Valentines Day – What to Do, What to Do?
It’s that romantic time of the year again where red roses flourish; poets pontificate, and people go to great length to show someone just how special they are for them.
However, if you are anything like me, then chances are you have left the planning for such festivities till the last minute. Or maybe you haven’t a partner to declare your love for, but remember, that in countries like Finland, the day is officially called “friend day”. So regardless of your predicament, here are some activities around Brussels to take anyone who you hold dear, and ensure you all spend the night smiling.
Dinner & Jazz
We start with the classics – a candlelit dinner. Cutesy, but a little cliche? Well, that’s where we’ve found a twist. London Brasserie has, of course, all the romantic atmosphere you’d expect for a valentines dinner: deep rouge walls, intimate tabling, and elegant candlelight to illuminate your partner’s glowing smile. But where they top the traditional dining experience is by having a live jazz band playing. Serenading diners with a smooth vibe to sit and enjoy the music with dinner or drinks. They’ve also prepared a unique Valentine’s Day menu, going to great lengths to make the night a special one.
A torch-lit walk around a museum
A torch-lit visit in a pitch black museum! That right, on Valentines day the Belvue museum of Belgian history will offer you the unique chance to discover the museum like an archaeological agent, wading through the darkness of the museum and unearthing ancient history with the flicker of your light. I’m sure I don’t have to tell you that this isn’t just for intimate couples, although having someone’s hand to hold in the pitch black halls would sure be a bonus.
Watch a movie at Anima
A classic go-to for late planners, but by no means a meagre last resort, as the highly acclaimed Anima animated film festival is in town! An epic festival on any given day, for Valentine’s Day, the film festival is showing fourteen short films about love and everything that goes with it: emotions, misunderstandings and sex.
Venture through the Heart Museum
Because nothing says I love you like looking at a dried, shrivelled heart. I’m only kidding, it won’t be a tour of a deranged doctor’s abattoir, but a representation of the heart through the history of arts. From the enchanting, golden medieval romanticism to the age of enlightenment’s hyper realism, the startling nuances of the designs will remind you the significance of the heart throughout history and how cultures came to decorate and map what they believed to be a fascinating aspect of humankind.
Try an escape room
60 minutes! Solve the clues, escape the room, but don’t dally as you will be locked in. No, I wasn’t describing the next SAW movie, but an escape room. One of the newest trends to hit Europe, an escape room will have you and your companions locked in a room for an hour as you search around for clues to aid your escape. What better way to demonstrates your love for someone by desperatly trying to control the urge to shout frantically while raiding a room to the tune of ticking clock.
Ogle at the Museum of Erotics and Mythology
If you are an advocate of the arts or an enthusiast about eroticism, then this is just the place. Now, an erotic museum may be a bit awkward on a first date, but couples or friends alike will enjoy the history and intricacies of the eroticism displayed throughout the world’s cultures’ historical mythologies. From 19th century Japanese drawings to Ancient African phallic statues, this is an enriching experience to learn about bygone cultures…perhaps with a few nervous giggles in between.
So whether you fancy a romantic meal, an exuberant exhibition, taking a quiet walk down Brussels’ beautiful streets, or curling up on the sofa with a bottle of bubbly, as long as it is enjoyed with those you love, it’s sure to be a great one.
