bad, and in between — they coped with them. Learning these lessons happens not only in classrooms, or on now silent...
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It’s Never the Same Place a Second Time
Saturday night the basement heaved to the sound of Balkan music and sweaty bodies dancing to send off the Painters Palace in one last bash. For the past couple of years, a dilapidated basement in Budapest became the home of an artistic community where Monday nights people scribbled stories and poetry on the spot, Wednesdays others would crowd round naked bodies for live drawing, and Fridays...
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WIN A DINNER AT DE MAALTUIN ROTTERDAM
De Maaltuin is a pop-up restaurant that opens the doors from May 9 – 19 at Trompenburg Tuinen, a beautiful location full of exotic flowers, plants, and trees in Rotterdam.
De Maaltuin
On a long communal table in a glass house, you will enjoy the special setting and menu. For every edition, they work together with local food entrepreneurs. This time with Jordy’s Bakery, Booij Kazen and Fenix Food Factory among others.
Giveaway
Tickets for a tour through the garden, a welcome drink, amuse and four-course dinner costs 49,95 euro per person, but we’ve teamed up so I’ll be giving away two tickets to one lucky reader!
How to win?
Simply leave a comment in the section below and tell us why you’d like to win! Good luck!
More info
We’ll announce the winner on Thursday morning.
Check out: www.demaaltuinrotterdam.nl
Photos by Juri Hiensch and Jacob van Rozelaar Photography
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Monkey Business: How Not to Get Bit by a Primate
Somewhere along our evolutionary adventure, we lost our sense of knowing where we stand on the scale of predator and prey. Those who claim that we’re on the top of the food chain should take a closer look at how other animals interact with us. In many circumstances, we’re treated like prey. Want an example? Take a look at nearly every monkey-laden tourist site in Southeast Asia....
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JACKIE BOHEME ANTWERP
Jackie Bohème is an inspiring place for ambitious women during the week and you can rent the stylish l’Apartment Jackie during the weekend.
Trusting her feminine energy
Ellen Wauters is the ambitious owner of Jackie Bohème. She has a background as a real estate agent and after a burnout, she decided to travel and discovered the love for her feminine energy again. Her intuition, the trust in following her heart and how to take care of herself better. After that journey, she thought of all those other ambitious female entrepreneurs. Why do women feel insecure? Why is there jealousy between them? And why is it so hard to embrace that feminine energy in the corporate world?
A tribe of ambitious women
She decided it was time to create a tribe of ambitious women to support each other. So they can talk about everything that has to do with running a business and being a woman. Topics like how to combine motherhood with a fulltime job? How to ask for a raise? How to set goals. And how to not lose sight of yourself through self-care. Ellen’s love for bricks turned out well: she found an apartment in no time. And the Gatherings and Masterclasses at Jackie Bohème could begin.
Gatherings & Masterclasses
There are Gatherings such as the Breaky Talks, where you and other women come together for a delicious vegan breakfast and talk about a specific theme. The Broga Gatherings are there for women who love to combine brunch and yoga. And during self-care, you can learn how to feel better by eating the right food. Masterclasses dive into business topics like social media, negotiating and planning. She invites experts to teach you how to deploy this in your own company.
l’Appartement Jackie
And then there is l’Apartment Jackie. A true gem. On weekdays it’s used for all these inspiring sessions – you can also join them if you don’t live in Antwerp – and in the weekends she rents it out. You immediately start to calm down when you enter the serene apartment. Ellen tells me that everything is made by women. From the curtains to the fabric on the beautiful chair, Ellen found at a flea market. The showpiece is the artwork made of dried flowers above the wooden table. Made by Wild Flowers & Vodka.
Location
l’Apartment Jackie consists of a living room, kitchen, bedroom, and two extra rooms. You’ll find a yoga mat and meditation cushion in your room if you want to continue your practice. The apartment is located in a quiet neighborhood – you can reach August or Pakt Antwerp in ten minutes by foot. And if you take the tram you’ll be in the center of the city in just 20 minutes.
Check out: www.jackieboheme.be
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A Bucket List West Texas Road Trip
My college-aged son absolutely thrilled me the other day. Not when he cooked dinner, or when he did his laundry, but when he said, “I think I’d like to take a road trip this summer.” Raised him right, we did. We’re still bouncing around some itineraries, including a simple up-and-back run up into Oklahoma, or a more ambitious north Texas/Oklahoma/western Arkansas/bit of...
