Reporter’s Notebook: The road to Brussels and experiencing the skyscraper metropolis

Never mind the various challenges I experienced in preparation for my trip or the more than 13 hours it took me to finally arrive in Brussels– Belgium, after a few delays while in Amsterdam, which is less than an hour away by plane– the question of whether it had been worthwhile in the end did not linger for very long.

On the morning of July 13, about 1:00 Central European Summer Time (CEST), I arrived and subsequently made my way via taxi to my lodging at the Thon Hotel Brussels City Centre in the municipality of Saint-Josse-ten-Noode, where I had easy access to some popular fast food and fine dining restaurants, and was within walking distance of a variety of grocery stores and shopping malls.

The purpose of my travel was for business after being invited to cover two events: the European Union (EU) - Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) Forum –Partners in Change: Youth, Civil Society and Local Authorities, which took place on July 13 and 14, and the EU-LAC 2023 Business Roundtable, which was held on July 17 at the European Commission headquarters.

While there I made a few wonderful connections, including the Latin American journalists Daniela Chiaretti, Brenda Struminger, Aldo Munguia, and Brayan Becerra, and press officers, Annamaria Roman and Pedro Sacadura while also interacting with some youth leaders from Haiti and Brazil and four young employees from the European Commission.

Adjusting To a New Time Zone and Experiencing Lower Temperatures

Initially, I paid little attention to my new environment as my mind and body were still operating on Jamaica time and frequently felt quite sluggish, not to mention trying to adjust to longer days and shorter nights with nightfall starting at 10 p.m.

Given the seven-hour time difference between Brussels and Kingston, I would experience the start of a new day before my friends and family back home.

A fun fact is that I made sure to keep my wristwatch set to Jamaica time as a way of keeping a piece of home with me, I suppose, and would often check it and think to myself ‘oh, it’s now this time or that time and if I was back home I’d be doing this thing or that thing.’

I regretfully did not prepare my luggage with clothing to fend off the cold, so I had to try to get used to waking up to the chilling winds and low temperatures of 11 to 19 degrees Celsius. Even if the temperature rose to at least 23 degrees Celsius during the day, it remained bitterly cold and windy for an islander like me to have to experience. An Ireland native whom I met while in Brussels informed me that these were the warmest days that they’ve ever seen, as the Winter months would bring temperatures as low as -5 degrees Celsius.

I didn’t have much work to do on the weekend, so I slept in a little later than normal on Saturday. I contemplated the possibility that jet lag had finally set in, but after finally mustering up the willpower to not sleep away my entire weekend, I searched online for ‘souvenir shops near me’.

Walking The Streets of Brussels

I soon realised that there was a shopping district about 1km on foot from where I was staying. The approximately 12-minute journey did seem far, and I was very apprehensive about taking it on.

But how did I find myself where I said I would not venture still remains a mystery to me.

I kept my gaze fixed upwards to the skies as I entered Rue de Malines, a long stretch of brick road that would set me on my way.

I instantly became mesmerised by the cityscape. From the wide, open roadways that included special access lanes for bikers, including those riding electric scooters, bicycles, and motorbikes, to the display of modern buildings made primarily of large glass windows and that of the others tall buildings with the old rustic look of burnt clay brick, commonly called “red bricks,” that were lined with steel, a display of the perfect fusion of the 17th century artistry and the present was revealed.

These buildings were far taller than The Jamaica Pegasus – the island’s tallest building, standing at 17 storeys until its competition, the 27-storey building being developed at 1B Oxford Road in St Andrew dubbed ‘The Ascent at the Oxford’ is completed.

I followed the movement of the streets, landing in one of the busiest areas – Rue Nueve. It wasn’t until I was being pushed around that I had snapped back into reality.

I made this journey in fact without the help of Google maps, and I must say that this was a very proud moment for me. Everywhere I went, there was the smell of freshly made croissants, and fries with people having beers and eating Liège waffles, one of Belgium’s famous street foods along the way.

After visiting three souvenir shops, I stopped by a vendor selling these tasty looking waffle treats but opted to quench thirst instead with a good ol’ slushie. Saturday was a bit warmer averaging to 24 degrees Celsius. I then found the nearest bench to rest my legs in front of The Royal Theatre of La Monnaie, an opera house in central Brussels, which was unfortunately closed until August 15 – and I people gazed.

What I’ve grown to appreciate about Brussels is its diversity, with Asians and Africans well represented within the population as in every crowd of Caucasian people, I would see familiar faces? This was comforting. However, many of the people I encountered lacked common pleasantries, the total opposite when in the Caribbean.

The highlight, however, of my people watching was when a pitbull passed by with his owners and was gripping a medium-sized log in its mouth rather than the usual twig. The animal lover in me beamed at the amusing sight, and I found myself unintentionally grinning from ear-to-ear.

After this, I didn’t get much time to do more sightseeing but, on my final night, I joined the other reporters to have a chat and some drinks as a wrap on our coverage of the events. I drank two beers: the deep dark brown Rochefort Trappist beer, which has 11.2 per cent alcohol by volume, and the sour tasting Kriek lambic, which has a pinkish-red hue and is cherry flavoured.

Although I don’t know much about beer, the Rochefort was smooth and had a very high-quality taste; it was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. The world-famous Belgian chocolates, which ranged from a selection of sweet milk chocolates to up to 80 per cent dark cocoa, were the cherry on top.

If I ever have the opportunity to travel to Belgium for leisure, I’ll make sure to visit the museum of illusions on Rue du Fossé aux Loups and go on a culinary tour to sample bites of the country’s most popular dishes.

asha.wilks@gleanerjm.com