This morning we started our day in the European Union Commission Building in Brussels.  Simon Pascoe from the United Kingdom gave an overview of the European Union.  We learned that the goals of the EU are to maintain peace, cooperation, security, economic and social solidarity, and promulgate values among member states.

After that we walked around the rainy city of Brussels and had lunch at various ”fast food” establishments.  Our group ate at EXK, a small health foods restaurant with the slogan, “natural, fresh, and ready."

We began our day with a two hour bus ride through the Belgium countryside.  We passed through the city of Brussels on our way where we saw the EU Commision.  Upon arriving in the countryside, we made our first stop at Lindemans Brewery. Stepping off the bus, the aroma of the brewery reminded us our favorite Champaign establishment, Kams. This brewery is family owned and has been around since 1822.  Lindeman's specializes in brewing Lambic beer, which has three unique features.

After a 7 hour plane ride, we finally made it to Belgium on May 13, 2012! We collected our baggage and traveled to the Irish College in Leuven where we will be staying for the next five nights.  Next, we settled in, and began a tour presented by Professor Piet Sercu who teaches at the nearby Katholieke University (KU) of Leuven.  Although it had been a very long day for all of us, we were all very excited to learn about the history of the Irish College and landmarks of the city.