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10 X THE BEST PLACES IN ANTWERP
Planning a trip to Antwerp soon? This is my list of places you can’t miss.
1. The hottest place to stay is August in Antwerp, a hotel in a former cloister designed by Vincent van Duysen.
2. If you have something to celebrate, reserve a table at The Jane or the Upper Room Bar.
3. Go to St Vincents for their beautiful collection, gallery and the good coffee.
4. If you love books, you can’t miss a visit to Buch Bar.
5. Graanmarkt 13 is also designed by Vincent van Duysen. You can stay here, shop for their beautiful brands – and own collection – and have lunch or dinner at the restaurant by Seppe Nobels.
6. Tinsel on ‘t Zuid is a good place for a healthy lunch.
7. If you want to be inspired go to a Gathering or Masterclass at Jackie Boheme.
8. Shopping for plants? The Plant Corner is the place to go.
9. Pakt is a creative area close to August and The Jane. I really liked the pizzas at Standard.
10. If you love fish go to the newly opened Fiskeskur on ‘t Eilandje.
For more cool addresses in Antwerp, check out The Antwerp Page on Petite Passport
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YURBBAN PASSAGE BARCELONA
The four-star hotel Yurbban Passage is located on a fantastic location in El Born in Barcelona. A serene hotel with a lovely rooftop terrace, a Michelin-starred restaurant and the first vegan spa in Spain.
Restaurant d’Aprop
The first thing you notice when you enter Yurbban Passage – apart from the beautiful flower shop in front of the hotel – is the scent. Sultry, but calming at the same time. The interior does the same. You’ll see lots of wood, light colors, and space. It’s lunchtime when I arrive, so Restaurant d’Aprop is full of locals and hotel guests who like to try out their excellent menu del dia (17.90 euros). It’s a hit because Michelin star chef Xavier Franco prepares delicious dishes that originate from Catalan cuisine.
Rooms
I’m trying out one of the largest rooms in the hotel, the Yurbban Premium Terrace. With a spacious bedroom, living room, bathroom with bathtub and, as icing on the cake, a private balcony with a view over the city. A lovely place to relax in the Summer. If it gets too hot, there’s a shower on the terrace too so you can cool off in an instant. You don’t have to stay in the largest room, however, as the standard room also has everything you need, on a smaller surface, without a terrace, but with those beautiful high wooden doors that look out onto a patio filled with plants.
Rooftop and Vegan Spa
On the top floor, you’ll find one of the best roof terraces of the city. There’s a swimming pool and you have an amazing view over El Born. Where you will see the sea in the distance. It’s a nice place for a drink after a day in the city. If you want to take your relaxing state of mind to another level, you can have a massage or facial in the first vegan spa in Spain. The swimming pool with the sun loungers is just a dream.
Experiences
The hotel does everything in its power to satisfy the guests. From the very friendly staff to renting cool designer bikes by Finna (made in Barcelona) to explore the city. And they organize Experiences. For example, there’s the Vegan Spa & Food Experience where you get a massage as a couple, enjoy the spa and have a healthy lunch at Flax & Kale afterward.
Check out: www.yurbbanpassage.com
For more recommendations, check out The Barcelona Guide
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Best Boats For Beginners From Scout
Boating is a wonderful hobby that virtually anyone, from experienced mariners to land-locked novices, can enjoy. In this post, we’ll walk you through what to look for in the best boats for beginners and highlight some of the top models from Scout Boats. What To Look For
If you’re just starting in boating, you need to choose the right craft for your needs. With that in mind, we would suggest you look for three specific qualities from your boat: moderate size, manageable power, and a moderate price.
Moderate Size. You didn’t learn to drive behind the wheel of a massive semi-truck. Neither should you learn to pilot a boat on a large offshore vessel.
Manageable Power. You likely didn’t learn to drive in an overpowered muscle car. Likewise, learning to boat with a jet-powered racing craft may not be the best place to start.
Moderate Price. While boating is certainly enjoyable for all, some people don’t like it as much as others, and that’s okay. We would suggest choosing a moderately priced boat to see if ownership is right for you. If you find that you absolutely love boating, then you can always step into a more expensive, faster, and larger craft!
Beginner Boats From Scout
Here are some of the best boats for beginners in the Scout Boats lineup!
210 Dorado
Model Page
At 21 feet in length, the 210 Dorado is a manageable dual-console boat that can handle a wide variety of waters, ranging from shallow flats to large lakes and bays. Features include flush-mount rod holders, dual swim platforms, and Bay Star hydraulic steering. Equipped with a 150-horsepower motor (standard), the boat gives you plenty of power but also maintains a level of manageable performance. It also has plenty of room for up to eight people, so your first boat can be enjoyed by your friends and family.
