Day to Day in Brussels N°10

Germany inBrussels

Leisure in Paris

Supplément à La Tribune de Bruxelles - 28 février 2008

DAY_TO_DAY_32p_new 25/02/08 15:20 Page 1


Edito . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Very European person . . . 4-5

Cultural Diary . . . . . . . . . . 6-7

Leisure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-9

Germany in Brussels . . . 10-19

Multimedia . . . . . . . . . . . 20-21

Shopping: Batibouw . . 24-27

Moving in Paris . . . . . . . . . . 28

Dolce Vita . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Des accents germaniquesCe numéro de février du Day-to-Day in Brussels met àl'honneur l'un des pays fondateurs de l'Union qui est aussi unmembre très actif de la construction européenne. Vous irez à larencontre d'une communauté bien établie en Belgique. Elle y avraiment trouvé ses (Deutsche) marques ! Le journal que voustenez entre vos mains a connu une sérieuse refonte tant auniveau graphique qu'éditorial. Dorénavant, vous aurez droit àvos petites rubriques préférées chaque mois : VEP (VeryEuropean Person), dossier, moving, leisure, shopping,multimedia, dolce vita... De quoi vous donner sérieusementenvie de partir à l'aventure dans Bruxelles et ailleurs.

De quoi parlons-nous ce mois-ci? De bien des choses! Outre cegrand dossier sur les Allemands de Belgique, nous avons été àla rencontre de l'un des nombreux porte-parole que compte laCommission. Il nous explique, entre autres, son amour pour lacapitale européenne. L'agenda culturel figure en bonne placetout comme la présentation du Centre Belge de la BandeDessinée, une grande fierté nationale. La double pagemultimedia fait le point sur la téléphonie mobile pendant quela rubrique moving vous emmène dans la « Ville-Lumière »pour une escapade very trendy. Salon Batibouw oblige, nousfaisons aussi le point sur les poêles et foyers avec quelquesprécieux conseils. Bref, une source presque intarissable d'idées,de loisirs, de découvertes... Bonne lecture !

AvantPropos

Dossier réalisé par RGP sous la coordinationgénérale d’Henry Visart et de Luc Bolsius.

Rue des Francs, 79 - Tèl.: 02.211.28.49 Fax: 02.211.28.70.

TEXTES: Elodie Weymeels, Laurent Depré,Frédéric Maes

SOURCES: Mouvement européen, Bureau deliaison Bruxelles-Europe, Xpats.com, agenceEurope, La Tribune de Bruxelles, BruxellesEnvironnement, Immoscan, www.photos.com.

COORDINATION RECHERCHE PHOTOS:Bénédicte Maindiaux.

EDITEUR RESPONSABLE: François le Hodey /

MISE EN PAGE: Azur graphic

IMPRESSION: Nevada-Nimifi

INTERNET: www.tribunedebruxelles.be


4 / V E R Y E U R O P E A N P E R S O N

V E R Y E U R O P E A N P E R S O N

about the complex, technical and often

controversial work of the commission in a

multitude of languages.”

Martin Selmayr explains, with confidence in his

voice, that at the end of the day his greatest

professional success was convincing his wife to

join him on his Belgian adventure. His bright

blue eyes sparkle at the thought. “She had to

leave her country, change her job and learn a

new language... And today, believe me, she’s

more Belgian than the Belgians! She has

become an ardent supporter of life in Belgium.»

When we raised the subject, with this dashing

young man, of the danger of withdrawing into

his own community, his reply was clear and

qualified. “It’s a real danger because people

from the same national group have an

enormous number of things in common. It can

also serve as a refuge. When we arrived in

Belgium, we were very lucky to soon find an

invitation in our letter box from people living in

a nearby street. The established people in the

district welcoming the new ones as it were. It

was simply sensational. That’s what makes us

feel at home. You need a bit of luck but above

all you have go towards others...”

But Belgium is not only Brussels. “We are

interested the historical wealth of the country.

Which is why we like going off discovering towns

like Mechelen or Ghent. And then the Belgian

coast is very nice. If you’ve only got a single day

off, the Belgian coast is a destination of choice.

Germans have got a soft spot for De Haan, which

looks like the German seaside towns.”

But for six months, Belgium has also been a

serious institutional crisis to which we don’t

yet know the outcome. A question which is

embarrassing the European Commission?

From this February, in conjunction with

out our monthly file and the country

highlighted in Day-to-Day in Brussels, we

will meet someone and learn something about

them. He/she will talk to us about his/her

work, his/her life in Belgium, his/her

community, “his/her” European Union. That’s

why this month we have “handed our

microphone” to Martin Selmayr. This 37 year

old German is currently one of the many

spokesmen for the commission. He is active

within the Information society & media section

run by the European Commissioner Viviane

Reding (Luxembourg).

It was in the sancrosanct Berlaymont where

we met this month’s guest, a Very European

Person. A lawyer by trade, Martin Selmayr first

crossed swords with the European courts in

the late 90s, after he had finished studying. “I

started at the European Central Bank when it

had just got up and running in Frankfurt. I did

my spiritual apprenticeship there with a young

Community institution whose role was (and still

is) to ensure the stability of the European

currency, something of major importance for

my German compatriots.”

After a spell in the private sector and passing

the obligatory competitive examinations,

Martin joined the Barroso commission in 2004

and started working for the Commissioner for

Luxembourg. A change of direction in his

professional development which, until that

time, had been concerned solely with law. “I

quickly noticed that Brussels is the capital of

Europe. There are more accredited journalists

in Brussels than in Washington! The working

environment consists of representatives of the

press from the 27 Member States and external

countries. I find it fascinating to communicate

They work in the heart of the European institutions. Their livesare now written in several languages. Uprooted but passionate

about their task, they live and sometimes finish their lives inBelgium. Let’s go and meet some Very European Persons

“Brussels has beenattracting me for 8 years”

Data sheet <<> Martin Selmayr> Born 1970 in Bonn> Married, lives in the Schuman district> Studied international and community

law at Geneva, Passau, Berkeley andKing's College London

> Doctor of law> Languages: German, English, French,

Spanish, Russian (basic)> Author of a thesis on “The Law of

Economic and Monetary Union”> From 1998 to 2000 worked as a

lawyer for the ECB> From 2001 to 2003 he joined the

private international groupBertlesmann

> On 1 November 2004 he rejoined theEuropean Union and the Commissionas a spokesman on “Informationsociety & media”


V E R Y E U R O P E A N P E R S O N / 5

V E R Y E U R O P E A N P E R S O N

on the European map and yet we knew

nothing at all about it. It’s fantastic what we

have learned about it and so enriching.”.

Tell us about “your” Brussels.

“As I go through it each morning on my way

to work, I will mention the Cinquantennaire

Park first. It’s a really lovely place. I’ve already

explained my appetite for good restaurants. At

one stage in my life, I was on a work placement

here. I always tried to put a bit of money aside

to treat myself to one outing a week “chez

Léon”. Today, when it’s my turn to play host to

young trainees, I always take them to this

Belgian temple which is truly symbolic. I’ve also

got a soft spot for the Belga Queen where I

take my in-laws!”

>> My Europe

“The challenge today is to make sure that the

Union of 27 works. The single currency and the

new treaty in particular should bring

development and stability to the continent. The

Commission needs to show itself to be more

human, closer to the people and to carry on

dreaming. You must always have visions for

Europe. I am an ardent supporter of the idea of

a United States of Europe, like Guy

Verhofstadt, in the service of its citizens.”

“Not at all. We still admire the capacity of the

Belgians to settle what, in another country,

would have constituted an even greater crisis.

For all Europeans living in Belgium, it’s an

example of successful federal coexistence,

albeit difficult, between different communities.

The European Union is keeping a close eye on

things. If it goes wrong, it will pose a big

problem for the Union”.

>> My life here!

Where do you live in Brussels?

“I live in the Schuman district, not far from

Berlaymont. I think it’s a real privilege to be

able to walk to your place of work. All it takes

for me is 10 minutes’ effort!”

Your first contact with Belgium.

“Already as a child, when I used to come and

visit my uncle who worked for NATO, I had a

great affinity with this European capital. Even

when I was very young, I was struck by the

range of restaurants, the warmth of the people,

the quality of life... It’s a real childhood dream

to be able to come and work in Brussels.”

Why do you think so many expatriates

decide to stay in our country when their

careers are over? It’s true of many

Germans.

