Neerlandia. Jaargang 74

[p. 148]

[Brusselse sprokkelingen (vervolg)]

New Brussels. - Volg de Champs Elysèes tot aan het Manhattan Center, neem dan de Broadway tot Picadilly Circus, loop dan rechts Fifth Avenue af en je komt bij Manneke Pissing...

Life in Brussels

I remember being warned by the wife of a colleague prior to moving to Brussels that the only nice place was the departure lounge at the airport. I am fortunate that after three years I have not been forced to the same conclusions. I have of course noticed differences, some good and some bad, compared with my former environment, and while I cannot be too sure whether these are peculiar to Brussels, Belgium or the insularity of my own up-bringing, nevertheless they mean Brussels to me.

One often reads criticisms of a city according to the standard of its theatres, its museums, its department stores, etc. and while it is highly desirable that all these should be good they don't necessarily play a large part in one's life. Far more important to me is the general atmosphere, the architecture, the way in which the historical buildings are preserved and the design of the new ones, the transport systems, the lay-out of the streets and parks, the overall opportunity to enjoy the environment and of course the demeanour of the people. These, coupled with the day-to-day problems of life and how easy they are to solve, have been much more influential on my attitude to Brussels than the cultural opportunities which are probably available in fair measure in all capital cities.

I suppose everyone owes some of his Brussels attitude to the Grand-Place. To me it is certainly a big highlight but how could the Town Hall allow itself to destroy its own environment and part of the soul of Brussels by turning this gem into a free parking lot. Taxi ranks and bus routes destroy its charm, and I have a sneaking suspicion that the scaffolding which permanently despoils it has taken root. Surely a city which has been able to construct an underground railway and an excellent system of underpasses can find a way to preserve its own heart.

For me, the rest is a strange mixture. There are charming corners of the city, squares which come to life on market day, intriguing little shops which do not give the impression that they ever provided a livelihood for anyone and fine old buildings. It would be unrealistic to think that all this could be preserved with the commercial demands of city life. But one also feels that there is much which could be preserved which is being destroyed by demolition or by haphazard development, which is either out of keeping or ugly by any standards. Maybe that is the same everywhere. The important thing is that a lot of charm still exists. There are of course many irritating things and I suppose top of my list are the trams and the taxis. The trams sail along like pied pipers with an angry entourage of drivers, their veins bulging with blood as the iron beast rattles to a stop and opens its doors in front of a green traffic light. All very uneconomic to everyone except the tram owners, although where separate tracks exist leaving room for manoeuvre in the streets, who could deny their value.

The taxis I feel worse about because they appear to get Brussels such a bad name. They are disgracefully expensive and one is then subjected to many indignities over the tip. One seldom leaves the taxi in good terms with the driver. More often one feels one has left one right arm behind. One would feel better if it was apparent that the driver himself was getting rich, but evidently that is not the case. At the very least it would be good to have a mandatory tip built into the meter.

But life in Brussels is not just a series of irritants. The opportunity to live in very agreeable surroundings so close to the city is a splendid asset which so few capitals can offer and it is this which colours our family's attitude towards Brussels more than anything else. Woods, lakes, fields and an apparent determination to preserve as much of nature as possible are delights that everyone can enjoy and we certainly do.

Finally, there are the people, but even after three years I would not say that I know them well or joined in living with them. My impression is that in private life the family is all-important. There is less friendship outside the family, less group interest and less opportunity for casual acquaintances to grow into something more rewarding than I had previously experienced. Perhaps the most surprising impression is one of lack of pride in Brussels or in Belgium. True, when Eddy Merckx is in the saddle the country is behind him and the streets were rather empty when Anderlecht played Arsenal last Spring. But other than that, life goes on under the surface. It does not seem to be penetrated quickly by the foreigner.

Britannicus

Minister van Mechelen zal zorgen voor Nederlandstalige gidsen

Enkele dames richtten destijds in de Belgische hoofdstad de ‘Nederlandse Museumgroep in Brussel’ op. In het begin van dit jaar nam men deel aan een rondleiding door de Koninklijke Musea voor Schone Kunsten van België in Brussel. Het bezoek was voor de deelneemsters een vreugde, die echter getemperd werd door de afwezigheid van een nederlandstalige gids. Die is niet aan dit belangrijke instituut verbonden.

De dames wendden zich tot de algemeen voorzitter van het ANV, dr. W.H. van den Berge, die naar aanleiding daarvan een brief schreef aan de minister van Nederlandse Cultuur, prof. dr. F. van Mechelen in Brussel.

De minister schreef aan de heer van den Berge, dat hij ‘ten zeerste de toestand betreurde’ en zijn diensten de opdracht had gegeven deze aangelegenheid zorgvuldig te onderzoeken en hem gepaste maatregelen voor te stellen.

Wij juichen de maatregel van de minister toe. Immers de wens van Nederlandssprekenden om kennis te nemen van de grote kunstschatten, aanwezig in genoemde musea, moet als waardevol worden geacht en is dienstbaar aan de door beide landen voorgestane culturele integratie.