Belgium fascinates me for a number of reasons. It's character is surprisingly elusive to me. Brussels, Bruges, and the other areas of Belgium I have visited or passed through are identifiably European but not specific to a particular country I can identify. The architecture seems a mix of Dutch and French. Most people speak English along with French and Flemish. German and French makes of cars mix together on the roads. It's as if someone put western Europe in a blender and created Belgium.
Of course, historically this scenario isn't that far from the truth. Belgium combines the French-speaking Walloonia with the Flemish-speaking Flanders. Brussels is in the middle and thoroughly trilingual with international English commonly heard and seen in print. Brussels' aggregated identity makes it a perfect birthplace for the European Union.
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