MY BRUSSELS 401

This will be my last stab at telling you what still stands out for me after five and a half months in Belgium.  I don't run up against much anymore that surprises me :)  Hope that's a good sign!

- For the longest time I couldn't figure out why there were glass tiles in the sidewalks.....and now I know!  Because there is no space between the buildings and the sidewalk, the basements of these buildings have to have light somehow, so ...voilà!







- Belgian food is acknowledged as among the very best in Europe: it's essentially French cuisine but not as fussy, pretentious or overelaborate as in France.  It's French cuisine with Belgian portions.

- Luxury chocolates in Belgium are called 'pralines'.  White chocolate is their speciality, especially with cream fillings.

- Not only are there gypsies and the poor begging on the streets but on almost every metro and most trams, we are treated to accordion or violin music and/or singing or poems.  The child with them then comes around with a can asking for money.  It's hard to know when to give and when not to give.  I am always amazed at their boldness.  And I wonder what the child is learning about life and how it ticks and how one makes a living.  So often these little ones are used as 'bait', trying to make us feel more compassionate.

- Most of the escalators here stop moving when no one is on them.  When you approach and almost reach the first step, they start up.  Saves electricity, I guess, but it was a weird feeling at first.

- Believe it or not, there still exists a city where people stand up on public conveyances to give older people, handicapped people and pregnant women their seat.  I am so surprised every time it happens.  And what's interesting is that the majority of those giving up their seats are foreigners where respect is still an important value.

- Belgium has the only major road network in the world that is lit at night in its entirety.  It can be seen from space!

- And finally, two interesting facts about the royal family:

  a. The country of Belgium came into existence in 1830.  They wanted a monarchy and so searched for a king that would please everyone.  They chose Prince Leopold of Germany, a Protestant.  However, he married the daughter of the king of France (political manoeuvre) and so engendered a Roman Catholic dynasty to this day.

  b. In 1990, when a law liberalizing Belgium's abortion laws was approved by the federal parliament, King Baudoin, an anti-abortionist, refused to grant royal assent, prompting a major constitutional crisis.  So on the day that the law was to pass, the king abdicated.  The law passed, and the next day, King Baudoin was reinstated!  Now that's standing up for what you believe!