Offer for all kind DUers : when in Europe...

[madbelgiancow]

make sure you visit Belgium,

the land which invented
- french fries
- chocolate (okay maybe we didn't invent it, we just have the best)
- beer
and has some super historical cities such as Bruges (Brugge),

http://www.brugge.be/toerisme/4.htm

We lie centrally in Europe and have very friendly inhabitants which know how to live the good life.

And when you do visit, and are in need of some guidance or even a place to stay, know that there is a house of a DUer 5 mins from Bruges which has a spare room (as of february 2005 - moving in the new house) and a warm welcome.

greetings,
the Mad Cow

[crispini]

1. oooooeeee!

Ok, I'll take ya up on it, if I ever get over there! sounds like fun, thanks! :D

[madbelgiancow]

3. Well you're very welcome Crispini

Let us know if you get around these parts.

Which part got to you, the beer? You can say you go to Bruges for the historical background and spend your day in a pub with 300 beer types on offer :-)

[crispini]

10. the chocolate.... YUM. :) n/t

[greatauntoftriplets]

2. I have cousins in Brussels....

Beautiful city, great country.

Great fries as well. Also beer...especially Chimay ale.

Thanks for the invite.

[madbelgiancow]

5. Chimay - ah

as Randi says - "for people in the know"



yeah them french fries - we make 'em WAY better. Typically, every village has a shop.




Did I mention most belgians are rather bulky?

[madbelgiancow]

6. dupe - internet connection troubles

*sigh*

[Rowdyboy]

4. You might be surprised!

I recently discoved that my mother's family originated in the Rhineland-Pfalz, near Mainz, in a village called Albisheim. They left in 1734, about the time the Germanic wars ended and they settled in Georgia, later moving to Mississippi.

I fully expect to visit Albisheim in the next few years and Belguim is very close to that area!

[madbelgiancow]

9. Make sure you walk on by Rowdyboy

Even if I find it kinda funny you consider this close by. I drive 100 km to work each day and I'm considered nuts over here :-)

When I visited the US, I was amazed at how people in the suburbs of Frisco had to drive 20 km just to get to the city.

Mainz is not too far in my book though.

[Guaranteed]

7. My girlfriend and I are actually trying to move there...

She has to get transferred, though. :)

[madbelgiancow]

19. No kidding! Any thoughts yet on where you'd settle down?

I can give you some hints & tips if need be, PM me if you want. Been on the housing market recently, and foreigners do pay high prices typically.

[Guaranteed]

41. Gosselies, I believe...

That's where she would be working.

How's the market there?

[madbelgiancow]

50. my thoughts on real estate in Gosselies area

1) It's in the french speaking part of belgium - I'm not that familiar with the prices since I'm in the dutch speaking Flanders region. In general, land is much less scarce in the southern french speaking part and consequently land & housing are cheaper.
2) Gosselies lies 50 km to the south of Brussels, and is actually very close to Charleroi. Charleroi is an old industrial city and not all that nice. Gosselies lies on the outskirts, so it's possible it's a more residential area, I will check with some friends who work in brussels and know the region better.
3) As it's still relatively close to Brussels and on the "good side" of Charleroi if you want to go to Brussels, I'm thinking it will be above average price for the french speaking part. THE most expensive part of belgium (except for prime real estate in the major cities of course) is actually what lies between Gosselies and Brussels : a lot of the Wallons work in the Brussels area, and prefer to live close by Brussels and to the south.

I can imagine following prices for buying a house :
1) In Gosselies itself, 175000-200000 euro for a three bedroom house with a small garden (like 400 square metres) but built in a row with others.
2) The same amount will get you a free-standing house with 1000-1500 square metres in the surrounding countryside villages (which will be not easy to fit into - so maybe not the best idea)
3) An apartment would be from 75000 to and 200000 depending on bedrooms and state. Apartments, especially if they have lifts and are suited for the elderly, have risen to "very high" levels recently.

rent : imagine a 10 % yield per year for people renting above places.

You will hardly find apartments outside the cities / major towns.

If you want I can inquire further to try and get some detail info on Gosselies, like good neighbourhoods and worse ones. Or let me klnwo what you're looking for - PM :-)

[faithnotgreed]

8. thats a beautiful post - thank you so very much

mad cow! im going to check out the link you gave.

ive only been to belgium once about 15 yrs ago and it was a blink of an eye unfortunately

so do they have an amnesty program for people who want to escape to a place of awesome people, beer and french fries?


signed an inhabitant of the land of freedom fries and marriage amendments

[madbelgiancow]

11. check out this link, faithnotgreed

http://www.brugge.be/toerisme/en/index.htm

it's in english.

