We visited the Brussels Christmas Market on Sunday 21 September. Starting from the lights on the Grand Place, it stretches around the Bourse and then along Place St Catherine ending with an illuminated Big Wheel and outdoor skating rink.
There was a wonderful carousel with old flying machines, dinosaurs, a balloon and other unusual forms of transport:
There were thousands of people so in some places it was shoulder to shoulder but overall well worth visiting with lots to attract adults and children.
traditional Polish goods for sale:
Only in Brussels can you find a shop full of chocolate Mannekin Pis:
Winterland Hasselt is a wonderful German style Christmas market open until 4 January 2009 on the Kolonel Dusartplein. There is a big wheel, outdoor skating rink (3€ skating + 3€ skate hire), merry-go-round and kids' rides and gift stalls. We had fresh snow on the first weekend so it must have been wonderful skating in the snow.
There are plenty of places to eat and drink, including a large heated bar. You can enjoy champagne, glühwein, poffertjes, pancakes, Hungarian cakes, toffee apples, snails and of course, Jenever, as Hasselt is the home of Jenever.
Het is winter in Bellewaerde Park, en de Sneeuwman en de Kerstman staan paraat om je te ontvangen in hun deel van het park! Winterland zal in een prachtig winters jasje steken en bezaaid zijn met sneeuw. De andere helft van het park wordt omgedoopt tot Kerstland en zal baden in een knusse kerstsfeer, met honderden kerstbomen, twinkelende lichtjes en kleurrijke cadeautjes!
From Monday 15 tot Sunday 21 December, Het Belang van Limburg are giving away 15 family tickets, up to 4 people, valid until 4 January 2009.
De Roosen in Neerpelt, Limburg is a stones and crystals museum run by an enthusiastic pensioner and his family. They have spent every holiday looking for stones and crystals which they now proudly display and share with visitors. They give informative talks which children can understand. People have brought sand samples from all over the world.
De Roosen is open on the last Sunday afternoon of each month from 13.30 to 16.30. Entrance is free and each visitor may take one free crystal in a bag with description, plus find free crystals outside on the ground or by rummaging in sandboxes. You can also pan for "fool's gold". Don't miss the "fluorescent" room.
My young boys insist on going every month and now their friends are coming along too. They cannot wait to show their classmates their new acquisitions on the Monday morning.
There is a well-stocked shop with prices from a few cents up to hundreds of euros.
There is also a café with a drink and cake costing 1 Euro together.
The bad news is that De Roosen is going to close to visitors on 30 May 2009. From January until May there will be an increasing scale of discount given on all purchases.
De Roosen will stay open for class and group visits which can be arranged on 011/64 28 95. The address is De Roosen 64, 3910 Neerpelt.
Visit Living in Belgium for information on what's on, where to go and useful tips for making life in Belgium more interesting.
With the “Shopping ticket” you only pay 8 EUR for a second class return ticket to your favourite shopping area in Belgium!
Does the thought of traffic jams or the eternal quest for a parking space discourage you? If you take the train, you do not need to worry about them. Moreover, the SNCB now offers you the Shopping ticket at a bargain price.
A return ticket for any Belgian town only costs 8 EUR (2nd class) or 12 EUR (1st class). A maximum of 4 children can travel free with one passenger at least 12 years old holding a valid ticket.
This promotion ticket is valid for a round trip on the same day during the weekends in December, January, and on Sunday 1 February '09. During the Christmas holidays, the ticket is valid every day from Monday 22/12/2008 until Sunday 04/01/2009 included.
The Brussels Christmas Market from 28 November 2008 to 28 December 2008. From Monday to Thursday 12.00 to 21.00, Friday to Sunday 11.00 to 22.00. 24 December from 12.00 to 18.00, 25 December 14.00 to 22.00.
Hailed as ‘Europe’s most original Christmas market’ by British tour operators, the Christmas Market is made up of 240 wooden chalets, dotted around the Bourse (Stock Exchange), Place Sainte Catherine and the Marché aux Poissons (fish market). Whichever chalets you visit, you can be sure to find plenty of Christmas gifts and various seasonal gastronomic delights.