“For me and my compatriots, Belgium

represents an excellent compromise between

France and Germany. You find the best aspects

of both cultures here. Also, the Belgian

mentality is more easy going. I can say that the

notion of the Belgian-style compromise, which

isn’t an outdated concept, is useful, interesting

and allows things to run smoothly.”

People talk about quality of life. Have you

got a specific example?

“The easiest example is the number of high-

quality restaurants. But what struck us, my wife

and me, were the parks. In Brussels, these green

pockets are meeting places which everyone

protects. For the citizen, there’s an element of

common land about it. There’s a lot of respect

for this environment and very little destruction.

Obviously, that makes life very pleasant.”

Other plus points of Belgium?

“An incredibly central position which enables

you to quickly go off in any direction. In

Brussels, you are an hour from the Belgian

coast, just over an hour from the lush green

valleys of the Ardennes, two hours from

London, an hour and a quarter from Paris...”

Brussels, a multicultural city.

“It’s undeniable. I’ll give you a specific

example. In our building, we have made

friends with an Icelandic couple. This country is

Crédit: European Commission

Martin Selmayr in a nutshell

My main character trait

– Open to new challenges

The quality which I prefer in men

- Friendship

The quality which I prefer in women

– Friendship again

My main weakness

– I can’t resist chocolate

My main quality – Discipline

My idea of happiness

– The continuous love of my wife

My motto – Unity in diversity

My hobby – Taking the time to read

A film – The Remains of the day

A song – The songs of Carla Bruni

A refuge - The little university campus at

Passau in Bavaria

What you’ve never dared to do

– A personal interview with a Belgian

journalist

What you’d take with you onto a

desert island – My wife

A German gastronomic speciality

– Königsberger Klopse

Your favourite German football club

– Bayern Munich


6 / C U L T U R A L D I A R Y

CULTURAL DIARY

>> Friday 7 March at 8 p.m.,

“Writers tomorrow”

In tomorrow’s world, new narratives are

essential for journalism (Internet), for the

novel (Kindle, Google, printing on demand,

etc.) and for the reader too. So what place and

power will the novel and writers have?

Exploration of the issue with Dominique

Sigaud (“La Corpulence du monde”, Le Seuil),

Russell Banks (“La réserve”, Actes Sud) and

Philippe Geluck.

>> Saturday 8 March at 1 p.m.,

“My mother, meeting with a stranger”

On International Women’s Day, this meeting

(chaired by Kerenn Elkaïm) is extremely fitting.

Whether she is present, omnipresent or absent,

part of a mother is always a secret garden. How

can you understand and accept her as she is?

With Tahar ben Jelloun (“Sur ma mère”,

Gallimard), Florence Noiville (“La Donation”, Stock)

and Laurence Tardieu (“Rêve d'amour”, Stock).

>> Saturday 8 March at 5 p.m.

“Identities, conflicts”

Disaster writing: conflicts and identities in a

world of conflicts and globalisation? With

globalisation, conflicts are spreading terror

across all regions, just when these regions are

globalising. For both countries and mankind, the

very notion of identity is shifting. What courage,

what interpretations and what possibilities can

the novel give to these new paths?

With Léonora Miano (“Tels des astres éteints”,

Plon), Christophe Ono-dit-Bio (“Birmane”, Plon)

and Alain Lallemand (“La Femme héroïne”,

Luce Wilquin). Chaired by Hubert Artus.

FOCUSOn several debates andconferences

>> Thursday 6 March at 7 p.m.,

“Between yes and no, a new world:

the European whodunnit”

After having been a military and religious

entity, then a philosophical land, before

turning into a territory of stock exchanges and

finance, Europe has become a paradoxical

continent: a barricaded fortress as much as an

agora which is the driving force behind the

new globality. European exploration of the

new thriller through its whodunnit and

newcomer authors.

With Nadine Monfils (“Babylone dreams”,

Belfond), Charles Williams (“Des clopes et des

binouzes”, Série Noire, Gallimard), Alain

Berenboom (“Périls en ce royaume”, Bernard

Pascuito) and Antoine Chainas (“Versus”,

Série Noire, Gallimard).

Fair, fanfare and plenty of good fare

The theme of this year’s Book Fair is “Words in

Anger”. However, as its president, Ana Garcia,

points out, although it pays homage to

literature which acts as a “weapon against

injustice, discrimination and abuses of all

kinds”, the Fair itself has every reason to

rejoice. This 38th event has the best possible

patronage! The sponsors of this year’s fair are

Marek Halter, Boualem Sansal, Russell Banks,

Sophie Chérer, Jean Hatzfeld and Le Chat,

which will be celebrating its 25th anniversary.

The Fair will, of course, be punctuated by over

300 debates and meetings. 700 authors and

illustrators will be there at some point for

meetings and dedications. More than 1,300

publishing houses will be represented, 158

exhibitors will have small stands there and, in

total, the Book Fair will take over 18,000 m2 of

the Tour et Taxis building! It is one of the year’s

“biggest” events! Sufficient to produce a

terrific commotion and a perpetual hubbub

over these four days. However, as the bubbly

exhibition manager states with great pleasure:

“We are not the Salon du Livre, we are the

Book Fair, and we take on this higgledy

piggledy and gigantic bookshop aspect very

well, all together! This brings out the solitary

charm of a quiet read even better!”ZOOMThe authors’ compartment. Authors will

be reading from their books, pondering

and talking about their work and their

artistic concerns. A space fitted out in

association with the SNCB.

The workshop. A space where the public

will be able to interact with professionals,

whether they be comic strip artists,

scriptwriters or writers. Writing workshops

and writing clubs will be organised every

day, within everyone’s reach.

Late night opening on Thursday and

Friday. 6 March will be dedicated to

Belgian publishing (at 5 p.m.) and Friday to

the comic strip, particularly Geluck’s Cat

which, at the age of 25, still doesn’t have

one wrinkle (at 7 p.m.).

Advance sales. To avoid queuing at the

tills, think about buying your tickets at

www.ticketnet.be.


C U L T U R A L D I A R Y / 7

CULTURAL DIARY

>> Il mastino deiBaskerville

A hound which howls at night on the heath...

all in Commedia Dell’Arte! An original concept

based on “The Hound of the Baskervilles” by

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle at the Espace Théâtral

Scarabaeus by the Venice Teatroimmagine

company.

On 7 and 8 March at 8.30 p.m. Espace

Theatral Scarabaeus, 19-27, Rue Creuse,

B- 1030 Schaerbeek.

Information/Tickets: www.scarabaeus.net,

Tel.: 02/241 44 02 and 02/649 79 16 and by

e-mail: [email protected].

Ticket prices: 15 (adults), 10 (concessions).

7

>>Abbey Road

2 extraordinary concerts to commemorate the

20th anniversary of the most symbolic of Belgian

tribute acts to The Beatles and the 40th

anniversary of the release of the fabulous

“Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band”.

An opportunity to see “Abbey Road” in a

different form from the usual concerts!

Accompanied by two extra musicians, Walter

Prevoo and Christophe Genette (keyboard

players), Yves Laloux, Dimitri Deboutte,

Christian Willems and Alain Pire revisit the

mythical “Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club

Band” album and many other Beatles tracks.

On 6 March at 8.30 p.m.

At the Royal Circus, Brussels, 81,

Rue de l’Enseignement, 1000 Brussels.

Information and tickets: 02/218 20 15

www.cirque-royal.org.

>> Brussels, my love

After these hectic times, perhaps you want to

make a small declaration of love to Brussels?

Take part in the second poetry competition by

text. This year’s theme is “Bruxelles, mon

amour, Brussel, mij Liefste”. The competition

is being organised by Brussels City Council in

association with Base, Plaisir du texte, Passa

Porta, the Brussels Royal Conservatory and the

Riches Claires cultural centre.

It enables anyone with a mobile phone to

send their poem by text via any operator to an

abbreviated number (3264). Maximum

characters: 160 characters, including spaces.

Cost: 0.30 ( 0.15 each to send/receive).

The competition is open until 24 March.

The closing evening and the announcement

of the results of the poetry competition by

text will take place on Friday 11 April in the

Grand Hall of the Brussels Royal Conservatory

in Rue du Chêne. Concerts, declamations and

other artistic performances will be on the

menu during this festive evening. More to

follow!

PHOTO>> 34 views against

oblivionThe Book Fair is supporting the work of

Médecins du Monde by hosting a major

exhibition, “34 views against oblivion”, so

as to accurately illustrate this year’s theme:

“Words in Anger”. 34 Belgian and foreign

photo reporters have chosen one of their

photos symbolising oblivion. Several

volunteers, journalists who are close to

Médecins du Monde, have completed this

memory work with their own accounts,

their own words. Everything is taking place

in a dark room illuminated with red.

