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expat
time
Essential lifestyle and business insights
for foreign nationals in Belgium
INTERVIEW
“This could
be a very
contentious
period in
Brussels”
PETER SPIEGEL
Financial Times
Brussels bureau chief
IN THIS ISSUE
Renovating your home
Sparkling wine in
surprising locations
Belgian design in
our daily lives
Autumn 2014 • n°7
DANCING
WITH WOLVES
A NEW LOOK ON MANAGING
INTERCULTURAL CONFLICT
REWARD YOURSELF ...
YOU DESERVE IT!
Harvest
time
DISCOVER HOW YOU CAN GET THE MOST OUT OF
DEVELOPING A REWARD STRATEGY FOR YOUR
BUSINESS AT THE VLERICK EXPAT EVENT:
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WWW.VLERICK.COM/EXPATEVENT
22 NOVEMBER 2013, VLERICK CAMPUS BRUSSELS
ith autumn nights drawing in, comfort
at home becomes even more important.
In this issue of Expat Time we focus on
the challenge of renovating that charming old house or apartment. Read about
the experiences of our expats and learn what experts have to
say about the process. We also provide pointers to help guide
you on the path to a successful re-build, and columnist Derek
Blyth chips in with his own take on building and renovation in
Belgium.
This time of year is the busiest for winemakers. We visit some
of the burgeoning vineyards in southeast England, a corner
of Flanders and Wallonia, and Luxembourg’s Moselle valley.
White and sparkling wines are a particular speciality for all
these wineries. If you fancy tasting the wines of Sussex, our
regular neighbourhood guide zooms in on some interesting
places to visit while you’re there.
In our cover interview, Peter Spiegel, the Financial Times’
Brussels bureau chief, discusses the volatility of international
relations and the challenges facing the new European Parliament.
JOIN THE VLERICK
EXPAT EVENT!
19 NOVEMBER 2014
VLERICK CAMPUS BRUSSELS
FOR ALL PROGRAMME INFO & REGISTRATION:
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Also in the spotlight this edition is the best of Belgian design
in the exhibition The Power of Object(s) at ING’s cultural
space. It’s part of Design September, a wide-ranging event
held each autumn all over Brussels. With the cultural season
well under way, there’s a huge choice of art exhibitions and
other events to tempt you out of your home.
Dave Deruytter
Head of expatriates and non-residents
ING Belgium
[email protected]
ing.be/expat
ING Expat is also on Facebook:
facebook.com/ingexpats
expat time • autumn • 2014 •
3
IN THIS ISSUE
8
INTERVIEW
Peter Spiegel
reports from
the EU frontline
The American Financial Times
journalist on the challenges facing
Europe
GET CONNECTED
6 Meet four expats living in
LIFESTYLE
26
Belgium
Award-winning sparkling
wines close to home
INTERVIEW
NEIGHBOURHOOD
8 Peter Spiegel reveals
the inside story as a foreign
correspondent in Brussels
30
Eat, drink and explore the
wine region of Sussex
COMMENT
BUSINESS
14 How to fine-tune
your networking skills
32
Emma Beddington looks
back at the news and Derek
Blyth muses on life in Belgium
AGENDA
16
PROPERTY
18
Our pick of upcoming
culture in Brussels
PROPERTY
18 Getting the builders in:
three expats talk about their
experiences
Home
renovation
AGENDA
SPOTLIGHT
24 Cultural highlights around 34 Belgian design exhibition
Belgium and beyond
The pros and the pitfalls of
creating your dream home
in Brussels
Photo credits
P5, 31
P8-13
P15
P16
ge t in touch
P17
LIFESTYLE
26
P18
P24
Nedda El-Asmar
Bart Dewaele
© Corbis
Peter Paul Rubens, Pan and Syrinx, 1617
oil on panel, Staatliche Museen Kassel,
photo Ute Brunzel
Accessible Art Fair, The Wings Light,
Gauthier Poulain; The Notebook, Tim
Etchells; Ars Musica © Anne Baraquin/
Sofam; Echolalia © Ana Torfs
© Ikon Images/Corbis
Image courtesy of the artist
P25
P30
P31
P32
Betrayal, Nevel, installation Lawrence
Malstaf © Dirk Pauwels
© VisitBritain/Rod Edwards/Tourism
South East
Monk’s House © National Trust Images/
Caroline Arber; Bateman’s © National
Trust Images/Andreas von Einsiedel;
High Street © Visit Britain
Juan Carlos © Eloy Alonso/Reuters/Corbis; World Cup © Shinji Akagi/Far East
Press/AFLO/Nippon News/Corbis; World
War One © Yves Herman/Reuters/Corbis
Bottling
the bubbly
Vineyards in southern England,
Belgium and Luxembourg are
enjoying sparkling success
Editor • Sarah Crew
Deputy editor • Sally Tipper
Art director • Tine Van Beurden and Nadruk
Project coordinator • Thomas Buytaert
Contributors • Emma Beddington • Derek
Blyth • Jon Eldridge • Deborah Forsyth
• Katrien Lindemans • Georgio Valentino
Cover • Peter Spiegel, by Bart Dewaele
Sales executive • Helena Vreedenburgh
Account executive • Evelyne Fregonese
Expat Time is a publication from
ING BELGIUM SA/NV, Marnixlaan 24,
1000 Brussel, RPR Brussel
VAT BE 403.200.393 and
Ackroyd Publications SA/NV
Editorial • Content Connections
(department of Ackroyd NV) and
ING BELGIUM SA/NV
Publisher • Hans De Loore, Gossetlaan 30
1702 Groot-Bijgaarden
expat time • autumn • 2014 •
5
Profiles •
Get connected
Achin Batra
Four expats tell us about how they came to Belgium
Chris Trapman
“We appreciate the quality
of life here in the broadest
sense”
Chris comes from Sussex in
England. With his French wife,
Caty, he has lived in Central
America, Africa and the US.
They both have dual British/
French nationality, and they
have two daughters, who live
in Switzerland and England
“I’m the manager of Belgium’s national rugby sevens team, which includes
responsibility for helping the team achieve excellence at the highest level
of this most recent of Olympic sports. Belgium is now competing for
the first year in European rugby’s Grand Prix Series, and I accompany the
team on matches abroad. My wife, Caty, and I moved to Belgium in 2001,
following Belgian friends we’d met in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Our daughter was also studying in Louvain-la-Neuve at the time. After
five years in Dinant, we now live in Jambes. We appreciate the quality
of life here in the broadest sense: the friendliness of the Belgian
people, and the national characteristics of looking for a solution
to every sort of problem and modesty in spite of international
excellence in many domains. The ease of travelling within the
country and to the rest of Europe is definitely a benefit. On
the downside, the weather is not great (although no worse
than the UK), there are high levels of personal income tax
and the national political framework is complex.”
“Belgium’s location is
useful for access to other
European countries”
“As a senior SAP consultant, my work involves guiding customers to achieve an
efficient solution for management and operational reporting environments. My
work in performance management also involves providing expertise in designing
the company’s Enterprise Data Warehouse for different customers. I have lived in
Belgium for 14 years and came, as many people do, for professional reasons. My
wife is self-employed and works in the catering industry. We enjoy the good quality
of life in Belgium and the great benefits for kids, in both education and medicine. Its strategic location is useful for access
to other European countries. The less positive elements
are the high and complex tax regime, the division
between Flemish and francophone communities,
bad customer service especially in Brussels, lack of
power to exercise citizen’s rights and the unstable
weather.”
Lorna Payne
“I find people very open
and friendly, but it would
be difficult if I didn’t
speak French”
Marcia Kammitsi
“I’ve always been drawn
to this city due to its
international vibe”
“I came to Brussels because of work, first in 2004 for two years, and then I returned in
January 2013. I’m a programme manager at the European Commission, working on structural
funds specifically for the European Social Fund. However, I’ve always been drawn to this city due
to its international vibe and its people, its good quality of life and its proximity to a great number
of places to visit. I live in the centre of Brussels and this is a very lively area, with great pubs, cafes,
shops, ethnic restaurants and music venues. It’s near a cinema and a bike path along the canal,
and it hosts some very interesting eclectic art events. You can find everything from a designer
shop to second-hand stores to furniture shops. It’s an area where you really feel the neighbourhood atmosphere and you actually do know your neighbours! What I like about Belgium is its
location, healthcare and food. I don’t like the weather (of course) and at times the bureaucracy,
even though eventually one gets used to all this paperwork.”
