Barcelona, mi amor

When André came to visit me at the end of October, I asked him to bring me a few things from home: pancake mix, maple syrup and my winter coat. Hearing this, our friend Greg laughed at me. He grew up in Belgium; apparently, their winters don’t warrant heavy coats. To be honest, I was actually swallowing my pride in complaining about the cold. Canadians are modest, except when it comes to winter. In fact, people from Ottawa are the worst. No matter what, our snow banks are higher, our temperatures lower and our winds stronger. We’ve all had frostbite to the point where we no longer have feeling in our ears. Did you know we have the second-coldest capital in the world? Even colder than Russia. It’s all very hard-core and impressive.

Anyway, by the end of November it was obvious to me that we were getting into an abnormal Belgian winter. Luckily the weekend that the snow blanketed a paralyzed Louvain-la-Neuve, I was meeting Logan in warm, sunny, beautiful Barcelona!

Once again, I was benefiting from the popularity of the Queen’s exchange program. Our very welcoming classmates, Ran and Rami, had beds and everything ready for us. Within minutes of arriving at their apartment in Barcelona, Logan and I were whisked to La Rambla and to the beach to take in the main sites of the city. That night, my Erasmus got a little bigger when we met the Esade international crew for dinner and for a party at Ran and Rami’s place. Such a great time! There were just enough North Americans to weigh in our favour and play a few exciting rounds of flip cup. Of course, Team Canada was leading the way.

I dragged Logan out of bed at an ungodly hour so we could enjoy the sun and do some of the tourist stuff.  First stop, Gaudi’s Sagrada Familia... despite it being unfinished (how that is the case, I still cannot fathom), it’s quite the sight to behold. Unfortunately, the line was wrapped around the building so we didn’t make it inside, but if what our next stop showed us was any indication, I’m sure it was simply extraordinary. So, in keeping with the Gaudi theme, Logan and I visited Casa Batlló, a privately owned house that was entirely designed by Gaudi. I can’t gush enough about this site. As much as the exterior facade attracts your attention, the inside is... fascinating, quirky, breathtaking. With your entry fee, you get a great audio tour and gain a better appreciation for Gaudi and his fantastic attention to detail (the railings and the doorhandles, for example, are all designed to fit your hand). There are so many different Gaudi buildings to see, it’s difficult to chose, but I certainly recommend this one. It was a great way to spend the first part of our day.

Next, we wondered over to beautiful Parc Monjuïc, which offered amazing views of the city. On our way back to the city centre, we found one of those coveted perfect non-tourist-trap restaurants. I played it safe with Catalonian sausages (which were delicious), while Logan got a little crazy and ordered mussels. I think he might be still regretting those. We did a little window shopping in the gothic quarter, and after a quick nap back at Rami’s, grabbed a drink. At this point, Logan got hit on by the waiter... maybe because he ordered a drink which came with fruit on the side. Rami joined us for dinner at a restaurant near the harbour. After that, he brought us to an awesome bar... Anyone and everyone who goes to Barcelona needs to make this a pit stop. It served only shots. Like 200 of them, each for 2 Euros. In most cases, they require fire. Aweeeesoommmeee. I ordered (what else?) the Harry Potter shot.

Sunday morning, I packed my stuff and went off solo. I had been told Parc Guell was a must, so I wasn’t going to let the opportunity of a sunny day pass me by. To my ultimate delight, Parc Guell is like Gaudi World. It was beautiful and really relaxing. I found myself a bench, snacked on my baguette and read a book. Bliss, baby, bliss.

After a little more shopping in the gothic quarter (CHRISTMAS!), it was a train, a plane, a bus, a train and another train until I was back to Louvain-la-Neuve, completely exhausted. Thanks again to Ran and Rami for their extraordinary hospitality and for sharing their passion for such a fantastic city!

London Calling

For all of you who are leaving on exchange in the next month, you will soon discover that your chances of picking up the native tongue of your host country are just about zilch... good thing you know English. And that’s because at its zenith, the British Empire ruled 20% of the world’s surface, and 25% of its people.  