231 XS
Model Page
If you want an elite fishing craft as your first boat, the 231 XS is a great option. It can get you to the best fishing spots in a hurry, but it doesn’t overwhelm you with power. At about 23 feet in length, it can easily be handled in crowded marinas and bays, and it gives plenty of technology including Bluetooth speakers and Sea Star hydraulic steering. With fishing features as well as comfort and versatility, this is a wonderful family boat that can also deliver a superior fishing experience.
195 Sportfish
Model Page
While this is one of the smaller boats in our lineup (but certainly not the smallest), this craft gives you outstanding comfort and an enjoyable ride. The hull was created by our own experts, so it meets a higher standard for performance and efficiency. With a 150-horsepower Yamaha motor, the craft propels across the water with ease but still allows for manageable performance. Standard features include rod holders, a swim platform, bait well, and stern jump seats, allowing you to have everything you need without increasing the price through optional equipment.
Find the Perfect Boat for All Experience Levels
These are just a few of the boats from Scout. If you want help choosing the right craft for your needs and experience level, contact our staff today. We’ll explain all the features and characteristics of any model so you can make the right choice for your first boat!
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Saint Aloysius Church: Glasgow Beyond Guidebooks
Saint Aloysius Church: you may not find it is not a place you will find in guidebooks about Glasgow. It is worth a stop on your travels, though, if your interests include social history, architecture, Glasgow history, or the history of religion in Scotland. It also makes a fine place for quiet contemplation, a good place attend a service, and an interesting place to take in several sorts of art....
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Visiting Vientiane, One of the Last Communist Capitals in the World
Vientiane is the capital of Laos, one of the last communist countries. But what is it like to be in a communist city, and where is Laos anyway?! Laos (pronounced Lao) is in Southeast Asia between Vietnam and Thailand (Vietnam is on the Pacific Ocean). The country has been through a tumultuous past. At the turn of the last century, it was under French rule. Then from 1964 to 1973, the US dropped 2...
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Afternoon Hedonism With Texas BBQ and Pie
The best way to go into a Texas BBQ joint is through a wooden screen door that leaves a satisfying “thunk” as you enter the building, and get that first face-blast of BBQ smoke and smell. You’ll certainly find that at Louie Mueller Barbeque in downtown Taylor, Texas near Austin. It’s been run by the Mueller family for 70 years, and if you walk in today you may see a...
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Best Shallow Water Boats From Scout
Having a shallow-water boat allows you to enjoy some of the most exciting fishing possible. While larger boats can safely take you to the deep blue water, allowing you to catch massive trophies, smaller boats allow you to cruise over some of the shallowest water you can find. Why is this an advantage? Because shallow waters often hold hungry, aggressive species, as well as sportfish that test your angling skills. Here are some of the best shallow water boats from Scout Boats.
175 Sport Dorado
Draft: 10 inches
View Model Page
The 175 Sport Dorado has all the features you need for exciting fishing. Wth a 10-inch draft, you can reach remote shallow water destinations untouched by many anglers. With a six-person capacity, you can bring a larger group along for the adventure, and with an aerated livewell and plenty of rod storage, you can all enjoy fishing in the shallows.
The boat can also be used for activities beyond shallow-water fishing, as the craft is ideal for tubing with kids or simply cruising the water with your friends and family.
175 Sportfish
Draft: 10 inches
View Model Page
To create this boat, we used the finest engineering and designs, resulting in a boat that can handle open waters like bays and lakes. Yet is fully capable of cruising over shallow waters. You’ll have versatility that is hard to find from most water crafts, as well as numerous fishing features that enhance your pleasure on the water.
This center console boat can do it all, and you’ll love the comfortable layout and precise handling, as well as the smooth ride. With standard features that include a swim platform, captain’s chairs, and pull-up cleats, the 175 Sportfish has all the amenities you expect.
177 Sport
Draft: 10 inches
View Model Page
No matter what your level of fishing, no matter what type of species you want to target, the 177 Sport can make it happen. This is a boat with a huge variety of standard features, including a flared bow that perfectly deflects sprays, keeping you dry while you cruise on the water.
The draft is shallow, and it has a beam (width) of 7-foot, 3-inches, giving you plenty of space as you fish, cruise, or lounge on the deck. With an aerated live well, flush-mounted rod holders, and two tackle trays, you’ll have all the right features for superior fishing.
