A couple of days in Brussels – What you must do!

What’s the first thing that comes to your mind when you think of Belgium? Chocolate? Beer? Diamonds? These are of course some of the most popular things the picture-perfect country is known for. While this post isn’t an exhaustive list of must-do s in the country’s lovely capital, if you have a day or two in Brussels, these are some things you can do.

Grand Platz and Grote Markt – This is old historic town center, and was built as a merchant’s market. With its stunning architecture and rows of shops, you can walk around as much as you like and not get bored. Walk through the Galeries St. Hubert, an arcade with a glass roof, which is home to several cafes, theaters and shops. Visit the Tintin Boutique if you're a fan of this boy-detective. Make sure you also visit the Grand Platz after sun-down, it is really a special experience.

The Grand Platz 

Shops in Grote Markt

Say Hello to the little boy Manneken Pis – Located in one of the cobbled streets that make up the Grote Markt, this bronze statue of a little boy peeing into a fountain is one of the symbols of Brussels. There are several legends about this statue, some of them being about war, and others being about a little boy who went missing and then found. It’s an extremely touristy place, but you wouldn’t have seen Brussels if you haven’t seen the Manneken Pis.

Manneken Pis 

Chocolate, anyone?  Belgian chocolate is more than confectionary, it is art, and it is created by some of the most talented masters in the world. I am hardly a connoisseur, but I do know when chocolate is Belgian. And what’s more – there is Belgian chocolate that tourists buy, and Belgian chocolate for Belgians. Locals prefer handcrafted pieces of art from stores such as Pierre Marcolini’s or Mary’s. Wittamer’s is a well known family owned chocolaterie that you can visit. Mary’s is probably the jewel in Brussels’ chocolate crown, and is the choice of the Royal family. The rows and rows of pralines, caramel, marzipan and other heavenly goodies are a treat to all your senses.

If you’re interested, take the chocolate making course that Mary’s offers to visitors at its workshop in the suburbs.

One clown who brings a smile to your face! 

Climb up the Atomium – One of the iconic landmarks of Brussels, this structure was built in 1958 when Brussels hosted the World’s Fair. Built to look like a highly magnified molecule of iron, it has escalators to take you up to the different spheres. There is a restaurant in one of the spheres that you can try.

The Atomium 

Walk the Comic Book Trail – Belgium is the place where many of our favorite comic book characters were born including Herge’s Tintin. There is a comic book trail where buildings are painted with popular characters, that you can walk, and you can also visit the Comic Strip Museum to see some original artwork, and sketches.

Hello, Tintin on the wall ! 

Sample some Belgian Waffles – A trip to Brussels won’t be complete without trying some sinful Belgian waffles. Make it your first meal of the day, so you can burn off all those calories by walking around in the Grand Platz. There are several tiny shops around Grote Markt that make waffles with delicious molten Belgian chocolate, or fresh strawberries, bananas and nutella, and various other toppings. Let go, and enjoy a generous helping!

There's nothing to say, really, except YUMMY! 

More gastronomic delights – Try Speculoos at J Dandoy Tea Room, these absolutely delightful biscuits will make you want to take home a pack. Belgians love their moules frites – mussels and French fries. If you’re vegetarian, like me, you can still polish off just some fries, and you won’t regret it! Wash it all down with a Belgian beer. 

Things that you must do when in Colombo

For almost everyone who visits Srilanka, Colombo is just a few hours’ halt, if anything, before heading to the pristine beaches along the west, the famous national parks, the cultural triangle, or the tea-country. However, if you do happen to spend a day or two in the capital city (and we recommend that you do!) these are some things that you absolutely shouldn’t miss.

Independence Square – A memorial to the Father of the nation, Rev. Senanayake, and a symbol of Srilanka’s independence, this is a peaceful and beautiful part of the city that you should visit. The park around and the beautiful roads invite you to walk around while the Independence Square itself makes for a nice picture.

At Independence Square

Sip a beer or coffee (if you have a cold like I did !) while you people-watch in the Dutch Hospital Area – Having been a hospital 300 years ago, and now converted to a shopping precinct, the Dutch Hospital area has some great restaurants including the Hilton’s Work in Progress (WIP), the Ministry of Crabs (for all you seafood lovers), and retail outlets like Barefoot and Laksala. Plonk yourself on one of the benches outside and sip your drink while you watch people rushing by.

