Hi everyone!
I’ll be staying in Varna for about 15 days and I’ll be working remotely with my laptop.
I’m looking for recommendations for good places in the city centre where I can work for a few hours preferably cafés or coworking spaces with good Wi-Fi, comfortable seating and a relatively quiet atmosphere.
Any places you personally recommend?
Thanks
Hi everyone,
I was trying to update my address in itsme using my Belgian eID and a card reader on a Mac, but I kept getting an error at the very last step.
The eID was detected correctly, my personal information was read successfully, and I could enter my PIN and confirm the operation. However, when I clicked the final “Update” button, the process failed with a generic error such as “Something went wrong” / “Access denied”.
I tried:
Nothing seemed to solve it.
I contacted itsme Support, and they explained that since macOS Sonoma (14.0), Apple uses its own driver for card readers, and this can cause problems with some readers.
They gave me the following solution:
Open Terminal and run:
sudo defaults write /Library/Preferences/com.apple.security.smartcard useIFDCCID -bool yes
Then:
For me, this solved the problem completely. I was finally able to update my address successfully.
One additional thing: Chrome didn't detect the card reader in a normal window, but it worked correctly in an Incognito window after applying the fix.
So if you're on a Mac and itsme fails at the final step after successfully reading your eID and accepting your PIN, this might be worth trying.
I couldn't find a solution anywhere else, so I wanted to share this here in case it helps someone else. 🇧🇪
TL;DR: Mac + itsme + eID reader → everything works until the final update → try:
sudo defaults write /Library/Preferences/com.apple.security.smartcard useIFDCCID -bool yes
Restart your Mac afterwards.
EDIT: Another user mentioned that disabling iCloud Private Relay (“Privédoorgifte”) fixed the issue instantly for them.(see in comments) So if the Terminal fix doesn't work, it's worth checking this setting as well. You can enable it again after completing the itsme update.
EDIT 2: Turns out this solution is also mentioned on the official itsme support page. Sharing it here for reference: itsme – Problem with card reader on macOS
Hi everyone,
I'm renting an apartment in Flanders and my landlord requires a 3-month rental deposit.
My budget is limited, so I would like to apply for the Vlaams Woningfonds huurwaarborglening(rental deposit loan). The problem is that they currently assess my eligibility based on my 2024 income, which is above the limit. Once my 2025 tax assessment becomes available, I expect to qualify.
My landlord cannot wait, so I'm thinking about paying the deposit myself into a blocked KBC rental guarantee account.
According to the rules, the application can still be submitted within 3 months after signing the lease. This made me wonder:
I couldn't find a clear answer on the official websites, so I'd really appreciate hearing from someone with first-hand experience.
Thanks!
I recently bought a Samsung washing machine and matching dryer (around €1,000 each) from Krefel. Since they were out of stock, I had to wait two weeks for delivery.
On the delivery day, I was told the latest delivery time would be 13:45, but the delivery team didn't arrive until 15:00. (I had taken time off work until 14:00)
The real problem started after installation. The washing machine door was extremely difficult to open and close. In contrast, the dryer (the matching model from the same Samsung series) opened and closed effortlessly.
Instead of checking whether the washing machine was defective, the delivery staff simply told me that "they're all like this" and tried to convince me it was normal. It was obvious they just didn't want to deal with the issue.
I refused to accept a brand-new machine in that condition and asked for a replacement. They then told me I would have to wait a long time again.
To make things even more frustrating, I checked Krefel's website while I was on the phone with customer service. If I placed a new order, the exact same model was available for next-day delivery. However, when I asked how long I'd have to wait for the replacement of my defective unit, they told me 9 days. When I pointed out the contradiction, the only answer I got was: "There's nothing we can do."
So now, after already waiting two weeks for delivery, I have to wait another 9 days just to be able to wash my clothes because they delivered a defective product.
Before buying from Krefel, I had read many reviews where people recommended Coolblue instead because of their customer service. I decided to give Krefel a chance anyway.
That was a mistake.
My advice: Think twice before buying from Krefel. I'll definitely be choosing Coolblue next time.
Today my wife and I went to a jewelry store near Antwerp Central Station to buy a very simple 18k gold wedding band.
I’m talking about the most basic ring possible: thin, plain gold, no diamond, no engraving, no special design, nothing that would justify a high craftsmanship cost.
The salesperson was very friendly at first, asking where I was from and making small talk. It honestly felt like he was trying to build some rapport before talking about the price.
When I asked how much the ring was, he said €700.
We were genuinely shocked. I asked if there was something special about it that I was missing. He weighed it in front of us: 2 grams.
I asked again why it was so expensive, thinking maybe there was some premium brand or special craftsmanship involved. He basically just said that gold prices have gone up.
Here’s the part that really surprised me: I didn’t negotiate at all. I only said that the price seemed absurd for such a simple ring. Without me asking for a discount, he immediately said he could sell it for €400 instead.
For people who aren’t familiar with gold prices, 18k gold is currently worth roughly €87 per gram, so a simple 2-gram ring contains about €174 worth of gold. I understand jewelers need to make a profit and charge for manufacturing, but jumping from €700 to €400 instantly felt very strange.
So my question is:
Is this kind of pricing and negotiation common in jewelry stores around Antwerp/Belgium, or did I just happen to walk into a store that was trying to see how much they could get from me?
I’d love to hear if others have had similar experiences.