By Ian Lockwood
September 6 2005

There are three essentials you need to survive a weekend in the Ardennes, Belgium’s own Redneck Region: a sense of humour, an umbrella and excellent bladder control; the latter because of the seemingly endless queues for the toilets at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit.

For a spa town famous as a place to “take the waters” it is terribly ill equipped for getting rid of them.

The weather is always the main talking point here and this is how to tell what the forecast will be:
If you stand in the Spa paddock and cannot see the trees, it is raining.
If you stand in the Spa paddock and can see the trees, it will start raining soon.
If the cows in the field near the circuit are standing up, then it might stay dry for half an hour.
If the cows are lying down it is raining.
If the cows are lying down with their legs in the air, they are dead cows.

Other interesting facts about Belgium ……… ……… ………… … ……………… ………… ……………… ……………… ……… ……………… ………………………… ……………… ……… ………………… ………… ……………… ………