So that Liberia, Bam in Iran, Uganda, Côte

d'Ivoire, Chechnya and so on do not fall

into oblivion for good.

It should be pointed out that the European

Commission’s DG Humanitarian Aid (Echo)

is a partner in this operation. In fact, the

European Union has a strong presence in

humanitarian aid programmes since it

finances more than 50% of institutional

humanitarian aid.

From Wednesday 5 to Sunday 9 March,

every day from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

(Late night opening: until 10 p.m.).

Tour & Taxis, 86c, Avenue du Port

1000 Brussels.

Admission: 7 (full price)

Information and tickets:

070 660 601 and www.ticketnet.be

>> Sunday 9 March at 1 p.m.,

“Simone de Beauvoir, the art ofmoving us”

To commemorate the centenary of her birth, it

is interesting to look into the career and work

of an extraordinary woman. What is her

heritage today?

With Natacha Polony (“L'homme est l'avenir de

la femme”, Lattès). Chaired by Kerenn Elkaïm.

All these events will be taking place in

the “Grand-Place”

APPOINTMENT>> Americana

The Brussels Choral Society and the Brussels

Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Eric

Delson, present “Americana”, a concert of

American music. The programme includes

George Gershwin: Porgy & Bess (extracts),

Leonard Bernstein: Overture to “Candide”, West

Side Story Concert Suite, Aaron Copland:

Appalachian Spring and John Corigliano: Fern Hill.

On 13 March at 8 p.m. Hall of the

Brussels Royal Conservatory. 30, Rue de

la Régence, 1000 Brussels.

Ticket prices:

40€ - 30€ - 20€ - 10 € (under the age of 26).

Tickets:

02 241 5148 and [email protected].

For more information,

visit www.brusselschoralsociety.com.

>> Italian Roots JazzTwo evenings of concerts featuring

extraordinary combinations of Italian music

(jazz, traditional and classical). While the second

evening on 6 March will unveil the CD by Al

Funduq (with Pierre Vaiana), the first will unveil

no less than the first CD by the excellent trio

Florizoone-Massot-Horbaczewskiainsi and the

magical duo Trovesi-Coscia. Of interest to the

curious and those with a good ear for music!

On 29 February at 8 p.m.

Florizoone/Massot/Horbaczewski and

Gianluigi Trovesi & Gianni Coscia.

On 6 March at 8 p.m.

Pierre Vaiana & Al Funduq, Zoumana

Dembélé, Fabian Fiorini, Carlo Rizzo, Nicolas

Thys and Giovanni Di Salvo.

Molière, Galerie de la Porte de Namur,

3, Square du Bastion, 1050 Ixelles.


8 / L E I S U R E

L E I S U R E

Belgium andthe comic strip:

quite a storyThe Belgian Strip Cartoon Centre (CBBD) is the veritable

temple of comic strips in Belgium. Over 4,000 m2

dedicated to paper characters. Between boxes and bubbles,discover one of the country’s great sources of pride

Blistering barnacles! What the…? Are we

there yet Papa Smurf? Hubba Hubba!

These Romans are crazy! I'm a poor

lonesome cowboy... All of these interjections

have clearly entered our language over time.

Today, they form part of our mental universe

and our bearings. Do we dare? Yes, we might

almost refer to them as being like a lighthouse

in the night! Here in Belgium, if Belgians have a

brick in their stomachs, then they also have a

bubble in their heads, and it has nothing to do

with the Champagne method!

Located a few streets away from the Grand-

Place, the strip comic museum has taken refuge

in a building equal to the enthralling mission of

providing the public with an in-depth look at

Belgian and European works in the field of

cartoon strips. What joy to stroll around inside

one of Victor Horta’s finest creations. Fan of

phylacteries? You will be overjoyed because you

will be able to see numerous examples of the

vigour of this art form, from its development up

to its most modern forms. Take the time to walk

around the permanent and temporary

exhibitions, the quality library, the creative

workshops and so on.

As you are undoubtedly aware, French-

speaking Belgium played an active role in the

Crédit : CBBD


L E I S U R E / 9

L E I S U R E

development of the comic strip in the 20th

century. Back in 1928, Georges Rémi, alias

Hergé (who created Tintin in 1929), became

responsible for the “Petit Vingtième”, a

children’s supplement of a major newspaper

of the time. Ten years later, it was the turn of

“Spirou” to see the light of day. In 1946,

following the Second World War, the weekly

“Tintin” also appeared.

In the 1950s, Belgian supremacy was not a

vague concept. The “Marcinelle School”,

headed up by Dupuis Publishers, was to show

the full extent of its talent, with people such as

Franquin, Yvan Delporte, Morris, Peyo, Will and

Jijé. In the 1970s, the monthly magazine “A

Suivre” was to bring the Belgian comic strip

into the adult world, revealing talented authors

such as Schuiten, Sokal, Comès and Servais.

The names of series such as Spirou and

Fantasio, Gaston Lagaffe, Tif and Tondu, Lucky

Luke, the Smurfs, Buck Danny, or more

recently Le Petit Spirou, Largo Winch, Thorgal

and Kid Paddle, have all spilled over the

borders of the French-speaking world. You will

be able to discover this fabulous epic dating

back more than 75 years at the Belgian Strip

Cartoon Centre. What an excellent idea for an

outing for both children and grown ups.

>> Exhibition: Spirou iscelebrating its 70th

birthday!

It’s true. The famous bellboy is now a

septuagenarian. Spirou Magazine emerged for

the first time from the rotary presses of

Dupuis, in the suburbs of Charleroi, on 21

April 1938. This editorial venture, which is

unique in Europe, will be illustrated in a

number of ways thanks to quite exceptional

documents, including original plates, photos,

videos and other objects. Did you know that in

Wallonia, Spirou is used to refer to a

mischievous, rebellious boy.

To give you an idea of the phenomenon and

its influence in Europe, let us share a statistic.

Since Spirou Magazine was created, over 500

characters have been invented by as many

cartoonists and writers. Just think, across the

whole of the European continent, only the

Journal de Mickey (France) is four years older

and is still around today.

The Centre will provide keys to

understanding the magazine’s success and

longevity. In particular, it will look at Spirou’s

great transparency, very often blending

fiction and reality, as well as the special

relationship with its readers. Fans will be able

to experience the magazine office as if they

were really part of it. The peak of this special

interaction can, of course, be seen in the

adventures of Gaston Lagaffe, an office

junior at the magazine, who stands out more

because of his repeated escapades than

because of the quality of his work.

Since Spirou Magazine has always

endeavoured to keep up to date, the special

exhibition will provide a snapshot of the state

of the world decade by decade. You will also

be able to admire 500 selected covers. In

addition to all the rare documents, an

impressive number of original plates will be

available to the public, enabling the public to

discover the magazine from the inside. A

ripping time to be had, which you should

experience without delay.

Ask for the programme!The Belgian Strip Cartoon Centre is organisingseveral temporary exhibitions throughout 2008.It is kicking off the year, as we have seen, with amajor retrospective about the 70 year existenceof Spirou Magazine, which will last until June.Then, up until November, place of honour will begiven to those little blue creatures. To celebrate50 years since they were first created, the Smurfswill be landing at the Centre to celebrate thisanniversary fittingly. An opportunity to revisitthe fantastic universe of the late lamented Peyo.Finally, to round off the year beautifully, therewill be a special focus on the new comic strip forchildren. An opportunity to show that, asidefrom their output for adult audiences,storytellers such as Sfar, Trondheim and Robinhave also turned their attention to youngeraudiences. A fine programme to warm up for2009, when the CBBD will actually be celebratingits 20th birthday!

Smurfs Exhibition10/06-16/11New Comic Strip for Children Exhibition18/11/08-22/02/09

From 12 February 2008 to 8 June 2008

Spirou Magazine

The adventures of a magazine office

Belgian Strip Cartoon Centre

20, Rue des Sables, 1000 Brussels

Open every day (except Monday)

from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Tel.: 02 219 19 80

[email protected]


10 / Day to Day in Brussels

F O C U S

The magic of the Christmas markets has

only just finished, with their glühwein,

their gingerbread and their inimitable

way of warming up the winter, with hearty

and convivial German culture. Last month, the

Kafka Marathon at Passa Porta was a great

success, then the following evening it was the

Viennese Ball which presented its pretty

debutantes at the Concert Noble in Brussels.

