We'll start at my (i.e. our) apartment in the street Chaussée de Wavre in the neighborhood of Ixelles. I live behind the faded glass windows facing the street. On the right is the supermarket closest to us. It's the German discount store Lidl, which is fine for basic stuff but nothing extraordinary.
Besides grocery shopping, other practicalities right around the corner from our apartment include dry cleaning (left) and the gym (right) that I try to attend as often as possible.
Next, there's my office - The Permanent Representation of Denmark to the European Union - where I spent much of my time. The seven-story office building also houses the Danish Embassy to Belgium. The section I work for, Business and Growth, is located on the second floor.
From time to time, we get important visitors at the Representation, not least now during the Presidency. In the fall, we were visited by the new Danish prime minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt, who in this picture is standing in our canteen along with the Danish minister for European Affairs and the Permanent Representative, also known as Denmark's EU Ambassador.
Just as important is the Council building which is the home of the Council of the European Union. Here, all the working parties, COREPER and Council meetings take place. The role of the Danish Representation is to represent Denmark's government in these meetings, which is why much of our time is spent in this very building. It is named Justus Lipsius after a famous Belgian philologist and humanist from the 16th century.
Inside, Justus Lipsius features a large atrium which is decorated by the incumbent Presidency for the Council of the EU. On the left, you can see the Polish decor from the second half of 2011 and on the right, the Danish for the first half of 2012.
And here are a couple of pictures to give you an idea of what a typical meeting would look like.
We also attend a number of conferences, hearings etc.
Another important EU location is the European Parliament, where we also cover many meetings. It is conveniently situated right between my apartment and the Danish Representation. It is adjacent to the square called Place du Luxembourg, where many EU professionals go out for well-deserved drinks on Thursdays and Fridays at one of the numerous bars and cafés.
And of course, it's not all work. There are quite a few events and receptions. Just this past week, I went to the Parliament for a reception and to the official opening concert for the Danish Presidency, which was attended by the President of the European Council Herman van Rompuy and the Crown Prince and Princess of both Denmark and Belgium.
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