There is a 60m2 skating rink. Adults: 6 €/hour; under 12s: 4 €/hour and 1 € for every 15 minutes extra. Skates hire included. Gloves obligatory. Children under 12 years of age must be accompanied by adults (free entry for accompanying adults who do not wish to skate).
Discover Winter Wonders from on high, seated in heated gondolas on the Big Wheel in the Marché aux Poissons. Big Wheel: Adults 5€, under-12s 3€. VIP Gondola: four adults/champagne 75€. Info & booking +32 496 49 51 71 The Andréa and Magique roundabouts around its base will delight young and old alike. The rides and their fantasy characters are made by artists from the Royal de Luxe street theatre company. 2€ (weekdays outside of school holidays from 14.00)
A friendly ice dinosaur monster 40 metres long will ‘gobble up’ kids and adults on the site of the Black Tower. Ice Monster: 4€, children under 1m10 free.
On Sunday 30 November, 21 & 28 December, have your photo taken in front of the Ferrero Rocher ice sculpture, on the Marché aux Poissons. You can then download your portrait from the website.
Travel to Winter Wonders on public transport There are special offers by train, metro and car parking rates.
The world-famous Terracotta Army was discovered near the Chinese city of Xi’an, capital of the Shaanxi province. The Terracotta Army is over 2000 years old and has become an attraction of worldwide renown – year after year attracting millions of visitors from all over the world. It was placed on the UNESCO world heritage list and undoubtedly ranks among the greatest archeological finds of the 20th century.
The Terracotta Army comprises foot soldiers, cavalrymen with horses, archers and charioteers. They guarded the tomb of Emperor Qin Shihuangdi. The tomb complex of Emperor Qin Shihuangdi is surrounded by the tombs of princes and princesses. This remarkable funerary cult from the Qin dynasty acquires a specific character during the subsequent Western Han dynasty. Numerous unique grave gifts from both dynasties have been discovered by archaeologists. These enable us to study and admire the cultural development during the early days of the Chinese empire.
Fourteen warriors from the Terracotta Army will be on display inside the Minorite church, the exhibition space of the Maaseik Museums. Each of these statues has its own unique appearance. The facial features, hair style, posture and costume make each of the statues into a strikingly individual member of this awesome army. On average the statues are 186 cm tall, weighing about 300 kilograms.
These life-size sculptures are literally placed in confrontation with the more delicate terracotta armies of the emperors from the Western Han dynasty. In addition to the fourteen original terracotta warriors, the Maaseik Museums are proud to present over two hundred grave gifts from the Qin and Western Han dynasties. These objects originate from the tomb complexes of the emperors and the tombs of aristocrats following their emperor into the hereafter. These unique weapons and other objects made of iron, bronze, silver, gold, stoneware and jade exemplify the riches of the ruling class of the early Chinese Empire.
E-tickets cost 16,50 € for adults, 5,75 € for children and school groups.
Threenagers are 30+ ers who earn a good living but live like teenagers, spending their money on the newest trends like iPhone. They are not interested in living together and raising children. They would rather go out to parties and live life to the full.
MTV interviewed 25.000 people between 16 and 46 years in 18 Western countries (Argentina, Australia, Brazil, China, Denmark, Germany, Holland, Italy, India, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Poland, Spain, Saudi Arabia, Sweden, UK and USA, January - August 2008) about their lifestyle.
There will be a Christmas & Arts Market (Kunst - Kerstmarkt) in Domein Bovy on Saturday 29, Sunday 30 November then again Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 December from 12 noon - 18.00.
Domein Bovy is a charming cobbled-stoned area with cafés, a large children's playground, a rose garden, some animals to visit, fishing lakes and marked walking routes including Kabouterbos, the trail of Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs. If you have young children, please take them if you want to hear squeals of delight.
The Christmas market was delightful last time round.
Whilst there, I recommend a visit to De Pannekoekenbakker, a Dutch pancakes house with over 250 ways of serving pancakes. Lekker!
Domein Bovy is in Galgeneinde 22, Bolderberg, Heusden-Zolder, Limburg. Exit 27 Zolder Terlaemen from E314. Free entrance. Hotel on site or other choices in the village.
AquariusKring is a Flemish activities group for singles and couples in Limburg. It started in May 2003 and welcomes members between 35 and 55 years old.
