Rue Souveraine Furnished Apartments and Aparthotels

From Adolphe Sax to the Brussels Jazz Marathon

Every year this popular musical spring happening attracts over 250,000 jazz fans to Brussels.
From Friday to Sunday, 450 musicians (mostly from Belgium) will unfold their talents in hotel lounges, cafes and bars. A total of 138 concerts ! Public places haven’t been forgotten and concerts are also scheduled on the Grand’Place, the Sablon, Place St Catherine and Place Fernand Cocq). You can visit www.brusselsjazzmarathon.be for the full programme.
There’s free bus transport between the venues, and all concerts are free.
May 20, 21 and 22
Tel : 02/456 04 87 or 02/456 04 84
By the way, did you know that the inventor of the saxophone was a Belgian named Adolphe Sax ? If you wish to know more about him, we strongly recommend you visit this very detailed web site

Oh, and don't miss the wonderful article on famous Belgian jazz guitarist Philip Catherine -the "man who plays jazz like an angel, and cares about it like a father..." - in this week's edition of The Bulletin. Philip Catherine will perform at the Sounds Jazz Club on Friday and Saturday, at 10 pm (The Sounds Jazz Club is in 28 rue de la Tulipe, just on the other side of Place Fernand Cocq)

Romanticism in Belgium – until July 31

This major exhibition of paintings and sculptures illustrates the romantic movement that developed in Belgium during the reign of King Leopold I.

The exhibition is simultaneously held in three different places : The Royal Museums of fine Arts of Belgium are essentially showing paintings, the ING Cultural Centre, at the Place Royale, is displaying drawings and sculptures and the last part of the exhibition is held at the Antoine Wiertz Museum.

A shuttle circulates between the venues from 11 am to 6 pm.

Royal Museums of Fine Arts
3 rue de la Régence, 1000 Brussels
ING Cultural Centre
6 Place Royale, 1000 Brussels
Antoine Wiertz Museum
62 rue Vautier, 1050 Brussels
tel : 02/508.32.11

Art Déco and Modernism (1920-1940)

A pleasant guided bicycle tour to discover a badly known but very creative period : simple shapes, original use of the new possibilities offered by concrete… it influenced post-war architecture and everything that was built after. The tour will take you to Ixelles, Saint-Gilles and Forest
At 2pm on May 22, July 10 and September 11

Art déco et Modernisme (1920-1940) à bicyclette

Moins connue que le style Art Nouveau, l’architecture de l’entre-deux guerres n’en est pas moins remarquable : formes plus dépouillées, usage original des nouvelles possibilités offertes par le béton, préoccupations plus fonctionnelles pour les premiers immeubles à appartements… elle influence tout ce qui s’est bâti par la suite. Ce tour organisé par ProVélo vous emmène à la découverte du quartier des Etangs d’Ixelles, des avenues Molière et Coghen à Uccle et de l’Altitude Cent à Forest (le point culminant de Bruxelles).
A 14h les 22/5, 10/7 et 11/9

Brussels Jazz Marathon

Bruxelles sera la capitale du Jazz le week-end des 20, 21 et 22 mai : 138 concerts et plus de 450 musiciens mettront la ville en ébullition. Cet événement populaire qui draine chaque année des milliers d’amateurs de musique en est à sa 10ème édition. Pour fêter dignement cet anniversaire, l’accès à tous les concerts, qu’ils soient en plein air ou in-door, est entièrement gratuit.
Comme d’habitude, des navettes gratuites sillonneront la ville pour vous emmener sur les différents sites, selon vos choix d’atmosphères et de styles : Big Bands et solistes réputés en plein air, petites formations pointues dans les bars et tavernes… il y en aura pour tous les goûts.
Les concerts en plein air - 37 au total - se dérouleront à la Grand Place, au Sablon, Place Sainte-Catherine et enfin Place Fernand Cocq, tandis que vous pourrez assister à 101 concerts dans le circuit « cafés », sans oublier les jazz bands mobiles qui, fidèles à la tradition, déambuleront dans les rues dans une ambiance toujours chaleureuse.
Si vous souhaitez planifier votre parcours à l’avance, le site officiel vous donnera un aperçu détaillé de tous les concerts (styles, musiciens, adresses, horaires etc…).
Le troisième week-end de mai sera Jazzy, qu’on se le dise !
20, 21, 22 mai
tél: 02/456 04 87 ou 02/456 04 84
www.brusselsjazzmarathon.be

Euro Cine 25

A l’occasion de la fête de l’Union Européenne, le lundi 9 mai se met à l’heure du cinéma européen. Un film originaire de chacun des Etats membres sera projeté aux cinémas UGC Toison d’Or et UGC de Brouckère. Au total donc, 25 projections pour mieux connaître nos cousins et nous imprégner de leur culture. Quand on sait que les films européens n’occupent, dans le meilleur des cas, que 30% des écrans du vieux continent, l’initiative mérite d’être saluée. Les festivités se termineront par un concert gratuit de Mud Flow à la Grand Place, à partir de 22h30.
UGC de Brouckère
38 Place de Brouckère, 1000 Bruxelles
Informations & réservations : 0900 10 440
UGC Toison d’Or
Galerie de la Toison d’Or et 8 Avenue de la Toison d’Or
Informations & réservations : 0900 10 440
*****
The UGC Cinemas present Euro Cine 25, a festive and popular event to celebrate the European Union and European cultures. For the occasion, there will be 25 screenings of films from the different member states at the UGC Toison d’Or and the UGC de Brouckère. At a time when European cinema accounts for hardly 30% of the films shown in European theatres, this is a commendable initiative, and also a great way to discover or learn more about our European cousins, their cultures and traditions.
To close this festive event there will be a free concert by the group Mud Flow on the Grand Place, at 10.30pm.
UGC de Brouckère
38 Place de Brouckère, 1000 Bruxelles
Information & reservations : 0900 10 440
UGC Toison d’Or
Galerie de la Toison d’Or and 8 Avenue de la Toison d’Or
Information & reservations : 0900 10 440

Bruges : The Procession of the Holy Blood – May 5

According to an old legend, Thierry d’Alsace, Count of Flanders, brought a relic containing the blood of Christ to Bruges in 1150 after the second crusade, having received it from the King of Jerusalem, Baldwin III of Anjou.

However, the oldest documents concerning the relic in Bruges dates back to 1256, and historians can only speculate on how Bruges came into possession of the relic. But recent investigations made clear that the rock crystal bottle containing the blood originates from Constantinople and dates back to the 11th or 12th century.

For about 750 years, the population of Bruges and its neighbourhood have faithfully venerated the relic, and this adoration culminates on Ascension Day, with the now internationally famous Procession of the Holy Blood : Bishops and prelates carry the relic in the streets of the city in a solemn and colourful procession involving no less than 1800 actors in front of a crowd of 50,000.

The procession is divided into 4 parts : the first two enact scenes from the Old and New Testaments, the third part depicts the return of the Count of Flanders to Bruges and the last part is about the Veneration of the Holy Blood.

If you have not yet paid a visit to this beautiful medieval city, also called the Venice of the North, this is a great opportunity to do so !

Bruges – May 5
Glorious procession of the Holy Blood at 3 pm
Closing ceremony at the Burg square at 5.30 pm
Info : Tourist Office in Bruges
Tel : 050 44 86 86
By car : E40, exit n° 8
By train : 1 hour journey, 2 trains/h