Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Chateau Trivia of the Day: Sept 14, 2011
I learned the other day a fun new bit of Chateau trivia. There is a small island in the moat here. Before the current owners had this place, there was a stretch of time where the home was uninhabited. The island served as a "party spot" for local teenagers, who would canoe to its shore in search of an isolated destination. Once, there, amongst the trees, they would partake...in drinking...champagne. We are, after all, a mile or so from the Champagne region of France. To conceal their "activities," they would turn the bottles upside down and shove them into the dirt to make them virtually disappear. So we have an island paved with glass bottle bottoms!
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
If I was a country, I'd be Belgium.
So for today's long overdue blog post, I wanted to let you know that if I was a country, I'd be Belgium.
Why?
Belgium kind of has a split personality: two languages, two separate parts, two major landscapes (country and city), two sides (coastal and inland). I don't have a "split personality", but like many of us, I have many sides. I like to spend time in different environments and with different activities throughout my days. For example, I don't always want to be in the country. I love living in a fairly rural area, but also love our easy access to civilization (read: shopping). Likewise, I certainly couldn't always be in a congested city... I need space to breathe. I like that there all of these different facets to Belgium, all still trying to work themselves out and learn how to play together, even after such a long history.
Belgium is not on everyone's radar. I like things that are different and "not as popular". I enjoy the "road less traveled" in the sense of beating my own path in the world. Although I live less than 5 minutes from France, Belgium is certainly no France. When you say "France", people think they have it all figured out, but "Belgium" conjures a more enigmatic picture...what does it mean to be Belgian? I like that. If I was a country, I wouldn't want to be the big obvious tourist destination. I would want to be around people that were with me because they had traveled a lot already and thus had a lot of wisdom and experiences to share with me, or people chose me because they were purposefully looking for something different. I like when people can see the beauty in the non-obvious places and ways. Paris is Paris because it lives up to its own hype. But I can feel a little lost in something so well tread. What is there for me to discover on my own that I can't read in a Fodor's book? Don't get me wrong, there are reasons to see those popular locales, and good reasons to love them. Also, I love good travel advice from books and the internet, but I sometimes feel like it is harder for me to have a connection to somewhere so visited (overdone?) by so many people.
Belgium has great food. If I was a country I would have great food too. And beer- I'd have the best beer in the world. That is just cool. I love that the "Belgian food" is very accessible- people get it. Who can't have fun with fries served in a paper cone with a cute little fork? Or a waffle in paper from a street vendor?
That being said, if I was a country I'd love to be known for things Belgium is: those great fries, the best beer in the world, chocolate (oh, the chocolate), waffles (love, love, love), and...diamonds! Not a bad combination!
If I was a country I'd be good at mixing old and new, I'd have more castles for my size than any other country in the world, and I would have good-looking farm animals.
If I was a country, I'd have weather that not everyone always loved. I would want you to be with me because you were willing to stick it out even when I rained too much, or changed too often. Besides I love a country where there is no bad weather, just an opportunity for better clothing choices.
I would have super cool shopping...like a Sunday morning brocante (flea market), where you want to come just to find your next big treasure, or even just to walk around and be amongst your fellow Belgians.
If I was a country I would be so cool, and be in such a great location that an international organization like NATO would live with me.
Belgium has a little attitude problem, a little bit of "it is not possible", and I would have that too....just because I could.
Why?
Belgium kind of has a split personality: two languages, two separate parts, two major landscapes (country and city), two sides (coastal and inland). I don't have a "split personality", but like many of us, I have many sides. I like to spend time in different environments and with different activities throughout my days. For example, I don't always want to be in the country. I love living in a fairly rural area, but also love our easy access to civilization (read: shopping). Likewise, I certainly couldn't always be in a congested city... I need space to breathe. I like that there all of these different facets to Belgium, all still trying to work themselves out and learn how to play together, even after such a long history.
Belgium is not on everyone's radar. I like things that are different and "not as popular". I enjoy the "road less traveled" in the sense of beating my own path in the world. Although I live less than 5 minutes from France, Belgium is certainly no France. When you say "France", people think they have it all figured out, but "Belgium" conjures a more enigmatic picture...what does it mean to be Belgian? I like that. If I was a country, I wouldn't want to be the big obvious tourist destination. I would want to be around people that were with me because they had traveled a lot already and thus had a lot of wisdom and experiences to share with me, or people chose me because they were purposefully looking for something different. I like when people can see the beauty in the non-obvious places and ways. Paris is Paris because it lives up to its own hype. But I can feel a little lost in something so well tread. What is there for me to discover on my own that I can't read in a Fodor's book? Don't get me wrong, there are reasons to see those popular locales, and good reasons to love them. Also, I love good travel advice from books and the internet, but I sometimes feel like it is harder for me to have a connection to somewhere so visited (overdone?) by so many people.
Belgium has great food. If I was a country I would have great food too. And beer- I'd have the best beer in the world. That is just cool. I love that the "Belgian food" is very accessible- people get it. Who can't have fun with fries served in a paper cone with a cute little fork? Or a waffle in paper from a street vendor?
That being said, if I was a country I'd love to be known for things Belgium is: those great fries, the best beer in the world, chocolate (oh, the chocolate), waffles (love, love, love), and...diamonds! Not a bad combination!
If I was a country I'd be good at mixing old and new, I'd have more castles for my size than any other country in the world, and I would have good-looking farm animals.
If I was a country, I'd have weather that not everyone always loved. I would want you to be with me because you were willing to stick it out even when I rained too much, or changed too often. Besides I love a country where there is no bad weather, just an opportunity for better clothing choices.
I would have super cool shopping...like a Sunday morning brocante (flea market), where you want to come just to find your next big treasure, or even just to walk around and be amongst your fellow Belgians.
If I was a country I would be so cool, and be in such a great location that an international organization like NATO would live with me.
Belgium has a little attitude problem, a little bit of "it is not possible", and I would have that too....just because I could.
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