When I was 10, my family and I visited England on vacation. We spent our first few days in London and there was born my obsession with English royalty. At the Tower of London, my parents bought me a book on the wives of Henry VIII: divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived. Eventually, I became the obnoxious person who suggests Elizabeth as a Friday night movie, points out historical inaccuracies in The Tudors, and yes, is incredibly excited at the new of Prince William and Kate Middleton’s engagement. All this to say, revisiting the largest city in Europe was a high priority on my list... And that I was meeting my dad there was a huge bonus!

My dad flew to London direct from Ottawa for a three-night weekend with his eldest daughter. Brussels being only two hours away by train, this was an ideal meeting spot. Just the night before, I had gone to opening night of Harry Potter with Lucy (a full day ahead of the Canadian release, mind you). Combined with the confirmation of the upcoming royal nuptials, this meant my British fever was at an all-time high.

Mid-day Thursday, my dad and I were reunited. Our first stop: Tower of London (good thing English history is a shared interest... Who do you think I’m watching Elizabeth and The Tudors?). Besides being pretty pricey (£18 for adults), this medieval castle is my favourite sight in London. The audio recounts the deliciously gruesome 1000 year past. Notably, three Queens (Anne Boleyn, Catherine Howard and Lady Jane Gray) were beheaded and buried there and this is also where Richard III had his child nephews imprisoned and murdered so he could sit of the thrown.

Ironically, the Tower of London is also home to the Crown Jewels, apparently the most impressive collection in the world. These include a lot of the jewels used at a monarch’s coronation. Also on display, a crown made for the Queen Mother with Koh-i-Noor, the world’s largest diamond (or something... it was impressive).

Another passion of mine was born on my last trip to England: one for Hugh Grant and specifically for his role as lovable self-deprecating Englishman in the delightful 1999 romcom Notting Hill. Actually, this is kind of a Crossman family favourite. All this is to say that in three days in London, my dad and I went to Notting Hill every day. First for dinner on our first night, after which we saw exactly where we wanted to eat on night two. And then since we hadn’t been during the day, we returned on day three. Walking back to our hotel after our first dinner, we came across The Travel Bookshop... Any Hugh Grant fan will tell you that this was extremely exciting.

On Friday, we had the mandatory tourists trap on our agenda: Parliament (and Big Ben), Westminster Abbey, 10 Downing Street, Trafalgar Square, Buckingham Palace. We actually went inside Parliament and sat in on the House of Commons debate which was pretty cool (Dad! I can’t believe over four decades in Ottawa – you haven’t been in the Canadian Parliament!). Oh, and as we were walking right outside Buckingham, we saw a Bentley with Princess Anne in it. That’s right, my Dad and I know who Princess Anne is AND what she looks like. To finish the afternoon, we went to the Victoria and Albert Museum... best described by the Lonely Planet as the country’s attic. Really interesting and worth the time invested (it’s free!).

Next day, we headed to Portobello Market in Notting Hill... it was so busy and bustling and selling everything known to man. I had Christmas presents on the brain (hint, hint, Val). And then to top it all off, in the street where you could barely move, I ran into my friend Naoki. So let’s recap: that’s a Canadian bumping to a friend from Japan who I know from Belgium in England. Globalization and exchange at its best. We wrapped up the day with a stroll down Kensington Gardens and a visit to the Museum of Natural History (not really worthwhile).

So it was a fantastic weekend... even the sun cooperated. Leaving my Dad on the underground, I started to miss home. A month and I was going to be back in Canada. It seemed too far and too close all at once.

Paris Party People (& Paula)

Long time no blog, I know. November was a blur of travelling and incredible exchange nights, which (un)fortunately means I had no time for blogging. December, on the other hand, is considerably slower thus allowing me to, in the words of the ever wise Ben H., wind down and catch up.

But first. Today is my favorite P's birthday: Paula P's. A grandiose shout out then to my incredible housemate, who I hold in such high esteem and miss incredibly. Happy birthday, petite Paula.

Down to business.

I said in my previous post (and to a number of people) that I was not all that interested places like London, Paris or Rome. We are, I argued, so exposed by the media to images of these cities that once we are there, it's as if we've been there before. It's expected. And that cities like Prague or Budapest were much much more interested. I have come to realize that this is a lot like Logan not getting Facebook until this summer, or Paula not listening to anything that's even played on the radio. Non-conformity for the sake of non-conformity. I concede, I was playing that game to. Then this weekend changed all of that.