Activities include weekly walks, cycling, films, chatting in cafés, lectures/talks, dances and more. Membership costs €25 per year and new members can enjoy two months free.
Find out more information at www.aquariuskring.be or ring Ludo Houben on 0497/42 83 35 Liliane Genné on 011/74 91 73
There will be an information and meet evening for singles on Friday 28 November at 20.30 in Taverne 't Trefpunt, Dieplaan 25, Genk.
Newsletter ING Antwerp 10 Miles & Marathon Sunday 26 April 2009
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- To increase your running comfort during the 10 Miles....
In 2008, 15,000 runners took part in the 10 Miles. To increase the comfort during the run, some changes have been made for 2009:
- "hourglass start": the wide starting strip right in front of the starting line is being made more narrow. This 'hourglass start' will reduce the density on the course and create more room for runners. - starting position based on estimated finishing time: the start will be sub-divided into different time zones. Runners will be asked to voluntarily start from the zone designated for their estimated finishing times. - modified course: the part of the course through downtown is being changed to make it possible to get through it more smoothly. The new course layout will be available soon on the website. - results based on net time: From 2009 on, results will be calculated based on net time. That means that it will no longer be necessary to push through or to stand at the front.
Time limit for the ING Antwerp Marathon extended to 6 hours
From 2009 on, the time limit for the ING Antwerp Marathon will be six hours. It had been five hours in previous years. In conjunction with the City of Antwerp, the organisers are making this change to make the marathon more accessible to more people, and to make it possible for 10 Miles runners to move up to the marathon distance. The 2,000 runner who took part in the ING Antwerp Marathon in 2008 made it the largest marathon in the country.
Slight time-shift in the programme
With the time limit of the marathon being extended to six hours, the start of the marathon is being moved up by half an hour and the start for the 10 Miles is being moved back, also by half an hour.
Programme: 9.30 a.m.: ING Antwerp Marathon & Relay marathon 1.15 p.m.: Chiquita Kids Run 1 km (6 to 12 years old) 1.30 p.m.: ING Antwerp Short Run 5 km 2.30 p.m.: ASICS Ladies Run 5 km 3.30 p.m.: ING Antwerp 10 Miles
Online registrations are open
You can already sign up for all events of the 10 Miles & Marathon 2009 (except for the relay marathon) now at www.ingantwerp10miles.be.
Companies, groups and clubs can also download the group registration form from the website. Just like last year, there is a companies' class for the 10 Miles. Will Total be able to retain its title as the fastest company in Antwerp?
According to an article in Het Belang van Limburg, Limburgers are the happiest Belgians. The average happiness rating in Belgium was 7,1 but 7,4 for Limburgers. We complain less about loneliness with a rating of 8,0 against the national 6,9.
In love, Limburgers rate 7,4 against national average 6,9 and complain less about traffic jams. We are more optimistic - 6,9 against 6,3 and all this despite the closing of the mines several years ago and the economic problems of Ford Genk.
Here is the article from Het Belang van Limburg: Het Bruto Nationaal Geluk van de Limburgers is het hoogste van alle Belgen. Dat blijkt uit een studie die de Vlerick Management School uitvoerde voor het 4FM-radioprogramma van Leen Demaré. De gemiddelde gelukscoëfficiënt van de Belg is 7,1, die van de Limburgers 7,4.
Opvallend is dat de Limburger veel minder klaagt over eenzaamheid. De gemiddelde Belg heeft wat dat betreft een tevredenheidscijfer van 6,9 terwijl dat van de gemiddelde Limburger met 8,0 een flink stuk hoger ligt.
Liefdesleven Ook over hun liefdesleven zijn de Limburgers veel meer tevreden met 7,4 tegen 6,9. Nog een groot verschil met de rest van het land: met 7,9 tegenover 6,6 voor de gemiddelde Belg heeft de Limburger veel minder te klagen over files of een gebrekkig woon-werkverkeer.
Het is wellicht geen toeval dat de gemiddelde Limburger zichzelf ook veel meer een optimist vindt, met 6,9 tegenover 6,3 voor de gemiddelde Belg. "Dat denk ik ook, al is het uiteraard mijn persoonlijke interpretatie van de cijfers", zegt Gino Van Orsel, die het onderzoek leidde. "Een bepalende factor in deze studie is de persoonlijkheid en Limburgers zijn over het algemeen mensen die weten hoe ze gelukkig moeten zijn: door er het beste van te maken."