And we have an amnesty program :-) - in one of my old posts, I even said we would come and save you guys from fascism if need be, like you once did for us.

[faithnotgreed]

31. oh yeah - i recall that post. we may just have to call you guys in

which is just stunning to even think about.

thanks again for the link. i am definitely checking it out. my heritage is french (grandfather emigrated from alsace lorraine) and so i have considered that but im trying to be patient and wait for the right sign of what i should do.
besides, a grandparent direct link only works in a couple countries and i dont think france is one of them.

but the thought is definitely there!.... thanks again

[madbelgiancow]

12. check out this link, faithnotgreed

http://www.brugge.be/toerisme/en/index.htm

it's in english.

And we have an amnesty program :-) - in one of my old posts, I even said we would come and save you guys from fascism if need be, like you once did for us.

[madbelgiancow]

13. check out this link, faithnotgreed

http://www.brugge.be/toerisme/en/index.htm

it's in english.

And we have an amnesty program :-) - in one of my old posts, I even said we would come and save you guys from fascism if need be, like you once did for us.

[madbelgiancow]

14. check out this link, faithnotgreed

http://www.brugge.be/toerisme/en/index.htm

it's in english.

And we have an amnesty program :-) - in one of my old posts, I even said we would come and save you guys from fascism if need be, like you once did for us.

[madbelgiancow]

15. check out this link, faithnotgreed

http://www.brugge.be/toerisme/en/index.htm

it's in english.

And we have an amnesty program :-) - in one of my old posts, I even said we would come and save you guys from fascism if need be, like you once did for us.

[madbelgiancow]

16. okay I promise to be more patient

f-ing ISP !!! gonna get a new one in the new house

[faithnotgreed]

29. ha! totally understandable!

on edit: best wishes for your new place! sounds fantastic and i honestly hope that one day i might see it

[madbelgiancow]

36. thanks!

On the new place : it's a relatively small villa built in the late fifties, a lot of charm to my eyes, and it has a separate small house in the back, of which I still have to decide the use. I may have to make it the DU hangout... *lol*

[faithnotgreed]

39. du fort! really. it sounds idyllic

im a simple living person who loves the whole small houses, permaculture, organic thing
and i bet your place is great. ill have to send you a housewarming present!

maybe we can come up with some signs to hang out front of the du fort.
we could start with "no fascists allowed" or would that be "aloud" a la little rascals....

so many possibilities! perhaps the small house in the back could be a (du) hostel. i know of a place in ny where they do animal rescue etc and they have a simple barn that they have converted into a hostel type place so that people who have come to visit or volunteer can stay there.

you can charge a nominal amount to cover expenses. my dear friend is a parish administrator and part of the duties is running a small hostel. they have people stay there who are in dc for social justice work and the like. depending on the group and the reason they are there, the cost is anywhere from free to $20 per night, usually in the $10-20 per night range.

anyway, not to go on about that but you got my mind thinking! my name is jude, and its been fun talking with you.

peace

on edit: i tried to pm you this post, but youre still too young in du years
i would like to extend an invitation back to you: if you ever plan to visit washington dc, on oh maybe january 20th!!, please let me know. youll have a place to stay here as well anytime....

[madbelgiancow]

52. PMd you

just because I can :-)

[Menshevik]

17. I am coming someday!

I am going to graduate school in the UK right now, but I can't wait to see continental Europe during my break between spring and summer term!

[madbelgiancow]

18. break between spring and summer

by that time, we should have gotten the house painted even :-)

Kidding that's in a few weeks.

Tomorrow, oops today, I'm removing plaster from the not-so-handiman from doors & ceilings...

Interesting study you're up to, Menshevik.

[DemBones DemBones]

20. Thanks, I've been there more than

a dozen times, but never got out of the Brussels airport. :-( At least they have Godiva chocolate there.

SO, can we get amnesty if we just want to leave the U.S.? Like if Jeb's elected in 2008, say. . .

[madbelgiancow]

21. Amnesty? for DUers, of course

I honestly was looking for SANE americans during the buildup to the Iraq war, and that's when I stumbled across DU.

I also am afraid you're gonna need amnesty sooner than 2008.

When considering relocation, I should be honest and also mention belgium is well-known for it's rainy days. on the up side, there's global warming.

btw, I also have travel experiences like that all the time. Sucks! It seems back in the old days business travel was half business half fun - those days are gone...