It’s 3AM. I’m riding full speed ahead down the middle of a major street, only a few cars in sight.  I’m peddling as hard as I can; desperately trying to keep up to the Polish couple I’ve just met a few hours ago, on whom I am relying to not get lost. And I’m wearing heals. Where else could I be, other than Paris?

Just a few days before that adventure, I was in a totally different kind of desperate situation. In fact, I was faced with a major dilemma, an exchange student’s worst nightmare: thanks to a national holiday in Belgium (L’Armistice, known as Rembrance Day in Canada), I had a five-day weekend ahead and no travel plans. Luckily enough, I have unbelieably gracious and generous friends, such as Ola, who are on Fall exchange in super cool cities and invite me stay in their apartments while they are off discovering foreign lands.

I thought that Paris being 2hrs from Brussels, and the train system in Europe being so superior to that in North America, getting to the City of Lights would be no problem. Word of caution: a last minute ticket will set you back quite a bit. I wasn't willing to spend more on my ride to Paris than my flights Budapest and Venice combined. Friends of mine suggested I look into the bus, and sure enough, it was a third of the price for just an extra hour or travel time. Deal. But first, website wouldn't accept my credit card (which sent me into frenzy and I ended up on the phone with TD through a Skype call to my Dad) and then the national holiday almost kept me Belgian-bound when I couldn't find a printing shop open.

A long day later, I got to Ola's Paris apartment safe and sound. Despite having to pull an all-nighter to finish a suprise paper, she had enough time to introduce me to her friends who in turn introduced me to the Paris nightlife. I have to honest here. Ola's friends were a riot, but, in my humble opinion, the clubs were not. Now, I'm notoriously not cool and my idea of a good time is a Taylor Swift concert, so house music is not exactly up my alley. But still. The clubs were packed, with everyone was just kind of bouncing their heads to a beat instead of dancing. A little Lady Gaga or Journey never killed anybody. In any case, the novelty of partying in Paris was enough to keep me happy and the aformentionned bike ride home was an exchange highlight.

My Paris plan was to do solo sightseeing during the day and meet up in the evening with my UCL friends who were also in town that weekend. This worked out perfectly for me, as I could plan out a jam-packed itinerary of the exact things I wanted to see. Like le Musée des Invalides (French war museum). Unfornately, upon arrival I got a major flashback of my Grade 11 trip during which we had visited this exact place. So I bailed, and moved on to the list's next item: a stroll down les Champs d'Élysés, Place de la Concorde, Jardins des Tuileries and across la Seine to le Musée d'Orsay. What a museum! Not only is it housed in the most gorgeous of buildings, but it contains the most incredible pieces: Monet, Manet, Van Gogh, Renor (I've acquired a taste for Impressionists on this trip). I absolutely recommend this (in particular, you get in free with your European visa - I knew I filled out all that paper work for something). Finally, I wrapped up the day with a visit to le Cimetière du Père Lachaise, other must see: not only does it provide a peaceful break from bustling Paris but it's just as cool as it seems to see a famous person's tomb stone. You can't miss Jim Morrison (follow the guide tour, please), Chopin, Molière, Lafontaine and the WWII section.

I met with my fellow UCL Erasmus students for dinner on my second night. I can't gush enough about what a great group it was: Anne, Malin, Lotta, Helen, Robert, Brandon, Joel, Mattias, Thomas and Naoki. Laughs and crazy antics are guaranteed. Joel will inevitably challenge you to do something ridiculous, Robert and Thomas will belt an inpromptu rendition of Cologne's song, Mattias will sell you the merits of house music, the Swedes will suit up and you'll crack up with Brandon trying to teach everyone the correct use of English slang words. We all got ready in their hostel, suited up (only semi) and then rolled out to Showcase, a located under Alexander III bridge, overlooking la Seine. Somehow, we got in for free (probably had something to do with Anne's Finish blonde hair and blue eyes) and then took in the atmosphere. Once again, atmosphere was pretty much all there was, because despite the phenomenal location, the fabulously stressed patrons and the reknowned DJ, I was disapointed by the lack of... enthusiasm? I think we've all been spoiled by one too many nights at the cercles, jumping up and down to Club Can't Handle Me or shouting BARBRA STREISAND at the top of our lungs.

