Celluloid Diaries: June 2015

Tuesday, June 16, 2015

Visiting the Eau d'heure lakes

romantic lake europe

This past weekend, I visited the Eau d'heure lakes in Belgium as part of a press trip. Though the lakes are situated in my own country, I had never heard of them prior to this trip. 

Yet, with its five lakes and 600 hectares of national park, it's one of Belgium's most beautiful places of interest. 

The reason the Eau d'heure lakes are not well known, is that the area has only just recently seen a steep rise in tourist attractions. Hotels, seminar rooms, holiday villages, and recreational activities pop up at a rapid pace thanks to the support of the local and European authorities. 

During the press trip, I had to opportunity to try out some activities at L'eau d'heure. Here's an overview: 


hiking trails belgium


Recreational activities at the Eau d'heure lakes 



Aqua Golf 

The Plate Taille lake is the only place in Europe where you can play Aqua Golf. Contrary to a normal game of golf, the player has to get the balls onto floating islands. Great fun. 


aqua golf
aqua golf

Crocodile Rouge 

Crocodile Rouge prides itself on being a bus that can drive on land as well as on water. Only nine of these vehicles exist. The Crocodile Rouge took me on a trip on the Plate Taille lake, but I'd say it's more for kids than for adults. 

You can find more pictures of and info about Crocodile Rouge here.


plate taille lake belgium
lakes in belgium

Natura Parc 

If you're adventurous, you may want to do a climbing trail at Natura Parc. There are different tracks and levels. The "erolienne" trail is a must as the giant rope slides will take you over the Plate Taille lake for a magnificent view. 

During the summer, Natura Parc organizes a night-time climbing experience, coupled with a BBQ. How awesome is that! 

You can find more information about the Natura Parc here


natura parc eau d'heure
natura parc eau d'heure
henegouwen toerisme
belgium fun activities for tourists

Hiking and biking 

The majority of the tourists go to the lakes to hike and bike. I explored the banks of the Plate Taille lake by foot and soaked up Belgian nature at its best. 


eau d'heure lakes belgium
belgium hiking trail eau d'heure
boats on a lake
woods belgium
best of belgium

Barrage de la Plate Taille 

Belgium biggest dam, the Barrage de la Plate Taille, is the only one whose interiors can be visited. I discovered its underground corridors, its turbine pumps, and enjoyed a 360° panoramic view from 107 meters high. A guide taught me about the history of the lakes and the dam's past and current uses. 


barrage de plate taille
dam eau d'heure
dam corridors
belgium viewpoints
lacs de l'eau d'heure
biggest dam belgium

Aqua Centre 

No holiday is complete without a visit to a swimming pool, right? The Aqua Centre of the Eau d'Heure Lakes has recently been renovated and has a slide and spray park for the kids and a wellness centre for the adults. 


aqua centre eau d'heure

Kayak 

Ever since my childhood trips to the Ardennes, I have loved kayaking. The Eau d'heure lakes lend themselves perfectly to unwind once more on the water and to revel in the beauty of the surrounding shores. 


kayak belgium
kayak eau d'heure
best lakes in europe
belgium beach

Where did I sleep? 


I spent the night at Golden Lakes Village, a holiday resort with newly constructed holiday homes surrounded by water and greenery. 

The holiday homes of Golden Lakes Village belong to private investors. They have the opportunity to purchase completely furnished houses without paying VAT. Golden Lakes then rents out the homes for them. A great idea, don't you think? 

What I loved most about the Golden Lakes Village homes? Their comfort and large balconies that lend themselves perfectly for apĆ©ritifs and breakfasts in the sunshine. 

You can find more information about the Golden Lakes Village here or reserve your stay here.


l'eau d'heure
golden lakes village
weekendje weg henegouwen


Where did I eat? 



Croco BBQ 

Croco BBQ offers basic food such as toasted sandwiches and all-you-can-eat BBQ. Its terrace overlooks the lake and the dam. 


BBQ l'eau d'heure
croco BBQ

Tri Marrants 

Tri Marrants is the place to be for quality food. Meat lovers will love the giant portions, but the cook also does his utmost to please vegetarians like me. 

And how to resist dinner with such a beautiful sunset view over the lake?


tri marrants
belgium best views

Aqua Centre 

The Aqua Centre's restaurant is an easy option for pizza and other comfort food. 


Disclaimer 



My trip to the Eau d'heure lakes was sponsored by www.lacsdeleaudheure.be (general information), www.goldenlakesvillage.be (purchase of holiday homes), and www.ardennes-vakantievillas.be (rental of holiday homes). 


What do you think of the Eau d'heure lakes? Any activities that pique your interest?

most beautiful lakes in europe


Thursday, June 11, 2015

Guest post: Welcome to the Zombie Rapture by Stuart R. West

zombie rapture

Recently, Vanessa invited me to chat about my new book, Zombie Rapture, on her blog. (Don’t worry, despite the title it’s not a “zombie erotica” book, although I’m sure someone’s written one. Ugh.) Honestly, before I wrote the book, I thought the whole zombie craze had pretty much been played out. Yet I wanted to try my hand at a zombie tale anyway as I love the original Dawn of the Dead film and The Walking Dead TV series.

But how to come up with something original? 

At first, the idea of “zombie babies” excited me. My excitement didn’t last long, though. I realized all you had to do to escape them is step over them. Gah! So much for suspense. So dumb, so wrong-headed. 

Zombie animals? Nope, been done numerous times. 

Then I had a dream about miniature zombies, the size of toy soldiers. In my dream, a big corporation created small bombs (“bombies”) to destroy the little things. A mass marketing/advertising blitz ensued (I ate lotsa’ cheese and hot sauce that night.) During the dream (as is always the case with me), I thought, “what a cool idea for a book!” Then the cold light of day slapped me in the face and I realized how stupid the whole thing was. 

