Whether or not it is good for Europe, it is very bad for Belgium

So the news is spreading that the Belgian PM, Herman Van Rompuy, would be the first president of the EU. I am not going to comment on what that means for the EU now. It’s after nine in the evening here, and I’m preparing my teaching for tomorrow morning (and for reasons I need not disclose in this post, I need my time to prepare).
But despite time shortage, one thing I am happy to throw in cyberspace is a prediction that this will not be good for Belgium. Not a very hard-to-make prediction indeed. In the last years I’ve blogged here, once in a while, on the political instability of Belgian politics, indeed perhaps even the instability of the very future of Belgium; and Van Rompuy seemed to have been the only one able to bring calm back, and at least lead a more-or-less functioning government. His professional skills and talents in making compromises in extremely difficult situations will certainly be very useful in Babylonian Europe; but who will rescue Belgium? How long will it take for the Belgian government to have a new PM, and is there anyone to be found with the same authority that Van Rompuy has been able to command? Tonight Belgium will celebrate that this little country has been able to achieve something powerful, but tomorrow it will wake up with headackes

Belgium's unsackable central bankers

THANKS TO Alain Destexhe, a Belgian senator (and that rarest/loneliest of beings, a Belgian free market liberal), for today's fact of the day. Mr Destexhe reports on his blog that the Belgian central bank still employs more than 2,000 people, even though it has not had a currency to oversee since 1999, when Belgium joined the euro.
The senator, a medical doctor who used to be a big wheel with Médecins Sans Frontières, notes that the survival instinct of Belgian civil servants is especially impressive when you compare the National Bank of Belgium's headcount with that of central banks which still have currencies to attend to. Belgium employs twice as many central bankers as Britain, he reports, and four times as many as Sweden. Belgian readers may complain at this point that their central bank still has various tasks to perform, including the collection of statistics and whatnot, printing banknotes and its role as a member of the Eurosystem.
The bank's website clearly recognises it may have an image problem, stressing at some length its tasks, which include: "operation of the Central Balance Sheet Office and the central credit offices, the State Cashier service and the management of the interbank payment systems."
In short, the bank's website concludes: "The National Bank has lost none of its usefulness since the Eurosystem was established." None of it?
more:http://www.economist.com/blogs/certainideasofeurope/2008/03/belgiums_unsackable_central_ba

Hotel Bruges Belgium

My wife Anne and I decided to visit Bruges in Belgium and visit the Christmas markets.

We drove down to Folkestone and caught the Channel Tunnel and then drove direct to Bruges from Calais. The road network was excellent.

We had arranged to stay at the Hotel De Tuilerieen which overlooks one of the most beautiful canals in Bruges- Den Dyver. This luxury hotel in Bruges Belgium has its own car park and having parked the car we did not get in it again until we left four days later.

The hotel was reputedly a luxurious hotel in Bruges Belgium and it lived up to its reputation.

The hotel has forty five rooms of different grades. We were upgraded to an executive room overlooking the canal. The room was huge, beautifully presented with antique furnishings and a wooden floor-a throw over one of the chairs. The large bathroom was a contrast-designed in a contemporary style.

The hotel served a champagne breakfast in a delightful dining room and as we travelled on foot around Bruges, which is a compact city, we were able to partake in the alcohol at breakfast! The hotel does not serve dinner but this was not a problem as Bruges has many quality restaurants including some with Michelin stars.

The small lounge bar in this luxury hotel in Bruges Belgium had a roaring log fire and it was relaxing to return to the Hotel De Tuilerieen in the afternoon to take tea on the leather sofa in front of the fire.

The staff were professional and most pleasant with any request being dealt with impeccably.

There is a small indoor heated swimming pool,sauna, steam room and jacuzzi which we used at midnight upon returning to the hotel from dinner. Candles abound around the hotel and there are white Christmas lights on the frontage of the hotel to welcome you.

This is indeed an exclusive hotel in Bruges Belgium.

We cannot wait to return.

Enjoy!

Travel Tips To European Countries: Belgium

About the Country

Belgium is situated in the west of Europe. The land here mostly comprises of flat coastal plains in the northeast, and southeast is occupied by the Ardennes Forest. Dutch, Flemish, French and German are the official languages of Belgium, with Dutch being the widely spoken followed by French. The weather here is pretty predictable. Months from April to September are the warmest. Otherwise the weather is pretty humid and skies are gray, that explains why umbrellas and raincoats are a part of the dressing. So, if the visit is planned for holidays during the rainy season, one must not forget to carry sufficient cover for maximum protection, as this is a coastal region. In case of emergency call 100 or 112.

