Talk of the town

Talk of the town James Drew Electric wheels This Saturday, July 16, the Belgian Chapter of the Johns Hopkins University Alumni is organising a guided bike tour of the heart of Brussels, weather permitting. Johns Hopkins University was the first research university in the US. Founded in 1876, the Baltimore university now has alumni members worldwide – there are 57 in the Belgian Chapter alone. The bike ride is a 15-kilometre jaunt, but at a leisurely pace, promises organiser Amy Knoten. “You can discover hidden delights well off the beaten tourist track,” she explains. “All tours are given in English, and there’s a light lunch and a tour of the Cantillon brewery included.” The tour starts at 10.00 sharp at ProVélo, 15 Rue de Londres in Ixelles – bikes can be hired for €8 – and finishes around 16.30. The cost for Chapter members is €13, non-members €16. Last-minute places are still available, and families are welcome. Call Knoten on 0484.684.677 for more information, or see www.provelo.be. Or perhaps you prefer to be a little closer to the ground? Roller-blading fanatics Brussels Rollers come together every Friday during the summer for a two-hour tour of the city. The meeting point is on Place Poelaert, in front of the Palais de Justice, at 21.00. There’s no charge – and the only equipment you’ll need is your roller-blades, helmet and protection padding and boundless energy. For more information, email carldemoncharline@brusselsrollers.com. A song for Europe There’s still a chance to get involved in the autumn programme of the European Union Choir – recruitment rehearsals are taking place tonight, July 14 and on August 18, and will include opera choruses and works by Mendelssohn and Honegger. Singers of all registers are needed, but, as choirmaster Gregor Pozniak explains, tenors and basses are in particularly short supply. The choir meets every Thursday from 20.00 in the Chapel of the Ecole Royal Militaire, 8 Rue Hobbema, Brussels (centre). For information, call 02.374.40.67, or go to www.choeurs-union-europeene.net. Time to talk Do your language skills need a little polish? There’s no better way to practice than, well, practice, and the Cercle Polyglotte de Bruxelles (Brussels Polyglot Circle) is the perfect place to meet new people and brush up on your foreign tongues. The club was founded in 1956 for people who already have some linguistic knowledge and wish to develop it. The friendly, international group meets every Wednesday from 20.00 at Les Jardins de Fontenay-sous-Bois, 18 Rue Général Fivé, Brussels. Conversation tables are held in many languages, including Dutch, Spanish and German. For more details, visit http://users.swing.be/polyglot.be or call Roger Malevez on 02.216.47.63. Photo: Brussels by bike: places are still available for the Johns Hopkins outing Email me at talk@ackroyd.be