Van Lys Chocolaterie
Well, I show up at Van Lys Chocolaterie's head office/factory
in an industrial park on the outskirts of Ieper (population 35,000)
only to find the place closed. I mailed my letter of introduction
to Managing Director Marcel Real more than a month ago. How much
effort would it have taken to send an e-mail letting me know
they'd be closed for vacation?
The one-story, dull-looking concrete slab of a structure looks
like it was built in the early 1970's. I spot a car in the parking
lot so I look in a side window and see a women sitting in front
of a computer. I tap on the window to get her attention and we
meet at the front door. Yep, the place has been closed for two
weeks and won't open for another week. The woman helps takes
care of the computers so she can't help me though I do learn
Van Lys does quite a bit of business with Wal-Mart.
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