Mijnsluiting Het Limburgse optimisme blijkt ook bij de onderdelen die het gemiddelde fors naar beneden halen. Zo is de Belg met een gemiddelde 5,9 niet erg tevreden over de koopkracht en voor spaargedrag buist de Belg zichzelf: 4,9. En dat terwijl deze studie werd afgenomen van 1 tot 15 september, vlak voor de financiële crisis helemaal uitbrak. Die cijfers liggen nu wellicht nog lager. Met 6,6 voor koopkracht en 5,9 voor spaargedrag laat de Limburger zich iets minder meeslepen door het economisch pessimisme.
"Dat komt vermoedelijk omdat de Limburger de economische toestand beter kan relativeren vanwege het recente verleden", aldus Van Orsel. "Met de mijnsluitingen en recenter nog de moeilijkheden bij Ford Genk liggen economische problemen nog vers in het geheugen. De afgelopen jaren heeft Limburg een inhaalbeweging gemaakt tegenover de rest van het land en de welvaart zien toenemen. Maar door de lessen van het verleden weet de Limburger dat beter te plaatsen dan landsdelen waar men jarenlang bloei heeft gekend."
Leen Demaré en haar redactie kwamen op het idee om naar ons geluk te peilen toen ze tijdens een redactievergadering voor de zoveelste keer alle economische onheilstijdingen onder ogen kregen.
If you need some technical computer work, website design, logo design, transcription, ghost writing, proof reading, translation, travel planning, emails handling, budgeting, patent law or one of many other skills, I strongly recommend the professional freelances listed on Elance.
I just hired someone in Rumania to prepare an opt-in webpage and sales letter. I had the basic documents and graphics but have no clue how to put them together. I set up my own Auto Responder on AWeber so gave him the code for that part, along with the code for the Paypal button. He did everything else and the site is now live and building a mailing list.
You post a description of the work to be done then freelances tender a quote with information on why you should choose them. You can read previous feedback and how much they have earned via Elance. Sometimes new freelances will offer introductory rates while they build up a reputation.
Once you have chosen the person for the task you pre-pay the full amount agreed into an Escrow account. You can pay via Paypal or a credit card. Only once the task is complete to your satisfaction will you release the funds.
So, if like me, PHP, Joomla, My SQL, Drupal et al are complete Chinese to you, or you need someone to help you achieve one of many tasks, just go to Elance.
If you are a freelance offering one of many skills needed by others, you can also register as a provider on the site. Just click on the banner to register:
We all need business cards whether to promote a business, or perhaps to promote a hobby, a club, even just to have a card for giving new friends and contacts our name and telephone number. Much better than looking for a scrap of paper to jot down a phone number!
But professionally printed business cards cost a lot of money, right?
Wrong. Not with Vista Print. They offer 250 FREE business cards on the first order with hundreds of attractive design templates to choose from. You just pay a small delivery charge.
The offer is available in 20 countries including several European countries, USA and Australia. At the top of the site, click on "Select a country" and go to Belgique if you live in Belgium.
VistaPrint don't just print business cards. They offer address labels, self-inking rubber stamps, pens, caps, Tshirts, sticky notes, Christmas cards and calendars (great idea as we prepare for Christmas presents and year end) and business stationery.
Once you order from them, they will even send you special offers on their various products.
When I first moved to Belgium in 1981, the beautiful lyrics of Jacques Brel's "Ne Me Quitte Pas" were one of the factors that inspired me to choose this country. The lyrics are sheer poetry.
Jacques Brel was born 8 April 1929 in Schaarbeek, Brussels, Belgium and died 9 October 1978 (aged 49) in France from lung cancer due to his heavy smoking. Although born to Flemish parents, he mainly sang in French. "Marieke" is the best known exception. This month marks 30 years from his premature death.
"He goes to the limit of his strength because, through his singing, he expresses his reason for living and each line hits you in the face and leaves you dazed." - Edith Piaf
I know there is a huge debate about vaccinating children and the slim chances of a negative reaction. Personally, I think that I have to protect my children and others around them from even the smallest chance of contracting a serious or life-threatening illness. If the norm is to give these vaccinations to millions of children, that must be for a sound scientific reason.
