Days 2 & 3: Brussels and Reims

The next morning we were told to be in the lobby of our hotel at around 7:45 am so that we could make our way into Brussels. We got into Brussels at around noon and were told that we'd be having free time on our own to figure out lunch. Off course I bee-lined for the infamous Belgian waffles and it was a really good choice because eating it literally made me feel as though I had died and gone to heaven. I now know the meaning of that colloquialism thanks to Belgium.

After finishing my delicious waffle it was time to go to Parliament of the European Union which is partly housed in Brussels. We were given a short little information session on how the European Union is governed and the different parts of their government. I was surprised at how little I knew about the government of the European Union (the only question I could answer was that there are 27 countries within the Union) and at how little my fellow class mates knew as well. It's a shame that we don't learn more about Europe in our schools because all of us found the lecture we were given very interesting.

After the lecture, we were invited into one of the meeting rooms of parliament where they were setting up for a discussion on concerns about the environment. We were invited to stay and listen but of course we had to move on. I really wanted to stay and listen to learn first-hand of Europe's take on our global climate crisis and their prospective solutions but I had to be satisfied with simply the new knowledge I'd taken away from the visit.

After the European Union it was time for us to get back on the bus and head to Reims, a city in northern France. Our bus driver got a little lost so we got there quite late and ate dinner at "Hippopotamus" a restaurant I would have to equate with France's version of an "Applebee's." After dinner we took initiative and decided to explore Reims. Reims is relatively small and all we really wanted to find were clubs so it wasn't that difficult. We found one on the same street as our hotel so it was super convenient. It was like 11:30 pm when we went in so literally we were the only ones there which was fine with me because there were lights and music which is all I need. We went out to get more of our friends and when we came back we decided to partake in the karaoke that was going on on the second floor. Everyone was karaoke-ing in french and taking themselves way too seriously and I got really tired of it so my friend Katie and I decided to sing "...Baby One More Time" by Britney Spears. We really brought the house down and afterward a French man in leather pants who I saw sing before came up to me and started speaking to me in French. All I could make out was "très bien!" and gave me a thumbs up so I'm assuming that he told me that I did a really good job.

The next day we had a relatively late meeting time in the morning (9:30 am) and made our way to the Champagne Pommery Winery because apparently Reims is famous for it's Champagne. The tour was far from what I had expected. Apparently this Winery also doubles as an art gallery so there were various works of art throughout the factory. For instance one room looked sort of like the inside of the barn and had really nice electric guitars and speakers in it but also little birds who apparently play the guitars from time to time. In another room there was a cross that lit up and looked like a series of flourescent lights reminiscent of "Jesus Christ Superstar" and if you looked up to the ceiling there was a picture of Jesus but as an alien. It was pretty trippy for a champagne factory. The tour was pretty cool and informational and at the end we all got to taste the champagne we'd learned about. It was a lot of fun but of course we had to leave so that we could go back to our hotel gather our things and make our way to Paris!