BELGIUM | NMBS / SNCB confirms CAF as preferred bidder for AM30

On 23 July 2025, Belgium‘s state-owned railway company NMBS / SNCB has reaffirmed Spanish train manufacturer Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles (CAF) as the “preferred bidder” for its major train order, despite ongoing criticism from trade unions and politicians over the impact on local employment. 

SWITZERLAND | Introducing Bern

Switzerland will host the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest. But which city in the Helvetic Confederation will welcome the thousands of artists, media people and fans? Geneva, Sankt Gallen, Basel and Fribourg have already expressed their interest. Other obvious options are Zurich and Bern. And why not Lausanne? Swiss broadcaster Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen (SRF) also…

Rainbow zebra crossing in Berchem

The Antwerp district of Berchem – where I grew up – has now its own rainbow zebra crossing. I noticed it recently, walking in the Grotesteenweg (Great Causeway or Grande Chaussée), also known as the N1, at the crossing with the Driekoningenstraat (Magi Street) and Berchem District Hall. 

Hotel room for one 

Autumn 2021. In theory we could travel to other continents, but destinations we had in mind such as Japan or the United Kingdom were impossible to plan ahead. Instead we organised a rail trip to Eastern Europe, travelling to Berlin, Gdańsk, Wrocław, Karlovy Vary, Pilsen, Bratislava, Poprad, Vienna, Linz and Salzburg. By travelling to Germany,…