1936 On the Continent

all the highways of Europe. And our ‘national’ sense has only developed since the date of our unity—1830—when we were severed from Holland by our revolution—in which France had a hand, and which won for us autonomy and independence.
    “There’s enough history for you. All that belongs to the past, glorious without a doubt (ancestors and the past are always glorious). But this past explains why we havein our little country (eight million inhabitants) two such very distinct races: the Flemings and the Walloons (Germans and Latins), who each have their language (Flemish and French) and who have sometimes widely divergent political views.”
    Here Muriel, who is a very practical and intelligent young woman, interrupted.
    “Which race is predominant?”
The Walloons
    “The Flemish are more numerous, about four millions, against three million Walloons and one million who are neither one nor the other. But French or Walloon influence has always been the more active, and it is only since the War that the Flemish have obtained equal rights, or almost: education, the law, military training, are carried out in the language of the district: Flemish in Flanders, French in the Walloon provinces. As for Brussels, the capital, both languages are spoken there. That is why, in Parliament, speeches are sometimes delivered in French, sometimes in Flemish, sometimes a speech is delivered in both languages, which is certainly unusual. Laws are, of course, promulgated in both languages.”
    “Curious system.”
    “We’re used to it. In general, the Flemish and the Walloons get on quite well together, families are mostly a mixture of the two races, and it’s above all politicians and extremists that continually discuss this question of races and languages. Some of them would like a Federal organisation, with Brussels as its neutral capital (this is what we call Separatism), others want Flanders to be annexed to Holland and the Walloon provinces to be annexed to France (this would be the end of Belgium, of course), and, lastly, the great majority think we can quite well go on as we are, as long as the government scrupulously respects the rights of both parties. This is what we are trying to secure, and for this reason French influence, which has been very strong since the War, is waning, and we are turning more towards the political policy of England. But enough of serious matters.”
    “Well, it’s no longer all Dutch to me now. Tell me,however, which is the Flemish part of Belgium and which the Walloon. Ostend, for instance?”
    “Ostend is a Flemish town, but it is, above all, an international town, which lives almost entirely on tourists. This is the case with most of the places we shall be visiting. That is why, almost everywhere, foreign languages are spoken, and why so many people speak or understand English. We’re in Flanders here, and the Belgian coast is entirely Flemish. So are Bruges, Ghent, Antwerp, and the county of Limburg. Roughly, one half of the country—the northern half between the coast and Holland and right down to Brussels—is Flemish. South of Brussels we have Hainault, Liége, the Ardennes—Wallonie.”
    “And Brussels?”
    “Brussels is claimed by both races. As a matter of fact, there the two races are closely intermingled. It’s a sort of neutral city in the heart of the country.”
    “I understand. Let’s go for a walk after the lesson.”
The Sea
    They wandered along the shore, the shore that stretche. without a break for 70 kilometres along the North Seas If they’d had a car they could’ easily have explored the whole coast in the course of an afternoon, because an excellent road joins up all the seaside towns and gives you long glimpses of the sea. But they preferred to walk in more leisurely fashion along the promenade—the Digue—of which it is said that it can stand comparison with those of the south of France, which is true for the luxury and elegance which is displayed there, and also for the extreme freedom of its visitors. But the scenery is more subdued; not of the postcard variety. The sea is not of the deep blue of the Mediterranean, but rather changing, grey or green. It is not a quiet sea along our coast, and the fishermen who leave every night for the fishing banks have a hard time of it. The contrast is most striking between these fisher-folk and the brilliant and happy holiday-makers who take the town by storm during the summer months (from Easter till the end