[DemBones DemBones]

25. Well, I'm in north Georgia now, where it also

rains a good bit. I can't remember if it was ever raining in Brussels when I was there. On second thought, I think at least once we were dealing with umbrellas when we got off the plane. Sabena always had us disembark out on the tarmac and ride a shuttle to the far, far end of the airport, then ride the people-mover back to where the shops and cafes are.

Why? :shrug:

I never cared for the Brussels airport but the Atlanta airport is not a fair representation of Georgia, either. And Sabena served great pastries on their flights. I watched a documentary about what their bankruptcy did to Sabena workers and it was very sad.

Do you get a lot of snow or not so much, with global warming? We used to have one fairly good snow a year, with the ground covered, and good sledding possibilities, but I can't remember the last winter we had real snow like that. Our summers are much hotter, too, or so I believe.

[madbelgiancow]

32. the "why" question

is one with a hundred answers in Belgium. We specialise in doing things "our way", and logic doesn't always have much to do with it.

I know the people mover you speak off- I always have the furthest gate when I am running late :-)

yeah the Sabena story is a sad one. You have had some sad ones in the US as well.

We seem to get almost no snow in recent years, usually we will get a couple of layers of maybe one or two inch per winter season, except in the east with the 600 m "mountains" where they will have 5-10 inches more frequently.

Last year we got one snowy day or something, and the country came to a standstill. Go figure. I slides into a ditch woth driving back home as the highways were blocked, got kinda reckless in a tight curve *oops*

Weather in Belgium is tempered by the sea, we don't have extremes.

Actual weather : http://www.kmi.be/english/index.php?menu=Menu1_3

[President Kerry]

22. what an awesome and kind offer

thanks! I spent the summer working in Frankfurt, with a couple of Belgian interns. And we talked politics, and they mentioned that out of 11 million you won't find a single Belgian for Bush. Plus I know how beautiful Bruges is, I got to know Brussels, Ghent, Bruges, and Antwerp.

[madbelgiancow]

24. I hate to admit we do have some for Bush even here

but they are few and far between. Almost our entire political spectrum is WAY to the left of yours, but there is this extreme right-wing party which is gaining seriously. I consider it the Pest of the West, just showing how our culture in decline is turniong conservative to keep it's flailing grip on power.

One of these nutcases is my direct colleague, who once said "okay it's a war for oli, but that's our oil too, so I'm for it" - at which point I freaked out, needless to say.

You seem to have gotten a pretty good view on Belgium! Which city did you like best?

[President Kerry]

28. hard to pick..

Grand Place in Brussels, the Bruges channels, and Antwerp I enjoyed a lot too. Plus I stayed in one of the coolest hostels in Brussels (rue Traversier, Van Gogh's place (or something like that)

Awesome country.

[CBHagman]

23. Rainy days are no problem!

How do you say "Today it's raining again" in Flemish and French? On edit: "Il pleut encore," right?

I've always heard how lovely Bruges was. I did get to Brussels via Sabena, back in the days of yore.

I hear driving in Belgium is a pretty wild experience. Any observations on that?

[madbelgiancow]

26. A to your Q, in order :

1)
Flemish : Het regent weer vandaag
French : Il pleut à nouveau aujourd'hui

We are 10 million and we have three official languages (a part is German speaking) - go figure :-)

2) yeah Sabena is gone now - it's SN Brussels Ailines since Swissair tore us a new one. Bruges is great as a historical city, but it's is almost too toouristical. Anwtwerp and Gent are much more lively all over and Brussels obviously is the most multicultural capital.

3) Driving is pretty crazy by US standards (why stick to one lane on the highway if there are 3 available?? + national sport to not observe speed limits), especially in Brussels, but is NOTHING compared to what you get when you go south - france, Spain, italy - now THAT is crazy :-)

[NightTrain]

27. I certainly agree with you about the chocolate.

Belgian chocolate rocks, baby!!! :9

[madbelgiancow]

34. does wonders for the serotonin lkevels in your brain

or so I hear.

the taste is great. Glad you appreciate it!

We ALWAYS have to send out chocolate and coffee to belgian expats in the US.

[madbelgiancow]

35. did it again

sorry

[ccarter84]

30. you lucked out

I actually had planned on going to Belgium or London during spring break but my friends changed plans due to finances...so i'm gonna have to take raincheck; but I hope you enjoy the new house :)

peace
CC

[madbelgiancow]

33. Well if the economy picks up, you're welcome

Almost everyone speaks english here, our language skills are famous (and come from a history of being opressed by other european countries :-))

I am really planning to enjoy the house - thanks!

