Monschau and Vogelsang
Occupying the lower flanks of a deep green valley, through which the Rur river flows frothy the colour of beer, old Monschau seems almost hidden away. Barely a few kilometres from the Belgian border, this little town of timber frame houses embodies the very notion of traditional, upland Germany. A cold wind pours sleet on the streets, [...] More about Monschau and Vogelsang
Reflections on Relocation: Part 1
This is the first of two articles, written five months to the day since we arrived in Belgium, in which J and I compare the experience of living in Britain with that of Belgium. Having discussed a range of subjects, we divided them between us. In this first part, I cover some of my thoughts: Beverages Two [...] More about Reflections on Relocation: Part 1
Reflections on Relocation: Part 2
In this the second of two articles, written five months after our arrival in Belgium, J compares the experience of living in Britain with that of Belgium: We miss… Source: Jeremy Keith (Wikimedia) Fish and Chips, say no more J will be “forever nostalgic about the many nights I feasted on portions of hot vinegared and salted chips, swathed [...] More about Reflections on Relocation: Part 2
Totally wired for Belgium
We’re both working now and an embryonic daily routine has started. Some kind of normality, albeit a new and fresh one, is creeping into our daily lives. And to function effectively in our daily lives, we need to have a solid grasp of the basics. Supermarkets As an Information Designer, I’m used to working with hierarchies. Hierarchies [...] More about Totally wired for Belgium
Life’s a Quiche
For the benefit of the folks at home, our parents in the United Kingdom, we drew a slice of quiche on the back of the postcard. This was our way of making a familiar reference to the region of Lorraine. We were sketching the quiche early on a hot, drowsy late summer afternoon in Nancy. Residents [...] More about Life’s a Quiche
Something to do with Lotharingia
When Charlemagne died in early 814, he left behind him the strongest empire known to Western Europe since that of the Romans. Barely a generation later, it had been dissolved. The wholesale division of territories among the royal issue led to weakness and fragmentation. In the case of the Carolingian empire, the sum of the whole [...] More about Something to do with Lotharingia
Muur van Geraardsbergen
Every year on the first weekend in April, the Ronde van Vlaanderen cycle race files through the lanes and villages of Flanders. If this sounds like a Sunday idyll to you, think about the heavy, freezing rain permeating your clothing whilst you’re buffeted by strong crosswinds from the North Sea. Then contemplate pulling your bike through 264 [...] More about Muur van Geraardsbergen
Cantillon Brewery
J’s sister came to stay and after trying the lambic and gueuze at À La Bécasse on Rue Tabora the previous week, she fancied a visit to the Cantillon Brewery near the Gare du Midi. Cantillon is the last active brewery in Brussels and it is still a family business, occupying the same building on Rue [...] More about Cantillon Brewery
Relocating to Brussels: the final haul
Before I begin Some folks have weighed in with the assertion that my coverage of Flemish terms has not been as comprehensive as my coverage of French terms. Whilst I would enjoy an open discussion about the “language crisis” in what some people like to call Belgium and others Flanders-Wallonia-ThatOtherBit, it cannot be denied that Brussels [...] More about Relocating to Brussels: the final haul
Buying soap (and the accretion of experience)
Buying soap in Brussels on a Sunday is difficult. I hadn’t even brought my wallet but J had Visa. In default of one and finding none of the other open on a Sunday, the omens were black. You need to have cash or else a store big enough to accept Visa. This all started because - who’d [...] More about Buying soap (and the accretion of experience)
