Brussels trip part 2
On the third day of our trip to Brussels, we started very early, at 7 a.m., and had breakfast in the hostel before taking the bus into the city. Our first destination was the Atomium, one of Belgium's most famous landmarks.
The building was designed by engineer Andre Waterkeyn and elaborated by architects Andre and Jean Polak. It symbolizes the atomic age and the peaceful use of nuclear energy. The Atomium impressed us from the outside with its extraordinary structure. It is 102 meters high and represents an iron crystal that has been enlarged 165 billion times. The upper spheres were particularly impressive, where exciting light effects combined with music awaited us. In the lower section of the Atomium, we visited an exhibition that explained the history and significance of the building.
After a lunch break, we went on to the European Commission, where we had a dialog with an official who works in the field of health and cancer research. She explained to us the structure and process of legislative proposals in the Commission. The Commission consists of 27 Commissioners - one representative from each EU country. Under the leadership of Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, each Commissioner works on specific topics. The Commissioners set their agenda, after which officials in the Commission Secretariat draw up working texts. At the end, the proposal is voted on in the Commission and then the negotiation process with the European Parliament and the Council of the EU begins. Unfortunately, Anna was unable to attend the dinner as she had an appointment with the morning show.
Afterwards, a city guide took us on a tour of Brussels. She showed us the beautiful architecture of the city and explained the history of the different parts of the city, such as the government district and the African quarter, which is known today for the many young African students in Brussels. There was a focus on Belgium's colonial history and we visited the house of the administering secretary of the former colony of Congo, which covered an area about 100 times larger than Belgium.
At the end of the day, we went to a restaurant where we enjoyed a very tasty dinner. Afterwards, we made our way back to the hostel and fell into bed, tired but satisfied.
Note: For better readability, only the masculine form is used in this text. However, all references to persons apply equally to all genders.
Text | Photos: Connor Passin