At the end of the month, a play by Bertolt

Brecht will be set to music by Claude Semal at

the Théâtre de la Vie... Germany is

everywhere, you only have to listen, look

around you and you’re struck by so many

events, so much going on ... such dynamism!

And it’s true that the Germans living in Brussels

are spoilt: over the years, this small community

with some 15,000 members throughout

Belgium (although the vast majority live in the

region of Brussels), has arranged itself in order

to find a little bit of “Deutsche Leben” right in

the heart of the capital of Europe: from the

bakery to the bookshop via the Biergarten,

Brussels a moult bons plans allemands... open

to everyone !

>> Brussels, seen from Germany:the European stereotype

Inga Hoff is a journalist for the German TV

channel ZDF. A 24 year old trainee, she arrived in

Brussels from Leipzig in October 2007 and is sad

Munich

Credits: Photos.com

Germany in Brusselsto be going back at the end of February... Yet

like many Germans who have to come and work

in Brussels, she didn’t have a very exciting

picture of the Belgian capital: “As far as I was

concerned, I was going into a grey city where it

rains a lot and which, above all, was the capital

of the European Union, with loads of offices”.

When I left for Brussels, people said: “Say hello

to Barroso”, joking. She quickly found out in the

course of both her professional and leisure

activities that “It’s a very lively city, where there

are a lot of young people, cultural activities,

pretty places”. The little Belgian plus point

which soon struck her when she was out and

about: the extraordinary number of sauces to

accompany... chips!

On the other hand, whilst contacts between

“expats” sharing the same language are very

easy, Inga regrets that she was unable to meet

Bruxellois as easily. “When you’re new, it’s very

easy in a work situation or on online German

sites, to make friends with other Germans or

other expats”, she remarks. “However, I had

the impression that the Bruxellois do not really

seek contact with “foreigners”, they’ve already

got a whole network after all”. And it’s true

that only a very small minority take part in

events such as apéros urbains, @seven or other

ways well used by Europeans for making friends

outside of work.

Deutschland en miniaturein WezembeekEine kleine deutsche Gemeinschaft hat sich in

Wezembeek-Oppem angesiedelt, wo die

Deutsche Schule Brüssel auf einem weitläufigen

grünen Campus ihren Sitz hat. Träger der

Schule ist der Deutsche Schulverein Brüssel, von

der Bundesrepublik Deutschland finanziell wird

sie unterstützt.

Die Schule zählt ca. 550 Schülerinnen und

Schüler in der Primär- und Sekundarstufe,

weitere 90 Kinder besuchen den Kindergarten.

Die Schulgebühren belaufen sich auf über 3

000 Euro im Kindergarten, 5 000 Euro in der

Grundschule und fast 6 000 Euro im

Gymnasium. 50 Lehrkräfte unterrichten auf

Deutsch und in manchen Fächern der

Sekundarstufe auch auf Englisch. Rund um die

Schule hat sich zwischen Buchladen, Bäckerei,

Lebensmittelgeschäft und Schreibwarenladen

in gewisser Weise ein Deutschland en miniature

entwickelt. Nicht weit vom Schulgelände gibt es

sogar einen dieser in Deutschland so überaus

beliebten Biergärten, wo man zusammen mit

Freunden an langen schmalen Bierbänken

draußen im Grünen oder auf einer schönen

großen Terrasse ein Bier trinken kann. Das Lokal,

das früher Schinderhannes hieß, wurde vor

kurzem übernommen und renoviert. Unter

dem neuen Namen Bistro Berlin ist es heute

eine gemütliche, trendige Mischung aus

Restaurant und Bierbar. Und da das Wetter nun

einmal so ist wie es ist, kann man in diesem

Biergarten selbst dann sein Bier trinken, wenn

es regnet, heißt es schmunzelnd auf der

Internetseite des Bistro Berlin.


11



F O C U S

A German tradition in Brussels: for years young

Germans have had a set time to meet in Brussels

at a place which is soon passed on to

newcomers : the Assiette de Bernard, place

Jourdan, is the “place to be” for Germans, who

happily meet up there on Tuesday evenings (see

the address in the practical guide).

>> The Germans, seen fromBrussels: caricatures well-entrenched

Annick comes from Cologne. Now working in

the assets sector, she is rather amused by the

image which Germans have amongst the

Bruxellois. “Definitely, a German has no sense

of humour, he works hard making solid cars,

for example. He’s also a solidly built, big eater

who is not much of a connoisseur, so he eats

only cold meat in the morning, eats potatoes

with every meal, can’t do without his dark

German bread and drinks even more beer

than a Belgian! On the good side, we’re very

concerned about the environment... These are

crazy stereotypes but they’re well-

entrenched”, says the smiling young woman

who has nevertheless integrated fully into

Brussels society.

>> The “Brussels way of Life”

Once set up in their new life in Brussels, it

nevertheless has to be said that the Germans

see the good side of life. “Natural” links are

forged with the Dutch-speaking community in

particular. For whilst it’s true that the French-

speaking Belgians tend to turn towards France

and Paris, the Dutch speakers have greater

links with Germany and Berlin. It is also

estimated that in Flanders, 20% of pupils and

students learn German, whereas in schools

and universities in the French-speaking zones,

the figure is only 4%.

And then they discover here a city which

gradually gets under your skin, with its large

parks, its green surroundings, its history, its

elevated cultural level: proportionally, Brussels

has more plays performed than Paris or

London! They appreciate the sense of comfort

here peculiar to Northern Europe and are

pleased to find residential districts like in

Germany, namely big white houses with big

kitchens and gardens ... like you can see so

many of in Wezembeek-Oppem, a district very

popular with the German community (see

elsewhere).

Furthermore, almost 80% of the Germans

who have come to work here for the European

Union decide to stay in Brussels when they

retire. Like all the other European civil servants,

it’s not so easy to give up an “international”

life in a capital and return to what in some

cases is a provincial town where you haven’t

necessarily got friends any more...

>>Drinking and eatingTiroler Stüberl - Chez Melitta

Av. De l'Hippodrome, 124 - 1050 Ixelles

Tel. : 02 640 02 70

Weinstube MaxBurg

Rue Stevin 108 - 1000 Bruxelles

Tel. : 02.230.22.67

Bistro Berlin (Biergarten)

Lange Eikstraat 82 - 1970 Wezembeek-Oppem

Tel.: 02 731.93.11

Assiette de Bernard (au rendez-vous

des Allemands)

Place Jourdan 48, 1040 Bruxelles

Open from 12 to 3 pm and from 6 to 11 pm.

Closed Saturday lunchtimes, Sundays and

public holidays - Tel. : 02 230 89 35

>> Specialities

Gunter Laden (Traiteur)

Av. de Burbure, 10 - 1970 Wezembeek-

Oppem. - Tél. : 02 306 70 72

Deutsche Bäckerei und Konditoreï Brüssel

(Boulangerie)

Place Saint-Pierre, 15 - 1970 Wezembeek-

Oppem. - Tel. : 02 273 21 73

Brinkert Deutsche Bäkerei (Boulangerie)

Rue Henri Vandermaelen 77

1150 Woluwe-St-Pierre

>> Culture

Lesezeichen (Librairie)

Rue F. Vander Elst, 38

1950 Kraainem - Tel. : 02 784 23 34

Deutschsprachige Gutenberg-

Buchhandlung

Rue de Louvain, 34 - 1000 Bruxelles

02 512 45 10

Rue d'Argile, 26 - 1950 Kraainem

02 731 83 29

KUB.

A literary get together for German speakers is

organised by KUB.

Avenue de la Liberté, 17 - 1081 Koekelberg.

Tel. : 02/412.42.16.

Goethe Institut.

Rue Belliard, 58 - 1000 Bruxelles

Tel. : 02 230 39 70

www.goethe.de/brussel

Papeterie Paper Ranch

Newspapers and magazines, educational

material

Lange Eikstraat, 82 - 1970 Wezembeek-Oppem.

Tel. : 02 766 16 10

>> Miscellaneous

Embassy of the Federal Republic

of Germany

Avenue de Tervueren, 190 - 1150 Woluwe-St-

Pierre - Tel. : 02 774 19 11

It keeps a list of German-speaking doctors.

