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Must Do

A must-see while in Liège: "La Batte"

Marina Lynch

13 Feb 2009

Belgium

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If you ever find yourself in or near Liège, Belgium on a Sunday, "La Batte," an outdoor market that stretches along side the Meuse River, will keep you entertained for hours. Open from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., one can buy clothing, jewelry, shoes, lingerie, toys, candies, fresh fruits and vegetables, cheese, meat, fish, bread, ethnic foods, flowers, live animals, and more while getting a bit of exercise ("La Batte" is almost two miles long!). The sausage and onion sandwiches are delicious, but watch out for the seagulls! After living a block away from "La Batte" for five months, I still see something new each time I visit. Unlike Brussels and Bruges, not many people speak English in Liège, so a basic knowledge of French is advised.

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Being an American

One kiss for Belgians, two kisses for the French

Marina Lynch

25 Jun 2009

Belgium

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When greeting a Belgian, one kiss on the cheek is used for family, friends, classmates, coworkers, and people you're being introduced to or already know. Being an American, the concept of kissing all my Belgian high school classmates hello each day was a daunting task of going down a line of 20 saying, "Salut !"... "Ça va ?" and quickly running out of different greetings. To make matters more complicated, I live with two French college students: they and all their French friends kiss both cheeks. I got used to one kiss at school and two kisses when people came to the apartment. But my manner was not fool-proof; once I gave two kisses to a Belgian visiting and they said, stunned, "Oh, you're French? I thought you were the American roommate!

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