An introduction of sorts...

The picture that almost everyone has of their time spent in Brussels

Most people think they know Brussels.

Home of beer, chocolate, waffles and Tin Tin. Fine, fair enough, those are all fine things, but there is more to Brussels than meets the eye. 

For those travelers who stop over in the Belgian city, they go and see the Grand Place, Manneken Pis, they have a beer, eat some frites and call it a day. 

It's not London, Paris or New York City, but it does have some great places to visit, eat, drink and dance the nights. There are neighbourhoods where you can meet up with friends on a patio, markets where you feel like you're in another country, bars where you can sample dozens of Trappist beers and enough food to keep your belly full for days. 

As an expat, living in Brussels, the city can be challenging, closed off, you can find yourself struggling to communicate, but it also adds to the charm. It's not an "in your face" kind of city. You have to dig a little deeper to find out about new places to try, but I can assure you, it's worth it. 

I've lived here for 6 years and I'm constantly discovering new places. I've had the great fortune of making friends outside of my work as a teacher, so I've benefited from the true Brussels experience from the people that know it well. 

You'll get to see some of my favourite places and meet some of my favourite people in the city, you might even be able to contribute to my ever-changing knowledge of this city. I'm all about the feedback. 

Live from BXL,

Darren