Culture

Belgians are English-friendly and will make every attempt to speak in English with a foreigner. Always remember to carry a small gift or at least flowers especially when invited over dinner. The dress to wear will be mentioned in the invitation, when invited for a party. Smoking in public is acceptable.

Shopping

Brussels, Antwerp, Bruges, Ostend, Namur, Mons, Liège, Ghent and Mechelen are the main shopping centers. Belgium is famous for ceramics and hand-beaten copperware from Dinant, laces from Bruges, crystals from Val Saint Lambert, woodcarvings from Spa and Belgium’s finest chocolates. In jewelry, diamonds from Antwerp are on high demand.

Eating Out

The specialty of most of the restaurants is horse and rabbit meat dishes. Although visitors can find a wide range of ethnic foods, but the most famous are frites and mayonnaise and mitraillette; mitraillette is a large bun filled with fries, donair meat and garlic sauce, the vegetarians can ask for a veg. substitute for the donair meat. While eating at a restaurant, tipping is considered customary along with the value-added tax. At the cinemas, leave a €0.50 tip for the attendant and €0.25 after using the public toilets.

Electricity

Voltage is 230 V and frequency is 50 Hz.

Travel

Delta Air Transport has inaugurated its new European airline SN Brussels Airlines recently. It flies to more than 58 destinations in Europe and as well as worldwide. The Brussels Zayentem airport is twelve km from the city and it takes 35 minutes to reach the city from the airport. The airport has facilities like duty free shops, car parking, taxi booking, car hiring, banks, post office, restaurants, and medical help. Internet and fax services are provided for the passengers. The Airport City Express train transports passengers to three main railway stations - Brussels North, Central and South. One can avail a bus which runs regularly from the airport, taxis can also be hired which wait outside the arrival hall. Tipping the taxi drivers is considered customary. Train runs every 15 minutes.

Another airport, Brussels South Charleroi, is 5 km away from Charleroi and 46 km from Brussels. Ryan air serves as the local airline here and has cheap deals for several European destinations to and from Charleroi. The facilities provided here are bus and train services, café, car hire, and duty free shops.

Ostend airport is 5 km away from the city and car parking, car hire, duty free shops, and restaurants are provided here.

Antwerp airport is just 2 km away from the city. Buses run to the Brussels Central Station every few minutes.

Liege is situated at a distance of 5 km away from the city. Buses run at regular interval here.

The departure tax at Brussels Zayentem is €20.93, Brussels South Charleroi is €3.49, Ostend and Antwerp is €10, and at Liege is €7.

There is a network of high-speed trains, which are operated by Thalys, from Belgium to France, connecting Brussels with other destinations like Bordeaux, Chambéry, Cannes, Marseille, Lyon, Nice, Valence Perpignan, and Rennes. Booking should be made in advance for these trains. The national railway operates through out the day providing service every few minutes to destinations such as Andorra, Austria, France, Czech, Germany, Italy, Poland, Luxembourg, Switzerland, the UK and the Netherlands. Insiders can avail the Inter-Rail pass which allows visitors to travel almost 29 European Countries. This service is valid for residents who have been settled there for more than 6 months.

Duty Free Items

Visitors can carry alcohol, tobacco, cigarettes, coffee and tea without getting customs duty levied on them, but only the goods should be limited. Check out for the limits before carrying such goods. Food items that are not preserved are better avoided.

Popular Belgium Attraction -knokke-heist

Nestled on the North Eastern coastline; Knokke-Heist in Belgium draw thousands of tourists every year. Knokke-Heist is revered for its splendid beaches, its historic landmarks, its stunning countryside scenes, its panoramic views, and is a city that lies very near the Dutch border. In fact, it is not uncommon for those visiting Knokke-Heist to cross over into the Dutch territory during their travels. First established by Irish pilgrims between the sixth and ninth centuries, Knokke-Heist was once referred to by the name of Cnoc. In the 1600’s, Knokke-Heist had a population of a mere 200 inhabitants and the city remained relatively small until the 1800s. In fact, when Knokke-Heist became part of Belgium, the city itself was still very bucolic—with small villas and homes dappled throughout the countryside.

