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A Tall Man in a Low Land


I am just on page 20 but this appears to be the travel book I've been looking for on Belgium. I have always been a big fan of travel writing (as opposed to travel guides) like "A Year in Provence" and "Almost French" but it was hard to find one on Belgium. There is another Belgium travel book called the Great Sorrow of Belgium or something like that but it is about war. Tall Man is about a couple traveling through Belgium for fun.

Here is an excerpt in which the hotelier (M. Bonfond) at Botte de Hainaut (in Wallonia) suggests a place to eat lunch:

"I would like to make the following proposal for your consideration: we have this place" - he indicated to a point on the map he had begun unfolding and then refolding into a neat and relevant square a few minutes before - "a restaurant of great charm and good quality, yet with reasonable prices. The walk to this restaurant is through woodlands and small valleys of simple attractiveness and" - he held up a finger to prepare us for the joyful coincidence he was about to lay before us - "the steam train stops only 100M from the restaurants doors!"
There was a pause while we absorbed the import of this information. In case we had missed it, M.Bonfond proceeded to explain the significance further. "You may," he said, "if it pleases you, take the steam train to the restaurant, have lunch and walk back. Or you may walk there, have lunch, and catch the steam train back. Or, possibly, if the weather is fair, walk there, have lunch, and walk back." He smiled at us beneficently. "It is entirely your choice," he said. We thanked him. "And of course," he added "when you come back from your walking you will always find the log fire lit. For myself it is the thing to which I most look forward to. To walk here in the forests and return to a room which is..." he dropped into his little squirrel position and itsy-bitsy voice again - "... all cosy."

Comments

Mimi said…
Always good to know what the pooks is reading.