Antwerp.. some impressions

Again, a full photo blog is coming up next. For the time being, enjoy these impressions

Antwerp central train station

Lion and my Lady

Museum Aan de Stroom (MAS)

Floor 9.5 in MAS

May be she moved out already!!

Liège... some impressions

Liège city is beautiful for it's own dark buildings and streets. Yes, some people call it dark, but I found it pretty bright and even better than many other Belgian cities.

A full photo blog coming soon..

Small city cars (used) to consider

If you are living within a city and most of your commutes are within, then look for a small but safe car as your primary car.
What fuel?
Since most of the trips will be shorter, petrol/gasoline engines will be better. Increased engine shutdowns will have adverse effect on a turbo charged diesel engine
.
List of 10 small, reliable and safe used cars (author's opinion) that you can fetch in a budget of 6 - 10 thousand euros:

1. Mazda 2 (>2008 models)
   - ENCAP 5 star; fun to drive, Mazda reliability; re-sale value
2. VW Up, Skoda Citigo, Seat Mii
   - all same in different skin; safe city car; efficient
3. VW Polo, Skoda Fabia, Seat Ibiza
   - safetly, reliable (newer engines), re-sale value)
4. Ford Fiesta hatchback
   - safe, fun to drive, plenty, re-sale value
5. Hyundai i20
6. Suzuki Swift
7. Opel Corsa
8. Fiat Grande Punto
9. Chevrolet new Aveo (!!Chevrolet is planning to stop their operation in Europe by 2015)
10. Renault Clio

Mobile networks in Belgium

This post is my opinion about the mobile networks available in Belgium.
Mainly three companies own the infrastructure of Belgium's GSM network.
1. Proximus
2. Mobistar
3. Base
All the other names you might see on your phone screen, make use of (one of) the above networks through contract. A full list of available mobile network providers and the network underneath can be found here.

On a personal note, I would suggest you to check the coverage map of any of the above mentioned networks, before you get one. Because some of them are really annoying. I have a 'carrefour mobile' sim card which uses the Base network. Call rates are pretty good in comparison but this base network is annoying at times and I am almost never reachable. Finally I had to get a secondary number (lyca) which uses a proximus network.
If you are living in a bigger city, then the above mentioned issues may not be there.
Share your experiences in the comments section.

Driving Licence in Belgium - Theory exam

This post continues the information on getting a driving licence in Belgium.

Theory examination for driving license is available only in a few centers across Belgium. That means, not all the centers listed in my previous post, conducts a theory exam with an English translator. For example, one can take the exam in English at Bree and Schaerbeek centers. The waiting period for an English exam may be up to a month, as they will wait for a minimum number of candidates to book for the exam. The questions on the computer screen will be in Dutch/French, but you are paying (50€) for an English translator who will translate the questions before your answering timer starts.
The theory examination contains 50 questions and for each questions (after translation), there is 15 sec to answer it. Personally I found the translator helpful because the time the translator does her/his duty, is a bonus for the candidate to look at the picture associated with the question.
One need to answer a minimum of 41 questions correct, in order to pass the exam. Annoying part is that, if you fail for any reason, you will have to wait again for the English test date.

Avoid paying euros to any driving school if you have some idea about traffic rules. You should pass the exam if you can go through the theory and practical question books, atleast one time.

Did I miss anything you wanted to know?