And I should as well, after all the hard work I put in with my two left hands.

[madbelgiancow]

37. to everyone who replied and may still reply,

just wanted to let you know I was serious about my offer, I'll PM y'all once I get back to PMable status, just to let you know my offer stands.

C U,

Mad Cow

on edit : and wanted to say I'm signing off, gonna catch some sleep as it's 'bout morning here :-)

[Flaxbee]

38. one of the nicest offers I've had in a long time...

thanks, madbelgiancow! I've spent a fair amount of time in Helsinki, London and St. Petersburg but never really got into the "interior" of Europe and I'd really love to. You sound like a kind and generous person.

And I'm sure you know this, but most US DUers throw the offer right back at you ... make sure you let us know if you're ever heading toward the States, I'm sure there would be plenty of spare rooms/couches on offer!

[fortyfeetunder]

40. Bruges rocks!

I went to Bruges on a friend's recommendation and it was everything he said it would be, even on a cloudy dark fall day. I can't wait to go there in the summer.

And yes, Europe is a nice place to visit. My plan is to take my kid on a independent rail trip cross country, but the caveèƒs he has to learn one language first.

[Kellanved]

42. Brugge is a great town

Disagree on the Beer/Chocolate/fries thing though. We make better beer, the French better Chocolate and the Dutch better fries :P.
But hey, you have all three in good quality.

[madbelgiancow]

48. de gustibus et coloribus non disputandum

or something like that

les gouts et les couleurs ne se discutent pas

Can't argue about taste :-) I'm not getting in a beer fight lol.

Well to be perfectly honest I don't really believe one country has the best this or that - there are treasures to be discovered everywhere. My original statement was a slight case of marketing...

I may have to kill you for the statement about the fries though !
*kidding*

[Kellanved]

49. *grins*

Amen to that.
Sorry, Brussels did this to me. And yeah, I was mean about the fries.

:toast:

[madbelgiancow]

55. signing off for the night

with a :toast: this time. even though I'm inclined to stay juuuust a lil longer two semi all-nighters in a row isn't a good idea. Mondays suck hard enough without :-)

Oh Kellanved btw see post by NightTrain regarding chocolate

:P

edit for midnite typing

[DemExpat]

43. Brugge and Antwerp - favorite places for me!

:hi:

DemEx

[madbelgiancow]

53. Have a look at Leuven too if you didn't already

Ultimate Student City, all in walking distance, great nightlife (well if you're into pubs)

Thursday evenings/nights are famous.

[SweetLeftFoot]

44. May have good beer

What a shame you Belgians haven't realised that good beer is ruined if there is nowhere to drink it. Jesus, Belgians "pubs" - more like the cafeteria of a dental hospital.

No, good pubs, you need to go to Ireland. Place called Peader O'Donnell's in Derry is good. As is The Long Hall in Dublin.

[madbelgiancow]

47. so we should put 1 and 1 together

Irish pub, belgian beer :-)

I have limited but very goode experience in irish pubs in belgium, but I have to disgree about our not having any good pubs over here.

Visit the "old market aka oude markt" in Leuven and get back to me :-)

[Flammable Materials]

45. First time I went to Europe, I was in Antwerp on day three.

I really want to go back, I didn't get to spend enough time there.

Until Americans have had "Vlaamse Frites", they know nothing - NOTHING - about fries.

I'll bet a Belgian Fries chain would do amazingly well in the States. Hell, if I had any intention of staying here, I might start it myself.

[madbelgiancow]

46. "Vlaamse friet" chain - now there's an idea

today at noon I was discussing this thread with my wife and made exactly the same point. I truly believe Vlaamse friet could be succesfully exported, certainly when teamed up with our mayonaise and some fine beer. If you need a business partner, let me know!!

The only reason I can imagine why we haven't yet is because typical belgian behaviour is to be somewhat introvert, not too sure of one's own selling points, and certainly not good in marketing ourselves.

(In that regard we are diametrically opposed to the dutch)

I did try to change that though :-)

by the way I am amzed at the knowledge of DUers (like knowing we have several parts in belgium with different languages) about belgium - but I know I shouldn't be...

[Kellanved]

51. I saw a few Belgian Fries stands stateside

Although the only one that featured actual Belgians was in New Haven.

[madbelgiancow]

54. hah that's great news - glad some have the courage

to swim the ocean

btw :cheers: to you too