PABO, the online sex shop, has a great new catalogue with beautiful lingerie, extremely naughty lingerie, sex toys for him & her, DVDs and lots more.
Not only lots of lovely and fun ideas but also a FREE coffee machine when you order online. Supplies are limited so visit PABO today. Request a catalogue or browse online. If you request a catalogue there will be a code to order online and receive your free coffee machine. The offer applies to Pabo sites in 7 countries.
Ignace Schops is the newest Belgian Nobel Prize winner with the Goldman Prize for nature conservation from setting up Belgium's first and only national park, the Nationaal Park Hoge Kempen in Limburg.
This information came from http://www.goldmanprize.org/2008/europe: After years of campaigning, Ignace Schops has led the effort to establish Belgium’s first and only national park. Raising more than US$90 million by bringing together private industry, regional and European Union (EU) government, local stakeholders, and NGOs, Schops has created a new model for land conservation in the EU and beyond.
After Coal, Conservation The province of Limburg in northeastern Belgium contains large woodlands, extensive pine groves, flowering meadows and many rare and unique animals. Since 1901, when coal was discovered in the region, the amount of open space has dwindled, making way for industrial and community infrastructure to support the population employed by the mines. For almost a century, the coal industry thrived in Limburg, but in 1990, the area’s seven mines closed, leaving 40,000 people unemployed.
The region around the old mines, a highly industrial and densely populated area owned by the government, is adjacent to Hoge Kempen, an area within the province that has retained its natural beauty, despite nearby development. Following the closing of the mines, jobs were badly needed in the region and several corporations wanted to build factories in the Hoge Kempen. However, very few precious open spaces remained in the province and a conflict arose between conservation and development.
In response to pressure from industry, the largest coal company and the largest NGO for nature conservation in Belgium, Natuurpunt, founded Regionaal Landschap Kempen and Maasland (RLKM) in 1990. Their goal was to conserve the land in the province and continue to provide jobs and economic development.
Through his engagement in nature conservation and his field study on herpetology (amphibians & reptiles), Schops began to see that nature conservation and biodiversity could be helped with a different, progressive approach based on enthusiasm and connectivity.
In 1997, Schops and a group of friends began working with RLKM to campaign for permanent protection of a piece of the Limburg landscape through the creation of Belgium’s first national park. They believed that the park could provide jobs and revenue through eco-tourism, as well as conserve open space for the future.
Since beginning his work in conservation in 1990, Schops had built a network of politicians, including mayors, parliament members and ministers who were willing to work with him. For six years, RLKM, Schops and his friends lobbied the government and funded the national park campaign. Under Schops’ leadership, over the next four years, more than US$90 million was raised from sources such as the Flemish government, the European Rural and Regional Development Fund, municipal and provincial development funds, the European Union, local stakeholders and the private sector. Many of the funds he secured were new funding sources for nature conservation and sustainable development which had not yet been utilized. In 2002, the minister of environment agreed to protect the area if a master plan was created and funding was secured. In 2004, Schops became director of RLKM and has spearheaded the final steps to securing the park’s future.
Belgium’s First National Park In early 2006, the Hoge Kempen National Park was officially opened by the European Commissioner for Environment. It has become a source of inspiration for environmental protection in Belgium. More than six million people live within one hour’s drive of the park, and since its opening four hundred thousand people have visited. The projected economic revenue generated by the national park after operating for five years is US$48 million per year. The park has created 400 jobs for the local community and has conserved nature and brought economic revenue to the region. Five gateways to the park have been established. Car parks, camp sites and information kiosks are being built, and walking and bike trails have been developed. Souvenir stores and a cafeteria have been completed as well as shops to rent and purchase hiking and bicycling equipment. Additional attractions are planned over the next three years for increasing revenue, while still maintaining free entrance to the park. The first and only national park in Belgium, it contains nearly 6,000 hectares and stretches across six municipalities.
The World Conservation Union (IUCN) plans to use Schops’s model of creating and funding the national park as an example for other member countries, not only in Europe but around the world. His model demonstrates how a successful public-private partnership in the use and management of nature can be an asset for local and regional development. Schops, as the director of RLKM, will oversee the management of the park and its continued development, and other conservation projects in Belgium.
