Banking on Belgium

In the mid 1990s, Belgium revolutionised banking by leading the way into a cashless society. At least, that's what my bank's advertising tells me. Actually, my wallet contains way more cash than it ever did in Canada – and trust me, it's not because I have any more money. One...

Hotel Blues

My passion for travel isn't a very well-kept secret. But as I write this week, from a hotel in Amsterdam, I am reminded that travel isn't always a glamorous, relaxing holiday. I came to the Netherlands with Andrew who was supposed to be working here today and tomorrow. At the...

Biking Belgian Style

After almost two years of living in Benelux, I am one step closer to being like the locals — thanks to the kindness of my neighbours, I finally have a bicycle. As a child in Canada, I had various bicycles (my favourite, at eight-years-old, was a pink and white number...

Lest We Forget

War and Peace has been on my mind a lot lately, (No, not the Tolstoy novel which I had to read in university). It seems I can’t look at the news these days without reading about an ‘armed conflict’ somewhere. Some days it feels like everyone in the world is...

A Little Cheez

I've written frequently about the food in Belgium: the abundance of fresh produce, the heavenly bakeries on every corner and the restaurants that can transport your taste buds around the globe. Sometimes however, what I really want is a taste of home. Canadians have a hard time defining a national...

The Landlords… again

I have been dreading tonight for the past week. I will spend all day worrying about what will happen. No, I'm not headed back to the commune. It has the potential to be even more stressful … the landlords are coming! Don't get me wrong, my landlords are very lovely...

The Best Laid Plans…

One of the hardest things for me to get used to in my current expat life is unpredictability. These days, Andrew and I plan ahead in terms of hours, or possibly days, but weeks, months, years — these timeframes remain as foggy as a Belgian morning. I have always been...

An Historical ‘Wow’

In Canada, architecture that is over a hundred years old is considered … well, really old. If a building reaches this 'landmark' age, you can rest assured that someone will slap an informative plaque and/or interpretive sign on the wall and it will henceforth be governed by a million rules...

Taste the World

If there is anything that Andrew and I enjoy doing as much as travelling, it's eating. While I love to cook and experiment with new recipes, I have to admit that when the budget allows (or I'm just sick of the kitchen) I love to dine out. Brussels is a...