The Brussels chill is starting to set in. It seems that while we were at Normandy, it creeped in (I've included a picture of a rainy black and white view from our balcony to capture the eery cold, but it is kind of difficult to see the actual rain haha). This week has been quite rainy, which is apparently quite characteristic of Brussels. Many of the natives have said that we have been incredibly lucky weather wise so far because there has usually been much more rain up to this point.
But on Wednesdays, we had to wade through rising waters as we ventured from campus to our apartments. I don't think that I have ever been so drenched in rain before (well, maybe Carolina Cup 2008, but that's another story...). When we arrived back to the apartment, we found that the basement apartment (lovingly referred to as "the bunker") where three Furman boys are living was flooded. Delightful. They were put up in a nice hotel for the evening, and the landlord had to come and do damage control. It was quite a little adventure.
Besides this incident, my week was pretty boring. I survived my midterms with minimal emotional scarring, and was finally able to get a check cashed after going to the same bank three times with no luck - I love Belgian administration.
This weekend, my roommate Nora and I decided to hold down the fort in Brussels. This is actually one of the few weekends that I will actually be here! We went to a dance club near Grand Place last night to hear some real house music. It was certainly interesting. A huge group from Vesalius was there, so it was kind of fun to see the awkward people from my classes dancing about and such.
Nora's parents are arriving on Monday, so it will be nice to experience the refreshing presence of American family. I have realized here that I value family and my personal connections at home so much more now that communication is so difficult. I will truly treasure those little phone chats with my Dad and the text message sessions with my big sister once I have them back. For now, I will suck it up and keep on enjoying my independent adventures!
 What a weekend we had! On Friday afternoon, we made the bus ride to Bruges. We got in around 8:00pm and ventured through the streets. It was absolutely beautiful! The buildings were old and majestic, built in a gothic style. Even at night, people leisurely rode their bikes through the winding streets. Although many of the stores were closed, we enjoyed taking in the sites as we wandered. It was strange to see a part of Belgium so different from Brussels. The streets were not nearly as dense and noisy. It was a much more peaceful and relaxing atmosphere. We felt much safer roaming about at night in Bruges than we do in our own neighborhood in Brussels. We stopped at a restaurant just outside of the main square. Next door, there was a lively little bar where some older folks were bopping to the rhythms of such sweet tunes as ABBA's "Dancing Queen" - we got a good chuckle out of that.
I especially enjoyed laying eyes on the famous Belfry Tower of Bruges that is featured in the film "In Bruges" starring Colin Farrell. My father and I watched the movie in preparation for my travels, and we were quite amused by the action-packed adventure through the beautiful Belgian town that is hailed as "the Venice of the North." The canals that run through the city were certainly gorgeous, but I will have to wait until my trip to the real Venice in a few weeks before I make the real comparison. We got lost on our way back from dinner, but it was more funny than frightening. We stopped in a snack shop for some guidance. Upon inquiring in French whether the man at a snack shop whether the man spoke English, he replied, "What?" It is hard to keep track of which parts of Belgium speak Dutch or French...Flanders is a Dutch area. Whoops!
Bright and early on Saturday morning, we headed out to Ypres to tour the historic sites of World War I. Our guide, Raoul, did a fantastic job of explaining the historical significance of the different sites along the way. After reading Winston Groom's "A Storm in Flanders," it was fascinating to see the places mentioned over and over on the pages as significant battle locations. Although the town looked as though it dated back to the medieval period, it was actually rebuilt in the 1920's after it was reduced to ruins in the warfare.
