Spring is here – Festival of the Iris in Brussels

Two days of free concerts, activities, clowns, magicians, costumed performers, and buzz in Brussels center is happening this weekend. The Festival of the Iris/Iris Day (Fête de l’Iris) is a celebration of the symbol of Brussels. On January 12, 1989 a new law created the Brussels Capital Region on the territory […]

European desire for closeness – Living in Brussels

Living as a Canadian expat in Brussels, there are a lot of cultural and social rules that one needs to learn and adjust too. One social quirk that I just cannot get accustomed to is the Europeans’ desire to be close to other people. In Canada, or at least in […]

History of the Christmas Market in Europe

I did a guest post over at the lovely Marcia Richard’s blog on the History of Christmas in Europe. Here’s just a taste of what I write about: In many towns in Germany and Austria, Advent (coming of Christmas) is usually ushered in with the opening of the Christmas market or […]