Create the Perfect Boat for Your Needs
If you want to create the perfect shallow water fishing boat for your needs, use our Build Your Scout feature. You’ll be able to choose the right size for your needs and select the right features to enhance your enjoyment on the water.
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A Eulogy for my Grandfather
A few years after my grandmother died, I joined my mother and brother to visit her grave. Her remains are located in a crowded cemetery, one that has different markers to guide mourners to the right place.
After visiting a different relative, my mum got turned around and could not get us back to my grandmother. My mum is a blisteringly smart woman, but directions are not her forte. The three of us wandered the rows in search of my grandmother, laughing at our predicament.
Eventually, with my mother in the distance reading people’s graves, I stood next to my brother and turned my face up to the sky. “Grandma!” I called out. “Your daughter got lost, but this time it was en route to find you. Can you give us a hint over here?”
Moments later, a crow starting cawing and flew to the far end of the section that my brother and I were standing in. We turned to look at each other sharply.
Surely not?
“Come on, let’s go!”
We both sprinted toward the bird at the same time, our pace slowing as the tombstone came into view. We found a crow sitting on my grandmother’s grave. The gravestone was double length, as she and my grandfather planned to share a double plot whenever he should pass.
We took a few moments to stop freaking out, and then called our mum over.
“How did you guys find it?” She asked, incredulously.
“Well you’re not going to believe it but…..”
My grandmother and me.
***
My grandfather proposed to my grandmother on the day they met, an action born from a connection far deeper than many of us can comprehend.
He saw her and knew, he said. There wasn’t a question in his mind.
Through the entire length of their marriage until her death in 1996, he was a gentleman deeply in love with his wife. Subsequently, and among many other things, he was a widower who would still tear up upon the mere mention of her name decades later.
I am comforted by the thought of them reunited again at last, twenty plus years later.
My grandparents, 1945
My grandfather proposed to my grandmother because he caught a glimpse of her on a fateful day in 1944.
He enlisted in the Air Force and was sent to England in the early 1940s. That too is family lore, because the man wore thick glasses since he was a child. But he wanted to fight for his country during the Second World War, and wanted to join the Air Force to do so. He couldn’t disclose his terrible eyesight, however, and so he failed the eye test several times taking it without glasses. They rejected his application.
Did he give up? No. He never gave up. He memorized the eye chart and waited until a new doctor was giving he exam. The strategy paid off and he finally passed. He was sent to Gander in Newfoundland for training, and eventually onwards to England. The ruse was up eventually, of course, and he was not able to fly planes. Instead, he served happily from the ground.
(I got my stubbornness from several family members, him among them.)
Eventually, he transferred to a base on the coast of England. There, he and his Air Force buddies would spent one evening a week at a hotel near the sea, playing poker with injured son of the owner.
One week in 1944, a young woman caught his attention on his way to that weekly game. She was walking down the stairs at the hotel with an older woman, her mother, and she stood out immediately, he said.
He turned to his friends and told them to go on to the game without him.
In all of the times I have heard this story, I never thought to ask how he broke the ice. I imagine it started with a cheerful hello. Perhaps, as he saw her heading to a room in the hotel, he asked her if she was retiring so soon. It was early evening, and the sun hadn’t set.
“Hello..are you retiring so soon? Would you like to take a walk along the beach?”
Seeking an escape from the London smog for a weekend, my great-grandmother brought my grandma to the coast with her. Slim, petite, and always introspective, I can only imagine what was going through her head that she agreed at age 19 to an impromptu date with a stranger.
He was 25.
I suspect it wasn’t logic, because my grandmother, like my grandfather, confirmed that it was love at first sight. Further, unbeknownst to my grandfather, she was engaged to a gentleman in London. For a shy (engaged!) young lady to leave her mother and wander the beach during the war took something larger than life. Love.
She did not retire for the night, and instead did what she always did because she was always cold: she went and got a sweater. She turned and explained her need for a sweater to my grandfather – this part we all do know – and that she wanted to get her mother settled for the night.
“Ok. Then I will wait,” he replied.
And he did.
Their first date was a drawn-out walk along the cliffs at the edge of the sea, one that culminated in a proposal. Complicating matters was not only my grandmother’s engagement, but that my grandfather too was promised to a woman in Canada who he planned to take up with after the war.
Regardless, and as they both told it, those previous plans were impossible now. Something shifted in the universe, something firm and unyielding. They felt that they were meant to be together despite the chaos that would it would likely cause in their respective families.
