Brussels has long been a popular destination for Irish expats, with plenty of jobs on offer for native English speakers, a more international setting than Dublin could offer and (many of you may be shocked) an ever so slightly better climate than our fair isle.
Ask any Irish expat in Brussels what they miss most about home and you'll hear a range of answers from ‘proper’ tea (none of this Lipton's nonsense) to Tayto crisps.
But when it comes down to it, the things we really miss are far more basic...
Decent pavements: If our pavements in anyway resembled those here in Brussels, our courts would have ensured the Irish state hit bankruptcy long ago. Apparently the Belgian judicial system is not so generous.
Proper opening hours: Closed at 6pm on weekdays. Closed on Sundays. When is a working girl to shop? Battling with half of Brussels on a Saturday afternoon is a less than pleasant way to spend your free time. Food shopping is only mildly better. An extra long day at work and your choice of dinner will come down to a packet of biscuits or strange smelling salami from the night shop.
Dustbins: Where are they? This would appear to be a general grievance for all expats. Brussels, please invest!
Maria McGoldrick,
DG MARKT
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