When you speak about Belgium to other Europeans, they often make some negative comments - off course it is said in jest, but the most common comment is “the Belgians are dumb”.
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I don’t know what they did to deserve that “title”, but I have a very different opinion about the country and its people. To me it represents the best of both worlds. I love France and I love The Netherlands - Belgium is a combination of the 2. (There is a small German part too, which makes it really iteresting, but I have not yet been there). My first language is Afrikaans, so I understand Dutch (The Netherlands) and Flemish (Belgium) quite well and thanks to the thousands of Rands (South Africa’s currency) that my mom paid towards my education, I can understand French pretty well too. Most signs in Belgium are in both French and Flemish, so if I don’t understand it in the one language, I’m bound to understand it in the other.
How great is that!
Okay, now I know that this won’t help any English-speakers, but the great thing about the people of Belgium is that most of them can speak pretty some pretty good English, so you never have to get lost or struggle with ordering something in a restaurant.
Brussels
The Belgians are a nation of gourmands - which basically means that they appreciate great food - my kind of people. The majority of Belgians that I know personally are either chefs, restaurateurs, sommeliers or is connected to something in the food industry in some way and they have all contributed to hours of dining pleasure. (I’m thinking Stoemp (mashed potatoes mixed with vegetables - like carrots or brussel sprouts - cream, herbs and/or bacon), Belgian Endive, Moules Frites (mussels & chips/fries), Waffles, Belgian Beers and off course their famous chocolates).
The Belgians don’t only eat well, but they shop well too. If I have to describe them as a nation in one word, it would have to be: Stylish. With some great shopping and one of my favorite designers: Dries van Noten, its easy to see how they achieve that description.
I have only visited a few towns in Belgium: Brussels, Antwerp, Kortrijk and Ghent - I’ve enjoyed all of them - the history, beautiful buildings, welcoming squares, fabulous restaurants and overall vibe. I’ve also heard such good things about other towns like Bruges, Leuven and Liege, that it is definitely on my list of places to visit again soon!
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