6
• expat time • autumn • 2014
Achin and his wife are
both of Indian origin and
live with their 18-monthold son in Everberg, near
Kortenberg, in Flemish
Brabant
Marcia is from
Cyprus and lives in
the Sainte-Catherine
area of Brussels
Lorna is from Cardiff in
South Wales. She and her
Belgian husband live in the
village of Lives-sur-Meuse,
near Namur
“I work as a business development director for REALCO, a Belgian SME
in Louvain-La-Neuve specialising in enzymatic detergents for decontamination and biofilm removal. I’m responsible for the development
and commercialisation of a new product range in the medical sector.
I’ve been in Belgium on and off for the past 16 years. In between, I’ve
lived in South Africa and Italy. I first came to Brussels on a work assignment, but I now live in a rural village just outside Namur, the capital of
Wallonia. Namur is not as cosmopolitan as Brussels and speaking French
is compulsory, but the town and surrounding area is picturesque and
there are plenty of great restaurants. My husband is francophone and
we have two African grey parrots who are bilingual French and English!
I find people very open and friendly, but it would be difficult if I didn’t
speak French. The cost of housing is definitely lower than in the UK and
there is more potential to build your own house (which is what we did).
But everyday living expenses are high, coupled with high taxes, and the
service, generally, is not great.”
expat time • autumn • 2014 •
7
Hold the
front page
The Financial Times’
Peter Spiegel on the EU,
Ukraine and news in
an online era
By Sarah Crew
Photos by Bart Dewaele
“The US has
been much more
hard-line on
Russia than the
Europeans”
A
ward-winning foreign
correspondent Peter
Spiegel is the Financial
Times’ Brussels bureau
chief, filing in-depth
analysis of EU affairs. The American
journalist’s extensive CV includes stints
at the Wall Street Journal and Los Angeles Times, and he has reported from war
zones in Iraq and Afghanistan. For the
past four years, Spiegel, his wife and
two young children have been based in
Brussels, enjoying family life, fine food
and Flemish art.
What can we expect from
the new European Parliament and Commission?
I have the feeling we’re not going to
see a huge number of new policies. EU
policy is still largely dictated out of Berlin and there’s not much change there.
The Merkel government is of the view
that a return to growth is through fiscal
consolidation – cutting spending, raising
taxes, bringing down debt. It’s not just
about austerity; it’s about liberalising
the economy, particularly labour laws
8
• expat time • autumn • 2014
expat time • autumn • 2014 •
9

Interview •
in places like France, Italy and Belgium.
Italy is an obvious case as it has one of
the largest economies in the world, yet
foreign direct investment is the lowest
in Europe. So the argument is that Italy
does not really need austerity, it needs
economic liberalisation. Matteo Renzi,
the new prime minister, and François
Hollande of France have struggled
and are trying to change the agenda.
Germany still dominates the conversation and during the height of the crisis
there were rules put in place that can’t
be changed. These force countries into
budget cutting and economic liberalisation policies that are not hugely popular
in France and Italy.
The question is, what does this lead
to? It’s a very different parliament now;
about a third is either anti-Europe or
anti-euro. What happens when more of
the same comes? Do we see a rebellion
within some of the mainstream parties
because the socialist centre-left party
is not on board with what’s happening
to EU policy? The two biggest parties
in the socialist camp are Hollande’s
socialist and Renzi’s democratic party.
What happens if they rebel against the
commission? It could be a very contentious period in Brussels. One of the
big changes is Jean-Claude Juncker as
president of the commission. This is not
a man without a record or a man who
comes into office as a person likely to
change things. It’s something the Financial Times will be following very closely.
What’s the EU’s role in a
global crisis?
I think we were naive to think that after
1989 Europe would finally arrive at a
place that was united and in peace.
The immediate crisis and the one that
that will challenge Europe the most
is Ukraine. For the past 25 years, EU
policymakers had assumed Russia was
a partner; it wanted to join the World
Trade Organisation, it was in Nato’s
Partnership in Peace, it joined European
institutions and seemed to want to play
as another European power. What we
are seeing now is that Russia no longer
believes that. And Europe is struggling
to respond. One official I talked to
said, “We saw people in the streets of
Kiev waving the EU flag. How can we
now allow Russia to carve up Ukraine
because of the pro-European decision
they made?” We have elements within
the EU that strongly believe this. It probably means arming the Ukrainians, the
deployment of troops in the Baltics and
Poland; we are talking Cold War-era
policies.
10
• expat time • autumn • 2014
“It’s surprising
how quickly
the Europeans
have moved on
Ukraine”
But not everyone is on board. We have
a lot of reluctance among the Germans.
Given their history with the Russians,
they don’t want to be particularly
antagonistic, so I think Europeans are
really going to struggle on this one. As
for the institutions being well-situated
to deal with this, I remain sceptical. Of
all the European competencies, foreign
policy is the hardest to coordinate. It
goes to the core of what sovereignty is
about: protecting your own people.
This is very difficult, especially among
the three big players, Britain, Germany
and France. They all have very diverging
interests and views on how to approach
Russia. But it’s been surprising to see
how quickly the Europeans have been
able to move on Ukraine; the sanctions
they have imposed on Russia are very
serious. It took them a long time to get
there, but this shows the importance
of Germany. When Merkel decided
Vladimir Putin had lied to her, she
decided it was time for sanctions. So
whether this is the institutions acting,
or Germany as the leader of Europe acting, Europe has moved on Ukraine.
There are other issues that are obviously going to affect us over the next
few years. Instability in North Africa is
not just about migration – in countries
like Italy you are having boats arrive on
the doorstep from Libya – but this is a
region where there is a generational
ING’s Dave
Deruytter talking
to Peter Spiegel
“For my
generation of
correspondents,
China is the
story”
challenge. We have a situation in North
Africa where either democracy or extremism are going to take control, and
if the militants take control this is going
to lead to instability on our southern
border. I don’t think Europe has really
engaged with that; the US has also
failed to engage. Egypt is the most important country in North Africa; it had
a proper revolution where a democratic
government was elected and put in
place, and what happened? We ignored
it and the military stepped in, and now
we have a military dictatorship. How did
we let that happen?
More concerning in the short term are
Iraq, Syria and the Middle East, because
of the potential threat here. Belgium
has, per capita, the most citizens fighting in Syria. We saw what happened at
the Jewish Museum in Brussels and this
is an example of a foreign fighter going
to Syria, becoming radicalised and coming home and committing heinous acts
on our own territory. The British are
very concerned, as are the French. This
is going to be an issue that really hits
home politically. We are all countries
now that have a very large Muslim
population. While the vast majority are
here for economic opportunity and
want to become integrated in society,
there is a minority who are becoming
radicalised and have travelled to fight
in Iraq and Syria with the most extreme
elements, and Europe doesn’t really
have a response for that yet.
How do you view the relationship between the EU
and the US?
President Obama came in with a lot of
expectations, partly because of the fallout over the Iraq war during the Bush
administration. There has been a lot of
disappointment that he hasn’t lived up
to the expectation and it’s frankly got
worse because of two or three issues.
One is the spying scandal, when the US
was found to be listening in to Merkel’s
phone calls and hoovering up massive
amounts of data on Europeans’ phone
calls and internet traffic. This was unexpected from an ally.
The US has been much more hard-line
on Russia than the Europeans. There is
a lot of grumbling that it’s all well and
good for the Americans as they’re not
reliant on Russia for their energy or exports. The European economy has just
been through the most brutal economic
recession since the Great Depression,
and the feeling is that the Americans
don’t get that.
