Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2005/12/19
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Belgian motorways are now among the best anywhere. I especially like the fact that almost the entire motorway network is illuminated at night. Foreigners still get confused when confronted with the changing Dutch/French signs along the E40 but that is about the only problem (for the uninitiated: the E40 is the major East-West route and it straddles the language line in Belgium; so, if someone arrives on the boat from England in Oostende and starts driving east towards the German border, he will be confronted with signs for Liege or Luik, depending on whether he is in Wallonia or Flanders. Other city pairs to be aware of include Namur/Namen, Anvers/Antwerpen, Lille/Rijsel etc). As a political entity Belgium certainly does not get much respect--even from the Belgians themselves! At the recent celebrations of the 175th anniversary of Belgium's independence a politician said that it was too bad that the Benelux countries had separated from each other. Can you imagine a US politician bemoaning the separation of USA and Canada from Britain--on July 4th? But as a place to live, I think Belgium is among the very best. In fact, in my 45 years I have so far lived in Poland, Denmark, the US, Belgium, Switzerland and the Netherlands (in that order). Of these six countries I find that on balance, Belgium has the best quality of life--and not just because of the food and beer, although they do play a part in my assessment :-) Nathan bruce wrote: > The response was expected, but less fierce than was merited (the French > and Dutch treat the Belgians as underdogs ......... a nation but a 100+ > years old). > > On checking with my atlas, it appears that the shortest route is via > Frankfurt and Reims ............. and not, as I vaguely remembered, > over Cologne and Brussels. > > As stated in other mails, I have very bad memories of Belgium > ............... or rather their road system ............. but they date > back a few decades. The day trip from Amsterdam to Paris (? 450 kms. > to-day) was a nightmare. An highway/road system to depart The > Netherlands and then .................. I read about it when I was > fifteen and a keen cyclist ................. pav?! Those 15x15 cms. (or > thereabouts) stone blocks laid in the road to form a surface, which was > totally uneven, due to the differing weights of the vehicles that > passed over it. No highways, thunderous traffic ................ and > worse still (due to my timetable) no time to stop and enjoy the cuisine > and beer/wine. Ugh. > > Apart from the highway between Antwerp and Li?ge, with its corrugated > surface (now fixed Philippe?), it is a pleasure to cruise the Belgian > highways ........ south,west and now almost north. > > Nathan corrects me also, delineating the culinary expertise of the > restauranteurs and touching-upon the beers, the like of which, in their > variety and flavour, are to be found nowhere else .............. in > Europe. The food and drink, like life itself there, is a mixture of the > cultures to the north and west. > > B. > The Hague, The Netherlands. > > > On 19-dec-2005, at 11:48, nathan.wajsman@planet.nl wrote: > >> I suspect he means that the good food in Belgium and the even better >> beer will slow you down ;-) >> >> Nathan Wajsman >> Almere, Netherlands >> http://www.nathanfoto.com >> http://www.fotosevilla.com >> http://www.fotocycle.nl >> Blog: http://www.fotocycle.dk/blog >> Print sales: http://www.photodeluge.com >> Image licensing: http://www.alamy.com/search-results.asp?qt=wajsman >> >> ----- Oorspronkelijk bericht ----- >> Van: Philippe Orlent <philippe.orlent@pandora.be> >> Datum: maandag, december 19, 2005 11:21 am >> Onderwerp: Re: [Leica] October in Paris? >> >>> And what's wrong with that, Bruce? >>> ;-) >>> Philippe >>> >>> >>> >>> Op 19-dec-05, om 11:01 heeft bruce het volgende geschreven: >>> >>>> Yeh, but you have to get through Belgium ..................... >>>> >>>> B. >>>> >>>> On 19-dec-2005, at 5:39, Nathan Wajsman wrote: >>>> >>>>> It's only 613 km according to ANWB--you don't need two drivers >>> >>> for >>> >>>>> that. Especially in a new Porsche--they would just be squabbling >>> >>> >>>>> over who gets to drive. >>>>> >>>>> Nathan >>>>> >>>>> bruce wrote: >>>>> >>>>>> Journey time in a new Porsche from Solms to >>>>>> Paris ................. ? 5 hours ............... at >>> >>> night/early >>> >>>>>> morning ............... with two drivers. >>>>>> B. >>>>>> On 18-dec-2005, at 20:35, Robert D. Baron wrote: >>>>>> >>>>>>> David Young writes: >>>>>>> >>>>>>>> Tentative LHSA dates in Solms/Wetzlar are Sept 28th through >>>>>>>> Oct 4th. Party breaks up on the 5th, but a Leica School is >>>>>>>> planned, for interested parties, on the Thursday Oct 5th) & >>> >>> >>>>>>>> Friday (Oct 6th) following the meet. Could probably make >>> >>> Paris >>> >>>>>>>> by the Sunday... unsure about Saturday. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> >>>>>>> >>>>>>> Easy deal: fly over first to Stuttgart, pick up new Porsche; >>>>>>> then to Cologne (Photokina) then Solms/Wetzlar, and then to >>>>>>> Paris right after the Leica School (assuming the final night >>>>>>> banquet doesn't last too long). >>>>>>> >>>>>>> :-) :-) >>>>>>> >>>>>>> --Bob >>>>>>> >>>>>>> _______________________________________________ >>>>>>> Leica Users Group. >>>>>>> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more >>>>>>> information >>>>>> >>>>>> _______________________________________________ >>>>>> Leica Users Group. >>>>>> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more >>> >>> information>> >>> >>>>> -- >>>>> Nathan Wajsman >>>>> Almere, The Netherlands >>>>> >>>>> General photography: http://www.nathanfoto.com >>>>> Seville photography: http://www.fotosevilla.com >>>>> Bicycle project: http://www.fotocycle.nl >>>>> Stock photography: http://www.alamy.com/search- >>> >>> results.asp?qt=wajsman>> >>> http://myloupe.com/home/found_photographer.php?photographer=507>> >>> Prints for sale: http://www.photodeluge.com >>> >>>>> >>>>> Blog: http://www.fotocycle.dk/blog >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> _______________________________________________ >>>>> Leica Users Group. >>>>> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more >>> >>> information> >>> >>>> >>>> >>>> _______________________________________________ >>>> Leica Users Group. >>>> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information >>>> >>> >>> >>> >>> _______________________________________________ >>> Leica Users Group. >>> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information >>> >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Leica Users Group. >> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information > > > > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information > > -- Nathan Wajsman Almere, The Netherlands General photography: http://www.nathanfoto.com Seville photography: http://www.fotosevilla.com Bicycle project: http://www.fotocycle.nl Stock photography: http://www.alamy.com/search-results.asp?qt=wajsman http://myloupe.com/home/found_photographer.php?photographer=507 Prints for sale: http://www.photodeluge.com Blog: http://www.fotocycle.dk/blog