Woke up the next morning groggy but with a full agenda, of course... mostly consisting of discovering Montmartre. On my two previous trips to Paris I had visited this epic cathedral, but I had never walked up, down and around it. I am so so very glad I did. It was, and I quote Paddy this time, pure bliss. It wasn't hard to find cute Parisian boutiques and just when I was getting a little chilly, God heard my prayer and answered in the form a CUPCAKE shop. People who know me well know that 1) I eat treats and drink tea like it's my job and 2) I leave quite a mess. Elise, I was thinking of you when I got this.

Another bit of Olivia trivia. Favorite scene in a Disney movie: when the Beast presents Belle with his library (oh my, I'm a nerd). So I was exploring the coblestoned hills of Montmartre, and I FOUND IT. With ladders and books all the way up to the ceiling and piles everywhere! It was perfect. I got a copy of Molière's L'Avare for 1 euro and asked the shopkeeper if I could take a picture. He's perfect response was, "... but I don't want to be in it".

I met up with la gang down at Les Halls (shopping district) and it started to rain. Robert & I thought this was a perfect excuse to see the Louvre (once again, we could get in free with our EU residency). Robert is the perfect museum-buddy. He let me choose where I wanted to go first (Napoleon's apartments). Then he led me to the German section and enlightened me on his country's art. There are some moments on exchange when you just feel so incredibly cultured, like you can feel yourself internationalizing: ya, it was something like that. We met up with Brandon and Naoki at the Eiffel Tower for the necessary photo op. At that point, the rain was getting to me and I was oh-so-glad I had Ola's warm cozy apartment to go home to. 

Final morning in Paris: I had a few things left to cross off my list. I trekked off to the Montparnasse district where I visited another cemetery-with-famous-people such as Simone de Beauvoir and Jean-Paul Sartre, made sure to see a few notable art nouveau buildings, wondered over to Jardin du Luxembourg (gorgeous, another must) and then ended up just near Notre-Dame-de-Paris. This area was bustling with tourists of course and I couldn't have been happier to be among them. I was having one of those, I'm really really happy with my life right now moments: it was sunny, I was in Europe, I was in Paris and it felt good to be solo. And then I got the MOST delicious egg and ham crêpe and I was over the moon.

It kind of went downhill from there (sorry to kill the mood). I missed my bus back to Brussels and it was hell trying to get on the next one. There being only one agent available for, I would guess, about a hundred people were unbelievably stressful. Here is where I get down on my hand and knees and thank my parents for putting me through school in French and making sure I was fluent, because it truly saved me. Eventually, I got to Brussels, I few hours behind scheduled but back in Belgium, back home, nevertheless.

It only speaks to how deeply I had fallen in love with Paris that despite a hellish trip home, I was still on cloud nine. Or should I say, au septième ciel.

Italy, in huge portions

"Venice is like eating an entire box of chocolate liqueurs in one go." - Truman Capote

In grade 9, I read my first Shakespearian play, the Merchant of Venice. To this day it remains my favourite (not only does Portia have a great name, but she’s also pretty kick-ass for a 16^th century damsel). In fact, it was such a memorable introduction to the Bard of Avon, what better way to be introduced to Italy than in much the same way?

During our second week in Belgium, the European discount airline Ryanair had a seat sale. Famous among Queen’s students on exchange are Ryanair’s dirt cheap flights to (some exotic, some not so) exotic locations. A word of caution: a lot of the airports that the cheap airlines fly into are outside the city... It’s a good idea to look up where the airport is actually located and how hard it is to get to the city centre upon arrival. For example, Ryanair flies out of “Brussels-Charleroi” which takes us (from Louvain-la-Neuve) about two hours to get to, even though it’s a 30 minute drive.

Either way, upon hearing about the sale, Lauren and I began excitedly imagining all the possibilities. We hastily booked Venice for a trip six weeks away (little did we know, Ryanair would be having seat sales every other week).  It seemed light years away. It was in the period “post-André-visit”. The second half of the semester. Then, all of a sudden, we were there, closer to the end than to the beginning.