Belgieninfo.net

An Internet site supplied by some 50

contributors which talks about German

current events in Belgium and Belgium in all

areas: hot topics, culture, ecology.... All in

German.

www.belgieinfo.net

Association belgo-allemande

Belgisch-Deutsche Gesellschaft Brüssel

Rue E. Clausstraat 7 -1000 Brüssel

Tel.: 02 647 41 35

Association belgo-allemande Flandre

Belgisch-Deutsche Gesellschaft Flandern

Donksesteenweg 58 a - 2930 Brasschaat

Tel.: 02 36516838

En pratique



F O C U S

Koln at night

Credits: Photos.com

At an international level, the Goethe

Institut is Germany’s most important

cultural institution. Founded in 1959,

the Goethe-Institut Brüssel has been in the rue

Belliard since 1963.

Its mission is to promote the German language

abroad, to encourage international cultural

cooperation and to communicate an image of

Germany which is as complete as possible, by

informing people about the cultural, social and

political life of the country.

It organises and holds cultural events

(conferences, exhibitions, concerts, dance

shows and lectures), always in cooperation

with other institutions in the host country. But

the Goethe Institut is also language courses for

all levels, workshops and seminars for those

teaching German as a foreign language and a

very varied programme of exams.

More broadly, the Information Centre of the

Goethe-Institut Brüssel provides information

about cultural aspects of the cultural, social

and political life of Germany. Finally, all the

departments of the Goethe-Institut Brüssel play

an active part in the European dialogue. The

Goethe-Institut Brüssel is considered to be a

European cultural institution. The Goethe-

Institut Brüssel is a member of the consortium

of European cultural institutes in Belgium –

CICEB, and in this capacity organises projects

with other cultural institutes, as well as with

other European institutions.

Dynamic and active, it’s a point of reference for

all Germans working in Brussels and Belgium

who happily attend the numerous events

organised by this cultural hub.

Schreiben in der Spracheder neuen Heimat

Im Rahmen des Europäischen Jahres des

interkulturellen Dialogs 2008 organisiert

das Goethe-Institut eine Ausstellung zu

Schriftstellern, die nicht nur in ein neues

Land, sondern auch in eine zweite Sprache

einwanderten, in der sie fortan schrieben.

Eine Ausstellung mit Fotoporträts der

Chamisso-Preisträger bildet das Rahmen-

programm zur Lesereihe. Seit 1985 vergibt

die Robert Bosch Stiftung den Adelbert-von-

Chamisso-Preis an ausgewählte Autoren.

Dieser Preis ist nach dem deutschen Dichter

und Botaniker französischer Herkunft

benannt, dessen Werke im 19. Jahrhundert

in Deutschland außerordentlich beliebt

waren.

Die Ausstellung der Porträts aller

Preisträgerinnen und Preisträger ist vom 30.

Januar bis 17. April 2008 in den

Räumlichkeiten des Goethe-Instituts Brüssel

zu sehen. Sie umfasst 50 gerahmte Porträts

mit kurzen Textbeschreibungen.

Ausstellung bis 17. April im

Goethe-Institut Brüssel, Eintritt frei.

Tel.: 02 230 39 70

The Goethe Institut, the point ofreference for German culture



15

F O C U S

Even if it is less “international” than

French or Italian cuisine, German food

should not be looked down on. High

quality cold meats are the stars, as well as the

sausages which form the basis of copious

meals. Among the typical dishes based on

bread, you absolutely must try the inimitable

“knödels”, as well as feasting on

“schpazzles”, the German noodles which are

poached and then fried. Another facet of

German food is the great diversity of its beers,

which you can try at any time: we won’t get

into describing them, suffice it to say that there

are 5000 different ones !

Germany is also the country for bread, without

a doubt : 95% of Germans say that they eat

bread very regularly, and this craze shows no

sign of abating. There are over 300 sorts, not

counting “brötchen”, those little rolls in all

shapes and all flavours: 1200 sorts have

been counted throughout Germany, with

varying names such as Semmel, Wecke,

Schrippe, Schusterjunge or Pfennigmuggel.

In bakeries, you commonly find Weissbrot:

white bread; Schwarzbrot: black bread;

Vollkornbrot: wholemeal bread (filled and

covered with seeds of all kinds!);

Pumpernickel: the black rye bread of

Westphalia.

Nor can you get away from the famous

“Wursten” prepared in numerous different

ways depending on where they come from:

the Weisswurst of Munich (the famous big

white sausage); Bratwurst: a very popular

pre-cooked sausage made from veal (or veal

and pork); Knackwurst which is very like

Frankfurters; Leberwurst: a liver sausage from

the Kassel region; and Currywurst which

originates from Berlin and is obviously curry

flavoured.

On the dessert side, the patisseries are

worth going out of your way for … their

enormous creamy cakes defy measurement

in calories! The most popular: Käsekuchen

(a cake made with fromage blanc),and the

famous Swarzwälder Kirschtorte (Black

Forest gateau).

Whilst Germans are fond of accompanying

their simple dishes with potato salad made

with onions and various herbs, you can

obviously also find other more complex dishes

in German kitchens, such as roast port with

spices, pikeperch with mustard butter,

Bavarian-style pork knuckle (cooked with onion

and carrot, flavoured with cumin), pichelsteiner

(meat cooked in stock with potatoes and other

vegetables, with paprika), leberkäse (meat loaf

made from pork loin), himmel und erde (grilled

black pudding, heaven and earth).

Everything will be accompanied by mustard, a

product which the Germans are famous

for being mad about. Extra-strong

mustard is generally served with cold meat;

strong mustard is an essential accompaniment

for sausages; mild mustard often complements

the taste of Leberkäse (a sort of meat loaf with

a delicately spongy texture also known as

Fleischkäse) or any kind of pâté; finally, sweet

mustard is served with mild sausages and is

very popular in Bavaria.

On Germanplates

A Bertolt Brechton stageAt the Théâtre de la Vie, from 26

February to 22 March, they will be

performing “Homme pour homme”

(“Mann ist Mann”), a comedy by

Bertolt Brecht, in 11 scenes, based on a

French text by Benno Besson and

Geneviève Serreau. .

The story : in the legendary and

mysterious décor of the British Colonial

Empire and the hundred thousand soldiers

of the British Indian Army, the army of Her

Majesty the Queen of England, we follow

Galy Gay, an Irish commissioner and a man

incapable of saying no. Around him, a

myriad of characters, each one more

unique than the others and even an

elephant... The whole thing has been set to

music and song by Claude Semal... you can

be sure it won’t be sad.

One of Bertolt Brecht’s early plays (he

was 27 when he wrote it) which he wrote

as a reaction against romanticism and

naturalism. In its tone, form and scenic

devices, “Man ist Man” marks the start of

a revolutionary theatrical style.

This play, one of his most surprising, is still

very influenced by cabaret and its vicious

humour, Karl Valentin reminds us, and by

the silent movies of Chaplin. With Clément

Thirion, Dominique Rongvaux, Jean-

François Politzer, Laurence Warin...

From 26 February to 22 March at the

atelier théâtre de la vie, rue

Traversière 45 1210 St-Josse.

Res. : 02/ 219 60 06 .

www.theatredelavie.be



F O C U S

1963The Porsche factory presented the legendary

911. This car was to enter the annuals of

motor car history for ever. Numerous technical

developments separate this model from the

Porsche 911 Carrera which fans love.

1969Willy Brandt became the West German

Chancellor. This politician was to battle to

reunite the two Germanies (Ostpolitik). His

work earned him a Nobel Peace Prize in 1971.

1972During the Olympic Games in Munich, eleven

Israeli athletes were killed by a group (Black

September) of Palestinian terrorists. Many

years later, Steven Spielberg made a film

about this dramatic subject.

1974More than 35 years after the Beetle (it was to

“die” four years later), Volkswagen launched

its worthy successor: the Golf. Its success was

as formidable as that of its mythical

“ancestor”. The Golf is now an integral part of

the VW universe.

1985Boris Becker won the Wimbledon

championships. At 17, he was the youngest

player ever to win this British international

tournament. He beat the American Kevin

Curren in four sets. The German tennis player

went on to enjoy a highly successful career.

1989The month of November will remain engraved

on our memories. The Berlin Wall came down.

On the evening of the 9th, thousands of

Berliners opened the border posts. Two days

previously, 1 million inhabitants of Eastern

Berlin had demonstrated, leading to the

collective resignation of the communist

government.

19452 May, the red flag is flying over Berlin. Nazi

Germany has been beaten. The country will

have to rebuild itself after the folly of the war.

