"I understood why everyone came here in the end. Zurich is a good city for growing old. And for dying as well. If there is some sort of European geography of age, then it must be distributed as follows. Paris, Berlin, and Amsterdam are for youth, with all its informality, its whiff of joints, beer-drinking in Mauerpark and rolling around in the grass, Sunday flea markets, the frivolity of sex . . . Then comes the maturity of Vienna or Brussels. A slowing of tempo, comfort, streetcars, proper health insurance, schools for the kids, a bit of a career, Euro-pencil-pushing." Time Shelter, Georgi Gospodinov, 14, Liveright Publishing, 2022
I first travelled to Brussels in December 2016. It was a cold winter, around the time when sparkling Christmas markets were being installed. We rented a small place close to the city centre, i.e. Grand Place. The house had its problems but we couldn’t give up on the luxury of staying within walking distance to everywhere. I was impressed by how well-connected Brussels was with other European cities. For the first time in my life, I took a train from Brussels to Paris. I introduced myself to the city, met a friend from high school who lived in Paris back then, had a delicious dinner, and returned to Brussels. My journey on the train showed me that people commute between cities for their jobs. I remember being a little envious of this abundance of movement. Our work station is, well, stationary. Not many jobs come with the opportunity to travel. Change is rare. Over time, routines become even more rigid. Happiness and healthy living is believed to be achieved in these indoor spaces. Our close circle and family support this as well. We build one safe space after another, growing apart from one another. This sense of “togetherness” was the first thing that caught my attention in Brussels - the sense of well-being and happiness in living together...
My second trip to Brussels was in June 2022. Europe had a very hot, dry summer. Around the time of my visit, the weather was pretty good in Brussels. You could walk around in sandals. Days were longer; the sun set around eleven at night. My travel mates had a busy schedule filled with business meetings. This gave me the opportunity to explore the city on my own until dinner for two or three days. I didn’t plan anything in particular and decided to take it easy. I await the city to lead me somewhere. Brussels has its own kind of pace. A quiet one. I enjoy silence in the morning. Silent but active. Completely a different person from six years ago, I and Brussels grew closer in this tranquil movement. Five-hundred metres from the hotel was a big park. I started from there and greeted the day by reading a book for an hour, sitting on a bench. Then, I visited a museum. Around noon, I had some lunch at another park and treated myself to a glass of wine. I liked speaking French, albeit un peu. I pricked up my ears to the conversations around me. I felt like I was in a city with many languages and colours. My expectations were high, and I grew happier as they were fulfilled one by one. Joy is essential for us humans and brings along happiness with it. When you’re happy, you communicate well and can take an optimistic perspective on life.
After lunch, I turned away from the main street and started wandering around the back alleys. I studied houses and architecture. I mingled in with life in these quiet streets. In the late afternoon, I arrived back in the centre. I walked along groups of tourists, entering passages. I checked the movie theatre’s schedule. Yeah, I’d have loved to see that one, but the hours didn’t work for me. The sky was clear so I walked towards the stairs. I felt surprised, and relaxed, by the day’s effortless, careless nature. A little while before this trip, I had started thinking about what kind of place you should spend your mid-life. I hadn’t read the book I quoted at the beginning of this feature. One may want to slow down without losing the feeling of excitement; however, it’s hard to do this in a city where it’s not possible to slow down at all. In the evening, the people I met asked me, “How was your day? Were you bored?” I said, “No.” How can one get bored in Brussels? I turned my face towards the sun. The hours had passed. I ordered another cold beer. As I returned to the conversation around the table, I heard a whisper in my ear: “Tomorrow. Same hour, same park.”
After many years, I felt like I grew closer to the cities and streets in Brussels. Travel helps us find places that fulfill our wishes, spend time with ourselves, and listen to our inner voice. Brussels reminds me of René Magritte’s paintings - blue, green, grey, black, and orange. Illuminated and dim at the same time. It’s filled with music, film, and fun, and is in no way withdrawn.