It's All Just Smoke Anyway.

This is the line that separates the smoking from the "non-smoking" section at the Verschueren, a classic and very bruxellois café in the Saint-Gilles commune. This striped demarcation stretches across the ceiling, down the windows, over the tables, and up the bar. Naturally it generates a powerful forcefield that magically contains all of the smoke in one half of the room. In the other half, we're sniffing our Saison Dupont and breathing easy. Hmm.

The Verschueren is known in Brussels as a leftist/communist stronghold. I only learned that recently. Irrelevant! I know another great beer café in Belgium said to be frequented by the far right wing. Ah, this country and its extremes. Anyway, I don't let politics get in the way of fun.

Probably there are bars out there frequented by centrists like me. I bet they're not as cool.