belguim

Belguim?

We know where you mean... the land of the pommes frîtes... in my limited experience it's a great country for food. And Jacques Brel...

It is a great country for many things, although if you read some newspapers and listen to some news bulletins you would think everything that has ever gone wrong in the UK over the past few years was our personal fault.

I don't but my DD lives in Oudergem and I have been five times in the last year.

Perhaps we could have a coffee next time you are over, I live in Ixelles.

I lived in Ixelles for a year, close to the university. I found the landscape of Belgium too flat and boring for my taste but the food was good!

Did you never visit the Ardennes or Luxemburg Province, mountains, Chateaux and lovely river valleys, I am Scottish and even I admire it, and all just a couple of hours drive away

Bruges on a Sunday morning is one of my stock of happy memories... the view from the top of the belfry, the sound of the carillon echoing in the narrow streets.... and eels Provençal for lunch...

Yes, I did go to the Ardennes sometimes, and I liked Ghent and Bruges. I just found the landscape around Brussels rather flat and boring. I like real mountains!

I told absentdaughter that she could celebrate her first big 0 (10 years old) in a European city with a friend for a week. I suggested Paris; she chose Bruges which I had never previously visited. The three of us had an absolute blast and loved every minute, including places I didn't think the girls would want to visit, such as the lace museum.

The most extraordinary thing was when we went out for dinner in the evening – one very blonde girl and one very black-haired girl so people would start chatting to us in the restaurant of the day. I have vague recollections of conversations held many years ago by the Dutch side of my family but I was astonished to find that I could pretty much follow what was said to me in Flemish. The problem was that I could not answer unless in French, English or international gestures.

If you like early music you will know about the awesome and outstanding Bruges Early Music Festival.

My ambition to go one day. In the meantime I make do with Spitalfields and The Lufthansa at St Johns Smith Square.

@Greatnan - It's no wonder Brel sang of "Mijn platte land mijn Vlaanderland"
(^Marieke^)

If anyone is visiting Brussels i am happy to act as a tour guide. I personally prefer Ghent to Brugge if any of you get the chance to visit it is lovely.

Thanks felice, visited last December and saw lots of lovely things ( the inside of the town hall being one and where the tour guide was half Welsh), would love to visit again some time.

P.S. Warmed up with the best Irish Coffee ever!