The Telegraaf suggests that Dutch tourism to the Ardennes, that forested, hilly region spread across Belgium, Luxembourg, and a bit of France, is on the upswing. This is only logical. Close to the Netherlands, the sparsely populated Ardennes region provides much needed geographical variation (being above sea level), not to mention some fresh air, for visiting lowlanders.
The "beautiful villages of Wallonia" is also the branded name of a rural tourist association in Wallonia. Founded in 1994, it was inspired by a French rural tourist association of the same name. There are 22 villages in the association, and they stretch beyond the Ardennes. One, Mélin, is just a stone's throw from Brussels.
[Image via Andre Wind/Flickr] ]]>
[The Dutch] excel at drinking, and, as with texting, they are better at it than me. My first meal in the country, which was hosted by Oscar, began with mixed drinks and beers all around, continued through four bottles of Sancerre (for four of us), then tapered off into four more rounds of beers and mixed drinks. The Dutch do not like to leave their mouths unoccupied.
The Dutch wake up without hangovers. Hung-over on my first morning there, I had a long conversation with Susan Smit, a tall, blond former fashion model who is now a reporter for AvantGarde magazine. She asked me about memoir and about James Frey. When our conversation was over, she asked me about my plans for the evening.
"No plans," I said.
"Well, then," she stated with Dutch matter-of-factness, "you can come out dancing with me and my friends. I will text-message you at midnight."