The third issue is the big EU-US trade
deal that everyone had hoped would be
completed by the end of the year. It’s
proven far more difficult than expected,
and there’s a lot of bad blood right
now, which isn’t helping things. There
expat time • autumn • 2014 •
11

Interview •
“Belgians are
among the most
welcoming
people
we’ve ever
experienced”
has been a lot of hand-wringing since
1989 about the transatlantic relationship. Should Americans go home and
stop playing with the Europeans?
How is the Financial Times
responding to the online
era?
The big innovation was a metered
approach to our website. If you go
online, you get 20 stories for free
but if you want more, you pay; if you
want to get the entire website, you
pay quite a bit. At first people thought
this model wouldn’t work, because
online content was either free or
paid-for, but it has been very successful. We were the first, and the New
York Times and other papers now do
this too. As we’re a financial paper,
people have to read us, particularly
the markets, banks and people who
participate in the economy, as there
are only a couple of trustworthy news
organisations. For the past 18 months
we’ve had more subscribers online,
600,000, than we do in print. While
we still get most of our money from
the print side, at some point we’re
going to make more money online.
Video has been very popular with
12
• expat time • autumn • 2014
advertisers and we have an entire TV
studio in the London office. We like
to argue that our brand is a trusted
source at a time when people are
bombarded by 80 million different
sources of news.
words, and it’s still one of the mostread items on our website in 2014.
We want to focus on the high-end,
value-added information that you’re
not going to get elsewhere because of
the access we get as the FT.
The FT has taken a two-tier approach
to news coverage. There is news that’s
free on the internet and widely available, and for that we have the Fast FT
team, which throws together three or
four paragraphs that are free on the
web and stay there for a few hours,
but you’re not going to see this in
the newspaper. This frees up foreign
correspondents like myself to do the
stuff you’re not going to get elsewhere. Some of it is scoops, some of it
news that we learn before anyone else
does, and a lot of it is the in-depth
reporting that you’re just not going
to get elsewhere. I did a series before
the EU elections in May called ‘How
the euro was saved’. The FT gave me
six months and a relatively unlimited
travel budget to go to Washington,
Berlin, Paris, Rome and Athens to talk
to dozens of current and former prime
ministers, finance ministers and central bankers who participated in the
eurozone crisis. We ran it at 12,000
What do you do in your
free time?
I’m a huge sports fan and my great love
is baseball, which is a bit hard to follow
here, but I now get every game on my
iPad, which I attach to a big screen.
I believe that becoming a part of the
sports scene is a great way to learn
about the country you’re in. When I
moved to Britain more than 10 years
ago, I became a big football fan and
Arsenal supporter. That’s where you
see the English in their environment. I
even started going to cricket matches,
because it’s not so different to baseball.
So here in Belgium it’s been football,
and it’s been nice to be here when the
Red Devils have done so well.
I don’t think you’re an expat if you
don’t like travelling. Our favourite
destination, for sentimental reasons,
is Italy. We had our honeymoon in
Tuscany, our fifth anniversary on the
Amalfi coast, our 10th anniversary
in the Italian lakes. We’ve travelled
around the world, but one reason we
like travelling in Europe is that we’re
both art aficionados, having studied art
history. In Belgium we like the Flemish primitives in particular; there is an
argument that the Renaissance came
to Flanders before Italy. We like to find
new art museums, and see pieces we
haven’t seen before.
What advice would you
offer to expats arriving in
Belgium?
The most important thing about living
abroad is finding a partner who likes
challenges. I am blessed by having a
wife who is very tolerant. My French is
still very weak and my interaction with
the Belgian authorities is limited. It’s my
wife who’s the French-speaker and she’s
the one who has to deal with Belgian
bureaucracy. Foreign correspondents are
a self-selecting group of people who are
adventurous and want to learn about
the world; you have to be outgoing to
want to become part of the country
you’re living in. I think people who
are unsuccessful in moving to foreign
countries are those who try to associate
only with people like themselves. You’re
not benefitting from the country you’re
in, and you’ll suffer because you’re not
going to figure out how the country
really functions.
I must say Belgians are among the most
welcoming people we’ve ever experienced. Belgium gets a bad rap, but
we really enjoy it here. It’s a multilingual country which is very tolerant of
foreigners. We sent our kids to Belgian
schools and most of the parents are
Belgians, but they’re Belgians married
to Germans or Italians, so everyone has
a relative or a spouse who’s from somewhere else, so we don’t feel that exotic,
even as Americans. The best decision
we ever made was putting our son into
a Belgian school. He was three when
we got here and he picked up French
within six months and is now fluent.
He’s really thrived in the Belgian system.
Brussels is a great place for families.
We’re in our mid-40s with young
children, and it may not be the most
exciting city in the world, but we’re not
the most exciting people. It’s perfect for
where we are in our life right now. Kids
are always welcome in restaurants and
public places; the schools and health-
care are great. It really is a perfect place
to have a family. And the side benefits
are fantastic, such as the food. I always
order waterzooi if it’s on the menu.
But the bureaucracy is just painful, especially for non-EU citizens. Immigration
policies in Europe and my country have
become much tougher. If you come
from here, you know which rules are
really important and which aren’t. As an
expat you don’t know, so you have to
do everything: whatever you do, it’s the
one you don’t think is important that
they’re going to nail you on. The ease of
using services, governmental and nongovernmental, has been frustrating, but
that’s not just an expat thing, that’s true
for all Belgians. The internet economy
has not really arrived in Belgium.
And what about the future
for you?
I would love one more foreign posting.
For my generation of correspondents,
China is the story, from a geopolitical,
economic and social viewpoint. Everything
about China is fascinating, so I would love
to go to Beijing. The problem with two
small children is that it’s the most polluted city in the world, so we’re debating
whether it would be a good move.
expat time • autumn • 2014 •
13
Business •
Log out
and connect
Social media can help with efficient networking,
but nothing beats getting out and meeting people
 By Dave Deruytter
F
acebook, Twitter, LinkedIn
and their like rule the
networking scene today.
Indeed, clever use of social
media can lead to efficiency
gains and extra income in business.
But we shouldn’t ignore the traditional
networking tools of meeting people,
learning about their priorities and helping them, while appropriately positioning your services.
Consider the key principle of networking: it is indeed about giving, about
helping – at least it is if you want to
build a relationship. For a ‘one-shot’
transaction, the hard sell may sometimes do the trick. But the buyer will
eventually discover the ‘deceit’, and
starting a long-term relationship will be
hard if not impossible. Another important aspect is the follow-up. Without it,
14
• expat time • autumn • 2014
nothing will ever happen. You could say
life is like a vending machine: you only
get something out if you put something
in, and the more you put in, the more
you’ll get out.
Most business gurus advise only doing
business with a party you like, trust and
respect. So, if you want to be liked,
trusted and respected – and therefore
gain business – you’d do well to start
conversations by showing an interest
in who the other person is and what
their goals are. You can of course steer
the talk towards your own objectives
later, but if there is no interest, make
sure to stop before you’ve killed the
conversation and the fledgling relationship. Don’t move too quickly: people
like to do business with someone they
really know, and that doesn’t happen
overnight.
So, there you are standing alone at a
networking event, in a big room where
you know nobody. Why not approach a
table where there is another single person, looking just as lost as you are, and
introduce yourself. If the conversation
stalls and seems to be going nowhere,
you can tell them “It was nice talking to
you, but I am trying to meet a few more
people here tonight, so please excuse
me,” and move on to the next table.
After you’ve talked to other people, you
could even go back to the first one, to
get introduced to who they are now
talking to. Or you might have met two
people who you think should meet and
introduce them to each other.
After a few appearances at events held
by the same organisation, you’ll start to
get to know people, and networking
becomes much easier.
“People like
to do business
with someone
they really
know, and that
doesn’t happen
overnight”
Often you can get the list of attendees
from the organiser; armed with that
information, LinkedIn, for example, can
help you find out who those attendees
are and what they do. Sometimes you
will get the list in advance, making your
preparation a lot easier. If not, you can
still suggest linking with someone after
the fact by saying you were at the same
event but unable to introduce yourself.
But nothing is better than an interesting face-to-face contact first. People
will rarely link to a person they have
not met, unless they see a commercial
reason for doing so, and that is typically
not the best way to start a relationship.
