7 Comments

Interesting, as always. I’ve just returned from an Interrail trip which included Brussel/Bruxelles on both the outward and inward legs of the journey. It’s always been a source of puzzlement to me that Bruxelles-Midi station is Brussel Zuid in Flemish.

The bit about Belgian sports that you don’t mention is of course cycling, in particular the amazing one-day spring events such as De Ronde van Vlaanderen. They mostly happen in Flanders and my impression, both from watching on Eurosport and from takes my cycling-mad son tells me, is that this is the true sporting passion of many Belgians, or at least many Flemish people.

Expand full comment

Yeah. Eddie Merckx and all that! I like cycling, so I should go for a bike trip myself.

Expand full comment

You’d love it!

Expand full comment

I expect you have a response prepared to this: but in strict constitutional terms the capital of the present-day Flanders region is Brussel, and in historical context the principal city of the various manifestations of Flanders has invariably been regarded as Gent.

Expand full comment

Duly noted. I have no response to this, but I do thank you for the money. Stick around: A lot more Belgium to come. Both personally and creatively.

Expand full comment

this was lovely. also, "a poet of boredom, otherwise known as a comedian" is a line that will stay with me i think. all the best

Expand full comment

Would just like to put on record that gangbangs are not compulsory for over-40s women in Belgium.

Do get behind RWDM, though.

Expand full comment