For the first time since 2018, i’ve travelled more than 5,000 km by train in a year1. By most standards, that’s a lot. By my teenage standards, when i logged 20,000 km annually and my heart beat at the same rate the rails clicked and clacked, it’s nothing. And i feel the difference. Trains are where i’ve done my best writing, devoured entire novels in one sitting, and discovered some of my favourite albums. There’s something about the swaying motion, the enforced stillness, and the landscape passing by that makes them a special place for me. Five thousand kilometres is good. But it’s not enough.
Music
The Getdown by Laurent Coulondre, Arnaud Dolmen & Grégory Privat. Eddy Louiss and Michel Petrucciani recorded their famous Conférence de presse live album without the help of a rhythm section. That’s not to say that Laurent Coulondre and Grégory Privat lack the metronomic groove of their illustrious predecessors, but their conversation flows better when Arnaud Dolmen interjects. Those three are band leaders in their own right, but they never try to one up one another. The Getdown is an immensely satisfying blend of their influences: jazz, funk, biguine, soul… and even pop! I can’t believe i’ve never managed to see any of them in concert. I guess now is the perfect time to see them all at once.
Vanguardia Subterránea by Miguel Zenón Quartet. Vanguardia Subterránea might be Miguel Zenón’s 18th album, recorded in a venue that first opened its doors in 1935, but it sounds as fresh as ever. Even “El Día de Mi Suerte” and “Perdóname”, two staples of the Latin American songbook, are reimagined as melodic puzzles. Throughout the album, which features five compositions from Zenón, i was mesmerized by Henry Cole’s impeccable beat. My only regret is that Hans Glawischnig’s bass felt a little low in the mix.
Movies
Maigret and the St. Fiacre Case by Jean Delannoy. Watching a Maigret movie in Georges Simenon’s hometown was a blast. I grew up with Bruno Cremer’s interpretation, but i have to say that Jean Gabin is my favourite Maigret, partly thanks to Michel Audiard’s colourful dialogues. The 2K remaster is gorgeous: apart from a tiny tear at the beginning of the movie, it’s incredibly clean, whilst keeping all the dynamic range and a healthy dose of noise from the original stock.
Things
Fjällräven Kånken Weekender. As its name implies, the Kånken Weekender is the perfect bag for a weekend getaway, but i also used it on a five-day trip (and i even have to pack a CPAP machine!). Its 30-litre volume is shared between two collapsible compartments, which means you can move your clothes from one to another as they become laundry. The laptop sleeve doesn’t take up too much room and the iconic front pocket is great to keep snacks and tickets close at hand. The bag can be worn as a crossbody or a backpack, but lacks the water bottle pocket from the Kånken Laptop 17″. Even though the price is a bit high, considering its simple construction and pedestrian materials, i heartily recommend it.
Travel
Liège (Belgium). First impressions can be deceiving: with its 160-metre-long and 32-metre-high arch, a sweeping expanse of steel, glass and concrete, the Liège-Guillemins station feels like the entryway to a bustling metropolis. It’s a bit much for what is only the fifth-largest city and the eleventh-busiest station in Belgium — but there’s not enough seating! It feels self-indulgent, like most of Calatrava’s recent work.
Which is a shame, because Liège is anything but. The seat of the bishopric where Charlemagne was born, the capital of a prince-bishopric that was a major intellectual centre, and a hub of coal and steel production for centuries, Liège is now a quaint city of 200,000 inhabitants. Disfigured by urban sprawl and the vagaries of the 1970s, it’s been transformed by its much-delayed tram and an aggressive pedestrianization plan.
Notwithstanding its gigantic cathedral, which has left a huge gap in the cityscape since its destruction in 1794, the old town has been preserved. Everybody will tell you to visit Saint Paul’s Cathedral and the Collegiate Church of Saint Bartholomew, and you absolutely should if you like stained glass and historical artefacts as much as i do, but you shouldn’t miss Saint Jacob’s Church. It features an incredible collection of Del Cour statues and you can go up to the matroneum (for free! on your own!) to admire its polychrome decor up close.
The Grand Curtius museum is almost too grand: we were four hours into our labyrinthine visit when we decided to race through the weaponry department, a repetitive and morbid collection of arms. La Boverie is the polar opposite: even though we took our time admiring some of the most beautiful paintings we’ve ever seen, we were done in just over an hour. In the end, i recommend you go to the Museum of Walloon Life. It hosts a fascinating collection of local paraphernalia in a compact space that centres around a beautiful cloister.
You’ll be able to order the famous boulet à la liégeoise at the museum restaurant, a quirky space built with materials from old furniture and run as a social economy project. Saperlipopette has the best waffles in town, but even the worst ones are miles better than the industrial travesties you’ll find elsewhere. Messieurs only serves croque-monsieurs, Galler sells delicious chocolates, and Le Mog makes a damn good coffee.
Aachen (Germany). Aachen is famous for its cathedral, built as the royal chapel of Charlemagne’s palace, and its Printen, little gingerbread biscuits that i eat by the dozen. It might be “the cradle of Europe”, but it’s a German city above all. Karolus is as much Karl der Große as it is Charlemagne, but there are no francophone guides at the cathedral nor information in French at the Centre Charlemagne. It’s not like the border of the French-speaking part of Belgium is only five kilometres away…
TV shows
The Diplomat S3 by Debora Cahn. The Office meets The West Wing, without the humour of the former and the brilliance of the latter.
Slow Horses S5 by Will Smith. Gary Oldman carried this fairly predictable season on the back of his immense acting skills, but what made Slow Horses great was the strength of its ensemble cast. Let’s hope the sixth season will be a return to form.
- For a total of 88 kg of CO₂eq emissions, roughly the same as 814 km in an average car. Electrification can’t go fast enough. ↩︎