This may all be interesting, but where
is the money? It’s important to learn
about the other person, but eventually
you have to say who you are, what your
business is and what type of people
you are looking to meet. Prepare those
few sentences carefully, making them
concise and easy to remember for the
people you meet. If you work for a
large, well-known organisation, don’t
be afraid of remarks from people about
any bad experiences they may have had
with your company. Often you will be
able to help them directly, or you can
ask them to email you with the details
so you can deal with it the following
day. The chances are you will have
turned a detractor into a promoter of
your company, and that can be worth a
few new clients.
All the above should help you improve
your personal branding. So off you
go to join AmCham, BritCham, ABIE,
ABRA, Jump. If you’re already a member, you might create new business
by following these little tricks. Success
takes time to materialise, and going out
there, meeting and talking to people
will enhance your chances greatly. Engage with people and they will respond
by engaging with you. Your personal
brand will rise and shine.
expat time • autumn • 2014 •
15
Agenda •
What’s on
in Brussels
ACCESSIBLE
ART FAIR
The sumptuous halls of the
Cercle de Lorraine are the
setting for the 11th edition
of the Accessible Art Fair.
As the name suggests, this
isn’t the usual, insiders-only
schmooze-fest. AAF’s main
goal is to bring art to the
people. And fair organisers
are doing it with the help of
some friends; a full 50 artists,
designers and galleries are
on board, putting not just
their work but their expertise
at the disposal of fair-goers,
many of whom are browsing
the arts market for the first
time.
October 16-19
www.accessibleartfair.
com
SENSATION & SENSUALITY
Peter Paul Rubens put Flanders on the map artistically. Based in the port city of Antwerp, the 17th-century master
pushed Baroque painting to its most titillating – and sometimes violent – extremes. So much so that the term
‘Rubenesque’ still conjures that quintessentially Renaissance fetish for feminine fleshiness and languor. The Bozar
exhibition Sensation and Sensuality, curated by Nico Van Hout of Antwerp’s Royal Museum of Fine Arts and organised
with that institution and the Royal Academy of Arts in London, explores this aspect of Rubens’ work and much, much
more. Indeed, this is one of the most ambitious Rubens exhibitions of recent years, bringing together 160 pieces which
underline the Baroque painter’s influence on not just his contemporaries but artists up to the present day.
Until January 4, www.bozar.be
16
• expat time • autumn • 2014
ECHOLALIA
ARS MUSICA
THE NOTEBOOK
Sheffield’s Forced Entertainment celebrates its 30th
anniversary this year. We
shouldn’t expect a conventional birthday party from
the veteran avant-garde
theatre company, however.
Director Tim Etchells and his
crew are, after all, responsible for some of Europe’s
most provocative contemporary productions over
the past three decades. No,
Etchells’ idea of a good time
is staging a new adaptation of Ágota Kristóf’s grim
wartime novel The Notebook
at Kaaitheater. The story
follows two brothers who
flee into the countryside
to escape the violence and
social disintegration of 1940s
Hungary. But the global conflict is only the setting for a
much more intense personal
struggle.
Brussels’ annual experimental-music festival Ars Musica
goes biennial this year. Since
1989 the city-wide event
has shone a spotlight on
Europe’s avant-garde composers. The 2014 edition
encompasses 50 concerts
in 17 spaces across the
capital. Its twin themes are
international minimalism and
its idiosyncratically Belgian
variant, ironically dubbed the
Maximalist movement. The
former was espoused by the
likes of Steve Reich and Terry
Riley in the 1960s; the latter
was launched in the 1980s
by Flemish composers Thierry
de Mey and Peter Vermeersch with contemporary
choreographer Anne Teresa
De Keersmaeker. Between
the two, you’ll discover new
worlds of sound, from abstract electronic textures to
free jazz improvisation.
The work of contemporary
Belgian visual artist Ana Torfs
has been shown all over the
world, making her latest
solo exhibition Echolalia a
bit of a homecoming. At
Wiels the Antwerp-born,
Brussels-based Torfs presents
six multimedia installations
developed over the past two
decades and the last five
years in particular. Most of
them have never been seen
in her home country. One
– The Parrot & the Nightingale, a Phantasmagoria
– is a world premiere. Torfs
reproduces existing texts and
images in innovative ways,
subverting their original
meanings. The exhibition is a
dense and profound historical and cultural journey into
Europe’s relationship with
the rest of the world. A book
with 250 images accompanies the exhibition.
Until December 14
www.wiels.org
November 14-30
www.arsmusica.be
October 23-25
www.kaaitheater.be
UPCOMING EVENTS WITH ING
•October 10, Belgium vs Andorra, European Championship qualifier,
King Baudouin Stadium, www.belgianfootball.be
•November 16, Belgium vs Wales, European Championship qualifier,
King Baudouin Stadium, www.belgianfootball.be
•December 9, 17.30, Expat Estate Planning, ING Orange Room,
60 Cours Saint-Michel, 1040 Brussels , http://tinyurl.com/ing-expat-seminar
expat
2014 •
expattime
time••autumn
Spring • 2013
17
R
enovating a house has
long been considered a
sound investment of hardearned income: not only
is a renovated property
more adapted to the owner’s needs
and a more attractive environment to
live in, its value on the property market
is increased too. Belgium offers expats
a wealth of property choices, but the
rules and regulations surrounding their
renovation can be difficult to navigate.
We spoke to three expats to get their
tips on what to look out for before you
embark on your first house makeover.
“We’re both ecologically minded, so
we deliberately looked for a place that
had character but could also enable
us to carry out a low-energy renovation,” says British health coach Suzy
Sumner, who with her French partner
Loik undertook a renovation of a classic townhouse in Brussels’ Anderlecht
municipality in 2008. The couple, who
didn’t have a car, liked the house’s location close to Midi station and opposite a
metro station, as well as its affordability.
The
renovation
game
Expats and experts give the lowdown
on doing up your house in Belgium
By Deborah Forsyth
18
• expat time • autumn • 2014
“It fitted our budget,” says Sumner.
The couple’s aim was to turn their
house into what’s known as an exemplary building. Such a construction is
possible under an eco-building initiative
by the Brussels-Capital Region, which
offers would-be renovators the opportunity to apply for a grant to transform
their property into a model energy-efficient building. In return for the grant,
the owner agrees to open their property
a couple of days a year to let others see
how they achieved their eco-renovation.
“We put our plans together with the
help of two architects, one of whom
already had experience of eco-renovations. We outlined how our design
would save on energy and then waited
to see if our application was successful,” says Sumner. The wait was the
only drawback to the grant application.
“The scheme does slow down the planning permission process,” says Sumner,
Before: Sanaul’s
townhouse in
Schuman
“but rightly so, as it’s public money
they’re dealing with. Luck was on their
side and the application was accepted
and for the next year, their house was a
vast building site.
“The whole project took two years to
finalise, although this did include living
in the house with no heating while we
removed false ceilings and did other
demolition jobs ourselves.” Rendering the house airtight was the most
significant change the couple made.
“We inserted an airtight layer into the
house’s interior. Into this passage was
“We can feel the
savings we’ve
made as a result
of the renovation”
blown cellulose to act as insulation,”
explains Sumner. Other eco-changes
followed, including installing tripleglazed windows, a ventilation system
to keep air moving around the house, a
rainwater collection system, solar panels
and two flat green roofs.
“We can feel the savings we’ve made
as a result of the renovation. While for
a comparable building many people
will be paying €200 to €250 on heating
a month, we pay €60 a month,” says
Sumner. Apart from a few delays along
the way, the renovation passed off
smoothly overall. “The house feels very
nice now. We don’t have any draughts.
It’s a really relaxing, comfortable result,”
says Sumner.
Irish European Commission official
Kate Barry had a far less happy time
when she took on the modernisation
of her newly bought two-storey villa in
Tervuren eight years ago. “Honestly, it’s
been a nightmare,” says Barry. “What
should have taken three years dragged
on for eight. I know things can go
wrong when undertaking such renovations, but I really did have a lot of bad
luck.”
