EU-tiful day

(Brussels, Wednesday) The morning started out dark, chilly and rainy. But our day was spent going to the heart of what this study abroad course is about. Students started with breakfast and a lecture by Dr. Morgan about the institutions we would be visiting. Then it was a quick walk to the subway, purchase of fare cards and a few stops later we were at the European Parliament building here. The students saw where the 750 or so members of the European Parliament sometimes meet and they had a terrific lecture on the inner workings of the Parliament. The it was lunch time.

Lunch was on our own in the old area near the brand new EU buildings. Some students found Italian restaurants, some ate French food. Dr. Morgan and I stopped for one of my favorite European lunches: A hole in the wall carryout where the baguettes were fresh, the Parma tasty and the Brie better still. Sandwiches don’t get much better than that. And one hour later, we were back walking to our next destination.

The European Commission was nearby. It is one of the major parts of the puzzle that is the European Union governing structure. It was here where students got one of the most engaging lectures on this difficult subject. The lecturer was a leading law school professor who had the ability to make this difficult subject understandable and interesting. The 90-minutes went by quickly. Something to think about: There are 27 different countries in the European Union, all of whom directly elect representatives to the EU Parliament. That is almost one-half billion people who are represented here, more people than the US and Russia combined.

After our last lecture, it was back on the subway and free time for the students. It even started to get sunny! Thursday was a less formal day where we spent time together exploring Brussels.