Then There Was Brussels

by Ali Cahill

Class members from the Great Works Symposium on the European Union (EU), held in Winter 2007, had the opportunity to take a six-day field trip to Brussels to meet with EU officials from the European Parliament (EP), the European Commission (EC), and other EU offices. The class even paired up with a university in Leuven for the first ever Drexel University—Katholieke Universiteit Leuven joint class lecture and discussion. And, of course, there was the sightseeing around Brussels, as well as the finest food Belgium has to offer – chocolate, waffles and mussels.

The following is a travel narrative of sorts following the day-to-day events of the week. Of course, no narrative could capture everything that happened for the entire week, nor could it depict the camaraderie felt by the group (including its instructors) by the end of the trip, but here is my vain attempt to recall everything that happened.

Click the day for pictures from that day.

All opinions and mockeries are strictly based on my memories of events that happened, and reflect in no way the opinions of Drexel University, the College of Arts & Sciences, or the Department of History and Politics.

Then there was the bad weather.
‑‑ Ernest Hemingway, The Moveable Feast

Day 1 :: Sunday, March 25, 2007 :: Pictures

Then there was the freedom. It was oddly liberating being in a city where, of the three languages that are spoken, I only spoke one:  English (I can’t speak French or Flemish). The experience was oddly liberating because the chance of death seemed that much more likely; surely the French would kill me for butchering their pristine language with my inappropriately-accented Mercis and S'il Vous Plaîts. These two words were about the extent of my French knowledge, and it may have been for the better, since I was clearly not capable of imitating the proper way the French speak, and seemed, in my futile attempts, to only make them laugh at me.

I arrived in Brussels a day early, with my roommate Cat, to many disastrous events that tipped the Karmic scale in our direction for the duration of the trip. By Sunday, I was more or less adjusted to the six-hour time difference from Philadelphia, and while the rest of the class was traipsing sleepily through the city, I had a little more energy which meant that I could enjoy the beauty of the architecture, the people, the landscape, the smells, and everything else. It also meant that I didn’t fall asleep in my food.

Cat and I left the panic-attack-inducing hotel, Le Thon, we had been staying for the one day we were in Brussels before the rest of our class arrived, and hiked up the steep incline of the Boulevard du Jardin Botanique with our 40-lb suitcases and laptops to arrive at our lovely new hotel, the Crown Royal. It was only about a mile’s walk from Le Thon, but Brussels is all hills and cobblestones.

After opening the windows in our room and letting in the sunlight, we realized that today was probably one of the most beautiful days we could expect from Brussels, and decided to go out exploring. Outside, we continued walking down the Boulevard du Jardin Botanique (the Boulevard of the Botanical Garden). The Botanical Garden was like a tropical, flowering paradise that was less than two blocks from our hotel. Walking in the other direction, we came to a large church sitting in the middle of the street, much like Philadelphia’s City Hall. Heading down the steep hill to our left, we would later learn, was the train station, and to the right, a twisting corridor of bars, cafés and wireless Internet shops.

In the late afternoon, our professors, Dr. Christian Hunold and Dr. Alina Luca, took us to dinner at a restaurant in the Grote Markt, or the Grand Place, the biggest and grandest of the many squares in Brussels. The class got its first taste of the French/Flemish menus that would haunt us for the rest of the trip. Some of us accidentally ended up ordering things “tartare,” or raw (in French:  toast cannibale, which really should have tipped us off), but we all stared in contempt at our tiny portions of food that cost 20€, wondering where the rest of the meal was. This day we also discovered that the Belgians don’t believe in salad dressing, and instead use mayonnaise as their primary condiment– a fancy lump of it would accompany any salad and frites (French fries). The lack of Ranch dressing nearly broke my heart, and it will be a long time before I touch mayonnaise again.

Day 2 :: Monday, March 26, 2007 :: Pictures

Then there were the giant espresso-dispensing machines. If there is such a thing as love at first sight, I immediately fell in love with these wacky Flemish inventions. They were huge, hulking contraptions that ground espresso beans, frothed milk, and then dispensed them in perfect proportion directly into an espresso cup and saucer. Just by pushing a button, I could eject a shot of espresso, a doubleshot (grande espresso), a cafélatte, café au lait, hot chocolate, or hot water (for tea) or hot (steamed) milk. Never mind that I couldn’t exactly read what each button said, and that maintaining the machine would be nearly impossible in the U.S., I made up my mind that I was going to ask for one for Christmas.

Belgian breakfasts, I discovered, are served in Heaven. A wider spread of food can’t be imagined and, despite the notion that Europeans don’t really understand how to cook scrambled eggs, everything was delicious. The croissants, for example:  never in my life have I tasted a sweeter, flakier, more delicious pastry than a Belgian croissant. They were positively blissful.