My grandparents during WWII
Before they knew it, it was almost curfew. My grandfather had to be back in his barracks or risk being declared AWOL. A gentleman, he tried to walk my grandmother to the hotel regardless, but she insisted that he not risk his enlistment. They made plans to meet at the hotel the next day, and she told him to rush back before it was too late.
My grandfather made It back in time and in one piece, but my grandmother did not.
During the war, a country-wide blackout went into effect Sept 1, 1939. Lights could easily geolocate a spot for Germans to bomb, so at dusk there were no lights. The effect was immediate, and conditions like “blackout anemia” spread as city dwellers got used to a life without nighttime light. “For the first minute going out of doors one is completely bewildered, wrote Londoner Phylllis Warner, “then it is a matter of groping forward with nerves as well as hands outstretched.” Near the sea, it was especially important that the blackout was in full effect because U-boats were patrolling the waters.
With darkness upon them, my grandparents split up to make their way back to their respective sleeping spots. In the inky blackness, my grandmother felt her way along the cliffs toward the hotel. Along the way she tripped over a retaining wall, and promptly collapsed a lung.
What was she thinking, inching back in the dark after accepting a stranger’s engagement, in pain and alone? Again, the questions I never thought to ask as a child.
Clearly, the mother-daughter trip to the coast was over. My grandmother and great-grandmother left at dawn for to London to see a doctor. The next day, my grandfather returned to the hotel as planned, only to find out that my grandmother was gone. He begged the hotel for their London address, and on his first day of leave he rushed to London to see her.
Today, treatment for a severe collapsed lung usually involves inserting a needle or chest tube between the ribs to remove the excess air. In 1945, however, it was simply bedrest for as long as it took to hopefully heal. So for several months, my grandfather made the trip from the coast to London and back again whenever he had a day of leave. As they couldn’t go anywhere, or do anything, they talked.
And through that multi-month recovery, they got to know each other.
One day, my great-grandfather took my grandpa aside to ask him what his intentions were, since he was doggedly returning every chance he got. “As soon as she is better and strong enough,” my grandfather said, “I plan to make her my wife.
They were married in 1945 in London, and honeymooned in Wales.
My grandparents’ wedding picture, London, 1945.
My grandparents on their honeymoon
It’s worth mentioning that my grandparents were as lucky as they were star-crossed. In the case of my grandpa, the ship he was supposed to take from Gander to England was hit by a German U-boat torpedo on its trajectory. Thankfully, a pilot friend was also being shipped out to England, and offered my grandfather a seat on his plane. Everyone on the ship bound for England died.
So too did my grandmother cheat death. After recovering from the collapsed lung, she took a her job at the office of a munitions factory in London. She had perfect attendance at work, until she came down with flu over a weekend. Not wanting to miss work, she only allowed herself to stay home Monday morning, returning to the factory in the afternoon. She arrived to find it completely levelled; it suffered a direct hit by a German bomb that morning, and everyone inside was killed.
In a similar vein, she had a near-death experience on her passage to Canada. When the war ended, my grandfather returned home with his fellow servicemen. As many Canadians stationed in England met and married English women, the government provided them special ships that transported them back to their now-husbands. The Canadian government estimates that by 1946, 48,000 marriages between Canadian servicemen and civilian women overseas had been registered. The women were called “War Brides,” and while most were from Britain, a few thousand came from elsewhere in Europe, like the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Italy and Germany. By the end of March 1948, the Canadian government had transported approximately 44,000 wives and 21,000 children to Canada, sent across the ocean on huge troop ships or modified cruise ships.
My grandmother sailed on a troop ship and came up on deck feeling nauseous from sea-sickness during a storm. Being so slight, when a wave crashed into the ship she went with it. A sailor holding a guide rope grabbed onto her just before she was swept off deck.
She arrived safely to Halifax eventually, my grandfather eagerly awaiting her smiling, no doubt exhausted, face. They settled in Montreal, eventually starting a family of their own.
My mum, their firstborn, aged 4.
We humans love to connect dots, and to create a compelling narrative where there may not be any. Were they just lucky? Perhaps. In my family, they were far more than that. A couple that was simply fated to be, with an incredible love story that transcended time, a war, and borders to bring them together.
***
Every conversation with my grandfather started with intense cheer.
“Hello Dolly!” He would say when he saw me, “tell me some good news.”
