Little Belgian secrets around the world
Erik Brusten, a seasoned traveller for over 20 years, made up his mind to uncover everything he could about Belgium abroad. He even decided to turn it into a book, a sort of guide for Belgian travellers.
Tired of writing articles about the most famous features of every city he visited, the Belgian tourism journalist had the imaginative idea of specialising in the spread of Belgian know-how overseas. It all started with a meeting with a Flemish sculptor in Venice, who opened his eyes to the wealth of Belgian exports.
From New York and Madrid to Paris and Turkey, Erik Brusten wanted to rekindle national pride in his fellow Belgians, whom he considers somewhat weary at times, but above all to provide travellers using his guide with information they would never even have guessed at.
For example, did you know that Gérard de Lairesse from Liège was honoured in Amsterdam in the 17th century and considered one of the greatest painters of his time? Or is that too historical for you? Brusten can also just recommend a Belgian cafe in Madrid or a Flemish church in Paris. There is no shortage of lists, but they all highlight the visionary, adventurous side of a nation that is everything but 'small'.
The book in question is called Tussen reis en roots, and is available only in Dutch via the following link.