Day 4 - A Day of Politics Geekery

Let's start with yesterday evening - I caught the end of the day's activities in the Park, which was a lot of fun with stalls, food and activities for all the family. I got into the spirit, and yes, did then eat my 'compulsory' waffle.


I then followed the crowd and walked up to Cinquantenaire Park for what I understood to be a concert with some big names in Belgian music, and then a fireworks and light show. To say it was massive would be an understatement! There were apparently about 100,000 people there (including the royal family, obviously, as they are clearly following me) and the music was brilliant. Now, I didn't know many of the artists playing, but for those who do, it included Maksim, Axelle Red, Romeo Elvis and Peet, Netsky, Red Sebastian, and Lost Frequencies. For the final set by Lost Frequencies and Netsky, there was an incredible, and I mean INCREDIBLE lights and firework show. I've included some photos here of the drones and the fireworks, but they do not do it justice. The videos I posted on Insta maybe do a bit better, but WOW - it was awesome. 


It was a bit of a trek back to my hotel afterwards (Dad did question this morning why I was last seen on WhatsApp at 1:55am....) but so, so, so worth it. The atmosphere was insane and it was just an incredible evening. 

Unsurprisingly, I had a bit of a lie-in this morning, followed by a lovely brunch and a walk to the EU Parliament - surely a must for any self-respecting politics teacher?

I befriended a couple from Ireland, and we were part of a decent sized group for a tour of the building. The tour was perhaps somewhat esoteric, as the guide did like an anecdote and many a red herring, but very enjoyable.


Afterwards, I then spent a couple of hours at the Parlamentarium, essentially an interactive exhibition of the history and developments of the EU. It made me very sad about Brexit, but was lovely to see the post-1945 history of Europe put across in such an engaging way, and to understand a bit more about European politics. 


I am now able to sample Andy's recommendation of Speculoos - apparently some form of ginger-y biscuit - before I head out again later to find a bar showing the Lionesses. 

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