It wasn’t just me. He brightened everyone’s day, no matter the place or time. He was universally loved, to the point where his caretakers and nurses sobbed when they heard the news of his passing. Throughout his life, he comported himself with dignity and a strength that you knew you never wanted to test.
Before he retired, he worked in the menswear industry, building a modest company into a huge operation over the course of his career. Due to his vocation, he was impeccably dressed until his heath interfered and people had to choose them for him. In true grandpa fashion, too, he was classy and comfortable without ever appearing snobby. He dressed well because he believed in the products he made and the materials he traveled far and wide to personally source.
He is the only man I’ve ever met who could make an ascot seem normal.
That’s a testament to his shapeshifting nature, one day selling his clothing to shops, and the next in the countryside to see what raw materials he wanted to buy next. I drew on his strength many times when on the road and out of my element, or up to my eyeballs in fear. He was a comforting chameleon who charmed everyone.
The man also did great at anything he put his mind to. And I’m not just talking about his work. He bowled a perfect game for most of his life, and at 89, he complained to my mother that his arm was hurting. My mum gently told him that perhaps three different bowling leagues weren’t the best idea as he approached his 90th birthday.
Fiercely independent and unrepentant in his desire to live each day fully, he was not impressed by her suggestion that he cut down to two.
He learned how to play bridge at 85, not only learned but learned, remembered, and kicked some serious bridge ass.
Around the same time, he decided to join meals on wheels, for “something else to do.” Not content to bowl, go to the gym (yes, the GYM), socialize, and participate in community programmes, he wanted to give back. That’s right, in his 80s he joined Meals on Wheels to serve the food, not to receive it.
“I’m going to visit the old people,” he’d tell my mum with a characteristic chortle.
He was, of course, older than many of the people who received those meals.
***
My grandfather taught me to stand up for what I believe in, not just because someone tells me to do so but because it was right. Because I knew it was right inside. No one could take that from you, he would say, looking right into the heart of who I was.
“You stand up for what you know is right.”
Integrity mattered to him, to me, and to all of his grandkids.
My grandfather taught me that anything in life was possible in life and love.
He taught me that mealtimes could be anything I wanted them to be, with his joyful celebration of soup for dessert. Why have ice cream when there’s soup available? He never turned down a bowl, something my cousin Alanna and I clearly inherited from him.
By extrapolation life could be anything you wanted it to be, too. While he didn’t understand why I quit my job as a lawyer to start traveling, when this blog turned into a website and a business, he believed I was making a difference. (Plus, by then I was telling everyone “I eat soup for a living”, so I am sure that bought me some goodwill). I was effecting change without compromising my values, something that mattered to him.
I have handwritten notes from him well into his 90s, encouraging me to keep doing what I was doing.
One of my favourite memories of him was a trip to New York City when he was 90. I was working at a law firm then, and my parents drove in with him during thanksgiving weekend. He traipsed around town with us, over the Brooklyn Bridge, down into the subways, and into Times Square. He had not been to New York since the 1950s, and I remember looking over at him in the neon chaos of 42nd street, with all its noise and bustle and movement. He looked up, he took a deep breath, and said “you know, take away the neon and it really isn’t that different.”
He was adaptable in ways that I couldn’t even fathom, and his ability to find connection to everything, everyone, everywhere, is a part of why I traveled the way I did.
He made it to 100, spending his milestone birthday last year surrounded by friends and family. By that point, dementia had set in, and he did not understand why everyone was clamouring around him, or that he was 100. “I AM?” He would say, astonished. “100? Are you sure?” He did not recognize who I was, and asked my mother how she and I met.
“Dolly,” he said conspiratorially as I walked by him at his party, “what is going on?”
Someone cut in to say that it was a party for him. “We are all here to celebrate your birthday! Do you want to say something?”
And he did what he always did and took charge of the situation with grace, poise, and authority. Despite not remembering he was 100, nor who the people were who were there to visit, he spoke clearly and confidently.
“I want to thank everyone here for coming to see me today. And I hope you all enjoy yourselves and have a wonderful time!”
My mum, stepdad, brother, me, and the 100th birthday boy last year.
***
I was too sick to attend my grandpa’s funeral, the second grandparent’s life celebration I’ve missed in the last few months.
To grieve alone when your family grieves together is a deeply isolating thing, but thankfully with family in town for the funeral, I was not alone for it all. My cousins piled onto the floor of my tiny bedroom for hours to grieve with me.
My grandfather proposed to my grandmother on the day they met, and though he taught my cousins and I many things, the legacy of their love abides in each of us. In the time since, he lived an astounding life full of more variety and purpose than most people get during their time on earth.