After breakfast, we left the hotel at 1pm to visit Jim Allen, of the European Commission. Allen discussed with us the topic of promoting growth and jobs in the EU. Within the Commission, he works specifically with a few European nations to try and reach goals laid out by the EU in the Lisbon Strategy [which aims to make the EU more competitive and deal with the stagnating economy by 2010]. The strategies included increasing the number of women and elderly in the work force and creating more jobs within the individual economies. The class had a very interactive discussion with Allen about how he goes about achieving such expansive goals.

After getting sufficiently lost, we found the Romanian embassy, where we had an appointment with Marius Hirte, a minister counselor, and the deputy permanent representative. Because Romania just joined the EU in January 2007, we had a discussion with him about the struggles and anticipations of his country in the near future. Mirte was an animated, enthusiastic man who told us some very candid stories about Romanian resistance to the EU. I’m not allowed to repeat the story, but it involved a tradition of burying pigs, and threatening to slit the throats of EU officials who tried to stop the tradition. Mitre had some unique insight into the process of joining EU membership, specifically the current struggles in Romania to adjust to being a member with full decision-making abilities and no longer having to do everything the commission orders for fear of losing membership.

The class returned to the hotel, where we were on our own until 8pm, when we would meet with Stijn Kwanten over dinner to discuss European asylum and refugee issues. With the open economies of the European Union and strong state welfare programs, many people from Russia and Northern Africa illegally immigrate into Belgium and other European nations in hopes of finding work. The problems and arguments involved in the issue were not foreign to us U.S. citizens, as they are very much the same ones we hear regarding our own Mexican border.

We ate at an Italian place in the Grote Markt. After dinner, Kwanten told us about his job at the Belgian Federal Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers and what he did there. Basically, he evaluates whether or not those who seek asylum should be granted it. Our class, being the diplomats we are, asked if we could seek asylum in Belgium based on the persecution we face in the States from George Bush. Unfortunately, having our civil liberties trampled doesn’t count as maltreatment from the government, so Kwanten was sad to tell us that, no, we could not seek asylum in Belgium for that reason.

Day 3 :: Tuesday, March 27, 2007 :: Pictures

Then there was the subway system. We had taken it the previous day, I’m sure, but I have yet to comment on its splendor. The subway system in Brussels cannot even be compared to SEPTA; SEPTA cowers in the shadow of Brussels’ subway. With its high ceilings, three levels of different trains running north-south and east-west, clean floors, and gigantic coin-like sculpture on the -1 floor of our particular stop, their subway is more like 30th Street Station than any SEPTA stop.

The technology in the stations is also significantly advanced. Taking the subway to work is the norm in Brussels, and businesspeople waltz into and out of the subway at all hours of the day. As a result, the stations are equipped with excellent technology. Maps of all the stops show where the trains are currently located and in what direction they’re running. On board the train, signs and stops are marked clearly on maps, and locations are repeated in French and Flemish – which didn’t really help me – as they approached.

We departed in the early morning to tour Parliament, wearing our business attire, heels, jackets and ties. Having mastered the subway already, we found the European Parliament building without any significant problems. When we stepped out of the underground at Schuman Station and climbed into the sunlight, we were assaulted by a massive, curving structure immediately in front of us. The building was so huge that there was nowhere to look without seeing it, and the sun glinted off its shiny steel exterior. The only way for me to escape it was to close my eyes. The building was the Palais de Berlaymont, an old EU building with odd-looking shutters on the outside that is, from the top, is shaped like an X.

Picture-taking and meandering down the cobbled streets, our class stopped in front of a giant boat (named the “Treaty of Paris” in French) outside the Consilium, where the EU Council is housed. We went inside (after going through security, where I was searched) and explored the museum-like setup, which displayed giant pictures of the Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) for each country, the original signing of the Treaty of Paris, which founded the EU in 1951 (and the original pens that were used), a giant blue arch, and many pictures, satirical cartoons and a voting simulator.

Since we were especially early this day, we wandered into Parc Leopold. There was a stark juxtaposition between the very modern, glass-and-steel buildings surrounded by hundreds of flowers, bushes, green lawns, trees, arcs of pink and white blossoms, a lake with a little dock, turtles, and some junior high girls playing softball on the lawn. The area was full of other tours, other tourists, Eurocrats enjoying an early lunch. It was peaceful and gorgeous, yet somehow very business-like all at once.

We walked in a giant circle and eventually sat down at a café for a bite to eat and an espresso. In Brussels they give you a little piece of chocolate or biscotti or something to nibble on whenever you order a coffee beverage, and this little place with zebra-striped benches was no different. Also, the Fanta in Europe is particularly mouth-watering – completely different from Fanta in the States:  much more flavor, almost a completely different drink; so everyone more or less ordered Fanta and an espresso. We were turning into Europeans already.

