To start our next field study trip we headed off to visit the European Union institutions that we have been studying about in class. We started in the lovely city of Luxembourg at the European Court of Justice. We left Freiburg bright and early, and had planned on stopping at the Saint-Avoid, the largest military cemetery in Europe, however it was closed due to the government shut-down. Luckily I have been to the cemetery previously.
Next we headed into downtown and got some time to grab lunch and wander around the city. We stopped and grabbed lunch in the European chain Paul. Next we walked around discovering the many different elephants from the Elephant Project. We also saw the Notre-Dome Cathedral, which features some amazing stained glass (which I guess by now you can tell is a slight obsession of mine.) We got back on the bus to head over to the European Court of Justice (ECJ.)
The Court building is pretty modern looking and houses the ECJ, and its three courts. We watched a 30 minute video which repeated the various facts about the ECJ in a variety of ways. Then we got to have a Q&A with Mr. Paschalidis, a research associate in the Chambers of the Advocate General Melchior Wathelet. We then got a mini tour of the main building and boarded the bus to head to Brussels.
I am writing this, and the three other posts, from our hostel in Brussels. We arrived around 8:30pm, checked in and went out searching for some dinner. We are about a 10 minute walk from the main city center of Brussels where I imagine I will be spending any down time exploring. Our time in Brussels is pretty packed, we will be visiting the Council of the European Union and European Commission, as well as having various course related meetings. I will be visiting the Security and Defense Agenda, the Permanent Delegation of Turkey to the EU, and the Permanent Delegation of Flanders to the EU. In my down time, I plan on visiting Mini Europe, Atomium, the Museum of Cocoa and Chocolate, and the St. Michael and St. Gudula Cathedral. As well as exploring the fine Belgian cuisine of waffles and fries! After Brussels we will head to Paris to wrap up our trip before heading home to Freiburg.
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Adrienne Ruth
<p><span style="color: rgb(29, 29, 29); font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; background-color: rgb(237, 237, 237);">My name is Adrienne Ruth. I am a third-year student at Occidental College majoring in Diplomacy & World Affairs with an emphasis on security. I am also a member of the women’s varsity lacrosse team. I have been an active member with the Office of Student Life, participating and helping coordinate their Emerging Leaders Program. In my free time I enjoy going to Disneyland, finding a new TV show addiction on Netflix, and spending time with my friends. I love travelling and discovering new cultures. I am looking forward to starting this new journey, learning German and having the chance to photograph some of Europe’s most historical and important cities!</span></p>