It was the rural charm of Knokke-Heist that has made it a popular Belgium attraction and currently, Knokke-Heist stands as one of the most popular beachside locations in Belgium today. Filled with hotels, villas, condos and resorts Knokke-Heist offers the traveller fine accommodations while they tour the city and surrounding areas. Finally, the city of Knokke-Heist is strongly community oriented: the city of Knokke-Heist has established what is referred to as an administrative community consisting of Alberstrand, Heist, Knokke, and Zoute respectively.

Places of interest:

While in Knokke-Heist, visit one of the world’s finest nature reserves, the Zwin at Ooievaarslaan 8. This reserve is what separates the border of Knokke-Heist and Dutch territory. Rich with vegetation and brimming with aquatic life are the creeks that run through the Zwin. Various sea birds live in the Zwin, making the locale an excellent site seeing spot for bird lovers of all kinds. Access to the Zwin is available every day from 9 am until 5 pm, from April until late September and guided tours are available to tourists every Sunday.

Alternatively, both Het Zoute and Het Kalf have windmills that tourists can visit during the summer and early autumn months. Both windmills of eighteenth century design, the two windmills in Knokke-Heist give travellers the opportunity to momentarily step back in time and view eighth century Belgium architecture at its best.

In contrast, the Butterfly Garden in Knokke-Heist may appeal to many travellers looking to experience the ultimate in natural beauty. A heated greenhouse, heated to tropical temperatures, the Butterfly garden has ponds, waterfalls, and gorgeous butterflies are housed in the garden. The garden is accessible during the months of April until the beginning of October and the hours are from 10 am until 5 pm.

Things to do:

The seaside resorts in Knokke-Heist are incredibly popular among tourists. With fun in the sun, plenty of shopping opportunities, and a fair share of adult gambling entertainment, Knokke-Heist continues to thrive as a tourist attraction in Belgium. Shops line the Dumortierlann Boulevard, the Kustlaan Boulevard and the Lippenslann Boulevard and smack in the centre of Canadasquare, travellers can gamble at the Knokke Casino, first build in the late 1920s. It has since undergone extensive renovation and the interior of the casino is just as alluring to travellers as is the gaming offered by the casino.

The Albert Palace Casino in Knokke-Heist is located at Zeedijk-Alberstrand 509. It is a 66,000 square foot facility offering more than 40 different slot machines and more than 15 table games. Travellers can even dine on location in the restaurant or enjoy fine Belgian beer at the casino’s bar. Gaming at the Albert Palace Casino includes American Roulette, Baccarat, Blackjack, Poker, Punto Banco, and Stud Poker the amenities provided to guests at the casino are truly vast. There is a dress code at the casino and the facility offers entertainment and gaming rooms. Only those travellers that are 21 years-of-age or over can enter the Albert Palace Casino in Knokke-Heist.

Food & Drink:

Tourist can bask in Belgian ambiance and culture when dining at the Moeder Siska, a true gastronomic delight! The Moeder Siska is a family institution first established in the late 1890’s. Mother Siska, as the locals fondly referred to her, was formerly married to a miller living in Knokke-Heist and she was honoured for her famous Belgian waffles. Legend has it that her twelve children carried on her tradition and the locals still rave about the waffles at the Moeder Siska.

Alternatively, the Opus 91 at Alfred Verweeplein 6, has an ultra-modern and sophisticated décor and equally delectable food. Some entrées offered at the location include Gaspacho Mule’s Soup Quiche, Fish and Courgette, and other French delicacies. Desserts offered include Butter Almond Cookies, Mousse, and of course, Belgian chocolate is readily available to guests dining at Opus 91. Diners can finish off a meal with a cup of coffee or tea.

Diners looking to enjoy some Italian cuisine can find what appeases their palate at Rigoletto at Lippenslaan 389. The menu at Rigoletto consists of pasta, pizza, fish meat, gelato, pasticceria, carpaccio and more. The Rigoletto is open for lunch and dinner meals and guests can choose the lobster they desire right from the lobster aquarium in the Rigoletto.

Hotels & Accommodation:

Romantik Hotel Manoir du Dragon
Hotel Cottage
Hotel Auberge St. Pol.
Hotel Monterey
Lido
Hotel Chalet Tinel
Hotel Figaro
Best Western Golf Hotel Zoute
Entertainment:

Knokke-Heist is a city filled to the brim with entertainment opportunities. While not dining at one of the numerous cafes, or shopping amid all the fine shops along the famous Boulevards in Knokke-Heist, tourists will discover there is much to see and enjoy in the city. Tourists can enjoy a full day on the beach, a complete evening in the casino, and find themselves completely refreshed and ready to enjoy more of the adventures offered in Knokke-Heist.