Back down Rue Wiertz and into the Parlement Européen, we were once again searched (no beeping this time) and led into a conference room. Dozens of other schools (with high school-aged students, perhaps younger) were here and the inside of the building was extremely busy. At the top of a flight of marble stairs was an assemblage of all 27 Member States’ flags with the big blue EU one and its stars in the middle.

We had our picture taken in front of the semi-circle of flags with the MEP who was speaking with us, Gisela Kallenbach. She was a very stylish lady with modern glasses and blue eyeliner under her eyes, and she wore (we noticed) only one earring, perhaps for some political reason we couldn’t understand.

Kallenbach is a member of the Green Party of the EU and the European Free Alliance. She talked with us about the EU in general and we asked her some questions about what it was like to work for the EU and in the Parliament. I had read that Europeans view their MEPs as flighty and (to put it bluntly) somewhat-lacking in prestige and work ethic (but this has changed in very recent years and MEP jobs are now thought of as more prestigious and important), and meeting this lady certainly changed the way I thought about it. One thing I had very clearly remembered was that MEPs spend their weekdays in Brussels and their weekends in their own respective district. Originally, I thought this was silly and a waste of money, but the way Kallenbach described it, she (and other MEPs) need that direct tie to their communities; she doesn’t go home to relax, she goes home to talk to people, hear concerns, discuss problems; to, moreover, do work. It does seem necessary. The EU isn’t set up like the States; there is direct contact between the MEPs and the people they represent.

Heading out of the Parlement Européen, we were left to our own devices until dinner.

Day 4 :: Wednesday, March 28, 2007 :: Pictures

Then there was Aroma, the most magnificent coffee shop in the Grote Markt, the Grand-Place, and possibly the entire world. As I am a coffee connoisseur, I could tell immediately that I was going to enjoy Europe and its espresso, and this coffee place made the most decadent, adorable lattes I’d ever seen. After finishing some Belgian chocolates, a Belgian waffle and some ice cream, two of the students on the trip and I waltzed into the store not knowing we were about to find Nirvana. The menu read like a more elegant Starbucks selection, and when I ordered my Bianca espresso, the barista took a scoop of white chocolate from a jar of some sort, plopped it into a giant cappuccino cup and then pulled a few shots of espresso on top of it. The milk was also frothed to perfection, and the remnants of the white chocolate settled on top of the crème in the most perfect combination of sugar, caffeine and milk I’d ever witnessed.

I was in heaven.

It’s unfortunate, however, that we discovered this coffee shop in the middle of the week and our two upcoming days would be spent in cities other than Brussels. Nonetheless, the next time I visit Brussels (and there will be a next time), I can’t wait to sip another perfect latte from Aroma.

Our appointment that day was with the economic side of the EU, which we hadn’t previously discussed as much as the political side. After a nice train ride out to the suburbs, we wandered down a street and beheld the DG Economic and Financial Affairs building.

Inside, it was like being outside. There were trees in the sidewalks and the whole structure was made of glass and steel with windows everywhere. There were maybe seven or eight floors, and spiral staircases stretched all the way up to the ceiling. As usual, we were kept waiting for a short while, and then finally met with Christian Ghymers of the European Commission. He lectured about convergence, every economist’s favorite topic, and the class asked some questions about the issue of Lithuania. Lithuania failed to meet the requirements of the Maastricht Treaty because its inflation rate was too high by .07%, and it was therefore rejected from the EU, causing great turmoil. Ghymers did his best to tone down his economic jargon for us and make it something we could all understand. His presentation was particularly interesting because, like Mr. Allen a few days before, he was open about the pitfalls and problems that come up in integration but also explained how they were working to fix the errors of the past.

After our talk and lunch, we returned to the Consilium, or the Council of the European Union; but today we ventured into the restricted area that we hadn’t seen the day before. Inside, past the Restricted Area signs, and up four floors, we entered a gigantic room used to hold meetings for all 27 Member States; each of us sat at a desk designated for a country (I was Slovenia, or Slovenija). Our professor Christian Hunold was allowed to sit in the President’s chair, much to the chagrin of the rest of our class.

Our host, Rafael de Bustamante, soon joined us for a round table discussion on the Council and its responsibilities. The secretary general, who sits in on numerous council sessions and helps refine the legislation that comes through this branch of the European Union, was more reserved than some of the other speakers. It was clear that he works in the most politically-minded component of the Commission.

Day 5 :: Thursday, March 29, 2007 :: Pictures

Then there was Leuven, a magical little town 25 minutes east of Brussels. We left the hotel early and took a train ride there, and stepping off the train was like entering a medieval town. All the stores and apartments were straight out of the 19th Century. But the most magnificent part was the center of town, the Grote Markt, of Leuven. The Stradhuis sits on one corner of the square, a towering building with tall, spindly steeples, elegantly carved windows, and four floors of exquisite and elaborate stone. It’s not even a church, but merely a town hall; the church sits directly opposite it, an equally impressive building, but put to shame by the overwhelming sight of the Stradhuis.

