We began our European lives just as continental Europe was gearing up for what the Belgians (or at least the French-speaking amongst them) called 'Les Grand Vacances'. This was a staggeringly long period between July and August when large parts of the continent, and certainly Brussels, came to a halt, with everyone from European Union civil servants to primary school teachers heading off on a grand vacation, clasping suntan lotion and beach towels.
It was not a good time to be attempting to settle in. Every time I tried to get hold of a gardener, plumber, or chauffagiste, to lure them to our
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