The problems began with her architect,
who brought his own builders on board
with him. Barry says: “The architect was
fine but the builders just wouldn’t listen
to him.” With hindsight, says Barry,
she would recommend all prospective
renovators to plan their renovation with
an architect first and then employ their
own building contractor to carry out the
works.
Her main plan was to raise the level of
her house, which involved raising the
roof, too. The company involved in
laying the pipes on the roof continuously delayed work to the point that
water seeped down into the house. The
builders failed to protect the pipes, so
the following winter they burst and the
electricity started to cut out. Live wires
were left exposed that other workmen
expat time • autumn • 2014 •
19

Property •
What’s your experience of
renovating property?
Chris Trapman
When we first arrived in Belgium, we bought and refurbished a
30-acre courtyard farm in the Condroz region. Then we renovated a
19th-century Mosan villa in Jambes, Namur, as well as refurbishing
a commercial and residential property in Namur. It was my experience that you get the best value by undertaking or supervising
the renovation yourself. The most efficient and cost-effective work is
carried out – in order of priority – by immigrant workers and artisans,
Flemish workers and companies, local workers and artisans. Brusselsbased companies are to be avoided unless you have money to burn! My advice is that
you when you’re working out the estimates for property renovation, you should always
double the budget and increase the implementation time by a third.
Marcia Kammitsi
My experience has been rather lucky. While I was renting a friend’s flat in the
centre of Brussels, I decided I really liked the area. A year later, the place
next door was put up for sale. As I was new to the Belgian system and
property laws, I had to do a lot of research to understand all the
procedures. It was rather stressful at first and it involved a lot of
discussions and consultations with people who had been through
this process. First, it’s important to choose a good notary who can
explain all the steps (in English, if possible). The purchase takes
some time, so I had time to think about renovation and search for
companies and prices. Once the contract was signed, I started the
process of deciding what to renovate, choosing furniture etc. This took
a lot of time and reflection, and time out of work to choose furniture and
fittings. I was lucky that both the renovation company and interior designer I chose
were quite fast and very reliable. So, by the time I had planned to move in, everything
was more or less ready.
Achin Batra
I bought a piece of land in 2005 and built a house in 2012. I
realised there was a properly defined process for acquisition of
property in Belgium which works fine, but getting a house built
is not a straightforward task. There were complications with the
contractors, who didn’t take responsibility for their tasks. It’s a
contractor’s market; there’s not much competition and the customer
has to follow the availability and demands of contractors. Even
well-defined and clear tasks need micro-management. When multiple
contractors are involved for work such as plumbing and electricity, always try
and establish accountability for the works as they can blame each other for
any mistakes and you can suffer from delays. When budgeting, be precise
about requirements from day one and always allocate an extra 20-30% of the
estimated costs to the final bill, as there will always be surprises.
Lorna Payne
We built our own house and project-managed the build
ourselves; if I’m honest, it was mostly my husband doing the
project-management. You need plenty of time and patience and
very fluent French to coordinate and negotiate with the different
contractors. However, the result was definitely worth the hard work
and we have a lot more house (and land) for our money than would
have been possible in the UK. Building a house is very rewarding
but unless you have fluent French and some knowledge as to how to
navigate through the bureaucracy, it’s best to use a key-in-the-door formula.
20
• expat time • autumn • 2014
“The key
to a good
renovation is
picking your
builder very
carefully”
in the house ignored for weeks.
“There was simply no coordination
between the workmen,” says Barry. “That contractor eventually presented me with a bill for €14,000
for things that clearly hadn’t been
done. I had to get a lawyer to get
a building expert in to check,” says
Barry. Her lawyer then died, and
the replacement left before the
process was complete.
The catalogue of horrors continued
with her new doors, which took
six months to arrive, only not to
fit correctly, and with her plumber,
who arrived at her house with the
wrong model of boiler. “He was
understandably very annoyed but
then when he was trying to fit it
back into the lorry, it toppled over
and fell on to my car, leaving a
dent.”
The work on Barry’s house is
now complete, but she says she
is not comfortable there. “With
everything that went on I just can’t
feel endeared to the house,” she
says. “When neighbours remark
on my house, saying how lovely
it looks, I think they’re mad. I still
remember somebody saying when
I first started out on this that it
might be easier simply to demolish
the house and start again. Now I
would say they were right.”
Not all renovations take an age to
complete. It took just eight months
for the newly bought townhouse
of British patent attorney Sanaul
to be remodelled and modernised.
After:
Sanaul’s
dining area
What the architect says
Civil engineer architect Li Mei Tsien of
B612 Associates in Brussels has carried
out numerous property renovations.
There are three common mistakes, she
says, which private individuals should
try to avoid before embarking on a
property renovation.
The house dates from 1896 and is close
to Schuman in Brussels. “We started in
September 2013 and were finished in
April 2014,” says Sanaul. “To my mind
the key to a good renovation is picking your builder very carefully. A good
builder is very hard to come by.”
Sanaul found his by word of mouth.
Before he hired him he went to see a
couple of his building sites to see what
kind of work he had done already. “I
would say, always check the references
of your builder,” says Sanaul. “We were
very happy with ours in the end. He did
a good job.”
Where Sanaul fared less well was with
his architect. He took him on a fixed
contract for a fixed fee. “And then he
just dumped €3,500 on us in supplementary charges at the end of his
work.” He went to a lawyer for advice
and was told that it was easiest just
to pay the architect €1,500 and leave
it at that rather than risk taking them
to court where a verdict in a property
owner’s favour is rarely found.
Nevertheless, Sanaul managed to compensate for the loss by making savings
on additional materials and furnishings. “One of the good things about
living in the heart of Europe is that you
can source materials from around the
continent easily. We bought our tiles
directly from Spain, for example, and
our bathroom furnishings from the
Netherlands.” Now that the dust has
settled on his building works, Sanaul
says he is very happy with his renovated
home.
You can visit Suzy Sumner’s house on November 2 in green home open door event.
Register at www.ecobatisseurs.be
•Be realistic about the cost. Many
prospective renovators underestimate
the cost involved. In some cases it can
be cheaper to demolish a house and
build a new one than it is to renovate it.
•Draw up a proper contract with
building contractors. Too often
people rely on friends of friends who
happen to be contractors to carry out
their work for them. These informal
arrangements can ruin friendships
and disrupt renovations.
•Have an idea of how you want
your renovation to be. Approach an
architect with as accurate plans as
possible. The architect will then clarify
them for you.
Look out for the Energy Performance
Certificate which can affect a property’s
renovation. The certificate, which must
be produced on a house’s sale, indicates
the building’s energy performance. To
improve performance, architects may
have to replace, for example, large
single-glazed windows with double- or
even triple-glazing. In a period house,
cheap versions of these windows can
look ugly. Home owners should be
prepared to pay more to obtain windows
that are of good quality design.
And finally, always check your architect
is qualified to carry out the kind of
structural work you may need.
http://architecte.b612associates.net
www.certibru.com
What the notary says
If you’re looking expressly to buy a
property to renovate, you’ll need to call
on the services of a notary to authenticate the purchase. Tim Carnewal of
Brussels’ Berquin Notaires explains the
role of the notary in property transactions.
is also personally responsible for the
correct collection of transfer taxes, or
registration taxes for the benefit of the
State or region. Basic rates vary from
region to region – 10% in the Flemish Region and 12.5% in Brussels and
Wallonia.
Every real estate transaction in Belgium
has to be authenticated by a Belgian
civil law notary. This person is a lawyer
who specialises in matters of property
law, family law and company law, but is
also a public servant, in the sense that
the State entrusts him or her with a
proportion of its duties.
The legal fees of a notary are regulated
by Royal Decree, so you will know
precisely how much you will pay for the
transaction you desire. As of January 1,
2012, services given by Belgian civil law
notaries are subject to VAT.
Besides their role of citizens’ advisor
and editor of deeds, the civil law notary
Next to that, every region applies different reductions, which the civil law notary is responsible for correctly applying.