Galle Face Green – This is a clichéd yet fun experience, and you should do it when in Colombo. Walk along the erstwhile golf course (not much green left here now), and you will automatically feel calmed by the waves of the Indian Ocean. You can also head to the Galle Face Hotel if you like for some great food.

Galle Face

Eat a Traditional Srilankan meal at Nuga Gama -  A trip anywhere isn’t complete without a taste of local food! The Cinnamon Grand’s restaurant Nuga Gama has been modeled after a Srilankan village, and serves some excellent local fare for dinner. The buffet has a superb spread of seafood, and even vegetarians like me have something to relish with all the delicious curries and crispy “hoppers”. So dig into some “pithu” or some “String hoppers” with curry while you’re there.

Hoppers at the Cafe on 5th Lane. The buffet at Nuga Gama has hoppers and much more!

Indulge in some retail therapy – Colombo’s great for shopping, and if you’re up for it, head to the House of Fashion or Barefoot (on Galle Road) for clothes or to Laksala for some Srilankan handicrafts. Barefoot has a great café in a frangipani garden, so if you’re tired you can always pop in for some sustenance before you hit the shops again.

At Barefoot cafe

Walk around the Colombo Fort Area – As you may have read in my post about our City Walk, there’s so much history here to interest you. Stop for tea and cake at the Grand Oriental Hotel’s Harbor Room.

Visit the Gangaramaya Temple – For a spiritual experience, visit this Buddhist temple. With its mix of Srilankan, Thai and other styles of architecture, the Gangaramaya Temple is not just a place of worship, but also one of learning. There is a huge collection of carved masterpieces in ivory, watches, statues and statuettes, and other odd items including even an X-ray machine, which have been gifted to the priest of the temple.

Gangaramaya Temple 

Bargain at Pettah – Pettah is one of the noisiest and busiest markets ever and if you like a good bargain, there are clothes, bags, electronics, fruits, veggies, spices and so many other knick knacks up for grabs here. I suck at bargaining and crowds intimidate me, so Pettah would never really be my cup of tea, but it is definitely worth a visit just to experience the myriad of colors, sounds and sights!

For a spot of history, visit the Dutch museum and Governor’s House.

At the erstwhile Dutch Governor's House

So the next time you’re in Colombo, even in transit, just take a day or maybe two to explore. You won’t regret it! 

Walking in Colombo

When you first get out of the Bandaranaike International Airport and onto the Colombo-Negombo road, you feel like you’re in Kerala, with the coconut trees and the greenery all around. For most people travelling to Srilanka, Colombo is just a night’s halt before they move on to other parts of this lovely country. But we figure we’d give it a couple of days and see what it has for us. And, no regrets at all, because the two days were well worth it.

Srilanka has been a Portuguese colony, a Dutch one, an English one, and then finally ravaged by terror for thirty years, before it has finally become a free country in its truest sense. One Srilankan we met told us how earlier the government didn’t have the time, the energy or the resources to look into things like development of roads and expressways, building a good traffic sense, etc. But now, when you visit Colombo you will see some of the finest roads, and a car will stop and wait for you to cross the road. People who previously went to the Middle East and other countries as house maids and domestic help, no longer need to, since the country has so many opportunities to offer its people.

The roads in Colombo invite you to walk - Near the Independence Square

We decided to do a Colombo City Walk with Mark Forbes and his wife Ruvi who conduct personalized walking tours of the city. This was one of the best decisions while in Colombo, because what we saw during our walk, we may never have, otherwise. The walk started off in the Dutch Hospital Area, continues onto to Pettah and then back to where we started. The Dutch Hospital was built in the 1600’s solely to cater to the Dutchmen who needed to be treated. There was one surgeon who took care of the entire lot, and the capacity initially was about 80. Even after expansion to a capacity of 300, there was still this one guy treating everyone! Today, the Dutch Hospital has become the Dutch Hospital Shopping Precinct, with hip restaurants like the Hilton’s Work in Progress, the Ministry of Crabs and shopping outlets like Barefoot and Spa Ceylon. The architecture has been retained 100% as it was in the 1600’s and it is one of the quaintest parts of the city.