The International Cartoon festival is hosted every summer in the city of Knokke-Heist. Cartoonists the world over visit the city to partake in the festival and display their work. Despite the language barrier, the artwork that goes into creating each cartoon can be truly appreciated and many cartoons can be understood even if one cannot translate the languages the cartoons are created with.

Finally, the nightlife in Knokke-Heist should not be passed up. Along with the casino, there are a number of pubs available for adult relaxation and socialization. Further, a tourist simply cannot leave Belgium without sampling the fine beer the country is famed for. Live entertainment is often available and couples can enjoy and evening of romance and dancing at any of the pubs in the city.

Travel in Belgium

The smaller the country, the prettier it is; European countries are almost same whether it is landlocked paradise Hungary or little Belgian abode. Belgium is a veiled appeal of Europe that is quietly sitting amid the most alluring cities of the continent London, Paris and Amsterdam. Belgium is an assortment of passé European grandeur.

The tiny country is a melting pot of cultures, which is made of medieval cities, traditional towns, striking town halls, mesmeric castles. List is not enough to keep you busy entire day, as USP of the tour is still not disclosed. Come here and check out, an array of pubs, nightlife enchantment and natural gleams are ready to snatch compliments from you.

The country boasts of many cultures and number of languages. Nevertheless, Dutch is the official language but French and German have similar impacts. What will you like to explore first in Belgium, architectural heritage, tranquil waterways or captivating canals… A trip to Belgium is a delight for lifetime.

Capital city ‘Brussels’ is a treasure trove of gothic culture and unhurried lifestyle, which becomes more spectacular with medieval tints. It is a cosmopolitan city, which is known for its joyous ambiance. Set almost 180 years back, the country is becoming gorgeous with advent of its youth.

En route Belgium

If you are looking forward to plan a trip to Belgium, let us show you all the itineraries, which will offer the best deal of Belgium Travel. Enjoy your expedition-

Brussels airport is main airport at Belgium. This is well connected with almost every big city of the world. You can reach to the beautiful land via train or taxi. Normal taxi fare rolls around 95Euro.

Check it Out-

Though the Belgian country is too small and you can explore it just in a day, as the maximum distance is measured almost 300 kilometers, it boasts best public transport with a minor expense. If you want to board a train, you can gladly opt for that, Belgium railway offers train facility for every European destination. You will find a train after every thirty minute. These facilities make ‘Belgium Tourism’ a rewarding experience.

Hotels in Belgium

There is abundance of hotels in Belgium. These hotels are wonderfully designed offer almost every facility that will tempt you. Belgium hotels are famous for its flawless service and grandeur. You will be getting a fabulous room to accommodate yourself, which is blended with many more facilities such as gym, sports club, med spa and scrumptious food items.

Apart from hotels, if you want to enjoy tour to Belgium in real nomadic style, opt for bunkers instead of lavishness of Belgium Hotels. Hey don’t worry, bunkers are also full equipped.

The Best of Belgium

Strolling into an orange horizon along the River Scheldt, or just guzzling on refreshingly cold Belgian beer, Belgium is a medley that appeals to every traveller, alone or in a group, an art aficionado or a diamond merchant.



It is believed that a smart traveller always befriends locals first. So here's what the country might look like to a local. The four C's that you are guaranteed here are an old world charm, ornate cathedrals, soaring castles and chocolates. Of course, you'll also find the charisma of the world's oldest diamond industry that dates back to the 15th Century. These and more provide enough reason to book a self catering holiday rental (http://www.holiday-rentals.co.uk/) in picturesque Belgium, and soak up the fervour as the locals do.



If fashion is your culture, and culture is your fashion, then you might already know of the gems that are woven into the Belgian territories. While Belgian lace might top the list in popularity, The Museum of Tapestry and Textile Arts is not far behind.



Interestingly, apart from witnessing some of the finest tapestry exhibits, this museum in Tournai also houses tapestry weavers, where you can see great hands and great brains at work at the Textile Art Research Centre. If exploring the realms of relics gives you an adrenaline rush, you will probably be on a constant high during your holiday in Belgium.



If this were not enough to satiate your thirst for variety, you could always witness the fashion finesse displayed by Antwerp's world renowned diamond cutters. It's no surprise that this city is home to the largest Diamond Museum in the world, where an ‘image and sound' tour enhances your experience of this exquisite gem stone.



