Global Warming and How to Survive it.

Having spent many months complaining endlessly about the winter that would not go away, I have to say that it has been a bit too hot these last few days.

Apparently it hit 54 degrees in Death Valley last week, which is just 2 degrees short of the hottest temperature ever recorded on the planet.

There is a lot of talk in the European Parliament - as elsewhere - about global warming and how to mitigate it. They should ask me for advice, I know exactly how to mitigate the effects of global warming.

Beer.

I particularly recommend something called Leffe Ruby. Not the most widely available of Belgian beers, but worth tracking down. For my many readers in the EP, if you haven't found it yet you can do so in the Grapevine in Place du Luxembourg.

There will be a lot of global warming mitigation taking place this weekend, I suspect, as Sunday is Belgian national day, which means a day of excessive joy and celebration. I particularly enjoy watching the troops muster in the burning sun before the big parade. I generally do this whilst sitting on a terrace with an ice cold glass of said mitigation in my hand and thinking to myself "thank f**k I don't have to do that anymore!".

This will of course be a national day tinged with sadness for many Belgians as King Albert will officially abdicate. I find that a strange day to choose, but this is Belgium and they do things differently here. There is even a Rue de l'abdication here in Brussels. Apparently it was named in honour of the day a previous and much loved king, named after a sausage, abdicated temporarily so that a law concerning abortion could be passed and he would not have his reign tainted by something that would offend his catholic sensibilities.

Salut!