A fascinating lecture on the European Union prepared us for the next day’s visits. This included a general overview on the EU, its bodies, its function as a confederacy, its precursors, historical development, ideology, controversies and current state of affairs.

Afterwards: the René Magritte Museum, which traces thedevelopment of Brussels’ most honored son of surrealism. I stuck around to see the Flemish masterpieces of van der Weyden, Bosch, the Brughuels and their contemporaries[, returning in the weekend to see Rubens, Godecharles, Navez...].

It cannot be left unsaid that this day was the 181st anniversary of Belgian independence. 1830 makes the nation young, and despite the doubt of instability it has emerged as one of Europe’s finest. The streets and parks were filled with crowds, musicians, waffles, frites, beer, red, yellow and black. The army painted faces. The police held attack dog demonstrations. Highlanders, Brazilians and folk orchestras paraded the streets with noise. That night, everyone cheers'd. Fireworks exploded.