Brussels - Bruxelles                                                                        June 18, 2003

Unpredictably, we find ourselves in Brussels.  Plans for a summer's sojourn in France were quickly scrapped when we discovered how difficult it was to find suitable accommodations in our first stopover,Tours.  The local real estate agents only had furnished studios listed (for students, we think), and our limited knowledge of French made it impossible to dig below the surface.  After two days we changed direction -- heading north towards Belgium -- hoping the rental market there would be better suited to our needs.  And voila, Brussels it is!

Belgium is about as international a country as you'll find anywhere.  It has three official languages -- Flemish (Dutch), French, and German.  Brussels, its capital, is also the unofficial capital of Europe, home of the EU Commission and NATO.  In this bilingual city of one million, signs are in French and Flemish, though most people speak French.  Thankfully many of them also speak a very passable English.  

With the language barrier lowered and some good advise -- many thanks to our friend Baudouin for welcoming us to his city and helping us find our way -- we easily found a furnished apartment to rent for the summer.  Brussels, with its large expatriate community, caters to people who move around regularly.  The Bulletin, the city's English weekly magazine, had lots of ads for apartments, suggesting that fewer people are on foreign assignments after 9/11 and the recent economic slowdown.  

Our 6th floor apartment is located in town, southeast of the inner city between two parks -- the Jardin du Roi and the Ponds of Ixelles.  It has two bedrooms, two baths, an office, high ceilings, balconies facing each of the parks, and a swimming pool (currently being readied for summer, which seems to have arrived early this year.)  This photo is of the apartment's lovely living room.

The apartment is great, but it had one major deficiency -- it only had a small, half-size refrigerator.  Obviously others had managed to live with it, presumably shopping every other day in the European manner.  But I couldn't.  After 3 weeks, we went out and bought a second half-size refrigerator.  Now we just need to figure out a way to remember which refrigerator has what in it!

Brussels -- like most European cities -- grew bit by bit, so it's difficult to find your way around, especially if you're driving.  Like Christchurch, street names change every few blocks, but here roads are often one-way and narrow.  Even the wider streets are usually slow-going, as they attract traffic and a regular retinue of double-parked cars.  Fortunately, our neighborhood has everything we need within walking distance.  I'm taking French classes nearby, and there are 3 supermarkets and at least two dozen restaurants within 6 blocks.  There's also a large "farmers" market on weekends, just two blocks away along "our" pond.  Being able to walk places is great, but in Brussels you've got to keep your eyes on the ground as well as ahead.  It's easy to stub a toe on the many cobble-stoned and uneven sidewalks, and Belgians, who love their dogs, seem oblivious of the "doggie doo" issue.  No one curbs Fifi, nor do they bother to clean up after.  It's most fortunate that it rains regularly.

We quickly found a golf club to join.  The upmarket Golf Club d'Hulencourt, has 27 holes (a championship course and a par 3 course).  It caters to those who "enjoy the finer things in life".  With a current membership of only 350, Hulencourt is a golfer's dream come true.  

The course is located out in the country, surrounded by farmland.  This lovely photo of the water hazard on the 14th at sunset was taken by our club's photographer, Paul Eric. It was clearly taken after the regular afternoon winds had died down.

When the club was started, about 12 years ago, several old brick barns were completely gutted and converted into offices, conference rooms, a clubhouse and a courtyard restaurant.  This is a photo of Dick on the restaurant's patio; we're celebrating our first full round of golf in Belgium.

The course is well-maintained and never busy -- there's no need to make a tee time or plan ahead.  On a recent sunny Saturday morning we met Baudouin at the club.  We arrived at 8:30 and teed off around 9:15 after warming up.  Amazingly, no one teed off while we were getting ready, nor was there anyone behind us for about 5 holes!  On a Saturday morning!!!  Just heavenly.  

Hulencourt holds a member-sponsored tournament most Sundays.  We've played in all of them to date and have met many of the club's members.  They're a friendly and welcoming group.  We're already kissing lots of cheeks, which is the customary greeting around here.

Although we've been busy settling in and exploring our 'hood, we have managed to try a miniscule sampling of the food and sweets on offer hereabouts.  It's evident that almost any restaurant, any slice of bread, any piece of pastry, or any morsel of chocolate will be to our liking.  Our biggest problems: choosing among the all too numerous options and not ballooning up two sizes.  

We think this summer in Brussels will suit us quite well.  At this moment it seems we're happily -- and thankfully -- swimming in a bowl of cream.   Salut! 

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