Settling into Brussels has, so far, been an entirely different experience to Madrid. Granted, I’m here for a completely different reason (work instead of study) and am starting out from a different footing (staying with friends as opposed to in a hostel) and so its not the exact same but I’m still finding somewhere to live and it’s still a world away from my first experiences of Madrid. And this is mostly for the better.
For a start, there isn’t quite so a big difference in the culture and way of life. The supermarkets are big, full of choice and stock many of the products I find at home, including Rice Krispies (ironically, found next to the Smacks) and the times at which people go out for drinks are very nearly, if not identical. Even the weather is like home – an ever-changing shade of grey.
The experience has mostly been a lot easier though because I have he luxury of staying with friends from university while finding somewhere to live. They’ve introduced me to a few of the other interns who I’ll no doubt be getting to know while I’m here, as well as a some of their favourite haunts and a couple of the famous friteries.
I get the feeling though that Brussels is an easy city to settle in. Whereas Madrid has a very distinct feel, culture and atmosphere to it, seemingly proclaiming that it is Madrid and that you are in it, Brussels lives a happy existence, quietly getting on with business. It doesn’t try to impose itself on you or stand out.
The comment that perhaps springs from this description though is one that I found back in Madrid when discussing national stereotypes. While the Italians, Dutch, Scots and everyone else can be stereotyped for their love of cooking, clogs and Irn Bru, the Belgians can’t. They lack an image that can be made fun of and this is reflected in a city that seems to lack any real icons that it can claim as its own. While Paris has the Eiffel Tower and London has Big Ben, Brussels doesn’t appear to have any great building to claim as its own.
Individually, at a street level though, the buildings are full of character, coming in an array of different sizes, types and styles. There is no one uniform feel to an area, finding a historic apartment building next to some ugly construction left over from the sixties, next to a clean, modern hotel. Perhaps this patch-work reflects the nature of the EU, mirroring the mix of people from all over Europe.
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