For example, the Flemish and Brussels
regions grant a reduction on registration taxes to people who are buying
property for the first time. An important
point here is that to benefit, one may
not own other real estate. The reduction varies between the two regions and
accords a net tax cut of €1,500 in the
Flemish Region and €7,500 or €9,375 in
some places in the Brussels Region.
www.berquinnotarissen.be
expat time • autumn • 2014 •
21
Property •
As a member of the Corps Diplomatique, a European institution
or an international organization, you know that things can be quite
different from one country to another. One thing we want to keep
unchanged, is your joy of driving a BMW. Our dedicated team
perfectly understands the constraints of your mission and is used
to finding the best solutions in the shortest lapse of time and
providing you with a full service. This includes delivery of your
personalized car anywhere in the world while respecting local
specifications. And in addition, we offer you particularly attractive
sales conditions. Because we just love to push back frontiers.
Seven pointers
1
Before starting a renovation, or even
before buying
the property in
question, have
an expert check whether
it is worthwhile renovating
the property, or whether it
would be better to demolish
the old building and build a
new one from scratch.
3 5
A complete
budget analysis
is important
beforehand. It
is best to ask
for expert help,
from an architect or general
building contractor. Even
with a good budget analysis,
the risk of going over budget
is high, not least because
you may want to make
changes to the plans during
the works. Be prepared and
build in some flexibility.
4
6
2
When buying
an old building,
a complete
analysis of
the state of
the property –
structure, wiring, plumbing,
etc – is worth the money. A
good surveyor or property
expert will also give an indication of the necessary work
to put the house in order,
and the cost of that work.
22
If you give an
architect a full
mandate, they
will check all
the regulations
and permits
for you and organise the
tender to the general or
individual building contractors. They will also make you
a detailed budget.
Carefully consider whether
you want to
continue living
in your property
while the work
is being carried out. Builders
start early in the morning,
and they make a lot of noise
and produce a lot of dust.
The renovation may also take
longer than planned. All of
this will create considerable
stress on your family and
you, so you may want to
consider renting an aparthotel or staying with friends or
family in the meantime.
Sheer
Driving Pleasure
JOY KNOWS NO BOrDErS.
about renovating
a property in Belgium
Check the
building
requirements
of the commune or region
where your
property is located. You may
not be allowed to transform
a townhouse into three
apartments as you’d planned,
for instance, or there might
be rules preventing you from
modifying the front of your
building if it is listed as a
protected monument.
BMW
Diplomatic Sales
BMW DiPlOMatic SalES.
7
It takes strong
visual imagination skills to
predict exactly
how the renovated house or
apartment will look and feel.
Be sure you have thoroughly
weighed up the renovation option against a new
construction or buying an
existing property.
BMW EfficientDynamics
less consumption. More driving pleasure.
Environmental information (RD 19/03/04): www.bmw.be
5.6-12.9 L/100 KM • 148-303 G/KM CO2
BMW Brussels - Branch of BMW Belux
Chaussée de Louvain 864 - 1140 Brussels - Tel. 02 730 49 11 - [email protected] - www.bmwbrussels.be
Jean-Michel Martin East
Rue François Desmedt 96 - 1150 Brussels - Tel. 02 772 08 20 - [email protected] - www.jmmartin.bmw.be
Jean-Michel Martin West
Boulevard Industriel 125 - 1070 Brussels - Tel. 02 521 17 17 - [email protected] - www.jmmartin.bmw.be
Ginion Waterloo
Chaussée de Bruxelles 54 - 1410 Waterloo - Tel. 02 352 03 30 - [email protected] - www.ginion.bmw.be
Ginion Overijse
Brusselsesteenweg 403 - 3090 Overijse - Tel. 02 687 91 40 - [email protected] - www.ginion.bmw.be
Davo nv
Maastrichtersteenweg 529 - Exit 32 - E313 - 3700 Tongeren - Tel. 012 23 71 55 - [email protected] - www.davo.bmw.be
Philippe Emond s.a.
Route de Bastogne 394 - 6700 Arlon - Tel. 063 23 05 60 - [email protected] - www.emond.bmw.be
Vanneste Motors Mons
Rue des Sandrinettes 48 - 7033 Mons-Cuesmes - Tel. 065 40 02 00 - [email protected] - www.novautomons.bmw.be
• expat time • autumn • 2014
Agenda •
What’s on
outside Brussels
MUSÉE PICASSO
PARIS
GENERATION: 25 YEARS OF
CONTEMPORARY ART IN SCOTLAND
This autumn, after more
than a year of much-needed
renovation, the Musée Picasso Paris re-opens its doors
to art-lovers from around
the globe. The institution
hasn’t yet seen its 30th year
but its home, a posh 17thcentury mansion called the
Hôtel Salé, is considerably
older and needed not just
maintenance but an entire
structural overhaul to suit the
building’s purpose: to house
and showcase the world’s
most extensive collection of
works by famed modernist
painter Pablo Picasso. You’ll
find 5,000 Picasso works
here, not just his signature
paintings but also sculptures,
engravings and illustrations. What’s more, it’s all
organised into an integral
biographical narrative supported by tens of thousands
of archival documents. Photo
© Musée Picasso Paris/Béatrice Hatala
Opens October 25
www.musee
picassoparis.fr
IN FLANDERS
FIELDS
BETRAYAL
Mesut Arslan’s contemporary
adaptation of the Harold
Pinter stage drama Betrayal
premiered in Antwerp this
year and now makes its way
to Leuven. The story remains
the same. To describe the
characters’ relationship as
a love triangle won’t do;
it’s rather a dense knot of
emotional attachments,
professional frustrations,
carnal passions and detached
nostalgia which unravels in
the slack of sybaritic, jet-set
leisure. The style, however, is
radically different. Arslan has
done away with cheesy West
End stage sets and thrown
his actors and audience
together in a contemporary
space. In English.
October 28 & 29
STUK, Leuven
www.stuk.be
World War One centenary
commemorations are in full
swing across Flanders. The
photographic exhibition The
Battle of the Yser and the
First Battles of Ypres focuses
on one decisive corner of
the Western Front, the spot
where the German advance
was halted and battle lines
drawn for the remainder
of the conflict. Two local
photographers, Maurice and
Robert Antony, were there
to document the damage
done to their home town,
Ypres. Only months before
the battle, the pair had
concluded a thorough photographic catalogue of the
city’s historic buildings. By
the time they retraced their
steps for the second part of
this before-and-after series,
the landscape was forever
changed.
Until January 4
In Flanders Fields
Museum, Ypres
www.inflandersfields.be
ISTANBUL
EKSPRES
Istanbul may not be the
political capital of modern
Turkey but it is unarguably
that country’s cultural heart.
Two Ghent performance
venues join forces to put on
the world music festival Istanbul Ekspres, which serves
as a cultural bridge between
Ghent and the city on the
Bosphorus. You’ll hear much
more than traditional music
here. Many Turkish artists
have incorporated pop, rock,
classical and jazz elements –
a truly global fusion. The festival also sees the premiere
of a specially commissioned
road movie tracing the steps
of 20th-century Turkish immigrants to Belgium.
November 7-16
De Centrale and
Handelsbeurs, Ghent
www.decentrale.be
With its iconic medieval castle and buried (some say haunted) vaults, the city of Edinburgh is as historic as they come,
but the Scottish capital is also the centre of a thriving modern arts scene. The free exhibition Generation: 25 Years of
Contemporary Art in Scotland collects some of the most innovative works created by Scottish artists in the past quartercentury. The comprehensive exhibition occupies the entire main building of the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art,
emphasising the scale of artistic creation in this relatively tiny country. There’s a rich variety on display too, from Douglas
Gordon’s film intervention 24 Hour Psycho to Ross Sinclair’s bizarre, room-sized installation Real Life Rocky Mountain
(pictured above).