With every single thing he did, and every person he interacted with, he was charming, polite, and perspicacious. But when we all gathered at my mum’s last week before his funeral, the love story was the first thing we discussed.
As with many stories that span distance and generational time, however, it succumbed to a game of broken telephone over the years. Eventually, at my cousin’s wedding in 2007, the close family gathered around my grandfather during a break in festivities to hear the truth straight from the horse’s mouth. The candid photos from that gathering encapsulate his status as beloved patriarch: us cousins gesticulating, our parents shaking their heads, and my grandfather in the centre with his head thrown back in full-body laughter.
My grandfather and I at the family wedding in 2007, just after the broken telephone was resolved.
My cousins and I reminisced together about this famous family day, and then we moved on to the rest of our memories. How during loud, drawn-out family gatherings, he would glare at us sternly until we piped down enough for him to say blessings before the meal. And then, while the meal was served, he would come to the kids table, ostensibly to “check on us,” but inevitably to sit down and spend part of the meal with his grandkids. We shared what we learned from him, over the many hours of wise advice we received during our respective lunches, phone calls, and visits.
That nighttime tribute with my cousins felt like a beautiful celebration, one that he would have approved of. Later, we all went upstairs to rejoin our our parents and continue the memories until we could barely keep our eyes open.
***
I’m still on bedrest, but I know the smaller reminders will hit harder when I start interacting with the world again. Grief follows no timeline, of course, but even with time it comes back without warning in the smaller remembrances that give a sharp gut punch.
How he loved a bowl of Wendy’s chilli and every road trip with him involved a Wendy’s stop.
How we would all go for Chinese buffets as a family, and when everyone got dessert, he’d loop back to get another bowl of soup.
The smell of pipe tobacco from before he quit smoking. His beloved ascot. The pageboy caps he wore in the winter months.
That raucous, eternal laugh.
Always in a pageboy cap.
***
In early April I was on bedrest reading in my mum’s room. A flash of black caught my eye, and I looked up to see a crow flying straight at the window. It veered suddenly and disappeared.
Intrigued, I got up from the bed to look outside. The crow was sitting on the street in front of the house, and stared me straight in the eyes before flying away.
“Goodbye grandma,” I said softly. It reminded me of that story from her grave that I hadn’t thought about in some time.
That night, I went to my computer and downloaded a whole bunch of photos of me and my grandfather that I had stored to the cloud. I’m not even sure why, other than the crow reminded me of his beloved wife. When I told my brother, he shook his head and said, “well Jodi, the birds certainly seem to give you messages.”
My grandfather passed peacefully in his sleep that night, in the early hours of dawn. Peacefully, and unexpectedly.
I suppose nothing is unexpected when you are a hundred and a half, but his body was so robust that we were all shocked.
When I saw the bleary panic and grief in my mother’s eyes the next morning when she woke me up with the news, I never even thought that it was about my grandfather. He was a hundred, yes, but he was indomitable.
Of course, he was also human.
Transcending our grief was our relief that he passed painlessly and quickly.
And in death, as in life, he kept the whole family on its toes.
I miss him very much.
Air Force photo of my grandpa
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AUGUST ANTWERP
In a former Augustinian cloister, design hotel August opened its doors last Friday. A prestigious hotel project with 44 rooms, a bar, restaurant and spa designed by Belgian architect Vincent van Duysen.
Former Military Hospital
When restaurant The Jane opened its doors five years ago, ‘t Groen Kwartier in Antwerp wasn’t as lively as it is today. Once the site of a Military Hospital the chapel of The Jane was used for soldiers to pray. In the last couple of years, lofts and apartments were built, Pakt became a hub for creative businesses with cafes and a vegetable garden on the roof and Fosbury & Sons and The Plant Corner are also located in this area.
Mouche van Hool and Vincent van Duysen
Five years ago something else happened as well. Entrepreneur Mouche van Hool, also behind Hotel Julien, bought the cloister with the idea of turning it into a hotel together with Vincent van Duysen. The architect also designed Graanmarkt 13, as well as many other worldwide projects that excel in warmth, serenity, and timelessness. Places where the interior embraces you without being too present, so you experience peace and more than enough breathing space as a guest.
