Language rights
Trust the Telegraph to manage a "little britisher" spin upon a story about language rights in Belgium. According to the Telegraph:
Britons on their way to the spectacular canals of Bruges will be forced to follow signs for "Brugge" in future because French city names are to be banned in favour of obscure Flemish versions.
The article goes on to tell us about a "new" policy in the Flemish part of Belgium to have single language rather than dual language road signing. However, I remember going on a short cycle tour south of Brussels in late 1982 and being rather excited rather than annoyed at having to work out that Mons is also known as Bergen, and Lille as Rijsel. People just lack a sense of adventure in my view.
Britons on their way to the spectacular canals of Bruges will be forced to follow signs for "Brugge" in future because French city names are to be banned in favour of obscure Flemish versions.
The article goes on to tell us about a "new" policy in the Flemish part of Belgium to have single language rather than dual language road signing. However, I remember going on a short cycle tour south of Brussels in late 1982 and being rather excited rather than annoyed at having to work out that Mons is also known as Bergen, and Lille as Rijsel. People just lack a sense of adventure in my view.
posted by BondWoman at 4:20 pm
1 Comments:
What an odd thing for The Telegraph to write about! Having lived for a year in Brugge, and for 18 months in Bruxelles / Brussel / Brüssel, it strikes me that Flemish place names are already always listed in Flemish. I don't think I ever saw a signpost for 'Malines'!
I think this article says more about the ignorance of The Telegraph than it does about the madness of Belgium...
Post a Comment
<< Home