Europe is divided between East and West. We

are at the start of a long period of cold war

which will last more than 40 years.

1948Creation of the German Mark following an

economic reform carried out by France, Great

Britain and the USA. Poverty and inflation were

a major concern for Germany at the time. In

1949, the FRG (Federal Republic of Germany)

took shape. In response, the GDR (German

Democratic Republic) was created by the USSR.

1951Creation of the ESCS. This European

cooperation in the field of coal and steel was

the first manifestation of a future European

Union. Six countries signed a treaty which

created a common market: Belgium, France,

Luxembourg, Italy, the Netherlands and the

FRG. In the case of the latter, the signatory

was Konrad Adenauer, the first president of

the Republic.

1954The FRG won the world cup against Hungary’s

“golden eleven” or Puskas’s team. Having

been humiliated 8-3 in the first round match,

the Germans took their revenge thanks to a

goal by Rahn in the last five minutes of the

game.

1961

The building of the Berlin wall was well

underway. The GDR authorities decided to

separate the city’s occupied zones with

concrete and barbed wire. The objective

was two-fold: to stop the emigration of

East German citizens and to suffocate West

Berlin.

1990For the third time, Germany won the world

cup. The team was coached by the Kaiser

himself. Franz Beckenbauer and his troops

beat Argentina 1-0 in the final. It was

Brehme’s penalty which gave them the victory

five minutes from the end of the match, just

like in 1954.

1990In October, less than a year after the fall of the

wall, Germany celebrated its reunification. A

new Germany was born. Berlin was to be its

capital.

1992Two events: Michael Schumacher won his first

F1 Grand Prix at Spa in Belgium and Arte was

born. The Franco-German cultural television

channel is a great example of the friendship

between the two countries. Fifteen years later

it is still enjoying undoubted success in the

audio-visual landscape.

1999The Reichstag once again became the seat of

the German parliament. A glass cupola towers

47 metres above it; glass was chosen as a

symbol of the transparency of democracy.

Berlin was in the midst of an architectural

boom.

2005Angela Merkel was the first woman to

become German Chancellor. She replaced

Gerard Schröder.

2006After a European Cup in 1988, Germany

organised the final phase of a World Cup. The

local team reached the semi-finals, losing the

match to Italy.

Germany’s big dates

Politics, economics, art, sport... the wealth of theGerman people from 1945 to the present day





20 / M U L T I M E D I A

MULTIMEDIA

Mobiles for doing everything

In 2008, GSM will talk 3G + (the high-speed

mobile), wi-fi will get new television

channels. It is capable of reacting to the

stimuli of an index finger run over the touch

screen. It aids navigation in towns thanks to

GPS. Obviously the technology is invisible and

the object is stylish as the latest invention of

Steve Jobs. The mobile phone industry is

gambling that beautiful tools and ingenious

services will make the use of this equipment

take off for something other than making

phone calls. 1.137 billion mobile phones were

sold around the world in 2007 for 3.2 billion

subscribers - i.e. one in two people. Now all

they need to do is give them a taste for change.

The same terminal for making phone calls,

surfing the Net, swapping multimedia files,

watching television programmes...

Revolutionary? Yes and no. Already in recent

months the major manufacturers have unveiled

a host of multifunctional models.

Here is a quick overview of all the possibilities

offered to us today by this tool, whose

performances and qualities have not stopped

surprising us yet.

>> The star of the market, the iPhone

The iPhone is presented as a revolutionary

mobile phone, an iPod with a panoramic

screen with tactile controls and an innovative

Internet communication device with e-mail,

web browsing, search and cartography

functionalities worthy of an office computer.

The whole thing in a small, light case with a

stunning design. The iPhone is 11.5 cm high,

6.5 cm wide and 65 mm thick. The arrival of the

iPhone and its concept based totally on this

type of integration, enabled new standards to

be defined which are today being developed by

all the competition.

>> Samsung G800

This offers you a sliding keypad, HSDPA (High

Speed Downlink Packet Access), an LED screen,

a 5 megapixel digital camera with autofocus

and a 3x optical zoom, Bluetooth 2.0,

multimedia reader, FM tuner and a microSD

memory port, all only 14.9mm thick.

Over the last few years, the uses and functions of GSMhave just kept on growing, to the point that it is a

companion at all times which most of us today wouldhave trouble doing without.


M U L T I M E D I A / 21

MULTIMEDIA

.>> Sony Ericsson XPeria X1The Xperia X1 therefore offers a 3.2 megapixel APN with

autofocus, 3G and 3G+ (HSUPA compatible), a 3" touch screen

with VGA resolution, namely 640x480 and 65K colours,

Bluetooth with A2DP, WiFi b/g, FM tuner, an integrated A-GPS

compatible GPS, 400Mo of internal memory, a microSD memory

port and not a Memory Stick M2, all under Windows Mobile

with an XPERIA welcome interface, in 110x53x16.7mm and

weighing 145g.

>> Nokia N96

This smartphone, known as the "Nokia

N96" is quadriband GSM, GPRS, EDGE,

UMTS and HSDPA. Compact (103 x 55 x

18 mm with a volume of 92cm3) and light

(125 grams), the smartphone comes more

under the category of “musicphones”

with no less than 16 Go of internal

memory, in addition to a slot for a Micro

SD memory card, thus enabling it to

potentially have 24 Go of memory space!

The Nokia N96 will be marketed during the

third quarter of 2008.

Motorola RIZR Z8

HSDPA compatible, 3.6 Mbps, the

Moto Z8 has a 2.2" QVGA screen (240

x 320 pixels) with 16 million colours, a 2

megapixel APN and Bluetooth

connectivity. Amongst the accessories

supplied are the MotoROKR S9 Bluetooth

headphones with A2DP profile control

(wireless stereo listening) and AVRCP (remote

control from headphones).


IAC DELTA210-220 Bd des Invalides

02/674 45 111160 Bruxelles

IAC MEISER770 Chée de Louvain

02/702 31 241030 Bruxelles

IAC DROGENBOSGroteBaan 33202/334 40 40

1620 Drogenbos

IAC BERCHEM1255 Chée de Gand

02/481 65 801082 Berchem-Ste-Agathe

IAC VILVOORDEMechelsesteenweg 306

02/252 16 631800 Vilvoorde

Gar. LAMBERTRue Vanderkindere 211

02/343 53 951180 Uccle


IAC DELTA210-220 Bd des Invalides

02/674 45 111160 Bruxelles

IAC MEISER770 Chée de Louvain

02/702 31 241030 Bruxelles

IAC DROGENBOSGroteBaan 33202/334 40 40

1620 Drogenbos

IAC BERCHEM1255 Chée de Gand

02/481 65 801082 Berchem-Ste-Agathe

IAC VILVOORDEMechelsesteenweg 306

02/252 16 631800 Vilvoorde

Gar. LAMBERTRue Vanderkindere 211

02/343 53 951180 Uccle

Gar. MEURISAv. Albert 1er 302

02/653 22 721332 Genval


S H O P P I N G

Bien se sentir chez soi,c'est important

Dans le cadre du salon Batibouw 2008,nous vous invitons à découvrir les

tendances actuelles salles de bain etfeux ouverts. Des idées pour vous aider

à peaufiner votre cocon à votre goût

Dans le cadre du salon Batibouw 2008,nous vous invitons à découvrir les

tendances actuelles salles de bain etfeux ouverts. Des idées pour vous aider

à peaufiner votre cocon à votre goût

Batibouw 2008 mise sur la durabilitéLe salon annuel de la construction et de larénovation, ouvrira ses portes le 28 février prochain.Jusqu'au 9 mars, toutes les nouveautés en matière deconstruction et d'aménagement intérieur serontprésentées sur le plateau du Heysel. Batibouw miseplus encore que les éditions précédentes sur ladurabilité et l'économie d'énergie. L'orientation de lafuture construction, le choix des matériaux, larécupération des eaux de pluies font entre autrespartie des paramètres à prendre en compte. Lenombre d'exposants passera à près de 1000 quiseront répartis dans les 12 palais de Brussels Expo.

>> INFOS: www.batibouw.com

© Photographer: Tomasz Markowski |

Agency: Dreamstime.com


S H O P P I N G / 25

S H O P P I N G

de maîtriser le feu et d'en restituer toute

l'énergie. Le côté esthétique est bien

entendu très important aussi. Les différentes

marques rivalisent d'ingéniosité pour rendre

votre intérieur unique. Des modèles comme

cet In Fire (Bodart & Gonay) sont de

tendances multi-combustibles (bois,

briquettes, charbon). Cet appareil d'angle

permet aussi une large vision sur le feu.

