Belgium Archives - Dr. Nicole Basaraba

By - Nicole Basaraba
Posted on October 20, 2014October 19, 2014
Posted in Belgium, Culture

5 ways Belgium changed me permanently

Talking to my close girlfriends about dating I realized that I have put Edmonton men at a slight disadvantage because I lived in Belgium for over two years. Europe changed me and I’d like to think for the better, but it can make me feel like a bit of a snob. 5 ways Belgium has

By - Nicole Basaraba
Posted on January 4, 2013May 29, 2015
Posted in Belgium, Lifestyle, Living in Brussels, Travel

21 Things I Miss About Brussels, Belgium

Now that I’ve moved back to my home country in Canada, there are several things I miss about living in Brussels. I came up with a list of 21 things. I stopped because I probably could have kept going for a while. The funny thing is that some of the items on this list were

By - Nicole Basaraba
Posted on May 4, 2012March 21, 2013
Posted in Belgium, Living in Brussels, Travel

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 of 19 municipalities and the

By - Nicole Basaraba
Posted on April 6, 2012March 21, 2013
Posted in Belgium, Culture, Living in Brussels, Travel

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 the Western part where I’m

By - Nicole Basaraba
Posted on December 15, 2011March 21, 2013
Posted in Belgium, France, Germany, Travel

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 “Weihnachtsmarkt”. In southern Germany and