In the Dutch Hospital Shopping Precinct 

 Walking around the Colombo Fort area is truly a unique experience, because you will see buildings as old as 200 or 300 years old, whose architecture and layout have been preserved remarkably well. One of the major landmarks is the Cargill’s supermarket that still has its original signboards such as the one you see the picture below.  We stopped at the iconic Grand Oriental Hotel’s Harbor Room for tea and butter cake, which were especially more delicious with the view of the harbor and after having walked around a bit. The Grand Oriental was one of the jewels in Colombo’s crown, and it is the oldest hotel in the city, having been built in 1837. So picture a man in a uniform and a pith hat stepping out of the port and heading straight to the Grand Oriental for a cup of tea!

After a great snack, we walked to Old Colombo’s Pettah Market, one of the most chaotic places ever. However, we were there on a Sunday, so we missed out on all the haggling and the nudging. Walking through Pettah’s streets, we reached the Dutch period Museum, which still preserves centuries-old furniture from the Dutch colony times. This is a lovely museum and if you love listening to interesting bits of history, this is a must-do.

The Grand Oriental in its heyday, wooing the traveler with "Best Modern System of Drainage and hot and cold water! 

View from the Harbor Room at the Grand Oriental Hotel

The Wolvendaal Church in Colombo was built at the highest point in the city, so that any Dutchmen coming into the port would be able to catch sight of this church before anything else. Later on however, with a Buddhist temple, and several other buildings coming up, this is no longer the first thing you’d see if you did come in by sea! 

Tombstone of  Dutchman who died in Colombo - the Skull and Crossbones indicate he died of Malaria, or some other disease which could spread, so it was a warning not to open the tombstone. 

The church has tombstones of all the prominent Dutchmen who died when in Ceylon, and the engravings display some fine craftsmanship.

Sigh...with a bad cold, coffee was the only way to go ! Cheers! 

After our walk, we headed to the Bavarian near the Galle Face Green for drinks before saying goodbye to Mark and Ruvi. 

Muttom - A place I won't forget anytime soon

One lazy afternoon when I was channel surfing, one Tamil channel was showing the popular '80s flick "Kadalora Kavithaigal" which featured Satyaraj and Rekha. I'm not anywhere close to being a fan of Satyaraj, and I get bored out of my wits watching movies where the epicenter is a tiny village and all they do is run around the fields holding goat kids in their hands while looking all coy. What? I'm just being honest. So I was about to move on in my extremely focussed channel surfing activity when the scene in the movie shifted to this beach which made my jaw drop. So while the naive and "pure" character of Satyaraj tried to impress the belle, I kept my eyes open for any indication on where the scenes were shot. It wasn't until the last scene where he has to bid her goodbye at the railway station that I finally found out. Muttom. Not batting an eyelid when the scene was enacted, I was rewarded for my patience and persistence. As the train pulled out of Muttom, I whipped out my laptop to see where it was.

The sand, surf and the blue-green sea at Muttom

Located around 35 km from Kanyakumari, the drive to this tiny coastal village along the shores of the Indian Ocean is as scenic as can be. It takes close to an hour from the Cape Comorin, and the roads are fairly good. We'd just visited the temple at Sucheendram, and when we asked for directions to Muttom, an auto rickshaw driver very helpfully told us "Aiyo, Muttom ah? Anga edukku poreenga? Waste-u.. Sema Waste-u.. anga onnu illa saar." ("Aiyo, Muttom ? Why are you going there? There's nothing there to see." (We Tamilians love to generously sprinkle "aiyos" in our conversation, and he was no exception.) So Arjun, not one to give up, asked him the directions to the beach, and the guy wouldn't stop his helpful banter - "Anga andha padam eduthaanga, avlodaan.. beach mattum daan" (They shot the movie there, there's only the beach, nothing else). But we finally got some rough directions out of him and sped off. We weren't about to be discouraged by one guy who thought it was "waste-u". I wavered a little bit, wondering if the place really wasn't going to be worth, but Arjun wouldn't have any of it. And I'm glad for his singleminded persistence, because I'd have missed out on one of the most amazing experiences ever. 

Yes, true, there is nothing else to "see" there apart from the beautiful stretch of blue-green waters. But that alone is worth the drive. It is untouched, and clean, with nothing taking away from its brilliance. The rocks on the beach add to its charm, and you can spend hours just sitting there and watching the waves rise and fall. Muttom is a fishing village with a lighthouse that's approximately 100 years old. 

The road less travelled...

The rocks on the beach tempt you to strike a meditative pose...

