My Master's class and I spent 2 days in Brussels this week as part of our education on EU integration. We visited the EU Parliament on day one; EU Commission on day two.
I left the EU Parliament feeling rather disenchanted due to the miscommunication and uncoordination of the staff which resulted in much frustration and feeling like a struggling existentialist character in one of Kafka's novels - every tunnel had a road block. This was red tape in the flesh. Meeting at 0825 at Amsterdam Centraal also took a toll of some of us as we dozed off during a presentation by a Member of Parliament. hohum. We then attended a Q&A session with a Romanian socialist lady who appeared a little under the influence, what with her stumbling self and answers that never answered our questions.
On the train..
while walking to our hotel..
Ilias looks so smart in a suit!
us girls in formal attire..
sitting in one of the Parliament sessions..
Dinner I had with the boys in a quaint Italian restaurant as my lasses went off separately. I've grown very fond of each one, with their different personalities and quirks. Talk consisted of military stuff, "what I'd do if a boy wants to date my daughter" stuff, weather stuff, women stuff...
Thereafter, we met up with the girls..and beer had to be drunk..
Day Two was spent learning about the EU's external policies at one of the Commission buildings. Common Foreign and Security Policy talk was comme ci comme ca, but the talk about legal cooperation and extradition was majorly interesting and led by a charismatic lawyer who managed to wow us with his eloquence and wit. Oh yes, in stark contrast, receiving our class and organising a room for the session went like clockwork and improved my image of european efficiency, thankfully.
We took a class photo, of course, but alas, not with my camera..
After the talk, the girls and I decided to tour Brussels a bit although we've all been there before. We went to the Museum of modern art which was really nice. Bought many postcards and I managed to buy a poster of Dali's work, La Tentation de St. Antoine. This is definitely going up on my wall. Also, I went crazy with all the Magritte stuff.. I was in surrealist heaven.
Girls and I on the Grand Place/Grote Markt..
walking to the museum..
what say you...
we became part of the art..
this art installation was pretty cool..
After digesting modern art, we went shopping! For chocolates, for beer, for waffles...
Chocolate fountain..
decisions, decisions...
yummeh..
at the supermarket buying beer..
We caught the train back to Amsterdam at 1819h. We were happy people.
I left the EU Parliament feeling rather disenchanted due to the miscommunication and uncoordination of the staff which resulted in much frustration and feeling like a struggling existentialist character in one of Kafka's novels - every tunnel had a road block. This was red tape in the flesh. Meeting at 0825 at Amsterdam Centraal also took a toll of some of us as we dozed off during a presentation by a Member of Parliament. hohum. We then attended a Q&A session with a Romanian socialist lady who appeared a little under the influence, what with her stumbling self and answers that never answered our questions.
On the train..
while walking to our hotel..
Ilias looks so smart in a suit!
us girls in formal attire..
sitting in one of the Parliament sessions..
Dinner I had with the boys in a quaint Italian restaurant as my lasses went off separately. I've grown very fond of each one, with their different personalities and quirks. Talk consisted of military stuff, "what I'd do if a boy wants to date my daughter" stuff, weather stuff, women stuff...
Thereafter, we met up with the girls..and beer had to be drunk..
Day Two was spent learning about the EU's external policies at one of the Commission buildings. Common Foreign and Security Policy talk was comme ci comme ca, but the talk about legal cooperation and extradition was majorly interesting and led by a charismatic lawyer who managed to wow us with his eloquence and wit. Oh yes, in stark contrast, receiving our class and organising a room for the session went like clockwork and improved my image of european efficiency, thankfully.
We took a class photo, of course, but alas, not with my camera..After the talk, the girls and I decided to tour Brussels a bit although we've all been there before. We went to the Museum of modern art which was really nice. Bought many postcards and I managed to buy a poster of Dali's work, La Tentation de St. Antoine. This is definitely going up on my wall. Also, I went crazy with all the Magritte stuff.. I was in surrealist heaven.
Girls and I on the Grand Place/Grote Markt..
walking to the museum..
what say you...
we became part of the art..
this art installation was pretty cool..
After digesting modern art, we went shopping! For chocolates, for beer, for waffles...
Chocolate fountain..
decisions, decisions...
yummeh..
at the supermarket buying beer..
We caught the train back to Amsterdam at 1819h. We were happy people.
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