Behind the scenes

I’ve been quite quiet recently. It’s because I’ve been plotting and planning something that has stretched me in all sorts of directions. Yesterday it came to fruition. I signed a contract on a luxury 70 sq. m. flat in Brussels: for the same price I pay for a piece of, lets just say, sub-prime accommodation and an office in Holland that together offer me a glorious 45 sq. m.

It’s been almost two months of plotting and planning but last night I had the keys and slept there. Still two weeks before I move, three weeks before I close the flat in Wageningen but it feels like ‘job done’. Touch wood the whole thing has gone smoothly so far- two issues remain- putting the final details to what I hope will be a memorable leaving party and working out whether I should / have to change my car insurance / number plates to the Belgian system. It’s too late to worry about that tonight.

Instead I went out with a friend to celebrate. In typical Belgian style we ate at nine-thirty and in keeping with the international ambience we ate a la Roumanie. A hearty meal – we didn’t even make it to dessert. There are so many good and affordable restaurants in Brussels and eating out is a very strong part of the culture. In Holland I eat out about once a month – here it averages twice a week. It’s what people do – part of the ‘South European mentality” – even though geographically Brussels is only 100k from Holland it has an entirely different vibe. People ask me if Brussels is expensive. That aspect of life certainly pushes up the monthly spend.

The future’s bright. The future’s not just Orange.