A long weekend in Belgium
I was extremely impressed by the young people who attended this trip. They were happy to speak in English with me and they were very kind, courteous and helpful to one another.
My name is David. I am English and have lived and worked in Hungary for almost three years. During this time, I have got to know the children of the Csanyi Foundation by regularly visiting them at their community houses, located across Hungary, and by going on summer camps with them, notably to Malta and Sarospatak. Between Saturday, 13th October, and Tuesday, 16th October, I accompanied sixteen young adults and a mentor from the Foundation on a trip to Belgium. Our visit resulted from an invitation issued by Erik Banki, a Hungarian MEP, to join him in the European Parliament. The children had won their place on the trip via a competition open to everyone 14 and above in the Foundation.
The trip was very well organised. We were met at the airport by a guide who assisted us throughout our stay. The food was excellent and the accommodation was comfortable. On Sunday, we visited Ghent and Bruges. The weather was very kind and the cool autumn sunshine enhanced the features of these two particularly beautiful locations. We visited the Parliament on Monday. Erik Banki discussed many things regarding the parliament and the work of the politicians, after which we experienced an interactive exhibition related to the recent history of Europe and the EU. We spent the evening at an event celebrating the 1956 Hungarian Revolution. This was held in a large converted market hall in the centre of Brussels and we were joined by around three hundred Hungarians currently living in Belgium. A Hungarian band played with particularly impressive violinists. We flew back to Budapest early on Tuesday morning. Everyone who went on this trip thought that it was excellent and they felt that they had learnt a lot about the European Parliament and about Belgium.
I was extremely impressed by the young people who attended this trip. They were happy to speak in English with me and they were very kind, courteous and helpful to one another. They were thoughtful regarding the issues discussed and they were open to hearing different opinions and learning new things. I am looking forward to meeting them again. David Holmes, volunteer