Il sera aussi important pour votre confort de

vérifier que le modèle choisi favorise le

prélèvement d'air de l'extérieur, la

circulation de l'air chaud dans la pièce et sa

diffusion vers une pièce voisine.

Enfin, les encastrables au gaz connaissent

aussi un certain succès ces derniers temps.

Leur design moderne, leur sécurité et la

présence d'une belle flamme en longueur

assurent leur popularité.

Poêle extérieur : il prend plus de place que

le feu encastré et se transforme souvent en

objet de décoration au design particulier

imaginé par le fabricant. Les poêles assurent

le plus souvent un meilleur rendement et ne

nécessitent pas de ventilateur. Le point

négatif tient au fait que le risque de brûlure

est plus élevé. La taille de la pièce, son

isolation, un bon système de cheminée

d'évacuation interviendront aussi dans le

rendement élevé de votre poêle. Dans ce

segment aussi l'offre est assez

impressionnante: poêle en stéatite (pierre

naturelle réfractaire), poêle en céramique

(pierre inifuge et carrelages), à 3 fonctions

(feu vitré/feu ouvert/feu continu), poêle

chaudière... Cette dernière possibilité

s'inscrit dans un esprit de développement

d'énergies alternatives. La poêle chaudière

chauffe l'eau et l'envoie dans les différents

radiateurs de la maison via des vannes

thermostatiques. Pour faire fonctionner

cette poêle chaudière, on utilise des pellets

(sciure de bois en granules) ou du bois. La

Région Wallonne offre de sérieuses primes si

vous optez pour ce type de chauffage.

>> Infos:

http://www.livios.be

http://www.stuv.be

http://www.b-g.be/

http://www.girretzpierre.be/

Chaleur, convivialité, bonheur

simple... Les poêles et feux ouverts

sont une source de bonne humeur

et de joie dans une habitation. Entendre le

bois crépiter, voir les flammes consumer le

bois, quel luxe ! Visite de la famille, fêtes de

fin d'année, soirée romantique, coup de

froid... Les occasions sont toujours bonnes

pour lancer un bon feu. Dans ce domaine,

vous l'aurez compris, si vous vous y êtes

intéressés récemment, le choix est vaste. Il

sera influencé par le budget et les goûts du

ménage. Le rendement du système aura

une influence sur votre portefeuille et sur

l'environnement. Ce dernier point n'est

plus anecdotique aujourd'hui.

>> Plusieurs systèmescoexistent et offrent des possibilités vraiment variées.

Le feu ouvert : C'est le plus ancien type de

foyers. Les formats sont très diversifiés. Son

point fort ? Le bruit et l'image dont profitent

directement les amateurs. Son point faible ?

Une consommation importante de combus-

tible et un rendement faiblard. Il existe

aujourd'hui des systèmes qui offrent le choix

rapide entre feu ouvert ou fermé d'un

simple geste ! Ainsi, comme sur notre

illustration, la gamme Phénix de Bodart &

Gonay permet de jouir à la fois du spectacle

des flammes et de se sentir sécurisé avec un

feu fermé via une porte escamotable.

Cassette encastrable : ce type de foyer

reste certainement le plus populaire chez

nous. Nichée dans le mur, elle doit être

équipée d'un ventilateur pour souffler l'air

chaud. Ce système offre le grand avantage

Quel bois choisir?Les différentes essences ont des rendements calorifiques différents.Optez davantage pour des bois durs comme le chêne, le hêtre, lefrêne, le charme, les fruitiers. Ces familles produisent de bellesflammes, beaucoup de braises qui restent longtemps incandescentes.Le bois doit impérativement être bien sec. Un bois trop mouillédégage beaucoup de fumée, encrasse le foyer, la vitre et lacheminée... Lorsque votre bois sèche, protégez-le de la pluie etassurez-lui une bonne ventilation. A quoi reconnaît-on de bonnesbûches? Leur poids est léger et elles produisent un son clair quandon les entrechoque. A éviter, les bois qui ont subi un traitementchimique comme des traverses de chemin de fer, de l'aggloméré...

© Bodart - Phnenix

© Stûv


26 / S H O P P I N G

Batibouw, being held at the Heysel

from 28th February to 9th March, will

be taking an all-new look at

bathrooms. No other area of the home has

changed as fast and as radically as the

bathroom. In just 10 years, sober,

functional bathrooms have become living

spaces, dedicated to well-being. Pleasure is

the new watchword. In this room, which is

undergoing the same revolution as the

kitchen – a closed technical area which has

become a living space open to the other

rooms – now almost anything goes!

The hygienic, almost clinical bathroom

has definitely left the building, making

space for a hedonistic, cosy space where

the layout and the ambiance can change

several times in a lifetime.

The bathroom is stylish, curvy, and filled with

light. The fittings, the bath and the radiators

have taken a stance against the traditional

white and now appear in lively shades of

red, yellow, apple green, orange, and

fuchsia. Their shapes have swapped angles

and straight lines for gentler curves and

rounds or ovals. Finally, the bathroom has

lights everywhere - the ceiling, the walls, the

shower, the bath, and the wash hand basin.

At Aquamass, you’ll always find great

innovations. This time it’s the “Dip” range

of baths – the same simple shape as their

big brother, the “Stone One”, but made of

Plasticryl, an innovative material similar to

plastic, which is 100% recyclable and

smooth to the touch. Presentation: “Dip

Softies” come in cheerful colours (yellow,

blue, red, green, orange, white, black,

translucent), “Dip Bicolour” baths are white

inside, with black gloss, white, silver or

gold, and, last but not least, "Dip-lighting"

baths are designed in translucent Plasticryl

equipped with micro-leds and state-of-the-

art technology for every colour.

Light years away from the cold

functionality of the past, today’s bathroom

is a place for relaxation and pleasure as well

as hygiene. The versatility of the Corian®

design makes this a material that can be

used for the most daring designs – fittings

with no visible joins, “zen” baths, surfaces

with ergonomic curves – while its warm

feel and its resistance to heat and rust help

to create a welcoming environment.

>> The superstar shower

Showers are for every generation, bringing

everyone together. Ousting baths, which

were previously seen as being more

comfortable, they will be the stars of

Batibouw. And with just cause. No more

old-fashioned square boxes enclosed by

rickety Plexiglas panels or tired shower

curtains. Now surrounded by fine, almost

invisible glass walls, the shower stall has

become a space ship. Hydromassage

column (with side, back and neck jets),

hammam, essential oils diffuser, sounds

and flashing lights in green, yellow, blue

and red, all combine to take the “traveller”

into another dimension.

No more dreary shower head. The latest

thing is a great flat or round ceiling fixture

where the water falls like the rain of your

dreams. Sometimes, in fact, as with Fantini,

the downpour comes from everywhere,

from the ceiling and the perforated walls.

This is about masses of water, and the

clients, manufacturers tell us, love that. The

shower now is also synonymous with

pleasure and astringency, compared with

the bath, seen as emollient.

There are many new items from the very

innovative German manufacturer

Dornbracht, but the most striking are the

Side Rain and Waterfall modules, which

give a real “waterfall” style shower.

The many shower heads, lit up with

integrated LEDs, like those from Bossini

(Dream Light shower ceiling) or Cristina

Rubinetterie (Sandwich Colours shower head)

finally confirm the research into new sensorial

perceptions in this new world dedicated to

well-being, while the “Hammam” steam

function is fast gaining ground.

A new room for pleasure

Photo: Dornbracht

Photos: K-Création

S H O P P I N G



28 / M O V I N G

M O V I N G

>> Photo photo photo

Entre l'église St-Paul et l'Hôtel de Ville, un lieu

à ne pas manquer : la maison européenne de

la photographie. Voué à la création

contemporaine, l'endroit est une bulle de

calme et allume la curiosité à travers quatre

expositions, quatre angles de « regard ». A ne

pas manquer : Edouard Boubat - Révélations

(jusqu'au 30 mars) : "Correspondant de

paix", selon l'expression de Prévert, Edouard

Boubat est une des grandes figures de la

photographie humaniste française.

5/7 rue de Fourcy - 75004 Paris.

33 (0)1 44 78 75 00.

