Almost everyone speaks English in Belgium. I'll let you know about the Netherlands after we get back.
I had a heck of a time understanding the Thames valley accents i.e. London; however, the further north we went, the easier it was for me. Scotland is a great place to visit. Everyone is very friendly.
Austria and Germany really do require some German. If it wasn't for Wiglaf, I wouldn't have enjoyed Austria very much. He helped us a great deal.
London: the V&A is amazing. The British Museum will warp your tiny mind into origami. It's so huge. You can "do" the V&A in a few days. The British Museum is something we still haven't conquered, even after going back a few times. The Museum of London is not to be missed. The Cheapside Hoarde, need I say more?
If you make it over to Oxford, the Ashmolean Museum won. We expected a mid-sized museum and were completely overwhelmed by the sheer size of it (plus, Oxford has the most incredible bookstores).
To travel France, all you need know is basic tourist French. Bonjour, merci, sil-vous-plait and smile a great deal. They appreciate it when you try, but they don't expect you to speak it fluently. The museums are tout en francais, so you need a dictionary and a lot of patience. France is worth the effort. The food is wonderful, the people are charming and the lifestyle worth emulating. I'd move there in a second.
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2005-02-16 08:02 pm (UTC)I had a heck of a time understanding the Thames valley accents i.e. London; however, the further north we went, the easier it was for me. Scotland is a great place to visit. Everyone is very friendly.
Austria and Germany really do require some German. If it wasn't for Wiglaf, I wouldn't have enjoyed Austria very much. He helped us a great deal.
London: the V&A is amazing. The British Museum will warp your tiny mind into origami. It's so huge. You can "do" the V&A in a few days. The British Museum is something we still haven't conquered, even after going back a few times. The Museum of London is not to be missed. The Cheapside Hoarde, need I say more?
If you make it over to Oxford, the Ashmolean Museum won. We expected a mid-sized museum and were completely overwhelmed by the sheer size of it (plus, Oxford has the most incredible bookstores).
To travel France, all you need know is basic tourist French. Bonjour, merci, sil-vous-plait and smile a great deal. They appreciate it when you try, but they don't expect you to speak it fluently. The museums are tout en francais, so you need a dictionary and a lot of patience. France is worth the effort. The food is wonderful, the people are charming and the lifestyle worth emulating. I'd move there in a second.