Bruges, between past and modernity

Bruges, Belgium

By Thibaut Hugueny - Blog I 

Bruges is a medieval city built on a natural man-made watercourse, giving it the nickname of Venice of the North. In a country where unity is an abstract notion, Bruges is the pride of the entire country of Belgium. Dutch speakers cherish their urban gem, best represented by the richness of the Flemish culture and Walloons agreed on the importance of the city within the context of the Belgian significance in the world. Andersen or Grimm brothers would probably not have disowned the idea of such a city as the setting of their fairy tales.

The magnificence of Bruges' architecture brought it an international fame. The fact that Bruges still has its medieval city intact greatly influences the spirit of the city. Bruges is called the "Egg" due to the shape of the medieval city; the fortification system consists of canals reinforced by military buildings. This impenetrable stronghold, used to defend the city against the invaders in past times, today is also serving as a protection against the modernization of the historical city. As an example, the train station remains at the edge of the urban place. The Venice of the North now receives visitors from every corner of the world. Tourism makes Bruges a lively city and positively impacts the economy. However, the flood of visitors also alters the authenticity of the place. Electric boats driving on the canal, the massive number of Japanese visitors, or the relocation of the traditional brewery out of the "yolk"(remember the egg-shape) of the city would surprise the  Flanders of the past about the city's evolution.

The disappearance of the brewery is a symptomatic "change of spirit" that occurred in many medieval cities. Beer is an integrale part of Belgian culture. Indeed, breweries existed in this part of the world long before the country was named Belgium. Short after the independence, the industrialization and the peaceful situation of Belgium allowed the development of breweries inside the wall of cities, Bruges in particular. From the forty breweries that existed during the 1940s in Bruges, only the Brouwerij De Halve Maan remains. Considered as an historical site, Bruges city council acted to preserve the last vestige of an activity that has been an active part of Bruges economy. The new social requirements and the model of urbanization required the medieval Bruges to evolve. During the nomination of Bruges as the 2002 European City of Culture, a new performing arts building was built. The modern style of the building contrasts sharply with the uniform architecture of the medieval city. This building is not yet appreciated by Bruges’ residents because of its stark difference with the traditional style of the city.

Visiting Bruges reminds us of the atmosphere of the past, yet its modernization comes in increments. Some say such modernization comes at the expense of its unique spirit, others say it needs to adapt for its survival in a society that is in constant motion. However, all can agree to the magnificent aura reflected by this city.

The Medieval City of Brugge - A Time Warp Of The Most Curious Kind....

  

 

                               
                                                                

The EU's Expansionism - A Viable Strategy?

The EU Commission in Brussels

by Thomas Ricard - Blog I

The European Union Commission is an intriguing part of an incredibly complex system. Overall, what the European Union (EU) has accomplished, and hopes to achieve in the future is very impressive and ambitious.

On a continent where every country has grown to have its own individual and unique culture, it is simply astounding that they have been able to unify and work together. However, due to this reason many compromises were made in the structure of the EU. The process the EU is required to go through in order to institute change throughout Europe is incredibly complex, and confusing. Consequently the EU is also incredibly slow in implementing anything. This seems to caste the EU in the same image most of the world have of the United Nations, which is that the institution ultimately is of very little use considering the amount of money it uses. However, standardizing the Euro and allowing easier passage throughout Europe for citizens are still quite remarkable achievements even if they weren’t completely adopted by all EU members.

What the European Union hopes to achieve in the future however, I start to doubt and frankly am curious as to why they would imagine some things. It was mentioned that the European Union Commission hopes to bring in Belarus and Armenia in the future. While Armenia seems possible to me, despite the backlash it would most likely receive from Russia and its returning President Vladimir Putin, I can’t believe the Commission has any true hope of bringing in Belarus. This is after all, a country that for some time appeared as if it might join Russia, and its ruler Alexander Lukashenko, has been in power for well over a decade now. Even thinking of a Belarus joining a series of treaties focused on encouraging and preserving democracy throughout Europe is slightly absurd to me.

