The months of May and June aren’t only suggesting that Summer is getting closer but they represent the best time to enjoy one of the most delicious shellfish in the always innovating culinary world: the lobster. Since 1999 Brussels the best seafood restaurants in Brussels have been celebrating this culinary delicacy by creating menus where the lobster plays a leading role. In fact, 29 restaurants in Brussels (9 of which are situated on the famous Vismet!), 17 on the Belgian Coast, 6 restaurants in Antwerp,…. in total 100 Belgian Restaurants all over the country will serve the most delicious preparations of the excellent Canadian Atlantic Lobster Festival from May 21st till June 20th!  

The food ambassador of Canada is a well loved dish in Belgium therefore the initiative is definitely a food festival not to be missed in a restaurant near you.

A full list of participating reataurants can be found here.

The tune Blue Monday, recorded in 1982 and originally released as a single in 1983 by the band New Order is one of the longest tracks ever to chart in the UK (weighing-in at nearly seven-and-a-half minutes). It is recognised as the biggest selling 12″ single of all time.

Blue Monday is also most recently known as “the most depressing day of the year” - The name Blue Monday given to a date stated, as part of a publicity campaign by Sky Travel.

The University tutor who ‘invented’ this special day, Cliff Arnall, said “the date was calculated by using many factors, including: weather conditions, debt level (the difference between debt accumulated and our ability to pay), time since Christmas, time since failing our new year’s resolutions, low motivational levels and feeling of a need to take action.”.

The date typically falls on the Monday of the last full week of January. The original date coined was stated to be 24 January in 2005, then 23 January in 2006, 22 January in 2007, and 21 January in 2008. Bizarrely, in 2009, the official “most depressing day of the year” will fall earlier than previous years, on 19 January. (This date also happens to be Martin Luther King Jr, Day of Service).

In a similar themed promotion to Sky Travel, Journey Latin America yesterday launched an email campaign claiming that 26 January will be the most depressing day.

Short Breaks are acknowledging Cliff Arnall’s “most depressing” date claim, and are therefore looking to the 19th to the official date when doom and gloom will spread amongst us all.

However, Short Breaks would rather share joy and positivity in these miserable times by focusing on the events going on in and around the various Eurostar city destinations on the weekend proceeding 19 January. Escape the gloom and take a last-minute Blue Monday break in Europe…

Paris Old Metro Signboard, Courtesy pedrosimoes7, Flickr

Paris

>25 January 2009 - Van Dyck, Musée Jacquemart-André. Exhibition tracing the career of the great portrait painter Antoon Van Dyck.

>20 January 2009 - Picasso et les maîtres. Picasso’s varied career & will show these alongside those of other Masters like Monet, Renoir & Van Gogh indicating their influence on his work.

>29 March 2009 -  Lion King. Théâtre Mogador, Opéra/Grands boulevards. Featuring about 40 artistes and 20 actors, the production has been entirely dubbed in French, from the dialogues to the songs. A show for all the family to enjoy.

>18 January 2009 - Georges Rouault. La Pinacothèque. To mark the 50th anniversary of his death, Paris’ La Pinacothèque hosts Georges Rouault, les Chefs-d’oeuvre de la Collection Idemitsu. This is the first time Rouault’s Japanese collection of canvases has been shown in Paris since the Second World War.

>18 January 2009 (annual) - The Big Wheel. Place de la Concorde. Ride during the day or visit after dark for a romantic ride à deux and sweeping views over the City of Lights.

>19 January 2009 - Bronzes Français. Louvre. The first ever major exhibition to be exclusively dedicated to French bronze sculpture from the 16th to the 19th centuries.

>25 January 2009 (annual) - Bercy Antiques Fair. Bercy Village. Paris’ antique dealers congregate on the Cour Saint-Emillion and Place des Vins de France for the annual Bercy Antiques Fair (Brocante).

The Centre of Lille, Courtesy Julie70, Flickr

Lille

18 January 2009 - Lille vs Rennes. Lille Football Club, Stade Lille-Metropole. French First Division fixture. Kick-off 20:00.

Daily (Not Tuesday) - Museum of Modern Art Lille Métropole. Musée d’Art Moderne - Lille Métropole. Situated in the leafy Villeneuve d’Ascq park on the outskirts of Lille, the Museum of Modern Art houses an extensive and varied collection of 20th-century and modern art originating from various donations, including the Masurel and Aracine collections.

Daily - Lille Zoo. Bois de Boulogne. Entrance is free, and if the weather is good, take advantage of its beautiful location, and enjoy the surrounding gardens and greenery. 

Disneyland Paris

>31 March 2009 - Kids Under 12 Travel, Stay & Play for Free. Disneyland Resort Paris. Combine the “Under 12s Stay and Play for Free” offer with totally free travel on Eurostar for under 12s for an unbeatable value trip!

Brussels

>18 January 2009 - A wonderful Christmas in Italy. Basilica of Koekelberg. A wonderful Christmas in Italy presents elaborate Italian nativity scenes or Christmas cribs at Brussels’ Basilica of Koekelberg this winter.

>18, 20 January 2009 - Death in Venice. Theatre de la Monnaie.  Benjamin Britten’s last opera is brilliantly inspired by Thomas Mann’s novel, Death in Venice. Shown at Brussels’ Monnaie Opera, the production features the acclaimed English tenor Ian Bostridge as Gustav von Aschenbach, under Paul Daniel’s musical direction.

Bruges by Night, Courtesy Maxine Wojtczak, Flickr

Bruges

>28 February - Bruges Hotel Room Upgrade Offer. Selected hotels and dates in Bruges. Stay at the 4 star Hotel Aragon and 4* Oud Huis Peellaert and receive an Executive Room upgrade.

Daily - Choco Story. Belgian chocolates are famous around the world and this museum tells the full story behind the history, the cultivation and preparation of the irresistable confection we know and love today.

17 January (Every Saturday) - ‘t Zand Market. ‘tZand. Every Saturday the centrally located ‘t Zand market sells just about anything and everything.