Photo © Catherine Cabrol

Amélie Nothomb, Writer

Where do you come from in Belgium and where are you living now?

 

I come from Arlon but I live in Brussels. I feel I belong to my neighbourhood, Ixelles.

 

What do you really miss from Belgium when you travel?

 

The tramways.

 

Your favourite place to relax?

 

Le Coq sur Mer, one of the seaside resorts of the Belgian coast

 

Your favourite Belgian dish?

 

Les chicons au gratin (gratin of endives and ham)

 

If you were…

 

If I were a praline, I would be an Astrid (I hope to be that exquisite). If I were a comic strip character, I would be Gaston Lagaffe (we hold the same record). If I were a Belgian monument, I would be Jeanneke Pis (no need to comment).

 

What does make Belgium / Belgians special?

 

In Belgium, surrealism is a question of survival.

 

For you, the European Union is…

 

A necessity.