Let down

• 

  Ian said,

  Seriously – don’t be put off by your PA’s denunciation of Belgium – Brussels is a super place, and even the lack of Starbucks shouldn’t put you off (although under no circumstances order a “Belgian Cappucino” – you won’t like it).

  Instead, enjoy the idiosyncracies of Belgian life, observe the most mental traffic in Europe, eat some of the best food imaginable, shop on Avenue Louise, discover fantastic little bars and restaurants around Rue Antoine Dansaert, and stay in some of the most engaging boutique hotels I’ve ever found.

  Brussels too takes the edge off French barbarity by the Flemish influences, if you can call Dutch influences civilizing…

• 

  Kitschen Pink said,

  I went to Starbucks for the first time a couple of weeks ago only because I was meeting a friend with teenagers and so they were content to meet us there- I paid for my coffee and stood waiting ages only to eventually be told I should be waiting in a different place – when I asked the person standing next to my nearly cold coffee why it had no chocolate sprinkles (why else drink coffee?!) I was sullenly pointed to yet another hidden area where I should do this myself…..?
  In my local tea shop the nice young man comes to our table (which has pretty cloth and flowers), takes our order and brings it to us with civility and a smile. He passes the time of day and always gives the beautiful boy extra home-made cake with his glass of milk.
  Don’t think I’ll be returning to Starbucks. It must be a city thing! x

• 

  Gill said,

  I am not a fan of Starbucks either, very overpriced for what it is.

  Also what pleases one, doesn’t always please another, and from ho you have described her, I would have thought a weekend on the Costa Del Sol would have been more her cup of tea/coffee!!!

  You can’t win can you?

  Gill

• 

  zed said,

  Read ‘Speaking as a Parent’s’ write up of his recent visit to Belgium. Cheap, mad, fantastic food, lovely people, fantastic pubs and if you like chocolate then …. well.

  I have no idea how we are staying clear of the Starbucks régime – but we are. Even the Frogs gave in – but not us. Oh no.

• 

  Jaywalker said,

  Darling it’s worse than that. Ask for a cappucino and they put whipped cream on the top and laugh at your discomfiture. Other horrors: noone sells Louboutins, no Itsu, nowhere to buy Benetint and noone, but noone, will chop my fruit and vegetables into convenient bite sized chunks and place it in planet-flaying plastic packaging for me. I have had to – gasp – learn how to make bagels too.

  And yet, here I am. After all, we do have DvF and MAC now.

• 

  valley girl said,

  DM, I am surprised that you would have ever suggested such a destination – given the lack of Waitrose, Ocado etc. And all that flavoured beer rather than a nice glass of Chablis! x

• 

  Pig in the Kitchen said,

  Ahh Belgium. Chips, mayonnaise, men with thick necks, mussels and cherry beer.

  What’s not to like?
  Pigx

• 

  Expat Mum said,

  That would be a plus in my books. And given the way their share price is heading, we might all have to get used to a few more Starbucks on the planet. I think they have closed about 500 here in the States.

• 

  Effie McB said,

  Having trouble posting, but here goes:

  Starbucks are awful, but convenient
  Belgium is lovely, if you choose wisely.
  Your PA has not hitherto sounded as if she would know her arse from her elbow, so don’t concern yourself with her opinion. Rise above the hoi polloi, dear heart.

• 

  menopausaloldbag (MOB) said,

  Perhaps you should have suggested a weekend away in Beirut. I hear it’s wonderful at this time of the year what with the warring factions there heading off to Belgium for their summer holidays. The landscape lends itself very well to taking part in a live version of an outward bound course and all that live ammo really gets the adrenalin going.

  She’d have come back a few pounds lighter after dodging bullets and rocket launcher activity but full of joi de vive. Don’t think they have a Starbucks there though….

• 

  dulwichmum said,

  Oh Ian darling,

  Are you sure? Are you really sure sweetie???

  Sweet Kitschen Pink,

  The next time you are in town – do pop me a line, and I will take you for blueberry cheesecake and a latter (yum)!

  Lovely Gill,

  You are so right, you cannot please everyone (sigh) and Samantha would have been happy with a weekend at Alton Towers…

  Kind Zoe,

  So perfectly kind of you to drop by, let me pop some Baileys in your coffee.

  Lovely Jaywalker,

  Thankyou so much for your kind warning. You seem to know me so very well indeed and so I will trust yo completely (sniff).

  Divine Valley Girl,

  What was I thinking? Let me offer you a glass of something nice?

  Sweet Piggy,

  OHMYGOD – I adore men with thick necks – how could anyone resist Ray Winstone (swoon)?

  Darling Expatmum,

  OHMYGOD! What a loss… I simply adore Starbucks and there is one super Barista called Liz at The Sainsbury’s in Dog Kennel Hill – she is like a distant family member to me!

  Oh EffieMcB darling,

  I now that you have my best interests at heart, do I need to be protected from myself (gasp)?

  Menopausaloldbag sweetie,

  You are a scream! Can I offer you an olive?

• 

  Potty Mummy said,

  I’m with Pig on this one. And not is the shopping divine (not so many chains, lots of lovely unique boutiques), but the food is FANTASTIC!

  Plus, their Dutch (sorry, sorry, I meant FLEMISH) is easier to understand than that in the Netherlands…

• 

  dulwichmum said,

  Hi there perfect Potty Mummy,

  So the food is good and so is the shopping – I suppose that they could have Champagne bars if a girl needed to wet her lips…

• 

  Jaywalker said,

  The best thing of all DM [whisper it] is the marvellously reasonable cosmetic surgery. Mummy tuck for the price of a pair of new season Marni boots! Bargain!

• 

  dulwichmum said,

  OHMYGOD! Darling, do post me a link!

• 

  Hadriana said,

  Dear Dulwichmum,
  Thank you for dropping by my site to say hello. Yes..we have lots of friends in common and I do adore Super Rilly/Strife in the North. I miss her terribly. I will start begging her to come back soon! Maybe I could buy her some Belgian Chocs, Belgian beer (13% proof) and invite her to a freebie weekend at Hotel Amigo in Brussels which is divine, divine, divine, darling! (www.hotelamigo.com) What’s not to like?
  Best wishes, Hadriana x
  (PS..your name is due to come up in my next blog which I promise to write up very soon!)

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