Tour - Last Days

We made a stop for lunch in Freiburg on the way from Konstanz to Leuven, Belgium. Frieburg is a relaxed city with a buzzing center, crisscrossed by trams. The streets were lined by exposed storm sewers – something I’ve never seen before, as they have mostly been covered over in modern cities. You have to watch your step.

We also stopped in Mannheim to visit the excellent Media Museum there. It is a collection of interactive digital media artworks that engage users through participation. For instance, one used plants – when you touched the leaves, the roots were stimulated and transmitted a signal to electronic sensors, which then created images on a screen.

People seemed to hit bus mania during this long leg of travel. Alexandra and Olga led a bus game, where we had to write a crazy story and then read it. Daniela led an enactment of the Passover play, casting Ed as Moses. Finally we got to Leuven and piled off the bus. It's a University town about 30 minutes from Brussels with students filling the streets.

Belgian bars have the most elaborate beer menus. We hit a bar and used our guidebook to pick an artisan beer brewed by Trappist monks. So began my love affair with Belgian beer. The fine brews are a bit like wines, with delicate flavors and aromas, and a variety of colors and textures. While they are very proud of their waffles, I would have to say beer is the high point of Belgian cuisine. It is dignified by distinctive glassware and ritual. Yet the restlessness from the bus was irrepressible. Katya, Olga and Abby came in with ridiculous masks on, setting the tone for goofy playtime.

At dusk I was wandering around the student quarter and ran into four of the Chinese guys in our group. They were munching on some ice cream, and we strolled together for awhile. Then a trio of cute blonde girls went by on bicycles, crying "Nihao!" and waving. The guys were startled, and pleased. They smiled and waved back. Then the girls circled around and came back. They held their bikes and grinning broadly, began to sing a Chinese folksong. We gasped. Judge Li's face lit up, and he joined in with gusto. Soon they were all singing together, and I was giggling wildly, thinking it was the most spontaneous moment of globalization I'd ever witnessed. It was amazing, and beautiful.

The next day we visited the European Parliament, where a series of lecturers attempted to explain the structure and functions of the EU policy making bodies. There are four - the Council, the Commission, the Parliament, and the Court. These are confusing to keep straight when you try to trace the process by which a bill becomes a law. No Schoolhouse Rock here. There are proposals, white papers, first readings, and directives being negotiated between 27 member states in nearly as many languages. The Parliament chamber seats over 800. It is a massive and unwieldy process, yet surprisingly efficient. Big decisions get made. Maybe it has to do with the fact that no one is directly elected.

Brussels is a grand, elegant city whose streets seem to open up into squares and plazas at the least expected moments. Art deco buildings peep out from between wedding cake filigreed ones. The Grand Place is one of the finest public spaces in Europe, I'm convinced. It is dominated by the City Hall, inspiring awe at its unspoilt intricacy.

On Saturday we had some free time and paid a visit to Daniela's cousin's cheese shop. Belgium is roughly half Dutch and half French. This was definitely a shop for the French side. I've been around stinky cheese before, but the powerful smell of rotting milk practically penetrated the glass to hit your nostrils approaching this shop. The rows of small moldy lumps didn't seem quite like food. We bought a selection of cheese and a baguette, and they were revealed as a delectable delicacy.

By the final evening, everyone was filled up with culture and ready to go home. The last shared meal was abuzz with visit planning and roving from table to table to give best wishes. It was sad, and hugs seemed to last half an hour. We will never forget this amazing experience.