"Liquid Asset" - Burlington, VT

October 2002 Research Trip to Belgium

Having spent two summers on the southern periphery of the European Union researching the development of Spain, it became apparent that my work would not be complete until I ventured to the heart of the EU in Brussels, Belgium. Having become an expert at scavenging for grant money, I put together a week-long research trip to Brussels, to be capped off by a weekend in scenic Bruge. 

I arrived in Brussels to find this very cozy (read affordable) two-star hotel by the name of Les Bluets. Run by a thourghough but eccentric woman and her dear husband (I pray for him), my enjoyable stay here was proof that money doesn't buy happiness. 

Apart from a handful of clumsy interviews with Spanish officials in Brussels, most my time in the capital was spent doing research at the EU Central Library. It was here, wading through a wealth of thrilling journals like "European Law and Policy" that everything "clicked"-- finally my project had evolved from a monstrous pile of research into an argument.

All work and no play makes me a very dull boy, so after 5 days of cramming in Brussels I headed up north to scenic (read touristy) Bruge, where good chocolate got better, the fish was fresher, and the canals really gave me the old-world vibe. Oh, and how could I forget the Belgian Ales?