The voting has closed. Many thanks for your votes. We will be announcing the winners shortly.

We Expatica editors love reading the blogs you expats write, and get a real kick out of sharing them with the Expatica community. This week, we’re celebrating our Blogs & Photos channel and would like to invite you to give our bloggers some special attention too.

That’s why we’ve shortlisted the top three blog posts from each Expatica country and would like you, the readers, to vote for your favourites. You can vote for your top post in just your own country, if you like, but why not read around and see what the bloggers in other countries have to say?

What do expats in sunny Spain drag themselves indoors to blog about? How do bloggers in Switzerland handle the formidable punctuality of the Swiss? What do bloggers in the UK think of living among those funny old Brits?

Read on for the top three posts from each country, then vote for your favourites in the Expatica forums before midnight on Wednesday 5 May. (You'll need to be a registered user to vote but registration only takes a minute.)

We can't wait to find out who your winners are, so get voting!

Enjoy!

Skip to Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland or the UK.

Belgium (vote here)


The not-so-secret recipe for Belgian frites
Kimberley Lovato has an audience with the "Missionary of the Belgian Fries" and uncovers the sacred rituals of Frite Almighty.




Come sit with me on my mourning bench
David Willows considers the value of the protective layer that allows us to deal with the loss of our loved ones.





Do you speak Belgian? (Part 1)
Ever since Tim Roux first travelled on the endless miles of Zaventem moving walkways, he has been wondering about the Belgians...

France (vote here)


Getting married in France: Let’s be sensible
'Visiteur' frogblog ties the knot in Paris and gives praise to the French separation of Church and state.

Perpignan: Healthy Democracy or Banana Republic?
In Lives & Livelihood, Basil Howitt offers the first of two updates on Perpignan’s surreal smelly socks election saga that began in March 2008.




Notes from an exiled Franglais: Why the French are healthier and fitter
Robert Bullock shares his insight on why the French are healthier and fitter than the English despite their love for wine and lack of enthusiasm for jogging.

Germany (vote here)

So you want to move to Germany?
A foreigner wanting to visit Germany faces some daunting rules and regulations. One American, Georg Behrendt, details his experiences in a new series.

The New Old World: Mickey Rooney made me do it …
Expatica Germany’s resident blogger R.W. Dooley puts on a show.

 




Auslaenderin in Berlin: Talking about the weather
Is the cold and damp of northern Europe getting you down? You aren’t alone. Our blogger offers some commiseration and some coping tips.

Luxembourg (vote here)

The Starbucks conspiracy
Looking for that special brand of coffee-to-go in Luxembourg? You may be out of luck, as our new blogger Libby will explain.

Moving is just stressful
Serial expat Amanda has just made the move to Luxembourg. No stranger to relocation, she still can't get used to how little removal companies understand the plight of the mover.

Little difference #1: Light fixtures
Katy gets a kick out of the many differences between her native USA and her adopted home in Luxembourg, so much so that she's inspired to share them with fellow expats.

Netherlands (vote here)

Turning off the Dutch reply-to-foreigner-in-English switch
You speak Dutch. They reply in English. What can you do? Marianne Orchard has some ideas.

A tale of two Netherlands
Viewing the 1963 documentary Alleman as part of his Dutch lesson, Graham Jackson finds himself on a trip into the Dutch psyche…

Everything you never wanted to know about Dutch toilets
Expat blogger Tiffany Jarman Jansen exposes the weird world of Dutch toilets, from the pay-to-pee phenomenon to the good (or bad) old inspection shelf.

Spain (vote here)


From Barcelona: So you want to live in Spain?
Blogger Jeremy Holland talks about why Americans may find it exceptionally hard to adjust to life in Spain.





Introducing the Caga Tio
For two weeks, you feed and care for the Caga Tio till he is all grown-up. Come Christmas Day, you make him ‘poop’ by beating him with sticks and singing various songs.




Oye, rubia: Catcalling in Madrid
Hubba hubba – Expatica blogger Kristen Bernardi talks about men on the prowl in Madrid: is it a compliment or controversy?

 

Switzerland (vote here)

Recycling in Switzerland
Swisstory blogger Jessica Cartwright sorts out the recycling in Zurich, and gets to the bottom of why rubbish 'saeckes' are so tiny.

Stuff Swiss people like, part one
After a year in Switzerland, Amanda of Queso Suizo summarised 20 things Swiss people like. Here’s her first instalment.

Four ways to save money in Switzerland
After four years in Switzerland, Chantal Panozzo offers some tips for saving your cents in one of the world's most expensive countries.

UK (vote here)

The British notary: Much pomp and circumstance
Blogger Tom Carroll was amazed by his first trip to a notary in the UK. Prepare yourself – and your wallet – for a real spectacle.

Life lessons for 'immigrants' in Glasgow
Opening a bank account in the UK proved difficult for Jennifer, after escaping from 'Toronto the Good' to Glasgow in 2006. She offers the newcomer some survival tips.

Pret A Manger: Uniquely British
'Singaporean in London' Kelvin explores the working lunch and one of the UK's favourite sandwich shops.