Going via Calais? Stop off at the hypermarket on the SE side of Calais - follow the signs to the university off the ferry port spur of the autoroute. Good fuel prices too, and the pay cabin is manned during daytime. tinyurl.com/35sp5k for map - the hypermarket is the big building to the left of the map/satellite picture.
Don't buy fuel at the first BP on the autoroute - wait til you get to Belgium where it's about ?0.10/litre cheaper.
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And if you haven't tried it drink some draught Leffe Blonde. A couple of halves will put you in a very good mood.
Ignore him, drink the Leffe Bruin
As I shall be doing - off the brussels for two days next week.
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< Ex RF, Ex TVM >
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Try the brown stuff by all means MM but I find it a bit heavy. The Blonde though makes one expansive and chatty.
I suspect AE of being a heavy drinker of evil English red-eye special ales...
By the way AE, have a good time and don't bend the nice cruiser after a couple of Bruins...
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Flying Lud - work related
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< Ex RF, Ex TVM >
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Ignore these lightweights.
Gulden Draak is the best!
Maybe wise not to drive for a few days afterwards.
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My real preference is Kwaak, but I feel a reet berk with the silly glass
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< Ex RF, Ex TVM >
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Kwaak!
Great name. I seem to remember you like those awful pink concoctions they make in Belgium too.
Note to Mad Maxy: ignore him if he tries to get you to try them. They are appalling, and strong too.
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Well thanks for the replies, folks. I take it that, as only one was motoring-specific, I've got the necessities of driving in those parts of the wonderful EU more or less sorted. :-)
I had the idea of going to Belgium after listening to a radio prog the other weekend, and the gastronomic and bibulous delights of the delights of the place are eagerly anticipated. I'm an experienced Leffe drinker - Blonde, Brun and some others (can't recall which, it was a great evening) - and I shall be trying some others. And the Ardenne area looks really scenic, which is why la famille MM is headed there.
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Excellent. I was terrified you were going to turn out to be a vegetarian teetotaller.
Enjoy the mussels and chips!
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You didnt say which route you were taking. Last time I was in Belgium the motorway ring road round Antwerpen, was sheer chaos.
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< Ex RF, Ex TVM >
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Don't think we'll be touching Antwerpen, but tks for the tip, Metamophosed TVM.
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Beter Vlaamse spreeken is mijn raad. Ook niet so veel Leffe drinken daar zijn beter biers dan dat.
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Verbessern Sie, um sich zu enthalten,ich denke.
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If you're going to Luxembourg, buy fuel there: I managed 94 euro cents a litre a couple of weeks ago! Interestingly, was on the autoroute. Huge queues at filling station. Asked the Garmin for a nearby fuel station, it took me 2 miles off the autotorute and the price was as stated. Result, I think...
--
Tim{P}
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Yup, I paid about 1.20 euros a litre for high octane unleaded - about 82p - and that was on the motorway. Handy really - fill up at the same cheap price in Austria, top up in Luxembourg, then home on the same tankful.
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I bet you mean stronger biers dan dat really OH. Not the same as beter...
I'm sure you are right to suggest that speaking Dutch to strangers is less risky than French. The francophone Belgians seem to feel less hard done by somehow, and it is better for their dispositions.
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Nee mijn betekenis was beter. Ik houd niet van Abbeye biers, Ik liever echte trappisten biers.
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I guess I must be an Abbey man... Of course I don't know the distinction, if there is one, between that and Trappist. What I did was find something I liked and stuck to it when possible.
Even Leffe make several beers including a tripel. I only really like the draught Blonde, in good condition. I am no expert, just an enthusiastic moderate toper. Fortunately you can get it in lots of places here.
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Actually the Leffe Tripple, Forbidden Fruit and Grand Cru are all pretty good. I just find the blonde too sweet.
If you get the chance try some real Trappist beers like Chimay Blue or Rochefort 6, 8, 10.
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I reckon Chimay's gone off a bit recently, since they started using malt extract instead of malt.
Agree with Rochefort, mind- fabulous beers. Also keep an eye out for the holy grail of Belgian beer- Westvleteren. Only available to buy & take away from the Abbey where they make it (near Watou & Popperinge in W Flanders), and from certain selected bars. It really is worth seeking out, fantastic stuff. For relaxed sunny days (fingers crossed), you can't go much better than Straffe Hendrick blonde or Hommelbier- beautiful light blonde beers both.
Basically, there are so many beers, you can't go far wrong! Everyone has their favourites, but they're pretty much all good. I prefer the artisan-brewed stuff (ie trappist or abbey beers, craft brewers like La Chouffe) to the mass-produced stuff (like Leffe & Hoegaarden).
I can strongly recommend Watou (W Flanders) as a place to visit- there is a fabulous restaurant (t'hommelhof- www.hommelhof.be/ ), three breweries (St Bernardus, Van Eecke & de Bie), as well as Westvletern just down the road. Nearby is Popperinge & Ypres, as well as the the war cemeteries.
I'd also recommend Bruges as a wonderful place to visit. Extremely pretty with lots of shops & architecture. There's a 3 starred michelin restaurant (de Karmeliet) and some of the finest bars I've ever been in (particularly t'Brugs Berrtje). The hotel Erasmus is also good for food & a beer (huge beer list!!)
I spent quite a few holidays exploring Belgium- it's a fantastic country, but largely unknown & unspoilt by hordes of holidaymakers. Enjoy!
And if you want to know more, there's a great book by Tim Webb- look for him on amazon.
I'm feeling quite jealous, far too long since I've been...
Enjoy!
Alex.
--
Dr Alex Mears
MG BGT 1971
Volvo 940S estate 1993
Maxda MX5 1.8iS 1997
Yamaha RD350 YPVS 1992
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You could have saved us all a lot of trouble by posting earlier apm. ... :o)
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I agree about Bruges, and would add that anyone interested in modern architecture and decor will find a lot of excellent art-deco and art-nouveau in Brussels.
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I reckon Chimay's gone off a bit recently since they started using malt extract instead of malt.
The beer proferij I attended the other week made that point-although after sampling 5 or 6 beers I was damned if I could tell if the the blonde from the bottle was inferior or not. However I'm still drinking Grand Cru I laid down a few years ago and that tastes great. You've inspired me though, I'm going to nip out now and have a quick half of Chimay in my local. I'll post back here with my findings!
Agreed the Westvleteren is great, the problem is getting hold of it.
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Greetings from Brussells, On my third Tripple Grimberger!
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< Ex RF, Ex TVM >
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mmmm Grimberger. I thought you were quiet tonight !
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Cheers AE. I imagine you're on your eighth by now.
That's enough probably.
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To go back to the original question:
Something to be aware of is that the use of cruise control is illegal on Belgian autoroutes.
Sorry if too late for your trip...
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