UPCOMING EVENTS WITH ING
Until January 25
Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, Edinburgh
www.nationalgalleries.org
•October 14-25, Film Fest Gent, www.filmfestival.be
•October 23, Ondernemen in Vlaanderen, Business networking fair,
Flanders Expo, Ghent, www.ondernemeninvlaanderen.be
24
• expat time • autumn • 2014
expat
2014 •
expattime
time••autumn
Spring • 2013
25
Helped by changing
climates and
landscapes, southern
England is now home
to a growing sparkling
wine industry
Caught
by the fizz
By Jon Eldridge
26
• expat time • autumn • 2014
T
he landscape is undeniably
changing. In the south of
England, vast swaths of
land are being turned over
to the growing of vines. For
sparkling wines in particular, one can
confidently look across the Channel for
bubbles of true quality.
Melting icebergs are a stock image of
news reports on the latest dire warnings
of global warming, but never are we
shown wonderfully flowering vines in
sunny Sussex, Kent and Hampshire –
yet both are the result of rising global
temperatures. In fact, conditions in
the south of England, especially West
Sussex with its chalk and sandstone
slopes, are now nearly perfect for the
production of sparkling wine. Passionate enthusiasts are cashing in.
Well, to a degree. Sam Linter, who
runs a winery in Bolney, West Sussex
(pictured left), acknowledges that UK
production is tiny in comparison to the
huge volumes produced in Champagne.
But the potential for the English market
to grow, she says, is enormous.
“When we first started, we felt like
pioneers out to prove a point and make
it work. We’ve seen massive changes
in the 20 years that I’ve been involved.
I’ve seen it grow so fast in quality and in
popularity,” she says.
Linter’s parents started a winery when
she was five years old; after studying
for a diploma in winemaking, she took
over the family business. She describes
her experiences as a “massive learning
curve” and admits to making lots of
mistakes in the early days – but in the
past 10 years, “things have gone from
strength to strength”.
She is not alone among her peers.
“Every single one of us is desperately
trying to find more land and more people to buy grapes from. We could sell
two, three, four times as much. Our
wines go very quickly. We’re looking to
double our production as a minimum,
and I know that several other wineries
are looking to do the same,” she says.
“We could sell
two, three, four
times as much.
Our wines go
very quickly”
expat time • autumn • 2014 •
27

Lifestyle •
While vineyards offer a higher yield for
the land than many other crops, and
there is a growing trend for farmers to
diversify, the south of England is not
experiencing some type of gold rush.
Investment costs are high and it takes
at least three years before you yield a
crop. It can be a tricky affair, as the bad
summer of 2012 underlined. However,
Linter sees winemaking as a lifestyle
choice. “It’s an amazing opportunity to
make a wonderful product from something that grows in the field,” she says.
A few miles farther west at Wiston,
Dermot Sugrue has a similar story to
tell. He was the winemaker at Nyetimber (one of the most recognised makers
of English sparkling wine) until 2006,
when he left to help Wiston Estate’s
owners, Harry and Pip Goring, realise
their long-cherished dream of devoting
their land to the production of wine.
Pip, who is from a wine-producing area
of South Africa, recognised the poten-
Martin Bacquaert,
Entre-Deux-Monts
tial of the estate’s south-facing chalk
slopes when she moved to the country
house at Wiston in 1972.
The success of Nyetimber gave the
couple the confidence to try their luck,
and Sugrue was brought on board to
renovate an old fruit-processing plant
on the estate. He sourced most of his
equipment from France including a
coquard, a traditional wooden basket
press that he believes produces superior
wines. It is, he says, the only one in use
in England (where stainless steel pneumatic tank presses are the norm).
The south of England’s long, cool growing season means the grapes have a
high acidity – which makes them most
suited for the production of sparkling
wines. A critical period is when the
vines flower in June and July, and this
year’s mild weather means English wine­
makers are expecting a bumper crop.
The marginal increases in average tem-
peratures, decade on decade, are also
having a positive impact on the quality
and reputation of the region’s wines,
Sugrue believes. “There is widespread
consensus among international wine
commentators, judges and journalists
that English sparkling wine is the new
frontier in sparkling wine production.
We create a unique, high-quality product that can compare very favourably to
Champagne.”
Winning awards, he says, “is a great
confirmation that what we’re doing is
being recognised for what it’s worth”.
He is especially proud that two of three
wines that he recently entered into Decanter magazine’s awards were among
the three that received gold medals in
the English sparkling wine category.
Like Linter, he is optimistic about the
future of wine in this area, predicting
that production could even quadruple
over the next 10 years. And though
both wineries sell most of their wine
locally, the genie is, as it were, out of
the bottle. Bolney exports to China and
Japan, while Wiston wines can be found
in San Francisco. Is it churlish to imagine
that one day you might find an English
sparkling wine taking pride of place on
a wine list in a Parisian restaurant?
www.bolneywineestate.com
www.wistonestate.com
28
“We create a
unique, highquality product
that can compare
very favourably
to Champagne”
• expat time • autumn • 2014
Home-grown bubbles in
Belgium and Luxembourg
There’s no shortage of award-winning
fizz on this side of the continent, even if
local vineyards face similar difficulties to
their English counterparts. Production
costs are high, unseasonal weather
can damage crops and running a
small estate requires versatility and
commitment. Only the best of the crop
can produce sparkling wine according
to the traditional method. This involves
a second fermentation in the bottle
followed by a period of maturation.
Taking advantage of the same
chalk ridge enjoyed by the nearby
Champagne region are the vineyards
Entre-Deux-Monts in Flanders’
Heuvelland and Domaine des Agaises
in Hainaut, Wallonia. The first blends
chardonnay and kerner grapes
to produce successful méthode
traditionnelles: Zientje, Wiscoutre,
Wiscoutre Rosé and Bacquaert Brut.
“When blind tasted, you can detect
that it’s not Champagne, but it’s good
and very original,” says grower Martin
Bacquaert. He also makes a good pinot
gris. One reason for Entre-Deux-Monts’
quality is its sun-drenched nine-hectare
site on the French border. The domain
offers a panoramic wine-tasting area for
visitors.
www.entre-deux-monts.be
The biggest wine producer in Belgium is
the 18-hectare Domaine des Agaises estate managed by the local Leroy family.
Almost entirely dedicated to méthode
tradionnelle sparkling wines under the
brand name Ruffus, chardonnay vines
dominate, with pinot noir and pinot
meunier making up the remainder. The
brand leader is Blanc de Blancs, followed by Brut Rosé, Brut Sauvage, the
2009 Franco Dragone vintage and small
quantities of the sweet liqueur ratafia.
“We aim for a dry, crisp and mineral
wine, suitable for an aperitif or a light
starter, with an alcohol content of
12.5%,” says John Leroy. “On an aesthetic level, we try to produce constant
bubbles from the bottom of the glass to
the top.”
www.ruffus.be
Heading south, the Moselle river
provides the natural border between
Germany and Luxembourg. The long
winegrowing tradition is due to the
valley’s mild climate. Vineyards line the
sunny slopes on the Luxembourg side,
a 39km stretch known as the route
du vin. On the southern edge lies the
Domaines Vinsmoselle in the village
of Wormeldange, the most important
wine and sparkling producer in the
country. The 800-hectare cooperative
set up in 1921 has 300 members, with
an extensive range of sparkling wines
under the label Poll-Fabaire (pictured
above) and appellation Crémant de
Luxembourg which has been recognised
since 1991. It produces 1.5 million bottles a year, including a brut, demi-sec,
pinot blanc, pinot noir, chardonnay,
Spirit of Schengen and vintage bottles.
The brut is a blend of pinot blanc,
“When blind
tasted, you can
detect that it’s
not Champagne,
but it’s good and
very original.”
auxerrois and riesling. Director Georges
Schaaf says the blend gives it a “round,
flowing flavour with a pleasant balance.
