The temple project has been spearheaded by the Jain Cultural Centre of Antwerp (JCCA). "The Jain temple will outlive us as a symbol of peace, unity and non-violence," says Jogani. "It will forever join Belgium and India."
A simple idea
In 1984, Antwerp province's governor Andries Kinsbergen, accompanied by an Indian delegation from the city's diamond trade, went on a visit to India. While there, he made the sacred Jain pilgrimage to the Dilwara temples on Mount Abu in Rajasthan.
The idea was a good one. Napoleon feared the British would attack from the sea, as attempts at Bredene in 1798 and Walcheren in 1809 suggested. The fort is pentagonal, a form used for centuries because it gives the best outlook; two sides of the five provide a complete panorama of the horizon.
From the roof of the fort, you look out on the endless sea, and it’s easy to imagine the tense anticipation of waiting to see Her Majesty’s navy appearing over the horizon.
It never happened that way, but it might have.
It's the sum of small pleasures that makes this Flemish beach resort an attractive place. A stroll along the beach is to be had anywhere on the coast, but only Ostend combines the pleasures of city life and the up-close roar of the sea.
Westvleteren is a beer made by the Trappist monks of the Saint Sixtus abbey in Westvleteren, a subdivision of the village of Vleteren, near Ypres. In 2005, the Westvleren 12 beer was deemed the "best in the world" by ratebeer.com, a popular website for beer fans. A barrage of articles around the globe followed, leading to a huge spike in demand for the beer.
However, in the years following EU integration —- from the terrorist attacks of 9/11 to the global economic crisis that hit in 2008 — Antwerp has had to constantly reinvent itself to stay competitive.
The laissez faire attitude of the government that initially attracted the business here gradually disappeared, as did flexibility on taxes, customs processes and transfer of funds. The Indian diamond community began to get politically involved to make sure they had an adequate legal and fiscal framework.
Does time really stand still here? It’s a fact there’s only a single clock that adorns the many spires.
The novel tells the story of Frans Laarmans, a humble shipping clerk who takes unauthorised sick leave to accept a post as a cheese agent with responsibility for Belgium and – deep breath – the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg.
He immediately orders 10,000 full-cream Edams, but turns out to be hopelessly inept at selling them, spending more time organising his office furniture and working out a name for his company. By the end, he had sold only a couple of these round, red cheeses. The rest remained piled up in a warehouse, slowly turning rank.
Arriving by train, you are immediately confronted with pile of rubble number one, Project Gent-Sint-Pieters. For the total makeover of the train station, millions of euros of transportation and station development were released in 2004. The major project, originally to be finished by 2014, has now been given a 2018 expected completion date, apparently due to complications with Belgian railway infrastructure manager Infrabel.
Pétanque, a low-key sport with its origins in Marseille, typically brings to mind images of retired men. After all, the game takes two to three hours to play, requires no great athleticism and involves a fair of amount of sitting, waiting and watching. This is not a game to be rushed but savoured; it certainly explains its devoted players in the 70+ demographic.
There was something suave and debonair, on the surface at any rate, about Leonardo Notarbartolo.
Flanders Today is a 
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