A Brief Stop in Brussels

After 100 days of leaving Belgium, I found my way back to Brussels en route to see my Dutchman for a long weekend. As my previous post show, there are many things I miss about Brussels. On this current trip, I had ten hours to spend at my old stomping grounds before heading to The Netherlands. Instead of rushing to the Grand Place or the Atomium, I went to my Brussels, my old neighborhood of Ixelles.  I enjoyed many of the places I share so many memories with my dear friends and the place where I met the man who inspired this brief trip to Europe.

One of my favorite places in Brussels is Mama Roma.  As a grad student, I used to go after class with my friends when it was a small hole in the wall pizzeria at Place Flagey. Now, there are several throughout the city, yet the flavor has not changed.  I had my usual slice of tartufo (a pizza with thinly sliced potatoes and truffle sauce)  and traded stories of my new American life with one of my closest friends in Brussels.
After lunch, headed to one of my favorite places in Ixelles: Rue de Bailli.  The street is filed with shops, restaurants, and cafés.  The nostalgia filled me as I walked by many of the places I used to frequent. Since it is never too early to have a drink in Belgium, we had an apero of violet liqueur and champagne at one of my favorite neighborhood bars, Roxi. Afterwards, we walked through the Wednesday market of Chatelain. So many memories of the Wednesday market.  Selecting the perfect olives with Santiago,  having a picnic with Loredana,  late night people watching with Bobby, and my first kiss with my Dutchman. 

I concluded my brief Brussels visit with drinks and dinner in the neighborhood.  Went to one of my regular bars, Le Bar, just to discover it was under new management and in typical Belgian style the bartender did not want to issue us a bill for us to figure out what we owed (many businesses in Brussels operate in the 'black' due to high taxes and do not want to issue proper receipts). It created a "petit scandal" to include the manager calling us thieves. However, I was so overwhelmed with happiness from seeing my friends and my love that I did not allow a business' poor accounting practices to ruin my evening.
Dinner was a different story.  La Quincaillerie is one of my favorite restaurants in Brussels. It has a distinct decor as it used to be a hardware store and it still keeps its small shelves throughout its two stories which are decorated with brass molding. A week before my arrival I contacted the management of a dinner for 22 people. Those who know Brussels know customer service is not what we are used to in the United States (see paragraph above). I was surprised that the management was so attentive from the initial contact by sending us the menu choices in advance and communicating frequently.  In between oysters, duck carpaccio, and chocolate mousse I caught up with friends who I've missed terribly.  In between wine and laughter I was reminded of how much love I have in this city.
Slightly jet-lagged, slightly tipsy I left to the Netherlands with another lovely memory of Brussels.  I am grateful to be creating wonderful new memories in Washington but I feel just as fortunate to have the time and resources to share moments with those I love across the pond.