Welcome to Gerrit and the City,
your stylish travel guide through the many wonderful cities of Belgium (and more).
Welcome to Gerrit and the City,
your stylish travel guide through the many wonderful cities of Belgium (and more).
By now you all know I'm a real city person. But, every now and then it is a real delight to go back to nature to unwind, far from the city hustle. I recently discovered a region called 'Meetjesland' in the North of Ghent which is just right for that. Beautiful fields and large forests make it the most relaxing getaway. And since this land is surprisingly flat, it is perfect to be explored by bike!
For the equivalent of Saint-Tropez at the Belgian coast, you have to be in Knokke, our most luxurious seaside resort famous for its rich villas and high-end boutiques. In the summertime, the city really comes to life through fashion, art and design, making it one of the best places to go to (like so many people from Antwerp do). Grab a rental bike and follow me for a fabulous day of sea, style and sun!
One of the things I hope to achieve with my blog is to inspire people to go beyond the mainstream places and discover alternative parts of town. For instance Antwerp is about so much more than shopping on the Meir! Wandering from South to Central Antwerp alongside the river Scheldt, you'll discover some of the most beautiful relics of the city's past. Doing a little vintage shopping 'en passant' is therefore only fitting.
With its cobbled streets and colorful architecture, Prague is a really pleasant city to wander in. The fact that it is relatively small (you can do most of your itineraries by foot) and pretty cheap, makes it very accessible. As for the Czech people, though they kind of keep to themselves, in the end most of them are actually sweet. To make the most of your journey, book a room in the historic center, or 'Prague 1'.
I was told Prague was beautiful, but I was not prepared for this level of beauty. 'The city of 100 spires' is one of romance and history. As opposed to many other European cities, it has remained untouched for centuries, making it a breathtaking mix of Baroque, Gothic and Renaissance architecture. Everywhere you look there are historic buildings from revolved times of opulence and ornamentation. And to all you Art Nouveau and Art Deco lovers, this is your dream come true.
My family vacay in the Provence was such a dream because it was the perfect mix of chilling and discovering. Days wandering cobbled streets were alternated with days by the pool. So for your stay I would definitely recommend picking a place that has a picture perfect swimming pool, such as Ferme Michel, our Airbnb. Its location near the Mont Ventoux also allowed us to do all those day trips with car rides under one hour.
We have the luxury of having two other rooms besides the main bedroom. Obviously we turned one into a dressing (and even then half of my clothes are stored at my parents') and the other one became a study. The decoration of this room was a real success, even if I say so myself. It's almost picture perfect (I know most people find the idea of living in a catalog horrible but I love it). Because the room is small, there isn't much space for items so it's all about picking the few, right ones.
I guess the living room is the most important room in your home. Not only because you're spending most of your time in it, but also because it should reflect who you are. Of course there are things that are a given, such as the light, the space and the materials. Still you're the one in charge when it comes to what the room will be saying, through your choices of furniture and decoration. Again our inspiration was mostly Scandinavian, with just a few elements that are pure 'Gerrit'.
A big hallway can be perceived as a curse. After all, it is space you lose for the other rooms. But you can easily turn it into a blessing by making it a room you feel happy coming home to. Again, Pinterest was a major source of inspiration. I realized the perfect hallway involves two things: a sideboard and a large round mirror. And the rest comes fairly easily. Come on in!