The auxerrois gives fruitiness, the pinot
blanc freshness and finesse, and the
riesling body and power.” He describes
the vintage as having a “surprisingly
fine mousse with a creamy, long-lasting
flavour. On the nose, there is finesse
and aromas of red fruit which easily
seduce bubbly lovers.”
www.vinsmoselle.lu
Deflating a little the hype over local fizz,
Anouck Fransolet, sommelier at twoMichelin starred restaurant l’Eaux-Vive
near Namur, thinks Belgian méthodes
traditionnelles do not yet offer good
value. “Belgian winegrowers have
explained to me that their materials are
very expensive and have to come from
France. As for the taste, Belgium is still
lacking in experience. The strength of
Champagne is that it has enormous
depth, substance and complexity. There
is an awareness of the local region, of
vines grown in good soil.” SC
expat time • autumn • 2014 •
29
Lifestyle •
In the
neighbourhood
Our tips on how to make a day – or longer – out of a visit to
the season’s cultural highlight
RIDGEVIEW
WINES
Lewes is home to a Norman
castle that’s more than
1,000 years old. Originally
called Bray Castle, it is to be
found on the highest point
of the town. Needless to
say, the views from up there
are stunning. Visit the castle
and the adjoining Barbican
House and learn more about
the history of the area,
from prehistoric to medieval
times.
Ridgeview Wines Estate
was founded in 1994 in
Ditchling Common in the
South Downs, a range of
chalk hills stretching over
260 square miles. The vineyards produce award-wining
sparkling wine, praised by
connoisseurs and served by
top chefs. Visit the vineyards
and the cellars, learn more
about the grape varieties
and taste the renowned
bubbles. A tour takes up to
two hours and costs £15 per
person. Book in advance.
See www.englishwineproducers.co.uk for more
vineyards in the area.
www.sussexpast.co.uk
www.ridgeview.co.uk
LEWES CASTLE
THE COCK INN
SUSSEX
Picturesque market towns, old castles and endless
slopes of vineyards: all the ingredients for a
perfect getaway. It’s not in France, though, but in
England; in and around Sussex in the south-east of
the country, to be precise. We recommend basing
yourself in Lewes, from where you can explore
everything the region has to offer, including the
attractions listed here. The nearest big city to
Lewes is Brighton, which is easily accessible from
London and the Channel ports.
30
• expat time • autumn • 2014
For a great meal and a drink,
take a seat at The Cock Inn
in Ringmer. This country
pub is a family-run business,
popular far past the town’s
borders. Expect homecooked food, a bustling
atmosphere and Lewes’s own
Harvey’s beer on tap.
www.cockpub.co.uk
MONK’S HOUSE
The peace and quiet of the
rural area has attracted
writers and artists over the
years. Virginia and Leonard
Woolf lived at Monk’s House
in Rodmell from 1919 until
1969. The 17th-century
cottage was frequented by
members of the Bloomsbury
Group, an influential group
of writers, philosophers and
artists. Virginia was a keen
photographer who took
pictures of most visitors,
many of which are now on
display at the house. The
surrounding garden, said
to be the reason why the
couple bought the cottage,
is just stunning.
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/
monks-house
LEWES HIGH
STREET
Browse the many antiques
and books shops on and
around Lewes’ High Street.
The Fifteenth Century Bookshop, for instance, where
you’ll find everything from
rare and collectable to recent
and readable. Or stock up on
local supplies at the farmers
market, every first and third
Saturday of the month.
BATEMAN’S
Though he was born in
India, Rudyard Kipling lived
in England for most of his
life. In 1902, he and his wife
settled here at Bateman’s
in Burwash. The old house
with its oak beams has a
mill and 33 acres of land.
The writer, most famous
for The Jungle Book, loved
his Jacobean house and
decorated it with rugs and
objects from his travels.
Learn more about the
writer, picnic in the spacious
garden or inspect the water
mill. It’s great for kids too.
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/
batemans
www.oldenyoungbookshop.
co.uk
www.commoncause.co.uk
PELHAM HOUSE
There are lots of B&Bs and
hotels in the area. One of
the more famous ones is the
four-star Pelham House, in
a 16th-century town house,
with 31 elegant bedrooms.
There’s a fine dining restaurant and a lounge bar for informal dining. Pelham House
does an excellent afternoon
tea and Sunday roast too.
www.pelhamhouse.com
expat
2014 •
expattime
time••autumn
Spring • 2013
31
Comment •
And
finally ...
W
as it something we said? After Belgium,
the Netherlands and the Vatican,
another European sovereign decided to
throw in the towel. Juan Carlos abdicated after 36
years in favour of son Felipe at a time
of economic crisis and soaring
unemployment, with the
monarchy’s popularity
damaged by corruption
investigations and his
poorly timed elephant
hunting jaunt. So,
erm, good luck with
that, Felipe
Mercer’s Cost of Living Survey
names Luanda in Angola as the
world’s most expensive city for
expats. Brussels was 56th
Abdications, nominations,
commemorations and football
tribulations: Emma Beddington
looks back at events making the
news over the past 100 days
june
2014
Jean-Claude Juncker is
nominated and later voted
in as European Commission
president
T
july
2014
he World Cup passed in a haze of caipirinhas
and late nights. What can we still remember?
A decent performance from Belgium, disaster
for England and Spain and victory for an assured,
stylish German team.
Oh, and Luis Suarez
chomping on
Giorgio Chiellini’s shoulder.
Because it’s
not a World
Cup without
someone
who earns
the GDP of a
small country
behaving like a
toddler, is it?
D
ignitaries from 80 countries
including France’s President
Hollande and Prince William
gathered in Liège to commemorate
the outbreak of World War One
with speeches, music and a
ceremonial balloon release.
But with four years of this
to come, plus the 100th
anniversary of the battle
of Waterloo imminent, are
we at risk of anniversary fatigue? You can trot out this
excuse next time you forget
a loved one’s birthday; no, no
need to thank us.
A former senior trader at
Rabobank pleads guilty to
interest-rate rigging in the US
32
• expat time • autumn • 2014
The first ever example of
a plant-eating dinosaur
with feathers and scales is
discovered in Russia
august
2014
 By Derek Blyth
G
eorge W Bush did it. Benedict Cumberbatch did
it five times. Britney Spears did it (but her bucket
was tiny). While the inescapable viral charity
phenomenon that dominated social media this summer
was undoubtedly good for Motor
Neurone Disease awareness,
surviving the onslaught
of celebrities, politicians
and distant relatives on
Facebook throwing iced
water over their heads
felt like a challenge in
itself.
The expensive egg
O
h, no. It looks like the new Europa Building is
going to take longer to complete than expected.
And cost a lot more than the original €240
million bill, according to EU bloggers.
Mind you, I’m not really surprised. I live in Brussels. I know
what contractors are like here. They come to your house to
fix a leaking tap and tell you it will cost €1,000. But then they
discover dry rot in the basement. And some dodgy wiring
installed 30 years ago. And as for the plumbing, well, it might
survive another winter, but then again, monsieur, if I were
you, I’d replace the lot.
And so it goes. You end up with Belgian builders all over
the house talking in a dialect that is almost impossible to
understand. Or foreign builders who rip up the floorboards
and then disappear for the entire summer.
That’s why it doesn’t surprise me that the builders working on
Europa are now saying that the new building is going to take
a lot longer than anticipated and cost at least €327 million. I
could have told them that.
The building they are constructing is an odd egg-shaped
structure on Rue de la Loi opposite the Berlaymont building.
It is known as Herman’s Egg, because it was commissioned
by Herman Van Rompuy, the EU’s former top man, and the
inside looks like, well, a hard-boiled egg.
Sometimes you wonder if anything is ever going to be
completed in this city. The Palais de Justice has been propped
up by scaffolding for the past 30 years. The scaffolding went
up after bits of the 19th-century building started falling into
the street. But the scaffolding has now become so rusty
and rickety that it will have to be taken down and replaced
by new scaffolding because, well, it might survive another
winter, but then again, monsieur, if I were you, I’d replace the
lot.
I sometimes worry that this entire city is gradually being taken
over by construction projects that are going nowhere, like the
Palais de Justice scaffolding job. You see gaping holes in the
streets, crumbling buildings on the boulevards, and countless
yellow and blue crash barriers enclosing construction sites
that have been there for as long as anyone can remember.
I would like to be able to say that it will all be finished one
day. But I can hear the sound of loud drilling in the basement
to remind me that it is always more complicated than you
think.
expat time • autumn • 2014 •
33
Spotlight •
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• expat time • autumn • 2014
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