Moving on to the Menin Gate beyond the town center, the tribute to the soldiers put into perspective for me the staggering losses that accumulated in the brutal battles of World War I. It was eerie to think that less than 100 years ago, Haig was under attack on the very road on which the memorial stands, and that Plumer himself came to unveil the Memorial. The images of poppies and the list of names made these monumental sacrifices real in my eyes.The “In Flanders Fields” museum in the restored Cloth Hall provided a more interactive perspective of the World War I events in Flanders. Upon entering the museum, each of us received a card with the identity of a different person affected by the war as a soldier, nurse, etc. This was a unique way for all of us to feel personal investment in the war events. My historical figure, for instance, was a young French soldier who died in combat. The museum had an array of exhibits on topics ranging from weaponry to the Christmas truce that we read about in Groom’s book. One of the rooms focused on trench life, combining smoke and images to make the audience feel the panic and chaos of the situation. Raoul informed me that the museum has won numerous awards for its historical presentations, and I could clearly see why.
After touring Ypres, Raoul showed us the WWI cemeteries located through the Flanders countryside. We visited the Essex Farm memorial, for instance, where John McCrae wrote the famous poem, "In Flanders Fields." It was astounding to see rows and rows of graves, both marked and unmarked, for soldiers who lost their lives in "the Great War."
We also had the opportunity to explore the trenches that have been preserved out by Hill 62 at the Sanctuary Wood Museum just outside of the town of Ypres. It was insane to think that the soldiers cowered below the ground in those zigzagging tunnels in the freezing cold and rain. There were crater holes all throughout the trenches where huge shells had exploded. It was absolutely crazy to see with my own eyes the devastating effects of the battles I read about.
On Sunday, we had time to explore Bruges on our own. A few of us decided to climb the tower. The winding and narrow staircase was a bit scary, but we survived the climb and were rewarded with an incredible bird's eye view of the red-roofs scattered throughout the town. We then explored the streets and even saw a marching band perform in the main square. After a Haagen Dazs stop, we headed back to the hotel, exhausted from our adventures.
It was a strange feeling to return to Brussels and think, "Ah, it's good to be home." But that is, in fact, what it has become after living here for a month. And another week of my adventure begins...
We've been in the apartment for about 2 days now, and it is wonderful to have a place to clean and decorate and just relax.
Yesterday, we did a 3 hour bus tour of the city of Brussels (above is a picture of the elegant Palais Royal de Bruxelles). It is so much bigger than I realized! People keep saying the it is a small city, but I swear, it seems insanely bigger and more complicated than Baltimore! There are some beautiful parks with ponds and fountains and beautiful trees. But only a few streets away from the beautiful greenery, the downtown area suddenly appears with lots of buildings and row houses. It is very eclectic to say the least...
Today, we went to a local farmer's market that had everything from socks and robes to gourmet cheese. It was fascinating! My roommates and I bought some fresh fruit and vegetables, and I even purchased a simple dress for 3 euro.
On a random note, I feel like a cultural prude here. Walking through the grocery store today, we heard the familiar jams of Snoop Dogg. This is fine to hear at a party or something, but in a family-oriented grocery store? Moms are pushing strollers about to the sweet words of "bull s***" and other profanity. So strange! One of the top songs on the video countdown these days is "F*** You" by Lily Allen. It is a fab song, but I was rather surprised to hear it in a nice outdoor restaurant the other day! Also, Nora and I decided to watch the movie "Showgirls" for some comical entertainment when it was on TV the other night. Little did we know that the uncensored version being shown on TV was full of nudity and explicit scenes. Now we know to brace ourselves if we intend to do some innocent channel-surfing.
We moved into the apartments today which means a steady internet source...finally!
The apartments are absolutely wonderful. We were all pleasantly surprised! It's very spacious with lots of natural lighting, a dishwasher, a washer and dryer, a nice tv, a terrace (I have included a picture of the view standing out there) and more. Also, the students living in the building are all EPA students (mostly from Furman), so it feels pretty safe. Nora and I are sharing a cute little room with plenty of storage space. Our front window looks out onto a street called "Gray" (which reminds me of DMB's song "Grey Street"), and it is directly across from a sandwich shop/bakery that has DELICIOUS bread! There is also a grocery store nearby so we can finally cook for ourselves! It will be nice to finally get settled into a routine.
|
RSS Feed