Add to that a concert of Spanish chamber music, where a Boccherini sonata for violin and guitar are on a programme that also includes music by his Spanish contemporaries Pablo Vidal and Fernando Sor.
Our trip meandered past various signs for fresh produce, with one farm advertising prei (leeks), another selling witloof (chicory). A highlight was undoubtedly the roadside aardbeienautomaat, with baskets of fresh strawberries waiting for purchase behind the small glass windows of a vending machine.
Until now, Jean Roulet and his fellow sculptors have been having their weekly catchup over an apéritif. “We’ve got three hours of hard work ahead of us. We need to get our strength up,” Roulet tells me, taking some bread out of the oven. The atmosphere is lively as about a dozen men and women chat away in French and Dutch, some talking about their projects, others about the week’s events. Nothing to worry about here, then.
The name of the parade refers to both the Brussels river Zenne as to the stray dogs that used to roam around it. These mongrels have become a symbol for Brussels – an embodiment of the cosmopolitan and multicultural nature of the city. It’s therefore no surprise that all participants of the parade come from very different neighbourhoods, with contrasting backgrounds and a diverse array of beliefs.
A record total of 64 Belgian and international teams will compete over the weekend. The open tournament is, as always, hosted by Dendermonde Rugby Club (DRC), one of the largest clubs in Flanders.
A ten-a-side competition, compared to the traditional 15-a-side, creates more fast-moving play, explains Paul O’Reilly, club member and father of four junior members of DRC. “Ten-aside is a more open game with fewer forwards and more impressive tries,” he explains.
It is a game that has evolved across the globe in many shapes and sizes. And later this month, East Flanders hosts one of the region’s biggest sports events: Flanders Rugby Open Tournament.
A record total of 64 Belgian and international teams will compete over the weekend. The open tournament is, as always, hosted by Dendermonde Rugby Club (DRC), one of the largest clubs in Flanders.
A ten-a-side competition, compared to the traditional 15-a-side, creates more fast-moving play, explains Paul O’Reilly, club member and father of four junior members of DRC. “Ten-aside is a more open game with fewer forwards and more impressive tries,” he explains.
"It was the third time I seriously injured the same knee,” the 22-year-old said. “One of these injuries prevented me from going to the Beijing Olympics. I'm pretty injury-prone. And rehabilitation is going to be hard work.”
Vanwalleghem, who won the bronze medal in the 2005 European Championships, is now setting her sights on the World Championships in Rotterdam in October.
Born Anna Maria Pereira Da Silva in Paçao de Padra, Brazil, she was adopted at four months old by a Flemish family and renamed Aagje. She has three Ethiopian-born sisters.
Since first visiting Bruges in 2008, I have been very interested in the heritage and other aspects of life in Flanders. We have since returned to Flanders several times on holidays, sometimes staying in Bruges and sometimes in Ostend. I started to learn Dutch to get beyond the tourist clichés (such as how many steps it is to the top of Bruges’ Belfry).
The deal is simple: you provide the space, which needs to be equipped with plenty of electrical sockets, a TV, a DVD player and a gaggle of children (maximum 15 usually). Jekino will show up with the rest of what’s needed, including in some cases a portable cinema museum.
The contents of the package depends on the workshop.
Flanders Today is a 
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