Of course, I'd like to thank the director of the movie, Bharathi Raja for introducing the place to movie-buffs and beach fanatics like us. No one makes a film in a rustic setting better than him. I'm not about to post the picture that I had taken of me posing like Satyaraj on the rocks. 

Manapad - Of fishing and folklore

I've seen pictures of the bluest of blue seas and sandy beaches when friends visit Krabi or Koh Samui, and I've often wondered when I'd get to see those turquoise waters. Because there's some "pichle janam  ka raaz" and bad karma, perhaps, that has always resulted in the cancelation of my extremely well-planned Thailand trips. Not once, but thrice. And I haven't really had a chance to visit any other beautiful beaches since, so I'd kind of reconciled that maybe it's not just Thailand. Maybe the Gods of the Seas had decided that since this girl refused a thirsty soul water in her last birth, instead of making her a lizard in this one, let's instead decline all requests to visit beautiful water bodies.
But you know what? Looks like they've decided to forgive me for all those sins because of my exceedingly good deeds in this birth. Because when I saw the waters at Manapad, Tamil Nadu, I was rooted to the spot. OK, Thailand enthusiasts, this is by no way an article of comparison or any such thing. I am still praying fervently that I be let to visit Koh Samui. But it's just that this is probably the bluest sea I've seen.

Blue waters - Ah, life is good. 

Until recently, I hadn't even heard about this tiny fishing village, which is home to one of the most famous shrines in this part of the country, The Holy Cross Church.

The Holy Cross Shrine, Manapad

Manapad is at a distance of 60 km from Tuticorin, and takes about two hours, thanks to the dismal condition of the State Highway to Kanyakumari. From Tiruchendur, it's a little over 20 km, and the last stretch of road, just leading to the village is in particularly bad shape. A few kilometers in between are OK to drive, but mostly nothing to write home about.

We go where the road takes us...

We saw him/her on the way, and he/she didn't seem too thrilled to have visitors. 

In 1540, a Portuguese ship is believed to have been caught in a horrible storm, which led to the snapping of its hind mast. The captain of the ship vowed to construct a Cross out of the splintered mast if they escaped alive, and is known to have done just that. A couple of years later, St. Francis Xavier came to Manapad for missionary activity, and built a shrine with the captain's Cross at the altar.
With the completion of the Church in the 1580's, the reverend appealed to have a relic of the True Cross (i.e. the Cross on which Jesus is believed to have been crucified) brought to Manapad, and it did arrive from Rome via Cochin in 1583. Every year, this relic is publicly displayed from September 1st to 14th.

Early evening at Manapad

The boats back after their day out in the sea.

The tiny village that exists today consists mainly of fisherfolk. Owing to its picture perfect beach, Manapad has seen some films shot here. Some time after I visited, I found out that my favorite director Mani Ratnam is shooting parts of his film "Kadal" in Manapad. Hmm... I obviously wish I had a run-in. But well, for now, the gods are appeased enough to stop blocking my entry into beautiful beaches. So Mani Ratnam will have to wait. 

Strolling down Stroget, Copenhagen

Copenhagen is one of my favourite cities. I don't know why. Sometimes when you're in a place, you just feel good, right? You feel happy. And please, let's not get into one of those "happiness is a frame of mind" discussions - you know what I mean. This was one of those places. I especially loved walking down Stroget, the car-free, pedestrians only street that is a shopper's haven. Well I didn't shop much, actually, at all, except for an umbrella because I was the only fool without one in the January snow.
Stroget is not just a shopping street; it's a Copenhagen experience you cannot miss.

Sometime in the 1950's or '60's, the street was shut off to vehicle traffic owing to Christmas crowds, and the clever authorities realized it was a far better idea to leave it that way, without really making any public noise about it. Sneaky, right? But it has to be one of the best things that happened to the city, because when you walk down Stroget, you'll know what I mean.
The Stroget is actually a collection of streets branching off from one main road - Fredriksberggade, Gammel Torv/Nytorv, Nygade, Vimmelskaftet, Amagertorv and Ostergade.

I'm sure you've heard of the famous Illums Bolighus. They make these eye-wateringly delicious looking kitchenware, glassware, household furnishings and other goodies that I could only gaze at longingly from the outside (Partly because they may not have allowed a shabby looking hot-chocolate-clutching backpacker inside). Stroget is home to Illum Bolighus, The Royal Copenhagen Porcelain Factory (another one of those magnificent places I may not have been allowed into) and Magasin du Nord, some of the city's and perhaps the world's most expensive stores. Of course you'll find the H&M's and other similar places where you can dare to set foot, as well.

