The purpose of the trip was to attend the EU Parliament and Commission as well as attend an exhibit in Luxembourg based on Manfred Max Neef's work. He is a famous Chilean economist that has outlined basic human needs and how they work together to develop our social fabric. It was a fantastic trip.....
The first part of the trip was to get to Belgium where we would visit the EU Parliament and Commission in Brussels. We arrived at night after taking the ferry across to Germany from Denmark.
Our Chariot
Hello Germany!
Natalie and I
Arriving into Brussels at night was like walking into a dream. It was misty and foggy and everything had a surreal glow. The temperature was very moderate, almost muggy which added to the strangeness of the experience....
First "unofficial" belgium waffle!
After waking up from the dream and still finding myself in Brussels we had an amazing day visiting the Parliament and the Commission. The EU is a very interesting governmental structure. We were lucky enough to be able to sit in on a Climate Change Policy meeting as well as have a presentation from the Director for Sustainable Development from the EU Commission.
One of the things I am really enjoying about Europe is their liberal ways with food, beverages and in some places drugs (see Amsterdam post). The girls (and Bola) gathered for lunch and we found some mini-bottles of wine, fresh sandwiches and truffles. We pulled up a piece of a small monument in the middle of a very busy square and enjoyed lunch and did some great people watching!
Brussels was an amazing experience; to be surrounded by so many people, most of whom were working in the EU. The EU policies are adopted and used up to 80% in the member countries! It's pretty amazing to think about how many people that effects. Currently there are 27 member countries in the EU.....
It was interesting to think about what our lives would be like if Canada, the USA and Mexico shared a similar governmental structure......
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