Things I will miss about Belgium

I've been thinking about the impending move to the UK at the end of next month and what I will miss here. I thought it might be good to write them down because the list of things also involves a few minor curiosities that I'm likely to forget in the future :)

1) Attitude: I'm really going to miss the easy-going Belgian attitude. Bureaucracy may be a total pain in the arse here but once you get to the real people involved they're friendly and happy to try to communicate as much as possible. If you can get someone directly involved to help you at, for example, the bank, there are ways through the bureaucracy. Train guards who will hold the train for you as you heft 2 suitcases down the platform. :) Also I've met lots of friendly Belgians while I've been here. Many people will stop and say "Bonjour" on the street to you, which is rather nice!

2) Non-litigiousness: This ain't no nanny state here - the roads and paths are in disrepair, the branches don't get trimmed, there are no CCTVs in most places, the childrens playground is full of stuff you can fall off, there are no fences or barriers along the rivers, it's great. In the UK I am constantly under the impression that if I'm not under surveillance there are five signs for every possible thing that might happen to me if I step outside my front door. Also, you can buy raw milk here, along with a whole metric truckload of potentially scary foods like lambic beers and stinky raw milk alcohol-washed cheeses. Yay for personal responsibility!

3) Food: Belgians know how to do some of this so amazingly well and some of it so amazingly poorly. Frites, moules, chocolate, waffles, sweets, Belgian meaty dishes (simple but soooooo tasty), mitraillette, cheeses, local vegies, quiche. Why they haven't discovered fish'n'chips is beyond me, since I am positive they would do it perfectly, given their frites. Stuff they don't do so well: Asian food. It's a travesty :( Thankfully I can make my own ;)

4) Markets: So much amazing local produce is available at the markets here in Namur. I'm really going to miss them. Especially the Amazing Chocolate Lady and my bakers.

5) Being 2 mins from my office: Going to miss popping home for a cheap and healthy lunch and a bit of relaxing time!

6) The Citadelle: Best non-touristy tourist attraction, I love it. I love how Namur is not a touristy town at all. I can't even think of where I might buy anything with "I <3 Namur" on it or similar!

7) The pedestrian shopping centre: This place has so many tiny little specialty shops. It's really refreshing after the Westfields of home! Also, on Sundays it's a local custom to wander around and window-shop, since most of the shops are closed. This is rather endearing :)

8) French: This has been a great opportunity for me. I think I've made a lot of progress: now I can understand most non-legal French and speak it in basic conversations pretty well. A year ago I had noooo idea about anything French! I think I might continue to get some classes in the UK if possible to consolidate it a bit since my grammar is particularly shocking.

I'm not going to make a list of things I won't miss: although there are some, I'd prefer to concentrate on the positive aspects of the time I've lived in a city in Belgium, which has on the whole been pretty good. :D And now I am rather looking forward to exploring and adopting a new city!