And off we were to Italy.

Lauren and I arrived in Venice mid-evening on Friday. A bus from the airport dropped us off in the middle of a busy square and we had no idea where we were. In fact, we didn’t even have a map. Oy. Less than ideal. Travelling in foreign countries, you learn to fall in love with one particular letter of the latin alphabet: i, the international symbol for information, aka ohmygosh, help me, I’m lost. So we got a map, asked a few questions to a few people, found out we were exactly where we wanted to be and got general directions for our hotel. Finding our place to stay involved following a few hand painted arrows that looked more like graffiti than street signs and of course, falling victim to the Venetian cliché of getting lost. Luckily, there’s no more enchanting place to be lost in.

After settling in, pizza was on the agenda. We were satisfied at a nearby place recommended by a local. Like Belgium, I found that Italy lived up to culinary expectations and thankfully, Lauren and I shared the same philosophy regarding dieting while on exchange: we can eat salads in Canada. (Actually, over the weekend, we would indulge in the best kinds of food: pasta, bruschetta, lasagne and a gelato for every day we were there... I’m started to think this whole blog should be food-themed.) Following our meal, we didn’t walk around long before being asked to take a picture by a group of American girls who overheard us speaking English. Meet Ariane, Rani, Chelsey, Aubrey and Morgan, students from FIT (Fashion Institute of Technology in Manhattan) currently studying in Florence. We spent the night comparing schools and international experiences, and just having a great time. Another exchange cliché coming your way: the sights are great but the people are better.

Saturday, we discovered daytime Venice. And I discovered that calling Bruges, Belgium the “Venice of the North” is a serious misnomer. The canals in Venice are everywhere (as Lauren put it, their version of a dead-end is water). It is just as beautiful as the movies make it out to be. Actually, we spent a lot of time waiting for James Bond to come racing around a corner. Why is that the only movie I can think of set in Venice? Among the crows of tourists, we indulged in some Venetian glass, visited the (outside of) San Marco Basilica and took a water bus to an island with a belfry that offers the best view of the city.

San Marco Basilica

View of the Belfry we visited.

Soon enough, we were making our way to Florence (having been informed that three nights in Venice was too much). I like that I can now say “I’ve been to Tuscany” but this place is much more than a novelty. As described by Lauren, Florence is “a town in a big city”. The people are casual and friendly but the city of Michelangelo is not humble. Designer stores line the main boulevards with lead to Basilica Duomo, an enormous building the outside of which is decorated by, for lack of a better description, dark green geometrical shapes. It’s really impressive. The immensity of these buildings always makes me marvel at the fact they were built without electricity. Maybe that’s part of what I like so much about churches... each of them is a real feat of engineering.

Another thing about flying Ryanair is that you are restricted to a backpack as luggage. This allows me to pack clothes for a weekend, but the Lonely Planet has got to go. I made a few notes, one of which was to visit Basilica Lorenzo. I dragged Lauren way off the beaten track for this one but it was well worth it. Housing a Russian church is, we both agreed, the coolest building either of us has ever seen. Words don’t suffice and pictures don’t do it justice but take a look. Notice the palm trees!

The rain dampened a bit the rest of the afternoon but we still enjoyed the markets (selling mostly leather) and a few more sights (including a crucifix recently discovered to a piece of Michaelangelo’s early work, made when we was 18). Too soon, we needed to make our way back to Venice. Truthfully, we didn’t give Florence to time it deserved.

Here’s the secret no one tells you about exchange. Everyone comes back from their time abroad gushing about the experience of a lifetime that profoundly changed them and they even have the album of Facebook to prove it. But guess what? Sometimes you’re tired, hungry, cold and/or wet and all you want is home. And sometimes, you’re alone on a train at night in Italy that isn’t on the way to the station you want to go to, without a map of your destination and both your iPod and cell are dead. And all of this is compounded by the fact that you’re on exchange, supposed to be having the time of life (everyone else did, you saw it on Facebook!). You can chalk it up to experience all you want, but in the moment, it sucks.

