Postcards from Brussels

We – the European Commission trainees – have just got used to life in Luxembourg and off we were again! This time, we travelled to Brussels for a few days of study visits, welcome events and the best food in the world.

On Tuesday morning, we left Luxembourg behind and headed to the more exciting and cosmopolitan city of Brussels. We arrived a little later than expected (apparently, our elderly driver needed to rest after a few hours of driving from Brussels to Luxembourg and back, so after we crossed the Belgian border, we spent about 40 minutes at a petrol station, sipping expensive coffee and hoping we won’t be too late for our first visit) and only managed a quick lunch before taking a guided tour in the House of European History. This might not sound too exciting, but it was actually very interesting.

From the myth of Europa and Zeus, the exhibition takes you through centuries of Europe’s development until the establishment of the EU as we know it today. Sadly, we had no time left for the current exhibition called “Restless youth”, which explores the life of young people growing up in Europe from 1945 until now, but as it’s open until February 2020, I hope I’ll get the chance to see it. Afterwards, we visited the Parlamentarium, an interactive museum dedicated to political developments in Europe and the workings of the EU, in particular the European Parliament. I was quite impressed by their little cinema with a 360 degree screen for an immersive experience of the Parliament’s sessions. Both the House of European History and the Parlamentarium are open for visitors and there’s no entrance fee, so if you are interested in the history of Europe and the EU, I highly recommend it!

Wednesday started early with a study visit at the European Union External Action Service, which is a sort of a Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the EU. After that, we had a briefing about NATO and its mission in the Berlaymont building of the European Commission. It actually turned into a quite lively discussion with people sitting around a huge table with microphones like some VIP officials. At least that’s what I felt like :) We stayed in the same building after lunch, but went downstairs to the Berlaymont studios, the home of the EU’s official TV channel. To tell the truth, I never knew they had one before, did you? It broadcasts all sessions of the Parliament, but also other official meetings and press conferences, the content is then used by other TV channels all over the world free of charge. Here, we got the chance to take photos in the studios and got a glimpse of what’s going on behind the scenes. Finally, we went to the Council of the European Union, where we had a presentation about what the Council actually does, followed by a little tour of the building. Its architecture is really unique and surprisingly colourful. Fun fact: the façade is made of window frames from all over Europe, all of which are oak, as that’s the only tree growing in every country of the EU.

By the end of the visit, we were all quite tired, but as it wasn’t that late yet, we decided to go for a walk in the city centre. We finally saw the beautiful Grand Place, St. Catherine’s Church, the famous (even though disappointingly tiny) Manneken Pis and most importantly, we tried the most amazing waffles I’ve ever eaten! Later, we met up with EC trainees working in Brussels for some tasty Belgian beer.

Did you know there's also Jeanneke Pis (a statue of a little girl peeing) and Zinneke Pis (a peeing dog)?

On Thursday, we already knew the drill of getting up early, taking the metro to the Schuman roundabout where most of the EU institutions are located and queuing for the inevitable security check. This time, we visited OLAF, the EU’s anti-fraud agency, where we learned that smuggling garlic from China to EU countries can land you in jail for six years. Seriously, people actually do that. They also produce fake cigarettes in factories inside the EU and then distribute them illegally, so next time, you’d better be careful about what you’re buying. The visit to the European Economic and Social Committee afterwards was nice, but a little boring in comparison. However, the Committee of Regions chose a great presenter that kept us all interested, giving useful information and making a lot of jokes in French accent along the way. Our final stop was the European Parliament where we learned about its fractions, the way new laws are passed and of course about the upcoming elections. At the end of our visit, we went to the top floor of the hemicycle, the main hall where all the MEPs are sitting. After a quick walk to see the Royal Palace, I had what they call the best fries in Benelux and a glass of fruity beer and I was ready for bed!

Our last official day in Brussels was a bit stressful, as we were running late to the Welcome conference for all EU trainees. As we got to the Parliament, we realised they told us to come more than an hour in advance in order to pass through security and, of course, to take some photos at the speaker’s desk. After an official welcome, we had a chance to finally eat some breakfast during the coffee break, before our next session on cultural heritage began. This was followed by elections of the Luxembourg Trainee Committee and then we were finally free to…go to bed. That’s really what we did, as we wanted to rest before the welcome party that took place that night. We even managed to get some delicious Chinese noodles for dinner, followed by drinks at another cool beer place. The party was great, but to be honest, I was happy to be all snuggled up in bed by 3 am. On Saturday, nobody had the energy for sightseeing, so we only went for brunch and before we knew it, our bus was ready to take us back to Luxembourg!

Brussels streets are full of cool street art!

Belgians love comic books and there's also a museum of comic strips in Brussels I hope to visit one day...

About to give an important speech :)

Overall, it was an amazing, but really exhausting week. We learned a lot, ate even more and managed to find some time to see at least a little bit of the beautiful Brussels. I’m sure I’ll go back there soon, as I want to truly experience the city. I can’t really give recommendations on things to do and see in Brussels, but I can definitely recommend some great cafés, bars and restaurants:

• Makisu, Rue de Flandre 6 – tasty sushi for great prices, what more could you wish for?
• Delirium Café, 4 Impasse de la Fidélité – a huge variety of beers, including fruity ones made of cherries or cactus
• Maison Dandoy - Tea Room & Waffles, 14 Rue Charles Buls – they serve two types of waffles, Brussels or Liege with a range of toppings, plus many other delicious sweets
• Café des Halles, 1 Place Saint-Géry – former market hall, now a cool place to meet for drinks with friends
• Frites Atelier, 32 Rue Sainte-Catherine – “the best fries in Benelux” and frankly, the best fries I’ve ever had
• Brussels Beer Project, 188 Rue Antoine Dansaert – again, a wide selection of beers, nice décor, but closes quite early during the week
• Au bon bol, 9 Rue Paul Devaux – very close to the Bourse, a little Chinese place where they make the noodles fresh right in front of you!
• Yeti, 4-6 Rue de Bon Secours – a great place for breakfast or brunch, a little on the pricey side, but still worth it for the pancakes and the eggs

See you soon, Brussels!

Love,

Bella