Belgian comfort food – The târte al djote
The târte al djote is a specialty of the Walloon town of Nivelles. The primary ingredients are Swiss chard, la bètchéye, a special fermented cows cheese produced in the area, and butter. Lots of butter. It’s served piping hot, with a plate of salted butter on the side and should be accompanied by a Jean de Nivelles. One might think a dish containing so many leafy greens would be healthy, but the layer of butterfat that floats on top hints otherwise. Don’t be put off by that! This is comfort food, and it’s truly delicious.
If you’re tempted to try it, you’ll have to make the trip to Nivelles. It’s not found anywhere else in Belgium. The târtes are sold in the town’s restaurants and bakeries which have passed annual taste testing by the confrérie de la târte al djote. This group serves to protect and promote this culinary specialty, which is thought to date back to as early as the year 1218. So if you find yourself in Nivelles, be sure to look for their label, which will tell you how they rate each establishment’s târtes.
For more information, as well as a recipe (en français), you can consult the confrérie’s website: http://www.djote.be.
Postcard: Damme, Belgium
Damme, Belgium
To say I’ve gotten behind in blogging would be quite an understatement, but I’m sure you’ll all forgive me, right? The past year has been quite a busy time for us with our wedding in September and our move to Québec in October. Needless to say, I’ve been a bit distracted!
Leaving Belgium was bittersweet. Though we were excited at the prospect of our new adventure in Canada, Brussels had become our home. During our 3 years there, we’d fallen head over heels in love with this tiny, quirky country and the warm, friendly people who inhabit it. I still have so many stories and photos that haven’t made their way onto the blog yet, so I’ll continue to visit Belgium from time to time when I’m feeling a bit homesick.
Postcard: Mountain weather in Zakopane, Poland
Postcard: Christmas market in Québec City, Canada
Postcard: Stonehenge
Well we missed seeing Stonehenge on the summer solstice, but it was still quite impressive. Definitely more than just a pile of rocks! I hope one day we can go back and see it in all its glory on a solstice night.
640 x 960 (iPhone) | 1024 x 1024 (iPad) | 1024 x 768
Even though I’ve fallen waaaay behind on the desktop wallpaper portion of the blog, I wanted you all to be able to have something colorful to stare at throughout the summer months. Or maybe even throughout the winter. Bougainvillea grows prolifically in Florida and my parents’ backyard, where I snapped this photo, is no exception. These tropical blooms never fail to remind me of home, and the intense, sticky heat of a Florida summer.
To transfer the image to your computer desktop, simply click on the link corresponding to your screen size to open it in a new window, then right click (or ctrl + click for Mac users) on the image and select “set as desktop background.” You may need to go into your display preferences and select “fit to screen” if the image doesn’t fit perfectly the first time.
**Desktop wallpapers by Bela Lumo Photography are for personal use only. Please do not use them on your website or social networking sites. If you would like to buy a print or greeting card of this month’s image, contact me for prices, or take a look at my Redbubble site. Thank you!**
Isn’t she gorgeous? This is Hurley, my cousins’ 6-year-old cane corso. Back in April when I was down in Florida for a few weeks, we met up for some burritos at Da Kine Diego’s (the best burritos in Brevard county!) and a mini photo session with Hurley. She was the perfect model, albeit a bit drooly. Pet portraits are not something I get to do a lot of, but I really love it when the opportunity arises. 
Postcard: Côte d’Opale, France
- Cap Blanc Nez
France’s Côte d’Opale stretches from Calais to Boulogne-sur-Mer. The area is known for its wide, sandy beaches and stunning views from the cliffs Cap Blanc Nez and Cap Gris Nez. On clear days, the coast of England can be spotted a mere 20 miles away across the Channel.
While I was home in Florida last month, I spent a great afternoon taking some portraits with some dear friends and their first baby. Not only was Baby C a complete delight during the whole session, but we had some amazing Florida spring weather as well. It is always such an honor and a gift to be able to capture these moments for families to cherish through the years. (I really had a hard time picking out my favorite. She’s just so cute in all of them!)
Postcard: St. Martin de Ré | Brussels Travel Photographer
Going through my photo archives from several years ago, I came across some photographs from a bike ride I took with friends around Île de Ré on the Atlantic coast of France. In the summer, this is a bustling little island village, but this was October, when things look quite different. Somehow, I prefer the off-season.