Not far from this glittering experience are the Zoological Gardens. Home to almost 5,000 animals, it boasts of being the third largest zoological garden in Europe in terms of species.



This is just a peek into the grandeur and vivacity that awaits you in Belgium, a land that prides itself in producing a staggering 800 varieties of beer.



Travelling in Belgium can be a story in itself. It is believed that the Belgian motorway system is the only man-made structure visible from the moon at night due to the lights all along the network. During your stay, the trams will prove to be an economical mode of transport.



It may help to keep in mind that Belgium has 3 official languages, namely French, Dutch and English.



Belgium is best explored from a private holiday home from a website such as holiday-rentals.co.uk. With plenty of space and privacy, you can relax with your own kitchen and living room while striking out to explore your surroundings feeling fresh every morning.



If you are contemplating the best time to visit Belgium, do not waste time, for any time is good in Belgium. From exhibitions to beer festivals to carnivals to jazz concerts, every month is bustling with activity in this quaint little country.

Things to Do When you Travel to Belgium

When you are planning a vacation to Belgium it is best to cover all bases before you get there. This includes planning out which sites and events you would like to experience while you are there. Belgium is the perfect destination for travel because it offers a little something for everyone including the most amazing sights, shopping, and of course the delicious Belgian chocolates that we all know and love.

It is hard to find a woman who doesn’t love to shop, and in Belgium there are plenty of places to get your retail fix. Brussels, Belgium offers everything from the classy designer stores on avenue Louise to the different funky fashion boutiques that are on rue Antoine Dansaert.

Visiting Belgium always includes tasting the different authentic cuisines that are offered. Brussels is home to one of the best restaurants in all of Europe. You can also enjoy a host of other bistros, authentic restaurants, and cafes which have catering for all tastes.

If you are into the night life or just a great beer, you have to visit some of the breweries in Belgium. This country is known for their Belgian beer and has been famous for its breweries since the middle ages when monasteries first began making beer. In total there are more than one hundred and twenty five breweries in this country.

Of course you can’t leave Belgium without tasting their world famous Belgian chocolate. When you hear Belgium that is likely the first thing that comes to your mind and it is hard to find someone who doesn’t enjoy chocolate. Just about every single café and shop offers some type of Belgian chocolates.

After touring the country and tasting the different types of cuisine you will need a place to rest your head. The perfect place to stay while in Belgium is a quaint bed and breakfast which offers a room to sleep and breakfast in the morning when you awaken. They will not only save you time in the morning when you are looking for something to eat, they are also very well priced so you can save your money for the many attractions.

Belgium Travel Guide

Belgium is a low-lying country on the North Sea coast in the Benelux. With the majority of West European capitals within 1,000 km of the Belgian capital of Brussels, and as a member of the long-standing international Benelux community, Belgium sits at the crossroads of Western Europe. Its immediate neighbors are France to the southwest, Luxembourg to the southeast, Germany to the east and the Netherlands to the north.

Belgium is a densely populated country trying to balance the conflicting demands of urbanization, transportation, industry, commercial and intensive agriculture. It imports large quantities of raw materials and exports a large volume of manufactured goods, mostly to the EU.

Belgium became independent from the Netherlands in 1830. It was occupied by Germany during World Wars I and II and has many war graves near the battle zones, most of them are around Ieper (in English archaically rendered as Ypres, with Yperite another name for mustard gas due to intensive use there in WWI). It has prospered in the past half century as a modern, technologically advanced European state and member of NATO and the EU. Tensions between the Dutch-speaking Flemings of the north and the French-speaking Walloons of the south have led in recent years to constitutional amendments granting these regions formal recognition and autonomy.

The Belgian attitude towards life is one of humility, and being proud of what's given to you. A real Belgian patriot is very hard to find. The different duchies and counties making up the "Southern Low Countries" were first united in the 15th century, only to be separated in the 16th century from the "Northern Low Countries" (today Netherlands) after decades of war. Afterwards the territory we today call "Belgium" was part of the Spanish (1501-1713) Austrian (1713-1790) and French (1790-1815) Empires. It was briefly re-united with the Netherlands in 1815 but broke away again in 1830 to become the Kingdom of Belgium. Every one of these rulers have left their mark in palaces, castles, forts and cities which form the rich historic tapestry that is Belgium today.

For more information follow the link - Belgium Travel Guide