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Anyway, as there are hardly any clear Northern or Southern European traits which all Northern or Southern European countries share, but many traits are overlapping, these threads are extremely tedious, often going to very shallow stereotypes.
I've been in Belgium and if I had to choose that is Belgian culture more akin to Sweden or Portugal, I'd say definitely Sweden.
Lithuania is in Northern Europe, it's in the Baltic region. However, some would put it in Eastern Europe in a political and cultural context.
lol, yeah I'm sure if you go to Bruges, you'll see everything so beautiful and rich people everywhere and suddenly if you go at Charleroi, it's dark, ugly and look like a thousand tanks passed there.
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Umm, where did I say anything like this?
Wallonia is far from being a hell-hole but it's not as rich as Flanders these days. That's a fact. I have no problem admitting that the part of my country I live in is not as rich as its neighbour to the west. That's also a fact.
BTW I do not have anything against Wallonia or Belgian francophones. As a francophone myself I have way more natural affinities with them than with Flemings. Even though people in Flanders have always been cool with me when I've been there.
Interesting reading, as I would never had considered Belgium as culturally southern. Certainly eccentric though. I've posted the link before so won't again, but Jonathan Meades did a fantastic take on the country on TV a few years back (and full of his surreal comedy). He maintains it's similar to Britain, but skewed. Not fish and chips, but moules frites. Not vinegar, but mayo. Apparently it has more museums per head than any other country on earth. And architects sue each other for plagiarism. Some of the deco and art nouveau houses in the Brussels suburbs are simply incredible. It also does post industrial abandonment in a similar way to the UK (up north, especially).
I once saw a mail van with "Post" and "de Post" on the side. Two of my Dutch friends told me of when they ate in a Flemish restaurant once. A lady was insisted on ordering in French. No food or drink arrived, and she sat, tearing up her beer mat into tiny pieces in frustration. When she went to the bathroom, the waiter calmly swept the pieces off the table and into her bag, which she had left on her chair. .
The people are very nice. The architecture is great. The beer is fantastic. They do French food better than the French (sorry DJ!).
where did I say this post was directed at you? God... it's not for nothing I said stereotypes and generalizations just under, HUMOUR, bad humour, but still.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Acajack
Wallonia is far from being a hell-hole but it's not as rich as Flanders these days. That's a fact. I have no problem admitting that the part of my country I live in is not as rich as its neighbour to the west. That's also a fact.
I was just making big exagerations to prove how pointless this thread was. and to show that some people don't (apparently) know what they're talking about. some comments here (not YOU) make everything sound like there is a clear cut line that separate the two parts of the country, see my earlier post. I'm just fed up of this "Flemish people are like Northerners and Walloons are like Spaniards or Greeks (or whoever down south, whatever that means). 'kay?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Acajack
BTW I do not have anything against Wallonia or Belgian francophones. As a francophone myself I have way more natural affinities with them than with Flemings. Even though people in Flanders have always been cool with me when I've been there.
Awesome. I love Belgium too (and Belgians).
Quote:
Originally Posted by Acajack
Yes. And Jacques Brel, Tintin, Philippe Lafontaine, Evelyne Thomas and Maurane also say hi! I get the point!
oh no, no "sorry", just explains that to me... (and I'm still waiting for my moules-frites...)
Only based on my experience, which I confess is mainly Paris, where I think I've only ever eaten one meal I'd say was good. Spent NYE in Petit Bofinger a couple of years ago and it was TERRIBLE! Eaten better down south, but usually fell short of expectation. And we used to love La Sole Meuniere in Calais, when we use to do booze-cruise trips, so I'm being a little unkind.
Belgium on the other hand - I can't remember ever having a meal that wasn't fantastic. Best one of my life was in the oldest restaurant in Ghent, where a friend took me (can't recall the name). No menu - they took us into the kitchen, where the chef showed us the ingredients of the various dishes, and explained how they would be cooked. In Flemish and English, of course . Friend insisted we had a rustic sort of chicken stew (he said it was very traditional) and it was to die for.
Only based on my experience, which I confess is mainly Paris, where I think I've only ever eaten one meal I'd say was good. Spent NYE in Petit Bofinger a couple of years ago and it was TERRIBLE! Eaten better down south, but usually fell short of expectation. And we used to love La Sole Meuniere in Calais, when we use to do booze-cruise trips, so I'm being a little unkind.
Belgium on the other hand - I can't remember ever having a meal that wasn't fantastic. Best one of my life was in the oldest restaurant in Ghent, where a friend took me (can't recall the name). No menu - they took us into the kitchen, where the chef showed us the ingredients of the various dishes, and explained how they would be cooked. In Flemish and English, of course . Friend insisted we had a rustic sort of chicken stew (he said it was very traditional) and it was to die for.
I'm not going to defend Paris because I don't know the city (gasp!) but from what I hear and can see on some well-known traveler sites, there is some touristy areas of Paris that aren't great for restaurants. Better go where the locals go. "Tourist traps" like they say, ugh. Not too far away from my former collège you have a Vietnamese restaurant, I went there once with my parents and let me tell you that it looked more like a crime scene than anything else.
Seen from here... or even from France, there is nothing vaguely southern about the French speaking part of Belgium. Maybe the sociability of people but that's because of the better beer. I was in Charlerois several times and it looked like being in Manchester except they spoke French.
..which was truly excellent. Even the service was lovely - which it usually isn't in Paris if one does not speak French.
Your English never ceases to impress, btw. How I wish I was fluent in another language like that.
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