>> Trendy

Les couleurs so flashy de la nouvelle collection

Patrizia Pepe, la boutique Galliano aux écrans

exubérants, la fourmillière qu'est devenue

Colette, la classe Burberry's et puis la place

Vendôme, les Tuileries, la Concorde belle à

s'étourdir... la rue Saint-Honoré s'offre à

profusion. Une petite halte ? Préférez un des

cafés autour de la place du marché St-Honoré

rénovée, à deux pas.

>>> Le thé du plaisir

La technologie n'a qu'à bien se tenir, elle n'a

d'un coup, plus aucun intérêt quand on passe

la porte de la boutique Mariage Frères dans le

Marais. C'est délicieux. L'odeur, le bois, les

boîtes... Tout. L'adresse est connue et il y a du

monde mais quel bonheur de se laisser guider

par des vendeurs concernés et passionnés à

travers ces mille et une saveurs. Mille et deux

d'ailleurs parce que le thé « Marco Polo » est

définitivement hors compétition. Evidemment,

on se pose au salon de thé sous la verrière. Pour

prendre le temps de savourer tout ce plaisir...

30 rue du Bourg-Tibourg, Paris 4e.

Ouvert 7j/7. 33(0)1 42 72 28 11.

>> Coup de coeur

Le musée du Jeu de Paume

Il y souffle toujours un vent d'étrangeté, le

coeur y bat toujours un peu plus vite... Là, des

mondes nouveaux apparaissent et c'est

étonnant, fascinant dans cet espace si

historique ! Et l'expo en cours trouve

définitivement sa place dans cet espace dédié à

l'art contemporain. Eija-Liisa Ahtila est une

des figures majeures de l'art vidéo. Elle met

en scène des personnages aux prises avec leurs

émotions, avec leur entourage et un

environnement instable. C'est secouant !

(Jusqu'au 30 mars)

1, place de la Concorde - 75001 Paris.

33 (0)1 47 03 12 51

PARIS pas pareilA la rencontre de Paris, entre centre historique etébullition nouvelle, du Marais au XIXe

arrondissement, des Tuileries au canal Saint-Martin...de Colette à Quai 71 !

St-Martin vs OurcqOn connaît bien le canal St-Martin, lieu deconvivialité s'il en est dans le Xe arrondissement oùl'on peut flâner en paix le dimanche puisque lesrues qui le longent sont interdites aux voitures alorsque les boutiques (Antoine et Lili, Stella Cadente,Quai 71, ...) sont elles toutes ouvertes. Chouette !Mais il existe un autre canal en pleine expansion : le canal de l'Ourcq dans le XIXe . Entre le complexecinéma MK2 Quai de Seine (Non loin de la placeStalingrad) qui accueille nombre d'expos etd'événements et le parc de la Villette, lancez-vousdans une balade tranquille sur les larges quais àpied ou à vélo (www.velib.paris.fr) !

Envie d'une pause ? Le Bar Ourcq (68, quai de laLoire, 75019 Paris), représentatif de l'ambiance ducoin qui prête des transats l'été pour paresserdevant le bassin de la Villette.


BRUSSELSChoose the address of your future well-being.

AUDERGHEM - CLOS CÉRÈS2 to 10 Clos Lucien Outers

Group of 3 apartment buildings, each

comprising around 20 flats, Clos Cérès

is an invitation to calm and serenity.

Clos Cérès is located 10 minutes away from the

three loveliest parks in Brussels, in the European

quarter, on the campus of the Université Libre de

Bruxelles and close to the main transport links.

40%SOLD

VISIT OUR SHOW FLAT - INFO: 0475 45 45 97

AUDERGHEM - CHASSE ROYALE - 2 to 10 Clos Lucien OutersDuplex penthouse: Brand new - Living area: 42 m2 - Kitchen: very well-equipped - Utility room

3 bedrooms : 14/11/11 m2 - Bathroom: 1 - Shower room: 1 - Toilets : 3 - Large patio area - Underground parking.

SPECIAL

OFFER

C O M E A N D V I S I T T H I S D U P L E X P E N T H O U S E - I N F O : 0 4 7 5 4 5 4 5 9 7

COMING SOOM

AUDERGHEM - DELTAConstruction of a new building on 4 to 6 levels,

housing 25 flats (1,774.35 m2), offices (3,500 m2),

a large specialist shop (1,455 m2) and a service

production business (1,906 m2)

Info: 02/679 20 20

www.pointbreak.bewww.bouygues-immobilier.be

L E I S U R E / 29


30 / D O L C E V I T A

DOLCE V ITA

LEDÉLICE

L'Allemagne nous invite à sa table. On pourrait

vous donner 3200 recettes de pains différents,

l'une des grandes spécialités du pays mais cela

serait peut-être un peu répétitif alors on a opté

pour les galettes de choucroute au saumon

fumé, soit, dans la langue de Goethe :

« Sauerkraut-Puffer mit Lachs ».

Ingrédients (Pour 4 personnes)

- 400 g de pommes de terre déjà cuites; 300 g

de choucroute; 1 oeuf et 1 jaune; sel et poivre;

1 pincée de cumin; 1 cuillère à soupe de

farine; 200 g de crème fraîche; 1 botte de

persil; 200 g de saumon fumé.

Préparation

Peler et écraser les pommes de terre. Les

mélanger à la choucroute. Ajouter ensuite la

farine, les épices et les oeufs.

Faire chauffer une poêle, y verser un peu

d'huile. Y cuire des galettes de choucroute :

elles doivent être dorées.

Servir avec du saumon fumé en tranche

accompagné de crème fraîche au persil.

L'OBJETDu sel, du poivre, de la gaieté

Rien de plus bête qu'une salière et son époux le poivrier ? Erreur, triple erreur ! Il faut vraiment

ne pas connaître « Mr et Mrs Chin », l'irrésistible collection

d'Alessi, designée par Stefano Giovannoni qui présente de

petits personnages aux couleurs éclatantes ! Pour que la

morne demande «Passe-moi le sel, chérie» devienne peps et

enlevée !

De la même façon, les « Chin » Poivre et Sel ont des

cousins minuteurs, de différentes couleurs...

Sel et poivre "Mr & Mrs Chin" Alessi

33 € le set. Minuteurs, 31 € / pièce

En vente notamment chez BUSS JADOUL Chaussée

de Charleroi 18 - 1060 Saint-Gilles

Tél. : 02 538 14 45 - www.marialiste.com

LE BON PLANPetit, futé et belge en plus !

Voilà l'ouvrage qu'il vous faut pour montrer

que décidément la Belgique, cela ne se résume

pas aux moules-frites et aux blagues racontées

avec l'accent du cru... « Le Petit Futé

Belgique » offre un aperçu exhaustif de

l'étonnante diversité historique et culturelle du

pays, et, des plaines de la mer du Nord aux

forêts ardennaises, de Gand à Bruges, en

passant par Anvers et bien sûr Bruxelles, des

grottes de Han à la meilleure des Gueuze : tout

est visité et commenté ! Une bonne base pour

s'organiser des petits week-ends à vocation

touristique et de détente...

Le Petit Futé Belgique 2008 - 2009

11e Edition. 164 photos - 23 cartes & plans -

624 pages quadri. 14 euros.

LA PAUSEChocolat, quand tu nous tiens...Miranda Ingram avait tout bon quandelle disait « Ne croyez pas que lechocolat soit un substitut à l'amour.L'amour est un substitut au chocolat ».Le lounge du Barsey l'a bien compris etlance le « Buffet de Chocolat », soitune valse de desserts 100% chocolatainsi qu’une abondante fontaine auxdeux Cacaos, que l'on accompagnerade thé, de fines bulles de champagne,ou des deux ! Le tout dans le cadreraffiné et trendy de cet hôtel non loindu Bois de la Cambre....

Buffet de Chocolat + 1 thé: 14€ ; Buffet de chocolat + 1 thé + 1 coupe:24€ de 14 à 17h, du lundi au samedi.

Barsey restaurant & lounge Warwick Barsey Hotel Brussels381-383 avenue Louise - 1050 Bruxelles Tél. 02 649 98 00www.warwickhotels.comwww.barsey.be

D


Les Mille et uneidées cadeaux

Avenue Madoux 44 - 1150 Bruxelles Tél. / Fax 02 771 79 57Ouvert de 10h30 à 18h30 - sans interruption - english spoken

PARKING PRIVÉ DEVANT LE MAGASIN

DECORATION • CADEAUX • ACCESSOIRES • PAPETERIE

Le bien-être passe aussi

par le bonheurd’offrir.

LES NOUVELLES COLLECTIONS SONT ARRIVÉES

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Day to Day in Brussels N°10

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