Visiting NATO HQ and European Union Exhibit

I used to work for a NATO research agency in Italy, had visited the old NATO HQ in Brussels for a meeting. It was a treat to be able to visit the new HQ that was constructed after I left over 10 years ago. A friend who used to work with me in Italy but now works in the HQ, sponsored my visit. Beautiful and modern, the interiors of the buildings were pretty amazing but no photos allowed due to security. Below are a few shots of the outside (taken by my friend), it was a rather cloudy and blustery day.

After lunch, I texted a friend who works for the European Parliamentary Library to see if we could meet for coffee. She was very surprised to know I was in the area and we agreed to meet at a cafe near the EU Commission which was at the end of the bus line. Since I had about 2 hours to kill, I decided to visit the European Union Visitor Center since the Commission itself (photo of buildings below) is closed to visitors.