While I think that is it pretty remarkable what the EU has done so far, I do believe it is rather limited now due to how diverse its members are. Trying to solidify a continent to prevent future wars and other conflicts is admirable and appears to have been achieved very effectively by the EU. However, starting to unify social policy among so many different cultures seems like a poor decision, and also simply impossible. Cultures have distinct aspects that individuals use to separate themselves from others. When you begin to unify social policy among so many different cultures it would begin to contribute to a loss of identity. It’s no longer being German, French, or Spanish. Rather they begin to drift towards just being European, and criteria used to differentiate themselves begin to become far more challenging to find and sustain.

Overall, the achievements by the European Union and its member states are very impressive and I believe a good example to the rest of the world for unification. I look forward to seeing how well the EU succeeds.

Inside the European Commission - The EU's Executive Heart

ODU students John Callahan and Silvia Brigido
at the Commission

Inside the European Commission

ODU students Thibaut Hugueny and
 Rachel Casey at the Commission

ODU students Danielle Silas and Raymond Webster
at the Commission

ODU students at the Commission

Jon Wright, ODU student, at the Commission

 

 The Commission

 

A Vision of Europe

Back in Europe - And Why We Are Here....

By John Callahan - Blog 1

I volunteered to go first with my blog entry for this trip, for many reasons. I want to compare this trip to others I have taken, and I want to see how recent upheavals have changed Europe, even in the year since I last visited.
I have returned to ODU after a 10 year hiatus to earn my Doctorate in International Studies. International travel has always been both a passion for me and a specialty of various university programs, which was something that drew me back.
I first came to Brussels for a similar study trip in 1997, and have visited numerous times since. For me, this trip is about change, and seeing how the upheavals of the world are impacting Europe and the European experiment. The greatest challenges for now appear to be in the future of the Monetary Union, as the Greek crisis continues to create waves of uncertainty throughout the continent and the world. Americans should not delude themselves that we will be unaffected if the Euro goes into a free fall. We are leveraged in a way that ensures that we will feel the pain, which may be significant as we face a fundamentally stagnated recovery. It is quite interesting to leave a country already locked in the throws of a Presidential election and see what is going on in the rest of the world. Indeed, the main news items of the last week, including candidates bullying each other, and the legal status of Gay marriage, strike me as breaking out the fiddles to start playing while Rome Burns in the form of the Greek debt crisis.  
Back to Europe, and our purpose for being here… This trip is designed to give us a renewed sense of what is going on in Europe, both at the National and Regional levels. While we are here in Belgium, our focus is on the Region. For example, today we met with Kirsten Jorelson, an information officer from the European Parliament. The discussion topics ranged from growth of the EU to the Monetary crisis.  A primary topic was the prospect for new admissions into the European Union, particularly focused on Turkey.  Turkish entry into the EU has been on the table in one form or another since the 1960s, however, it seems unlikely that the issue will be resolved any time soon.  Even less likely does it seem that a resolution will mean Turkish accession. Today was a great immersion, both into Brussels itself, through an excellent walking tour, but also a warm up for the even weightier issues to be discussed in the coming weeks.

Brussels - In the City of European Politics, History and Chocolate

Inside the European Parliament

At The European Parliament

European Parliament

The Grand Place - Maison du Roi

The Grand Place - Le Comet

Galeries Royales de Saint-Hubert

Chocolate from the best!

The European Parliament

Almost There.

We are almost there! Our itinerary looks fantastic. And our agenda is ambitious. Brussels-Paris-Dusseldorf-Berlin. The European Parliament. The European Commission. Brugge. Waterloo. Paris by train. NATO at Mons. The Reichstag in Berlin. The Future of NATO. Germany and Russia. The European Financial Crisis. Its origin and solution. The Arab spring. Perspectives for a Democratic Middle East. The German-French Relationship. We will explore and discover Europe and the European Union in two weeks – and more. Almost there.