I considered zombie hillbillies. Nah, I thought…too redundant. (Ouch!) Back to the drawing board. 

There’s zombie politicians. But I’m sure it’s been done (and if not, why?). Besides, I’m not a journalist. 

Then (and I can’t really say when or where it occurred), a very vivid image struck me. A lil’ ol’ lady approaching with hedge clippers, smiling sweetly, but with murder on her mind. Brrr…but how to make this work as a book? And more importantly, why? 

At the same time, I wondered, “When is a zombie not a zombie?” When they’re sentient, of course! Combine that with the “hate churches” that are running rampant through my Midwest stomping grounds and I had my book. The zombies in Zombie Rapture are sentient; dead yet fully aware. They don’t eat flesh. Yet they want to kill the few remaining living beings. Why? To “save them.” The undead believe they’ve been favored by God, enjoying the Rapture come to earth. And it’s their duty to save the living by killing them, resurrecting them into eternal happiness. 

Strange concept, even wilder ride (I hope). Zombie Rapture is a black comedy, a character-oriented suspense thriller driven by a romantic quest. My hero, Hunter (a teen ready to graduate high school and leave behind his Midwestern roots), has fallen in love with Jordan, the perfect girl for him. But the world has changed and Jordan’s missing. Hunter connects with Scout (Jordan’s wild tom-boyish little sister) and his grandpa (ornerier than a six inch sliver) to travel across the Midwest to find Jordan while trying to stay alive, narrowly avoiding both the undead and the opportunistic living minority. 

What starts out as a free-wheeling comedic adventure soon turns dark as the stakes keep rising. Time is running out to save Jordan from the evil, undead Reverend Osgoode and his legion. 

Hey! It’s my first book that has all five-star ratings, my personal best! I’m sure it won’t stay that way forever, so get it while it’s still “good!” 

Zombie Rapture can be purchased here: Clicky for thrills, chills and zombie spills


Zombie Rapture giveaway

Fill in the Rafflecopter below to win an ebook of Zombie Rapture by Stuart R. West (format of your choice). The giveaway is open worldwide. Good luck!

Thursday, June 4, 2015

It's Avalon release day!

cat book

It's Avalon release day!

And we're going to celebrate that...

But, first, let me tell you that I almost didn't release Avalon: a Heartwarming True Cat Story.

You see, this book is hyper personal. There are things in here that I never told anyone before, because I was too ashamed. Because of this book, my family hasn't spoken to me in several months...

Part of me wants you to ignore this book...

On the other hand, I DO want you to read it, because I wrote it to honor the cat I loved more than anything else in this world. This true story is my way to eternalize Avalon, and to bring to light his hilarious shenanigans and amazing talents as a movie star.

I know for a fact that Avalon: a Heartwarming True Cat Story will not leave you cold. Either you'll think I'm nuts, or you'll be touched and cry your eyes out.


Excerpt

Around three o’clock that night, Avalon was fed up with the strange man in his bed. He plonked his rear down on Gilles’ pillow, complaining fretfully in his ear while tapping him on the face. 

After nearly an hour of incessant wailing and poking, more drastic measures were required. The new solution: pushing Gilles out of bed. 

Avalon succeeded. 

Climbing back under the covers wasn’t an option. Unable to sleep, Gilles got up. "I guess I didn't pass the test." 

"Give Avalon some time. Maybe he was just irked because you took his side of the bed." 

But Gilles had already understood that this wasn't going to be a one-time event. 

For several minutes, Gilles and Avalon sized each other up. Then Gilles said, "I’d better leave the two of you alone now. It’s clearly what the little guy wants." 

I swear I could see Avalon smirking when Gilles put on his jacket and left. 

Instantly, Avalon leapt onto me, and compensated for the evening before. He entered a kiss-induced trance. This cat was all about exclusivity, and when granted that exclusivity, his love was immense. 

"Are you really that happy that Gilles is gone?" 

In reply, Avalon looked at me with swoony eyes and purred loudly, then swatted out his paw to urge me to continue to pet him, which I did. 

A phone call interrupted our tender moment. It was Gilles. "There won't be any train to Brussels for hours," he said. "Is it okay if I come back to your place for a while?" 

"Of course." His return would offend Avalon, but I couldn’t possibly leave Gilles outside in the rain for several hours. 

As soon as Gilles appeared at the front door, Avalon’s pupils widened to a pitch black. Let's see who's the boss here, he seemed to be thinking. 

Being a cat of action, Avalon went through his usual attention-seeking routine: making a selection of irritating noises, scratching the wallpaper, and pushing objects to the ground. When that didn't work, Avalon opened Gilles' overnight bag and threw out a piece of clothing. His eyes so dark and evil they could be gateways to hell, Avalon stared at his adversary and waited for a reaction. He then pulled out a box of gel wax. Again, he looked up at Gilles to make sure he understood that all this bungling was meant to get a message across. A third object followed, then a fourth, a fifth, a sixth, until there was nothing. 

Hell-bent on winning the game, Avalon took Gilles' coat in his mouth and towed it toward the front door. There, he used his right paw to tap the keys hanging from the wooden doorframe. 

Avalon’s message couldn’t be any clearer: there was room for only one man in my life. A feline one.  


You can find Avalon: a Heartwarming True Cat Story on: 


Win a $25 Amazon gift card, a signed book of Avalon, a cat collar, and a pack of cat toys! 

Avalon's book tour giveaway is open to readers worldwide. To enter, just fill in the Rafflecopter below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway