Brussels isn't in Switzerland (yet)

Picture this conversation:

My husband: I am living in Brussels right now (assumption was that people know that Brussels is a city in Belgium)

Person my husband was talking to: have fun in Switzerland. I have cousins that live in Zurich.

This little conversation was similar to one I had several months ago when some American thought Brussels was its own country. I can not make this stuff up no matter how drunk I get on Belgian beer. There are actually people that do not know Brussels is in Belgium or that it is the capital of the European Union. I also remember that years ago, my husband and I were on line waiting to visit the Anne Frank House and I heard someone behind us say, I thought Anne Frank hid in Copenhagen. Well, she hid in Amsterdam (the city), The Netherlands not Copenhagen, Denmark (in Scandanavia). I bet there are people that think Brussels, the country or city is paved in chocolate and diamonds.

Trust me, I have wished more than anything that Brussels was not in Belgium but in some sunny country like Spain or Florida. But every time I open my eyes, I am still in this rainy place. Though the weather for the past couple of days has been REALLY nice. And that is something to be thankful for.

But back to the geography topic. It is amazing how people don't know which country major European cities are. I don't expect many people to know where Eupen is (Belgium) or Oerlikon is (Switzerland). But Brussels? The capital of the European Union? How could you not know where that is? Are you drunk on Belgian beer?