Top Ten Things I WILL Miss About Brussels

1.     Speaking French – I never tired of putting my many years of French Immersion schooling to use; I also loved hearing Jerel attempt any of his handful of phrases: “une grande bouteille d’eau petillante, s’il vous plait”.

2.     Spinning classes – I came a long way from the first class, when I caused a scene by falling and skewering myself on the handlebar pole of my stationary bike, to my last, when I was in front of the class as an instructor in training.  I will miss those sweat-fests!

3.     Central location – The standard comment about Brussels is: “The best thing about it is its central location in Europe”.  I grew fond enough of Brussels to take offence to the implicit ‘dissing’ of our temporary hometown, but can’t deny that Jerel and I enjoyed many a weekend away.

4.     My local cafes – On weekdays, I could often be spotted at one of my two favourite local coffee shops, diligently working on a manuscript, planning the next weekend jaunt, or reading the French newspapers.

5.     Consistently great dining – Jerel and I sampled a wide variety of cuisine in Brussels - pub food, Moroccan, Thai, Italian and more - and were never disappointed.  Fresh ingredients and good produce seemed to be the secret to success.

6.     La Trattoria – Our favourite way to end the week was with a mellow night at La Trattoria, where the pizza Milano was unbeatable.

7.     Boutique shopping – Shopping for dinner became a fun hobby, as it entailed hopping between specialty shops, offering freshly baked breads, a vast selection of stinky cheeses, and the freshest produce. 

8.     Farmer’s markets galore – Brussels has an abundance of open markets featuring not just produce, but also flowers, cheeses, breads, nuts and of course, waffles.  My favourite was the Wednesday afternoon market in the trendy Chatelain neighborhood.

9.     Tasty treats – Who wouldn’t miss the aroma of fresh waffles wafting from the many ‘waffle trucks’, or the abundance of exquisite chocolateries and patisseries.  I never fell for the double-fried-fries with your choice of hundreds of sauces, but based on the lines many others did!

10. Local parks – Our apartment was a hop-skip and jump away from three of Brussels’ many green parks: ‘Abbaye de la Cambre’, ‘Etangs d’Ixelles’, and ‘Bois de la Cambre’.