The Cistercian Church at Abbey Villers
Andrew and I are always on the look-out for beautiful day-trips from Brussels. For Andrew, highlights must include winding roads and ruins to explore. For me, the criteria are picturesque scenes to photograph and a garden to stroll through. At Villers Abbey (abbaye de Villers in French), in Villers-la-Ville, we found everything we were both looking for.
This time of year, when Belgium’s only colours are shades of grey, I can’t help but dream of the bright spring and summer days. I spend the winter months catching up on last year’s travels and planning for a burst of garden photography in spring.
The current Palace Royal, Brussels, and entrance to the Coudenberg
Beneath one of its busiest squares, Brussels has a secret. As tourists dodge traffic and trams on Place Royal, darting between the Magritte Museum and the Bozar, most of them are unaware that right beneath their feet is a hidden palace – Coudenberg, the former palace of Brussels.
Once upon a time, in the middle ages, a grand palace overlooked the city of Brussels, from Coudenberg hill. These days, a new palace (and a handful of museums) sits in its place. However, the remains of Coudenberg Palace and Rue Isabelle, an ancient thoroughfare , still exist – underground.
I’ve never been one of those girls who lives to shop, but I must confess, the sight of an amazing bargain makes my eyes light up like the Las Vegas Strip. So when I discovered a bargain-hunter’s mecca, not 4 blocks from my house, I got a little bit giddy. If you like brand name fashion and don’t like spending a lot of money, you’re going to love Dod.
You’d be forgiven for passing right by the original Dod store on chaussée de Louvain. It looks a bit run-down and cluttered like the other shops near-by, selling low-quality goods. But if you watch the doors for a moment, you’ll see a steady stream of smiling women emerging, loaded down by bulging carrier bags filled with their bargain finds.
I first wrote this post waaay back when we arrived in Belgium. I was literally terrified every time I got in the car. I’m happy to say I’m a bit calmer now but, even five years on, I’m still not driving in Belgium. Interestingly, I’ve been in many other places in Europe where I’ve felt, ‘Hey, I could drive here.’ Granted, living in Brussels, I don’t have a real need to drive and Andrew is happy to play chauffeur when necessary.
I was reminded of this post when, on a recent outing, we spotted the sign in the photo. It pretty much sums up driving in Belgium.
The atmospheric ruins of Montaigle are one of the many castles in Belgium you are free to explore. Learn about this family-friendly day-trip from Brussels to the Namur region.
Mobile Operators in Belgium
Looking for more recent information? Check out our newest post on Mobile Internet in Belgium from May 2012!
In my last post, I wrote about Alison’s new phone, the HTC Desire. After bringing it home and setting it up, the next question was: which mobile operator should we use?
We hadn’t researched mobile operators before, as we hadn’t any need for fancy packages. A pay-as-you-go model was fine for years. Now however, the new phone would also need internet access. Suddenly we needed to learn what operators were available and what they offered for data plans (aka mobile internet, 3G). So, with my usual penchant for details, I began to dig into what operators exist in Belgium and their offers for mobile internet on your smartphone.
Chilling at the spa – image by duchessa
It’s been blistering hot in Brussels for the past week or so. Although I love to see the sun, after melting in my 30+ degree living-room, I was ready to cool off. Fighting for a square inch of sand on the Belgian coast didn’t appeal and we’ve decided not to renew our gym membership, so the pool was out. Wondering where I could escape the heat on Saturday, I realised we hadn’t been to a Belgian spa in over a year.
Bringing the internet home
Our ‘Web Guy’ takes a look at how to choose an internet service provider in Belgium.
Most expats wouldn’t dream of living without internet access. We’re becoming more and more connected with our iPhones/smartphones, netbooks and now iPads/tablets. I’ve mentioned how important computers are to expats in my article, “Computer Shopping in Belgium,” but what use is a computer without access? For expats, high-speed (or broadband) internet access is as important as a telephone, maybe even more.
Our expat life is manageable because of the internet and even a day without access can be very disruptive. So how do you know what service provider to choose in Belgium?