Brussels - More than chocolate and lace

June 28, 2010
Today we continued checking out Phil’s family’s genealogy in two more villages (Obergimpern and Neckarbischofsheim). We did not find the names we were looking for – and concluded that since they were antibaptists and were persecuted – they probably emigrated to the New World.

We did, however, find a fair number of Rupperts – which is one of my family names.

There is much more to this chapter – ask Phil.

Much of the afternoon and evening was then spent driving to Brussels, Belgium. We arrived at Bernard’s around 10:00 p.m. and found him putting out the trash – how normal. We spent a few hours catching up, and then it was time for bed. Bernard and Elia have a wonderful home. 5-stories (counting the basement), we were on the top floor.

For those not familiar, Bernard Crutzen was an AFS exchange student in my parents’ home during the 1979-1980 school year. I was a sophomore at college. Elia also lived with my parents a few years later as well. Our families have kept in touch. Bernard and his family came to the USA in 2007.


June 29, 2010 – June 3, 2010
Too much has happened to chronicle it all in detail so a list will suffice:
• Many conversations with Bernard and Elia about life, careers, raising children, being homeowners, differences and similarities between the US and Belgium, etc! It’s really neat to have this long distance – long time relationship with such talented people.
• Welcoming two of their sons home from a year in the USA. Diego was with a family and going to school in Pennsylvania and Pablo was at a community college in Knoxville, TN. It was great to learn of their impressions and sense first hand their adjustment to life in the US and now back in Brussels. They are both very talented and personable young men. It was a real pleasure getting to know them a bit better.
• Luna (age 13) – their only daughter is a love. She is very talented (music and dance), a hard worker, and over all a very happy child. We had fun cooking, playing piano, and watching Michael Jackson U-tube videos together. Her English is just about as good as my French – so long in-depth conversations about the currency issues facing the EU were not possible – perhaps after I learn more French. 
• Phil, Bernard, and I rode the “Green Way” around the city of Brussels. It is a 53 km perimeter bike ride. It is new and some of the signs are not well placed – so it was much like a scavenger ride. We saw parts of Brussels the normal tourist would not see. It was challenging – but nice to do something physical.
• Phil and I went downtown for a day by ourselves. We went to the Grand Place, a cathedral, and of course the Manneken-Pis (a much-photographed statue of a little boy who thinks he’s a fountain – when in actuality, he is just relieving himself).
• We also spent a wonderful day with Berangere. We were he host parents a few years ago – when she was the French language assistant at the College of Wooster. She took us to some of her favorite sites and found us a tour of the European Union Parliament. It was great seeing her as well as having her practice her tour guide skills – she’s great! The evening with her was spent at a terrific Vietnamese restaurant, sampling some of the local beers (Chimay – of course!), and watching the hubbub of the capital of the EU.
• Our last day at Bernard’s was capped with a “Welcome Home” party for the boys. Bernard expected about 40 people – there were more like 60+ (including Berangere). It was fun. We met many of his and Elia’s friends – many of whom here exchange students themselves or hosted students. What a wonderful cultural experience we had. We decided to stay up until the end of the party to help clean. We finally got to bed at 4:00 a.m.! Bernard, Elia and the four children (Pablo, Diego, Juan, and Luna) left the next day for Spain.

I really hope we will keep in touch with Bernard, Elia and the family. We are more alike than different. Spending time with the Crutzen family was a highlight of our trip.