Europe - 6

Things are going well, albeit slower than I would have hoped. Starting a business in Belgium is a lot more tedious than in other countries, but then again they have a much lower rate of failure for small businesses here.

I didn't manage to post a “benespection” at all last year, and to be honest I've been keeping my head down and getting things done so I haven't spotted much worth taking a photo of, let alone actually taken the photo.

Aside from the big news, obviously A and I have spent the long weekend in London, an annual event quickly becoming a bit of a tradition.

As with every trip to London, there's a little bit of tourism, a lot of shopping, a lot of slobbing about, and a lot of walking.

A and I have been together for so many years now, the early years are starting to get all blurry. A while ago I had decided it was probably about time to formalise the arrangement with an engagement, as it would mean quite a lot to her. It's been on my mind for quite some time, but the day had to be special. It had to be a surprise. It also had to be relatively low-key, as we're both all about keeping it relaxed and simple.

I've been seeking thoughts casually from friends as to whether or not it was really necessary — do a ring and a legal document really change anything? Or, as John puts it, “does the government really have to be involved?” Eventually I came to the conclusion that it would mean a lot to A, and the family on both sides, and ultimately it would mean quite a bit to me too. It’s a statement of commitment.

So, I suppose you want the juicy details…

A surprised me this (long) weekend with a trip to Barcelona for my birthday. I'd been before very briefly on a road-trip back in 2006 with Scott and loved the relaxed and friendly atmosphere of the city considering the size.

As per usual, no real plan existed for the weekend, so we relied on random wandering and the occasional geocache to navigate to interesting spots, so there's not a considerable amount to say really, and I haven't sorted through the photos yet. I tend to avoid playing the tourist and try to live like a local on holiday, so city trips tend to be more about shopping, eating, and exploring the life within the city, rather than queuing to see monuments.

Another year, another free box of chocolates from the suppliers at work. This year I managed to fly my parents over from down under for Christmas in the snow (albeit unintentionally). Could there be any more snow and ice?

Now that they're here, I intend to prove my theory that there's a Belgian Beer for everyone, and my ultimate goal is to get my Mum (who doesn't drink alcohol aside from the rare glass of wine) to admit that's the case.

I wish you all the best for 2011!

Following a successful long weekend last year, we returned to London again for another long weekend of shopping, vegetating, and a little bit of sight-seeing.

Here is a tiny selection of photos from what we got up to. I'm glad I took my DSLR.

The Atomium, once a temporary structure left over from the Expo 58 World's Fair and now a Belgian landmark. Standing at ≅100-metres tall, its height is as imposing as its shininess, especially following the recent renovation.

Today I jumped off the thing.

After a bit of time off work recently (a long weekend to recover from financial year close), I couldn't help myself and caved in and bought a TV. For years I've been saving my money and not really buying anything, but with this whole “global recession” thing not really shifting, it's time to push some money back into the economy. Things are pretty cheap for the time being, too. Well, and the move into a bigger apartment may have had something to do with it.

I like my movies, and we're sitting several metres away from the screen, so after lots of debating I opted for a Samsung UE55C6700 (55" LED “smart-TV” with no 3D junk) which arrived this time last week which will go nicely with the Pioneer VSX-920-K we picked up for dirt-cheap last week. I'm heading back over there to watch some movies on it now, but in the meantime you can enjoy a brief bit of benespection.

A and I decided to move in together a little over a month ago, and having found a place we have spent most of this month moving in. After a bit of convincing, A agreed to an apartment in the area of the Marolles (where I was living), and we found a huge ≅150m² loft-style apartment right on the edge of the district, purely by accident.

Moving only a few blocks from my old apartment seems a bit odd, but I think I might miss my old ≅75m² place overlooking Place Rouppe… a bit…

I've added a few photos here of my side of the move, as I haven't really got much to say at this point.

Christmas is very fast approaching, and Brussels is becoming decidedly cold again. It's that time of the year when most people in the office are mentally on holidays, whilst still being physically present, so trying to get things done tends to grind along at snail's pace.

If you think you're cold, we've recently had the windows replaced at the office. Late-Autumn/Early-Winter is clearly not the first choice when deciding on when to replace office windows, and I can tell you: it's pretty cold for those who just sit at their desk most of the day. Brrrr!

It's coming up to six years of living in Belgium, the perfect launch-pad for travel around Western Europe due to the number of European institutions based here, and yet despite promising myself to travel while I'm here I haven't really done much.

One of those glaringly obvious places to go is London, being just under an hour's flight away (and with the time-zone difference you land a few minutes before you take off), or just over two-hours on the Eurostar high-speed train. What excuse could I have for not going yet?

This long weekend I've finally managed to go (following a lot of encouragement from A), so here are a few photos and stories of the visit.

Things have been pretty busy, and despite these benespection posts taking a little time to prepare it's easier than summoning the effort to start ranting about things. Here are a handful of things “benespected” (am I taking that too far now?) over the last few months.

Work has been hell since returning from holidays, and it looks like it's only going to get worse. I hope you enjoyed the tiny selection of photos taken while there enjoying the sun and the relaxation.

I have hundreds of photos to sift through now, but I think I presented the most interesting photo of each day.

I don't have much to post lately. Sorry folks.

For the last two years, I have dedicated the arbitrary date of December 13^th to recording a snapshot of my life. In what is quickly becoming an annual tradition after last year's repeat of much the same, I present to you this year's effort.

To set the scene, you need to know that it's been unusually cold across Western Europe lately. Today was certainly no exception, and as the previous night was spent avoiding my company's Christmas Party in favour of another company's, you can understand that things were a little difficult…

As with the last two years, all photos here have been taken hastily with my Nokia E70 and have not been modified.

Tonight we visited Walibi for Halloween. For a change, “we” not only means friends, but sadly half of my office came along tonight as a gift from one of our vendors.

I'm sorry Walibi: You had me, but you lost me.