Thursday 23 February 2012

Giving You The Bird

In the morning I take The Boy out for as long as possible. Mainly because I cannot tolerate four and a half hours each morning playing with brightly-coloured toddler-toys.  But also because the Parc de Woluwe is absolutely massive and we can explore at will.  After this morning's fowl-feeding with the swans getting a little cheeky and pecking my elbow, we set off over the hill.  In one swept glance I saw tufty red squirrels and bright green parakeets.  While The Boy slept, I walked and walked round the lakes, and was just so happy.  Passed the Tram Museum on the way back and, accompanying child or not, I am definitely going there.

Early for babysitting tonight I sat in Parc Leopold, the hindquarters of the European Parliament just in sight, as more (or maybe the same) parakeets partied in the trees.  I ate a huge bag of Lays crisps as they swooped like coked-up Disney cartoons.  The air started looking milky and the pale lamps round the lake all came on together.  By now my lips were burned by the salt but I kept eating.

Brussels is not an instantly seductive city.  It's more like the mate you hang out with for a while before realising that you really like them.  I really like Brussels.

           

5 comments:

  1. It sounds like it's beginning to feel like home.

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  2. Hello, I started reading your blog as you posted quite a bit on the Brussels expat board on Facebook. I agree with you about Brussels. I have been here for almost three years and I still can not get over how ugly the city seems and then boom you find a patch of beauty like the wide street by Montgomery, ambiorix, sablon etc. It is definitely a city that grows on you.

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  3. I don't think it's an ugly city, but then I do love cities. The country is all wrong and full of space. It feels like completely the right choice to be here, and yet that choice was based on very little...

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  4. I love cities as well but I think Amserdam, Paris, Antwerp, London and other cities have a charm to it where you want to soak in everything. Brussels is different. But then again, I am from NYC and Brooklyn.... and will always be an urban girl

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  5. I only know Paris, London and Brussels of those cities. I think all cities have both an urban edge and the weight and beauty of history, and that's what I like. Brussels is very edgy in places, as is London, and in others it is elegant and beautiful.

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