Mini-Europe

I was intending on discovering the only region in Flanders that is missing me to visit but I found myself in Brussels for one reason: João was there. :) He was stopping over just for one night. :)

So in the following morning (after waking up in the biggest bed I had ever slept on!:P) when I woke up (pretty early!), without nothing planed to do, I decide to take a stroll to the Atomium. On my way to my destination I discovered this and I couldn’t miss it for the world.

I was the fourth to get in the Park but probably the 200^th to leave it. I couldn’t help myself stopping in each model of EU buildings and landscapes and reading as much information available I could. While doing that, I was thinking how I would love to have my Martita there to explain me more about the only building they had there from Poland (shame on them!) and how Laura would tell me so many more interesting things about the Baltic countries that the ones I could read on the free-guidebook. I could also imagine Nico and Laura singing while their anthem was on, and imagine Jonna standing up for showing that Finnish can talk a lot! :) (I wish uncle Jacques had took us there… but I already send him a suggestion for the next MoCoMa generation ;))

The Park totally fulfilled my expectations with its European beautiful mini-places. An Invitation for travelling… I really need to venture out through Europe again…

The Park is a source of EU knowledge and surely helped me consolidating mine (I will always mix up the EU institutions fuctions though :P). Besides, I discovered a lot of funny things:

- in Finland there are more saunas than cars;
- Dutch are the Europeans most likely to go on a trip during their free time (I wond€r why…) ;
- Belgians eat more chips than anyone else (Nooooo) ;
- Portugal is the European country with the oldest borders;
- Germans are the European most likely to consult a doctor;
- The proverb “A guest at home is a blessed home” captures the quintessence of the Polish hospitality (we know :));
- At the beginning of the 10^th century, Bulgaria was the largest kingdom in Europe;
- Every European spends 15 years sitting down at his table for eating.

I must say I was really surprised with the Portuguese presence there. We have not one, not two, but 5 models of Portuguese buildings and landscape, namely; Guimarães Castel (the cradle city of Portugal), Oceanário, Belém Tower, Ribeira do Porto and Algarve. They are sooo beautiful that I felt like transporting myself to Portugal. I was sitting in front of the tower reading the information and enjoying the “Portuguese atmosphere” around there when I heard our anthem – they have them all there, just press the button :) - you cannot imagine… I had to contain my tears… (but take it easy, just some two or three ;)) and I felt like screaming: “C’mon Look at this? Portugal is beautiful!!! What the hell are you waiting for for visit it?”

Definitely a nice place to visit especially if you’re as crazy as I am for the old continent…