But my favorite part of Stroget was Konditeri La Glace - cake heaven. This is the most ridiculously overpriced bakery/confectioners' that I've been to, but also, the most fabulous. If there's a place where I wouldn't drown in my own tears for having shelled out 100 DKK for a cake, it's this. They make the most delicious layered cakes, and while I sat there nibbling at a piece (absolutely SLOWLY, because I never wanted it to finish!), and sipping divine hot chocolate, I was in heaven.

One end of Stroget has international designer stores like Gucci, and Chanel, again territory where I'd have been eyed suspiciously. But if you're as into people watching as I am, it's an interesting experience to just gaze at those immaculately dressed Danes walk in and out of these stores.

At some point down the road, I also came across some musicians performing outside one of the stores. I stood and listened for a good fifteen minutes, they were excellent!

Winter, spring, summer or fall, whether it's snowing or raining, or whatever else, you will see people walking down Stroget. "We will wear twenty five layers, and carry umbrellas, but we will walk, and we will shop" is the motto here, and I love it. 

Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp memorial - Journeying into a grim past

Every one of us has heard about Auschwitz. The Swastika immediately flashes to our minds, and we can’t even begin to imagine the grim past that this infamous concentration camp in Poland has witnessed. However, not many may have heard about one of the first of such concentration camps that set up – the prototype, so to say. Sachsenhausen was the first new camp to be set up after Reichfuhrer-SS Heinrich Himmler was appointed chief of German Police in 1936.

Inmates of this concentration camp included Soviet prisoners of wars, Jews, Jehovah’s witnesses, homosexuals, gypsies, artists, etc. Between the period of 1936 to 1945, tens of thousands of these prisoners were brought to Sachsenhausen of which over twelve thousand died. Sachsenhausen was not built with the intent of making it an extermination camp. However, in 1943 a gas chamber was constructed to kill large numbers of prisoners.

The infamous slogan on the entrance gate

At the entrance you will see the sign “Arbeit Macht Frei”, the slogan meaning “Labour makes (you) free". The camp was very well, a 9 ft stone wall was built, and there was an inner perimeter of an electric fence. Dogs and the guards themselves patrolled the space in between.  Prisoners were used for labor of all kinds. There is a gravel path where the prisoners would have to test prototypes of shoes to be worn by the police officers. These prisoners would carry extremely heavy loads on their backs and walk this path. Sachsenhausen also played host to the largest counterfeit operation ever. American and British currencies were counterfeited to large extents in an effort to undermine those economies.

The paths where shoes were tested

The camp memorial today has preserved a large number of objects and documents retrieved from the site. In addition, some parts of the barracks, which were destroyed, have been recreated to show the conditions in which these inmates lived. A memorial was built for the Soviet Prisoners of war with their famous “inverted red triangle” symbols painted on it.  It is always a point of contention as to why a memorial has been specially constructed only for this class of inmates, and why not the rest.  There is however a new memorial built for all victims.

The memorial for Soviet prisoners of war victims

A staff worker cleaning at the New Memorial

An escape operation of humungous proportions was planned by some of the prisoners at Sachsenhausen. Spearheaded by Bertram Arthur “Jimmy” James, this was an operation that was carried out by digging a tunnel. James participated in the “Great Escape” from Stalag Luft III. However, he was among the 73 of 76 escapees who were caught. Of the 73 who were caught, Hitler asked Himmler to execute more than half. James survived, and this was one of 12 failed escape attempts for him. Sachsenhausen was where he finally succeeded.

James’s  “A Moonless Night” describes the Sachsenhausen operation in amazing detail.

Dunkley tells us about Sachsenhausen

How to get there – Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp Memorial is in Oranienberg, Germany. We took a walking tour, and went with Nigel Dunkley from Insider Tours, Berlin. The tour started off at the Hackescher Markt S Station in Berlin, and then we headed off to the Hauptbahnhof, the main station where we met a couple of other tourists who were going with us. We took the train to Oranienberg, and a short bus ride later we were there.

Nigel Dunkley is a former British Military attaché in Berlin, and he has very interesting anecdotes to narrate. The visit to the memorial was more intriguing thanks to his fantastic narrative.