Oostende at Christmas

[Comet]

Does Oostende have a Christmas market like the one in Brugge? We have never seen Oostende at Christmas before and wondered if there was a special market selling hot food and drinks, or ice skating.

[regi]

Yep Comet,

click here:

http://www.toerisme-oostende.be/modules ... &pageid=17

Sadly enough, they did not translate this part in English on the English pages. So only in Dutch.
But ice skating as well, and a lot of Glühwein.

Toerisme Oostende vzw pakt voor de 4de keer uit met Winterijs, de kerstmarkt en ijsschaatstpiste op het Wapenplein.

Ook dit jaar staat de schaatspiste in Oostende voor meer dan 1.000 m² schaatsplezier. In de kerststalletjes kunt u terecht voor leuke geschenken of een typisch winterhapje en drankje: wenskaarten, gebrande noten, poffertjes, verse soep, lederwaren, juwelen, …Het volledige Wapenplein baadt in een zee van licht en sfeervolle muziek. Daarnaast wordt ook een uitgebreid animatieprogramma voorzien.

De uitbating van de ijspiste gebeurt door Toerisme Oostende vzw.

[Comet]

Thanks regi. Oostende does look beautiful, and nice to know I can get a hot drink from one of the stalls (in Brugge I always used to have the hot chocolate milk, very warming!) The chips used to be very good too.

[regi]

The chips at the central market square are not too bad. But realize that you support a local maffiosi style kind of gang. The contract for the 2 chippies at the central market square are appointed on a yearly base by bidding. You rent in fact the right to open that stall. The local council changed this rule just recently because it is impossible to make a business plan if there is a danger that you loose your concession the year afterwards.
Sadly enough, the last time this concession for the central market was granted, it was won by Iranians. I have nothing against hard working people. But I know from insiders ( people who worked there previously + inspectors ) that it is not a normal employer. The owner of the concession doesn't work in the chippie herself. ( it is a woman ) . She employs people. Every so many months it are different people. Never Belgians. It is a copy of the shoarma shops. They employ those people to get their papers legal. Don't ask what they earn.
There has been already some inspection. And there is a investigation going on. ( tax + social inspection + immigration )
So, enjoy the chips, but remember the story.

[Comet]

Thanks for telling me regi. Unfortunately I won't be in Oostende, or Belgium, for Christmas because of the damned useless Eurostar. I will never, ever book on that thing again. If we had booked flights instead we would probably have made it, as EMA is doing well in the bad weather.

But we are planning a 10 day trip to Oostende for early July, hopefully get chance to try things which only operate in July and August this time (like the boat to Nieuwpoort for example). Also Eupen, Aachen, Tongeren, Lille (by Belgian train if we can from Oostende). See more of the coast and go to Zeebrugge again for a meal.

[regi]

Sad to hear that you are one of the victims as well.

• I had hick ups with the ferries several times ( 1 broken engine on the catemaran Ostend-Ramsgate, 2 strikes by Sea France and P&O, damaged docking at Calais resulting in making turns for 2 hours ),
  problems with the Channell crossing ( reduced capacity after the fire, reduced capacity because of "something")
  and some smaller things flying ( small delays, long transfers at LHR )

There is no ideal solution. The UK is still an island. As long as we don't enter a new Ice Age that reduces the water level dramatically, we will have to rely on the ferries, train and airplanes.

[Comet]

This is the first time I've ever lost a holiday. When we have holidayed in the UK we have been hit by the annual train strikes and gone by bus instead (then claiming the money back from the train provider!) In 2006 we thought we would be casualties of the BA mass cancellations because of fog at LHR (we were flying from MAN through LHR to BRU because there were no morning flights MAN-BRU on the Sunday) but we managed to get on the flights we had booked.

In 2007 we landed in Brussels to be met by a train strike, we thought we would have problems getting to Brugge but made it eventually. We had always found a way before, but not this time. We could not risk being in London on Christmas Eve waiting to be told whether or not we could travel, finding out there was no space and then having to try and get back home on a day when trains stop early and don't start up again for days. All the problems have happened on our Christmas trips, the summer ones have been trouble-free.

[regi]

Maybe it is the Christmas message from Jesus:
" Hey guys, they put me in a crib on rough straw surrounded by dirty sheep and some old guys looking strangely at me. How on earth did you dare to make it a time of celebration? I did suffer, so will you"
In that respect Comet, I would not travel during Easter as well. That cross, nails and Romans , remember...

[Comet]

Instead of having Cantonese rice table at Lange Muur on Christmas Day, we'll be going there in July instead. This is the first Christmas since 2005 that I haven't had Cantonese rice table for Christmas dinner.