At 2pm, our class wandered back into the Grote Markt from the various corners of Leuven where we had been shopping to meet and set off in search of the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, the Catholic University in Leuven.

After wandering around the campus looking for our building, we were greeted by Marc Hooghe and his two research assistants, Tim Reeskens and Ellen Claes. They are studying the affects of civil education on multiculturalism. As the European societies become more diverse, what will be the political consequences? Different religions and geographical loyalties are harbingers for the future of the EU and the cooperation between countries. Hooghe’s research focused on the question of whether educational systems pull apart or cohere differing levels of students. In European schools, we learned, you cannot skip grades and there are no advanced classes.

Their presentation was very interesting, and after our class asked a ridiculous number of questions. One topic that came up was tuition. In Europe, if you want to go to college, you just go; there are no admissions or applications or anything of that nature. And the tuition? Between 500 and 600 euro a year (500€= $655, 600€ = $786). When we told them our tuition for Drexel, and for most American colleges (~$40,000/year), they were astounded and asked how we could ever afford to go to college.

The rest of Hooghe’s class, about 15 students, came in around 4pm and we drank espresso and ate some cookies, and then our professor lectured on environmental social movements and the state, one of his research topics. The Leuven students were very quiet, but we later learned that it is very rare for European teachers to ask students for questions or feedback, and it’s almost rude for European students to talk during a lecture. After a short discussion, we all headed to a local restaurant, where the Leuven students were much more talkative. They loved hearing our thoughts on George Bush and the news and the media and Iraq, and we delighted in hearing theirs.

This was definitely my favorite day of the trip; the whole week we had been speaking fairly-respectfully with EU officials, diplomats and delegates, but with the Leuven students, our class felt more comfortable and we weren’t afraid of offending them or seeming ungrateful. It was also fun to meet some people our age. The Leuven students were very funny and hospitable, and after dinner, they showed us around town and hung out with us.

We caught the last train home to Brussels after saying goodbye to our new friends and we all reflected on the completely-unique experience we were lucky enough to be a part of.

Day 6 :: Friday, March 30, 2007 :: Pictures

Then there was Gent. This was another magical town with seemingly-millions of chic shops, old architecture that would make you weep in appreciation, thousands of people, a flea market and chocolate, chocolate, chocolate. Gent was a 40-minute train ride west of Brussels, and is located in the province of Oost-Vlaanderen. Gent is famous for St. Baaf’s Cathedral, and also has a stunning town hall and belfry. And a museum on torture.

This day was void of any EU-related activities because it was our last day in Belgium and we all needed a break from discussing politics, even our professors.

After a long, sleepy train ride, we took a trolley-bus to the center of the town and, realizing that it was our last day, proceeded to shop like crazy. Cat and I walked around for seven hours, buying and eating chocolate and bratwurst and Belgian waffles with cinnamon sugar and whipped cream on top, a specialty. I must have bought 40 lbs. of presents and lugged them all over the city. Cat bought a giant chocolate chicken, which she spent the entire day guarding with her life. (And it almost make it home intact – on the airplane, Cat fell asleep holding the little chocolate chicken in her arms for protection, and when she woke up, she found that she had cuddled the chicken to death and melted it. When she pulled it out of its plastic bag in baggage claim to show us what happened, the portion of our group on that flight laughed hysterically.)

In the center of Gent is a giant statue that, during the day, was surrounded by a giant flea market. By 6pm, when we met for dinner, it had cleared out and another beautiful square was greeted by the sunset and lights in all directions. All these towns and cities in Belgium are so beautiful.

We ate our last dinner together and gave Christian a card of appreciation and thanks, but before anyone could get too teary-eyed, our food arrived and we ate voraciously.

Everyone dragged their exhausted bodies back to the train and I fell asleep on the long ride back to Brussels. I managed to wake up enough to go visit the Grote Markt one last time before we left to buy some souvenirs. By midnight, I’d decided I would pack in the morning (for our 9:45am flight) and collapsed. It was the earliest I’d gone to bed in months.

It was sad to leave Brussels the next day. Even though we were only there a week, I felt like I was used to living there – I certainly adjusted to the time change – and could find my way around. Upon returning to the States, I went through the long phase of withdrawal where the only thing I could do was talk about Brussels, Europe, how fantastic it was, how much I missed it, and so on. Going abroad with the Great Works class was a wonderful experience and opportunity. I learned more than I thought I ever could about the EU, about Brussels, and just got to talk extensively with my professors and classmates.

 

-- Chris Bertone contributed to this article.