But it gets better. A friendly Venetian architect tells you where to get the right train. You find your way to the hotel in the dark. You breathe in, you breathe out. You handle it. Next time, you plan better. And you use the little battery you have left for an upbeat Taylor Swift song. Let’s face it, if you’re lost, you’re lost in Italy... that ain’t half bad.  

Love & Budapest

I'd like to thank the official sponsors of this post, since it wouldn't have been possible without their support: uOttawa (for its first ever fall reading week) and my boyfriend's parents' Josée and Dave (for shipping him over here).

This week had been highly anticipated for sometime... since the summer, in fact. Not only would André and I be reunited after six weeks apart (in Europe no less) but it would be his first time on the continent. To begin, I met him at the airport and we spent the day in Brussels. This time, I didn't need a map to find Delirium (the bar with 2000 beers) or the other major sights. It was a real chance for me to show off exactly how Belgian I had become! A severely jet-lagged André's first impression of Europe? "The coffees are really really small here." Don't worry, it was all uphill from there!

André in Brussels

Day two meant travelling to Budapest! I couldn't have been more excited to travel to Hungary. I have been harboring a fascination with Central Europe since high school which was only reinforced by my recent trip to Prague. Of course, the major Western cities are incredible but there is something interesting about those behind the Iron Curtain. Perhaps in North America we are so inundated by images of Paris, London and Rome that, as you move eastward, everything, from the architecture to the food is different. I just can't get enough! My decision to bring André to Budapest (I was also considering Poland and Croatia) was sealed when my friends Sue and Ben gave it rave reviews. Luckily, it lived up or surpassed all expectations!

We rented an apartment through airbnb.com (André's find). It was so cheap and looked so nice online we figured it must be too good to be true. It wasn't. Spacious, full kitchen, amazing location, gracious hosts... What more could we ask for? Our first night we walked around acclimatization ourselves (mostly, to how cheap everything is). We enjoyed Hungarian food and drinks as we planned our weekend and took in the beautiful Chain Bridge (that joins the Buda and Pest sides).

Chain Bridge

Sunday morning, we walked in on a mass at St Stephen's Basilica (conveniently located right down our street on the Pest side). In my last post, I mentioned my love for churches... this Neo-Renaissance design (also one of the tallest buildings in Budapest - equal to the Parliament) was breathtaking. Every square inch of its interior was richly decorated. Bonus, for a minimal fee, we climbed to the roof for a fantastic view of the city. Next we walked to the Buda Castle District. Located on a steep hill, you can easily appreciate the strategic location and see why this was the sight of so much bloodshed. We took in the Budapest History Museum (a disappointment) and wandered the area, a World Heritage Site.

St Stephen's Basilica

St Stephen's Basilica, overlooking Budapest

Travelling, you're often thinking of one thing even when you are taking in the tourist attractions: where is the food? And André and I both love to eat so finding where our next meal would be coming from was a bit of a sport. On our way back from the Castle, we settled on a pizza place suggested by Lonely Planet back on the Pest side. We took a few lefts, a few rights, a few wrongs and next thing we knew, we were kind of lost. Food didn't look like it was coming any time soon, since we were clearly in residential Budapest. And then we turned a corner. There it was, the most perfect of the perfect pizzerias that ever existed. It wasn't the one we were looking for, but it was better. It was delicious. This place was like Atlantis... It appeared out of nowhere just when we needed it and I'm sure if we went back to find it, we never would.

Next on the list of things to do was... Thermal baths (! If there was one, just one, activity we were going to do in Budapest, this was it. Lonely Planet offered a long list of options, but many of them had separate hours/days for men and women. Ben had suggested Széchenyi Medicinal Bath (first built in 1913) so we walked down one of Budapest's more luxurious avenue (you could tell by all the Gucci and Prada) to Hero's Square and City Park to the gorgeous Neo-baroque building that houses the pools. It was a little difficult figuring out the system for the changing rooms but once we did, we had an unbelievably relaxing few hours. There were too many different pools to count... we tried all different kinds and overall, had a blast. This is mandatory for anyone visiting Budapest.

During the remainder of the weekend, André and I discovered Budapest quite thoroughly: the spectacular Parliament Building, the Jewish district and the Citadel. My personal favorite spot was a place called 1000Tea... almost as relaxing as the baths (plus they were playing Johnny Cash, so you can't go wrong).

