My affection for Brussels is well documented – over the years Turnleft has produced numerous guides to the Belgian capital and blog posts. Sadly I am temporarily en froid with the object of my previous travel affection after a severe mugging in Brussels left me half-conscious on an icy pavement, deprived of my iPhone and of my credit cards (and incidentally of my UK Nando’s loyalty card – I was on track for a free quarter chicken). I am still traumatised by what happened but I will reflect with humour and philosophy, seeing this attack as a rite of passage for a travel publisher always on the lookout for the next best thing.
The day had started really well: after dim sum in London with a friend, I had made my way to King’s Cross St Pancras for a quick journey to Brussels, where I spent new year’s eve with friends. We had a fantastic dinner at Jaloa, an experimental restaurant around Place Sainte-Catherine, and we had 2 house parties to go to on both side of the Canal. Now, if you’ve seen our previous guides you will remember that Turnleft always had a soft spot for this part of Brussels (often to the dismay of well-heeled Eurocrats), a district of warehouses and derelict breweries that estate agents would euphemistically describe as up-and-coming (or simply as the roughest part of town). Cafe Modele and Walvis at the end of Rue Antoine Dansaert are among my favourite places, many galleries and art spaces have popped up on both sides of the canal, and I am still looking forward to featuring the landmark Citroen Building on our newly revamped website. Yet – as I was reminded by a caring friend after the attack – this area is nicknamed Chicago for a reason…
In fairness I may have been slightly overdressed for this part of town, lost on my way to the second party at 2am. A sharp suit and tie must have been a very obvious giveaway that I was carrying expensive valuables – like having iPhone written on my forehead. As I lost my way around Comte de Flandre, a white car pulled out, 3 (4?) men jumped out of it and that’s all I remember until I found myself on the pavement with a head bump the size of a ping pong ball and empty breast pockets. After help from the police station (although they have since lost my declaration) an ambulance escorted me to a clinic on the other side of town where I sat in great style, in a wheelchair, surrounded by a motley crew of crack addicts with foam coming out of their mouth. And even in the self-appointed capital of Europe, a Frenchman can’t get a brain scan without a credit card so I was sent home in the freezing cold with painkillers and 10 euros in my pocket (and without my friends’ phone numbers)…
Obviously I am still in shock but I won’t let that alter my outlook on travel. As I sat in the Eurostar on the way back to London reading Wallpaper* Next Dimension, I realised that their coverage of Europe’s next best things included many references to concept spaces, artists and fashion designers that Turnleft had championed a few months before: Antwerp’s RA13, Andrea Cammarosano or Alexandra Verschuren were all featured as part of our work with the Royal Academy of Fine Arts. I also noticed that Rotterdam and Berlin were on their city watchlist for 2010, and again these cities have been a fixture of Turnleft over the past 2 years (and they are covered in depth on our new website, due imminently). So I started smiling, grateful that my muggers didn’t steal my vintage Tiffany’s cufflinks and realising that 2009 had been an amazing year for Turnleft after all, with more than 250,000 posters published, new cities initiated and amazing prospects for 2010. And despite a permanent headache, I made the mental note that maybe this attack was just an unfortunate occupational hazard for a travel publisher that thrives on boho-chic gauche caviarism (and we had caviar that night), roaming the underbelly of Brussels with platinum jewelry and a phone device the price of a scooter. Maybe this was Turnleft’s equivalent to Tom Wolfe’s Bonfire of Vanities.
This is a very convoluted way to wish you a happy new decade and I would like to bring a more upbeat perspective on 2010: which cities are on our radar screen. To be honest a first list had been compiled before New Year but my near death experience (maybe I exaggerate a little here) left me longing for different destinations: safe Nordic and Swiss cities, Munich or Tokyo (incidentally Monocle’s favourites) - places where presumably one doesn’t get mugged for an iPhone. But after a day in London I am back to my old, good-spirited self, getting really excited about cities where I could easily be hit by a crowbar for my wallet. C’est la vie.
The new website will be launched next week with a new structure and a series of architecture walks covering Amsterdam, Antwerp, Berlin, Brussels, Copenhagen, Helsinki, London, New York, Parisand Rotterdam. We have been looking at Shanghai ahead of Expo 2010 and I hope that I can convince our creative consultant that Tokyo needs him next summer. The new website is on the experimental side and it will develop over the next few months with new architecture walks as well as fashion, design, art and food resources, and hopefully mobile applications. Watch this space and we welcome new contributors.
New cities on our radar screen include Palermo – we hope to cover the architectural regeneration of the Old Town // Warsaw – I am not a great fan of gay prides but Europride is a significant step for the city, which needs better press than queer bashing (coverage starting this spring) // I have my fingers crossed for South Africa, which will host the World Cup this summer, and I hope that Turnleft will cover Cape Town later this year // But after this week’s attack I may leave that trip to my colleagues and focus instead on Swiss cities – hopefully Basel and Zurich – and hopefully 3 new Nordic capitals besides Helsinki: Copenhagen, Stockholm andReykjavik (coverage starting this spring – Copenhagen and Helsinki start this winter).
And with a bit of luck (and time)…
Istanbul is European Capital of Culture 2010 – not that it needs it (its art scene has had everyone buzzing for years) //All the people that have been to Beirut recently came back excited about the youthful energy of the city, its clubbing scene and street culture. Beirut39 in April is an extension of the Hay Festival // Liberal Tel Aviv deserved a better 2009 – its 100th birthday should have been a source of celebration – but the growing coverage of all things Bauhaus and new low-cost flights should be favourable to the city // And surely when we all end up Marrakeched out, we will realise that Casablanca is Morocco’s true pulsating heart – its Art Deco district puts South Beach and Havana to shame.
If you have more ideas let us know. Have a great year!
