Toured Brussels, Belgium yesterday.  We were met at the Atomium by by Blue-bar Pigeon. The  Atomium  was the centerpiece of the 1958 Brussels Word's Fair, also called Expo9 58.  Stands 335 feet tall and clas with stainless steel., with the representation of an iron crystal cell magnified 165 billion times.  It was scheduled to be torn down after the Expo, but kept being rescued year after year until 2004 when it was closed for two years to replace the aluminum sheets on the spheres with stainless steel.  It is today a museum, art center and cultural destination. Home of the European Union. There are beggars and homeless in Brussels. Even a Hawaii poke bowl restaurant. Apparently, as you rent these, you can leave them anywhere. Returned in time for lunch.  Notice the color of the river?  It is never blue.  Sort of a murky greenish hue. Returned for a truly great lunch of salad and corn soup with red wine, followed by fish and chips with beer and white wine. Fortified, we went out o

 Germany and Denmark are two of 27 member countries in the European Union. The EU was formed in 1993. The population of the EU is 448 million, 5.8% of the world population, and higher than the 335 million for the USA. Has one-sixth of the world GDP. With GDP of $19.3 trillion, the EU is #2 to the U.S. with $28 trillion, and ahead of China with $18.6 trillion.   Where will the EU be in 2028? They share boundaries, have a common economy and a unified political leadership.  I remember a long time ago picking up a car in Sweden and driving to Italy.  Crossing into a new country was painful.  Not anymore. Noteworthy for not being a member are Norway (something to do with fishing resources) and Switzerland ( it's complicated, but has to do with historical independence ). Also not a member are Turkey, Liechtenstein and Iceland. Of course, the United Kingdom experienced Brexit in 2020. Potential new members are:  Albania, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Turkey. A complication is wh