1000Tea

All of a sudden (or so it seemed), we were back in Belgium. André met my kot-mates and cooked pancakes with maple syrup for them (they commented that the food was so heavy, they needed mid-day naps to digest). Having someone visiting was a great opportunity to indulge (not that I ever hold out) in fries, beer, chocolate and waffles in copious quantities. I told you we love food!

And for André's last day in Europe, we went to Bruges... I thought there was no better city to show off what Belgium is all about.

Home Sweet Belgium

Oh hey, Blogosphere. Haven't seen you in a while. You see, I've been busy. Between travelling, getting stitches (no details will be given), eating chocolate and drinking beer, there just hasn't been any room for you and me time. But today is a national holiday in Belgium so everything is closed. It's time for Olivia-Blog bonding.


As you can imagine, over the last few weeks I've settled into a routine at UCL. I figured out my class schedule, stopped getting lost and mixing up the times for each course. More importantly, I spent weekends discovering my host country.


I travelled to Gent on a Saturday with five other exchange students. In fact, it wasn't until asked by a waiter where we were from that we realized we represented six different nationalities. Exchange at its finest. Generally, Gent was pretty much as expected. It covered my favorite three C's of any quaint European city: Churches, Cathedrals (no, they are not the same thing) and Castle. When I travelled to Europe as a kid with my family I can specifically remember visiting these magnificent structures and loving it. The architecture is so impressive and bonus, churches and cathedrals tend to be free. So Gent had a whole bunch to keep me happy all day. Cherry on the cake, the top of the castle offered us a fantastic view of the city and had exhibited medieval torture devices. Awesome!

 The next day, Lauren and I travelled to Brussels to meet with Ola and Elaine from Queen's. We had so much to catch up and talk about, mostly comparing our experiences abroad. Surprisingly, despite being barely a three-hour train ride away from each other, they were completely different. Paris seems to be the complete opposite of Louvain-la-Neuve. Ola is so pleased with her temporary home, I won't be surprised to find her living their permanently one day. This was my second visit to Brussels so I knew what I wanted to do: 1) Grand-Place 2) Waffle 3) Palace (palace, castle... it's a theme) 4) Park 5) Delirium! 6) Waffle. Did I mention I love waffles?

The following weekend, I signed up for an organized trip to Bruges and Antwerp for the exchange students. After travelling a few hours in a herd of 60 students, once we got to Bruges, I went on my own way. And this is when I fell head over heels in love with it. I had heard it was beautiful, charming and a tad fake. It was all these things and more and I couldn't get enough. I walked along canals lined with trees and gorgeous home, snapping pictures of ducks. I ate a enormous plate a delicious €3 spaghetti and enjoyed hot chocolate at the oldest bar in Bruges. While I was walking solo, something miraculous happened. Come to think of it, I'm not all that surprised, I had been feeling something change. But this was the ultimate proof. I was mistaken for a local. Ooooh ya, got asked for directions. By other Belgians.  Big win, big win. At night, pretty Bruges turned into party Bruges which made morning Bruges alot harder to take it. Next day. First impression of Antwerp: Woah. Nice train station. Spent the rest of the day walking the streets, eating the Most Delicious Belgian Fries (see picture), visiting Europe's second largest port and of course, the Fashion Museum (totally worth the €1).

Oldest bar in Bruges



Antwerp Station



Best fries around

I arrived back in Louvain-la-Neuve with just enough time to catch up on some sleep and get geared up for the 24h vélo on Wednesday. The best way we have found to describe what this event entails is: Oktoberfest meets Tour de France. Indeed, this two-day festival is the largest drinking after the German party and revolves (somewhat) around a bike race. Over 20 000 people come to Louvain-la-Neuve for this. This is such a big deal, classes are cancelled. Some participants are serious about cycling, while others (more notably) are groups who build... well, here are some pictures.

Then they ride all night. Everyone else, they party. Aaah, Belgium :)



Just in case you were wondering...

Today was my first library visit.

Of the semester.

Ghent teaser. Going to do a combined Ghent, Bruges, Antwerp-post next week.