Category Archives: Belgium

The Battlefield of Waterloo, Looking for the Bones, and a Surprising Supper

Zur deutschen Fassung. “Little Napoleon wants to be picked up on platform 2, please. And hurry, or he’ll lay waste to the whole town!” Only when I hear this announcement and look out of the train window, I realize what … Continue reading

Posted in Belgium, Food, History, Military, Photography, Travel | Tagged , , | 24 Comments

Journey to the Center of Europe

Zur deutschen Fassung. It is July 15th, 2022. The early hours of the day are still morning-pleasantly fresh, although it will turn into a very hot day. There is even a bit of a drizzle in between. The kind of … Continue reading

Posted in Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Czech Republic, Estonia, Europe, France, Germany, Hungary, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, Sweden, Travel, Ukraine | Tagged | 9 Comments

Battlefield Tourism – Then and Now

Zur deutschen Fassung. The following is the English translation of a presentation I gave during a field trip with my university to Ypres. Because it’s a German university, there is a focus on German (language) sources and on the German … Continue reading

Posted in Belgium, History, Military, Travel, World War I | Tagged | 8 Comments

One Hundred Years Ago, the Battlefields turned Red – November 1921: Poppies

Zur deutschen Fassung. Since this is not only a history blog, but also a travel blog, I naturally thought of combining these two aspects when I began the “One Hundred Years Ago …” series. Under the pretext of urgently having … Continue reading

Posted in Belgium, Canada, History, Military, Photography, Travel, UK, World War I | Tagged | 9 Comments

One Hundred Years Ago, Belgium became the most Complicated Country in Europe – July 1921: Language Border between Wallonia and Flanders

Zur deutschen Fassung. The inability to form a new government quickly after an election is usually associated with failed states such as Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya or the USA. However, the record for the longest time needed to form a government … Continue reading

Posted in Belgium, Germany, History, Language, Politics, World War I, World War II | Tagged , | 18 Comments

Not quite a Thousand Kilometers, but a Good Start

For the moment, hitchhiking is pretty much suspended. But this story of a trip across central Europe, from Belgium to Bavaria, offers interesting encounters, practical tips and grounds for dreaming about the time hereafter. Den deutschsprachigen Lesern empfehle ich die … Continue reading

Posted in Belgium, Germany, Travel | Tagged , , , , , , , | 19 Comments

A gloomy morning and a beautiful afternoon

Zur deutschen Fassung dieses Artikels. Under the bewildered eyes of those going to warm offices, schools and shops, I am the only one to exit the bus at Signal de Botrange. Because the clock went crazy the last weekend, the … Continue reading

Posted in Belgium, Photography, Travel | Tagged , | 13 Comments

Day of the Open Road

Deutschsprachigen Lesern empfehle ich die ebenfalls deutschsprachige Originalfassung dieses Artikels. Sunday, 8 September. Day of the Open Monument. Today they are open, the castles and cloisters, buildings and bunkers that are usually hidden from the people. You’ve got to use … Continue reading

Posted in Belgium, Photography, Travel | Tagged , , , | 10 Comments

Belgium goes into extra time

Those who are familiar with the weather in Belgium will understand why everyone here wants to leave for vacation as much as they can. That creates an enormous demand for house sitters and cat carers. Hence, immediately after house sitting … Continue reading

Posted in Belgium, Language, Politics, Travel | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Next trip: Antwerp

Another cat has contacted me, requesting me as her sitter. This time in Antwerp in Belgium. I am happy to oblige, because I have never been to Antwerp. And hardly to Belgium either, to be honest, where I have only … Continue reading

Posted in Belgium, Travel | Tagged , | 4 Comments