Speculaas is a speciality of Hasselt and once a year we celebrate this delicious food with a festival. Any excuse for a party!
The Hasselt Feest Speculaas 2008 will take place at the Molenpoortplein from 10-18u on Saturday 22 November.
There will be cookery demonstrations, tastings of Speculaas Jenever, street theatre, kids' entertainment, live music - even a procession. See the programme at http://www.hasseltfeestspeculaas.be/2008.html
If you haven't tasted it yet, look out for the Lotus Speculaas pasta ie like chocolate spread or peanut butter only it is speculaas. Yummy, yummy, yummy.
Do you ever forget your online passwords? Do you have favourite passwords which you use for most sites but then a specific site asks for a password with a certain number of letters and numbers so you need a new one which you then can't remember? Do you waste time, even just lots of precious seconds every day trying to remember passwords? Or were you organized, like me, with an 8-page list of passwords? Yes, eight pages!
I've made my life much more simple by downloading RoboForm. It is an unobtrusive helper on your toolbar which remembers all your passwords. Just tell it a password once and it will retrieve it for you in the future. How simple is that? It works on IE, Firefox and AOL/MSN. Also on Windows Mobile and Palm.
Not only does RoboForm remember passwords but it also fills in forms with one click.
RoboForm is recommended by PC Magazine, PC World, the New York Times among others.
In case you are wondering whether you can use the same RoboForm account on your PC as on your laptop or work PC, the answer is "YES" using RoboForm2Go on any USB key or U3 memory stick. I have some U3 sticks from Cruzer which have retractable USB ends so there is no lid to lose. Really handy and very cheap to buy.
You can download Roboform FREE today. Once you start using it, you'll never want to be without this great time-saver.
Hasselt is Belgium's Jenever Stad and this weekend we shall be enjoying the annual Jenever Feesten sampling Hasselt Jenever in its various flavours, some fruity, some strong along with the local speciality of Speculaas, similar to gingerbread.
You can visit the National Jenever Museum in the Witte Nonnenstraat (behind the library) for free to see how Jenever is distilled. At 16.30 the fountain's water is magically transformed into Jenever and everyone can drink a free sample. The Koninklijke Hasseltse Slagersbond will also be giving tastings of Hasseltse jeneverpaté outside the museum. Last Year the Rotary Club were also selling oysters and white wine.
There will be plenty of activities throughout Hasselt including music, fairground rides, show cooking and generally people having fun.
On Saturday night you can enjoy a Jenevercruise with dinner.
At 15.00 on Sunday the waiters and waitresses of the city run round with trays of Jenever bottles and glasses. The winner earns his or her weight in Hasseltse jenever.
Have you tried all the flavours of Jenever yet? Even cactus? What about lychee?
Don't miss the house speciality of warm chocolate Jenever in Chocoladehuis Boon, Paardsdemerstraat.
The army of Chinese Terracotta Warriors has come to Belgium in the Museum of Maaseik, Limburg from 1 October to 31 March 2009.
Threenagers are 30+ ers who earn a good living but live like teenagers, spending their money on the newest trends like iPhone. They are not interested in living together and raising children. They would rather go out to parties and live life to the full.
There will be a Christmas & Arts Market (Kunst - Kerstmarkt) in Domein Bovy on Saturday 29, Sunday 30 November then again Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 December from 12 noon - 18.00.
Domein Bovy is a charming cobbled-stoned area with cafés, a large children's playground, a rose garden, some animals to visit, fishing lakes and marked walking routes including Kabouterbos, the trail of Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs. If you have young children, please take them if you want to hear squeals of delight.
Whilst there, I recommend a visit to De Pannekoekenbakker, a Dutch pancakes house with over 250 ways of serving pancakes. Lekker!
Not only lots of lovely and fun ideas but also a FREE coffee machine when you order online. Supplies are limited so visit PABO today. Request a catalogue or browse online. If you request a catalogue there will be a code to order online and receive your free coffee machine. The offer applies to Pabo sites in 7 countries.
Speculaas is a speciality of Hasselt and once a year we celebrate this delicious food with a festival. Any excuse for a party!
