In Bruges you go with the flow and you find all the "easy things" such as the Beguinage, the Flemish Primitives Museum
and all the "chocolate,beer and laceshops". You still miss the best there is: the quiet streets WITHOUT the tourists, but you think you have seen Bruges.
In Brussels almost everything prevents you from finding the right places. Too much traffic, too many commuters, too many high-rises. And yet it hides more jewels than Bruges.
The Manneken Pis is the first thing you do NOT want to see.
You had better go and visit Maison Horta, a splendid Art Nouveau house, way out from the centre in "American Street". That's a real delight.
You don't want to waste your time on the Palais de Justice, it is a sheer horror. It's part of Leopold II's monstrous re-organisation of the city along pseudo-Parisian lines.
But go for a stroll in Rue Rollebeek (it's steep because in the Middle Ages this was where a stream came "rolling" down
a hill). You will find art houses and antiques and cosy restaurants.
Go and see the Brueghels in the Museum of Modern and Ancient Art and have a look inside the Museum of Music Instruments.
If you want to try the local beers go to the nice, olden-times type of places such as Falstaff near la Bourse, Estaminet à l'Imaige Nostre Dame,La Bécasse..Pay a visit to the "Toone Puppetshow" ( you may have a language problem there because they do it in a mix of Flemish and French because after all Brussels is a Flemish town that went French).
If you go to the Rue des Bouchers for the eateries remember it was a nice area that alas developed into a tourist trap. But do not skip the bookshops in the nearby Galeries Royales. They are great, especially on art.
If you need anglophone contacts go to the Waterstone's Bookshop in Adolphe Max Avenue. Try to get a copy of "the Bulletin". It's for and by "the British".
There is lots more, but then you have to go for a few walks.
An excellent guide for Brussels is, in my opinion, Cadogan.
Some of the North-African pastry-shops near Grande Place are delicious.
And yes you easily can reach some of the other towns. Ghent and Antwerp have a lot to offer, only they are on a larger scale than Bruges.
There is a train connection that takes you from Brussels to Ghent and Bruges. Or from Brussels to Louvain (University) and Liège. Antwerp and Mechelen are easy too.
But do not board trains on peak hours. You may be smothered by commuters. And the Underground can be downright unpleasant at many moments of the day.
To understand the town -as always - you should read about its history. You will see that 80 % of it was destroyed by megalomaniac developers, by "Europe" and by mad architects. Among the Brussels "lower class" "architect" is the worst term of insult they can think of.
And yes there are chocolate-shops too but nothing can compete with Wittamer's on Sablon Square.
Of course these few notes don't really help you: you have to take time before you really find your way in a cacophonic and
chaotic town as Brussels.
Recently even the Flemings have started to love the town again. They are joining strengths with the creative and artistic francophones who are trying to change the town for the better and even laid out a Brussels Beach along the Canal during the hot summer days. Again a town for people who enjoy life, who enjoy wit (called "zwanze" in Brussels) and not just for "bigheads" ( "dikkenekken" in the local language, "grosses têtes").
As to communicating in English...Anglophones are not a rarity
in town. Especially youngsters are enthusiastic about opportunities to talk a foreign language.
Take into account there is a large group of North-Africans who are not particularly interested in speaking English, as French is already a second language for them.
You may find a few Indian restaurants. How pricey things are depends to a large extent on where you come. The closer to the "European Institutions" the more expensive. But I don't think you had expected anything different.
Brussels
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