h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I've written something at http://www.h2g2.com/A309043 - it's really disorganised and jumbled, but it's some information...

I second the waffles, they are absolutely gorgeous. Particularly the ones in the Gare Centrale in Bruxelles.

Belgium also hosts a theme park called Wallabi. Famous for a ride that got stuck upside down in the middle of a loop a few years ago. It's good fun when it actually moves though

Also thought I'd mention that Antwerp, the second city and pricipal city for the Dutch speaking part of the country is famous for the diamond and jewelry trade. A good place to go shopping for rings I've been told.

Me too, I second the waffles, regarding the french fries, I tried to write something about the snack stands where they are sold: the fritkot (a word that is understood on each side of the language border) in the entry http://www.h2g2.com/A287778
I might be partial (I rather think I am), but I regard belgian "french" fries as the best I know
A belgian beer is presented in http://www.h2g2.com/A279038

1) Don't forget to try WARM waffles, which are even better and fattier than normal waffles (Gaufre chaude / Warm wafel).
But I wouldn't buy them in Brussels Central Station (not on the downfloor, anyway)
2) Don't you mean WALIBI?
3) I've begun an entry about Brussels Central Station... After that, I'll write an entry about 'Brussels South (Midi)', 'Brussels North' and then one about 'Holleken'... All very big or very small stations
Have a nice (and unhealthy) stay in Belgium

Whoops yes I did mean Walibi, it's just been a while since I went

Everyone I know who has been to Belgium for an extended period of time put on HUGE amounts of weight....but the food is just so damn good!

Happy to see some people love our little country. Having lived in Germany, Italy and Switzerland and travelling a lot, I must say, I am quite proud of Belgium (although chauvinism is almost unexisting amongst my countrymen/-women). According to me Antwerp is Europe's best hidden secret (but I'd rather it remains that way).
Anyway, it's a really nice article you wrote, but as an Antwerpgirl, I MUST correct you on one thing : the 'bollocking', it's actually a 'bolleke', which could be translated as 'little round thing', and it's in fact a round glass used only to serve the 'national' Antwerp beer, De Coninck. It is a very nice beer (my favorite beer when I go out) and it is served in three different glasses ('fluit'= flute, 'bolleke' and 'prinske'= little prince), the 'bolleke' being the most common one. When in a bar you can just order a 'bolleke', but some of my friends also call it a swimming pool ('zwembad') because of it's proportions. Don't drink too many if you're not used to Belgian beer, it's pretty strong to non-Belgian standards.

The most popular beer in the area I stayed in (Walcourt - near Charleroi) was definately Jupiler, but Hogareden (or something like that...) was also pretty good....

Bruges was undoubtedly the most beautiful place I went to, but I didn't get around to Antwerp, so.....

I'll second that about Bruges - I reckon it's the most beatiful city I've been to in Europe.
Something needs to be said about the Belgian weather though: the sky doesn't feel it's done its job properly until it has rained on Belgium at least once. It prefers to do this out of the blue, when you're as far from shelter as possible.
Finally, I have written an article about the least aesthetic town in Belgium: Louvain-la-Neuve. It's at www.h2g2.com/A339833

If you're interested in Belgian music, you should visit the following site:
http://www.houbi.simplenet.com/belpop

Actually, the Wallaby is more or less the 'symbol' of Walibi (the kangaroo), but the name comes from the three territories it's located on: WAvre, LImal, BIerges.

Happy to see so many people who like our small but extremely weird and bizarre country.

The linguistic bickering has also spawned a very strange political phenomenon that complicates matters even further: our tiny country now has FIVE governments (1 national, 1 for the Flemish community, 1 for the Walloon community, 1 for the German community, and 1 for the bi-lingual region Brussels-Capital), each with its own ministers, members of parliament, the lot...
It makes it very hard finding out WHO exactly is responsible for WHAT... But maybe that was reason for it?

Maybe Belgians are the only people in the world who really undertsand the recounting of the votes in the States, after all, for us Belgians THAT's the norm (especially in Antwerp, where unfortunately the right-wingers seem to thrive)...

Except for the weather and the taxes, it's a nice country to live in, and don't be fooled, despite its small size Brussels really is a world-city, on a par with any big capital.

One other thing: another famous national dish are the (in Flemish, or Dutch) "Vlaamse karbonaden" or (in Feench) "Carbonades Flamandes", a kind of beef-stew made in beer (of course), also eaten with "friet" or "frites". Available at any good "fritkot".