The BBC's Mark Mardell, who write the Europe Diary, has just published an article on living in Brussels for a Brit. In short it says that there are more similarities than differences between life in Britain and in Brussels, and Brits will be able to find about anything they are used to : food, drinks, books... The only thing people tend to miss is their family and friends, but that's part of moving to another city in general, not necessarily in another country.
However, I am surprised that the author write :
The flat part of Belgium is Flanders, which makes only 45% of the territory, and some bits of northern or north-western Wallonia. The southern half of the country is very hilly (hence the name "Wallonia", literally "valley land") and very similar to the Downs of southern England, with more accentuated hills in central Wallonia (e.g. between Namur and Marche-en-Famenne). In fact, I sometimes feel that Wallonia (especially the Condroz and Famenne regions) and Southern England (esp. around Wiltshire and Somerset) are the same place, with green hilly landscapes and quaint stone houses. The rest of Belgium is flat with brick houses and very similar to East Anglia. Therefore, coming from a hilly or flat part of England, there is a place in Belgium almost just like it. Scotland looks so foreign in comparison...
However, I am surprised that the author write :
Mark Mardell said:It has to be said that a lot of Belgium is boringly flat and I would miss the English countryside.
The flat part of Belgium is Flanders, which makes only 45% of the territory, and some bits of northern or north-western Wallonia. The southern half of the country is very hilly (hence the name "Wallonia", literally "valley land") and very similar to the Downs of southern England, with more accentuated hills in central Wallonia (e.g. between Namur and Marche-en-Famenne). In fact, I sometimes feel that Wallonia (especially the Condroz and Famenne regions) and Southern England (esp. around Wiltshire and Somerset) are the same place, with green hilly landscapes and quaint stone houses. The rest of Belgium is flat with brick houses and very similar to East Anglia. Therefore, coming from a hilly or flat part of England, there is a place in Belgium almost just like it. Scotland looks so foreign in comparison...
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