I read somewhere that Brussels was chosen as one of the centers for the European Union because it had no strong identity of its own. It lacks the concert halls of Vienna, the imperial history of Rome, or the cultural cache of Paris. Brussels is just itself, lacking famous cathedrals, works of art, or historical significance. It would seem to be neutral ground in many important ways. We didn’t really know what to expect.

Other than visiting the EU, we had no specific plans for our time in the Belgian capital. This, as it turns out, was precisely the right way to visit Brussels. We had a great time wandering through the city with no clear expectations. We were treated to some beautiful streets meandering up and down the hills, which was a change from the overly flat land of the Netherlands and Bruges. The buildings we walked past were worn but elegant. It is a clearly lived-in city. We stayed in what is probably best described as a student flat. We had a large room in a third-floor walk-up apartment that looked almost as rough as those New York apartments you see in films from the 1970s, just with less heroin and violence. Apparently they have people constantly in and out, either renting the room through airbnb like us or just sleeping in the living room. Though we didn’t talk to anyone else who was staying there at any great length, it felt like a very active space. We just hit it at a lull, I guess.

One of the features of Brussels that stood out to me the most is the number of outdoor markets they have. There were probably a lot since we were there on a weekend, but it seemed like every neighborhood had a square with carts and stands holding various goods. It makes for a much more interesting urban experience than you get in many American cities. That is slowly changing, of course, with the spread of local farmer’s markets, but the markets in Brussels (and in Europe more generally) have a lengthier history to them, and you can feel it when you’re walking through the square. It feels more natural, less forced. It’s a space that represents a more accurate cross-section of the neighborhood, while the clientele at many farmer’s markets in the US feel like they skew towards certain demographics (though that is both changing and not universal).

Of course, Brussels also has the classic European ‘giant space in the middle of a city surrounded by beautiful old buildings’ thing too. The Gran Place more than qualifies. It has the notable cuisine (mostly waffles, beer, and chocolate) and it has the persistent presence of smokers that seems to be required for a city in Europe. The EU buildings were pretty cool to see and they have one of the most informative exhibits that I have ever experienced. There is so much to read, listen to, and watch that it took us 3 hours to walk maybe 500 meters. I learned a lot about the history of movements pushing for a united Europe. It goes back until at least WWI, which was an obvious catalyst for pushing European countries towards greater cooperation. There always seemed to be a Belgiain in the middle of it, too. Then there was this thing called the Schuman Plan that came around in 1951. It was an agreement between France and Germany only six years after they were murdering each other to share resources. It’s pretty incredible when you think about it.

But really, what I took away from Brussels, besides the history, the architecture, the relaxed atmosphere, and the comfortable weight of history, was that waffles are fucking awesome.