Renovation of a monument
Since August is a monumental building, the renovation had to be done very carefully. They’ve retained as much as the original details as possible and they restored a lot. In the chapel, where the bar is now located, the marble you see on the sides is authentic. Just like the round stained glass window and the floor tiles. The color of the tiles in the windows was slightly darker. They restored it in a way that the appearance remains the same, but the window became much more transparent. In the garden, there’s a cave they had to keep. Once used as a serene place of prayer with a statue of Mary and candles, you can now sit there in the sun, out of the wind, with a glass of wine.
Design and art
Vincent van Duysen has been involved in all aspects of August. Everything in the hotel was designed by himself – often in collaboration with producers such as Flos, Serax or Molteni. In the bar, where the altar used to be, you’ll see a chandelier made of the lamps you see throughout the rest of the hotel as well. The two huge rugs on the ground in the chapel were created together with a small Portuguese weaving company. And Mouche van Hool told me she was in London when she came across a gallery where she first saw the work of British artist Peter Seal. She fell in love immediately: now you can find his work throughout the hotel.
Restaurant by Nick Bril
If you look to the right after checking in, you immediately look into the jaw-dropping bar/lobby in the former chapel. Next to it, you’ll find the restaurant Nick Bril runs together with his former sous-chef Pieter Starmans. This turns ‘t Groen Kwartier into an even richer culinary destination. The Jane, awarded with two Michelin stars, is a high-level fine dining restaurant, The Upper Room Bar is slightly more casual and at August you can order a three-course menu. All with top-level ingredients.
The rooms
There’s a total of 44 rooms in different categories. Once the rooms were used by the nuns, so they still radiate a serene interior, but with all the luxury you can think of (a rain shower, thick bathrobes, soft duvets, and a wonderful room scent). The first room types – intimate, authentic, signature – vary in size, some have a bath and others don’t, but they all have a high ceiling and a beautiful green wall behind the bed with lamps also designed by Vincent van Duysen. If you book a romantic weekend in Antwerp, I would recommend the Experience Plus Rooms. They are located under the roof, the beams and the wooden ceiling are still visible and they have a freestanding bathtub. Cozy love nests so to say!
There’s more!
Another garden with a small bar where you can relax in Summer. There’s a library with many books about Belgium, Antwerp, and architecture. There are meeting rooms. There is a spa with a natural swimming pool. You can rent the whole spa here, so you will never have to experience the sauna/hammam with strangers. A beautiful design detail is the concrete seating area in front of the hotel. It brings together the two different buildings – 10 rooms will open there soon and there’s also a small cafe where you can read the newspaper or go to for a quick breakfast and a shop that sells hotel items such as glasses designed by Vincent van Duysen for Serax and the bathrobes.
Weekend ideas
I would recommend combining a stay at August with a culinary weekend in Antwerp. Dine at The Jane or the Upper Room Bar, drink some wine and you don’t have to get in your car or take a taxi. Also if you want to explore the city but like to stay in a quieter neighborhood I would recommend August. They rent out bikes and you’ll be at St Vincents on the Kleine Markt in just 11 minutes. And for everyone who isn’t looking for a place to stay, you can also visit August for a cocktail in the stunning bar or a dinner in the restaurant.
Check out: www.augustantwerp.com
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10 x THE BEST PLACES IN BARCELONA
Planning a trip to Barcelona anytime soon? This is my list of places you can’t miss. Find all of my recommendations in The Barcelona Guide!
1. Start your day with a delicious breakfast at Little Fern in Poblenou.
2. Explore the city by bike and see all the beautiful sights such as the Sagrada Familia, the Arc de Triomf and the beach.
3. Enjoy a coffee break at Three Marks Coffee.
4. Have a healthy plant-based lunch at Flax & Kale and try one of their kombuchas.
5. Relax on one of the lovely rooftops Barcelona has.
6. Go to a food or design market like MyBarrio (pictured), Van Van Market or All Those.
7. Shop magazines, books, and plants at Espai Joliu.
8. Have dinner at Cecconi’s if you love Italian food.
9. Escape to Little Beach House Barcelona.
10. Buy The brand new Barcelona Guide for the most up-to-date addresses: a minimalistic coffee bar that only opened a few weeks ago, a restaurant where the focus is on Middle-Eastern dishes and an amazing pizza place, among others! Enjoy!
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Tudor England: Exploring Through Buildings And Stories
Tudor England: it has been a continuing source of inspiration for film, for novels, for television. Though Tudor monarchs reigned for just a bit over a century, it was a time of great change in politics and social life, and one that has held interest through the centuries since. Are you trying to place them in history? Henry VIII and Elizabeth I will surely ring bells in your memory; Henry VII,...
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