My first time in Brussels was when I was 17, then I had many other opportunities to go back in the following years. The city has undergone many changes in the last twenty years and, despite its international nature, it has kept something really special and unique.
The first impression arriving in Brussels is about its contrasts. Modern and futuristic buildings next to small old fashioned cafés. Elegant suburbs with the typical art nouveau style houses, bordering folksy neighbourhoods with Arabic night shops.
Another evident contrast is given by the language, which is French and Dutch together and because of its bilingual asset, every road-sign, restaurant menu, bus and metro indication or any other kind of public information is written in both languages. But walking in the streets you will hear talking also Italian, Spanish, English, Arabic…
The presence of the European Community and many other international companies gives Brussels a very international allure, although the international community is mainly not integrated with the local people. That’s why sometimes Brussels seems like an abstract place, like an airport.
The real “bruxellois” is more and more difficult to find. He talks both French and Dutch but with an accent, and knows all the most ancient cafés (serving only traditionally brewed beer), antique dealers, the best “chocolatiers”, the good restaurants, all places that no tourist and no EEC employee will never find (luckily).
Contrast is usually given by the weather, often rainy, but also windy and sunny, sometimes all together in a crazy stormy mix.

Things I love in Brussels:

Antiquarian shops
Antique market at Le Grand Sablon on Saturday morning
Place du Grand Sablon
Marcolini
Flamant
Lola
Bakeries and Patisseries
Dansaertstraat
The old cafés
Dark trappist beer
Les frites (French fries)
Les Musées des Beaux-Arts