FIRST IMPRESSIONS

I have not yet had enough time to walk around Brussels peacefully, visit the numerous museums and simply enjoy the city. Most of my walks were related to flat (or, more specifically, room) hunting, but I must say that what I see, I like. And since the spring is just around the corner, I'm looking forward to discovering the various charms of Brussels. If the job thing goes well for both of us, and we manage to get installed here for a few years, I believe I'll be happy.

Later on, I'll tell you about the sights of Brussels (I believe I should see them myself before I make recommendations). First impressions are never about the sights, though. It's rather the vibe your new home gives you, the butterflies-in-the-stomach feeling of discovering something new and exciting. What is it that I have learned about Brussels, then? That it can be home to everybody. The real melting pot. The heart of Europe.

Let's start small: with our own street. Walking down Chaussée de N., you pass all the possible nationalities - people from Africa, Morocco, Liban, Brasil, China, Poland, Spain, Belgium (probably)... the list goes on. Consequently, the street is full of relevant shops and restaurants. There are several Moroccan/Libanese butchers, a Moroccan tea room, a Polish shop and bakery, three Chinese restaurants, a Moroccan/Libanese/Turkish (forgive my ignorance!) snack bar and a pizzeria of the same origin (!), followed by an African shop and several Belgian bars (one of them run by a Russian lady).

Upon leaving our neighbourhood, it only gets more complicated: Spanish shops and Polish hairdressers appear, not to mention Portuguese and Italian restaurants. Finally, there are whole thematic parts of the city: the Moroccan district with its wonderful tea rooms and delicious cakes, the African neighbourhood which I have yet to visit, the Turkish one, the Spanish street, the European district, the crazy international Marché du Midi... It really makes your head spin.

I like it, though. In Brussels, I'm not weird, I'm not special. Here everyone is different, which actually makes you feel you belong. The linguistic and cultural chaos in the streets of Brussels is very similar to the one in my head. I thus embrace it as my own; I feel I can find myself within this diversity.

First impressions: positive. Let's see what comes next.