 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...
 While some of the other students scattered to places like London and Amsterdam for the weekend, my roommates and I spent the weekend in Brussels, regrouping after a hectic week of classes and work. Yesterday, we ventured into Grand Place downtown to check out the annual Brussels Beer Weekend. It was quite a sight! There were silly hats, and vintage cars, and more beer than I have ever seen in my entire life. We even noticed a visibly pregnant woman holding an empty glass of Duvel - a 10% alcohol content beverage. Very interesting.
We even saw a parade of strange characters in costume along the streets of De Brouckere. An older gentleman was wheeling about a recreation of the "Manneken Pis" - a small sculpture of a peeing boy that is an icon in Brussels. As he approached, I noticed that one of the parade officials muttered something about, "American." Before I knew it, a man was taking a picture of the Manneken "peeing" all over me. It was only water, but it was embarrassing. Thank you, Brussels, for peeing all over me. The ultimate sign that I am not wanted here, perhaps?
I have found that at this point in my adventure, the homesickness is setting in. I almost teared up yesterday when we stopped in a shopping gallery that reminded me of an American shopping mall...pretty pathetic. It doesn't help that the internet connection in our apartment has been rather spotty, making it difficult to connect to people back home (as if the time difference doesn't make this hard enough). I'm also nervous and stressed about my job at IDF. Tomorrow's meeting will be an important task for me, so I am anxious to do well.
I feel like I am at a strange point - between new excitement and comfortably settled in. It is still bizarre to me that I can't just order a water with dinner, or find a normal folder in the store to hold my papers (they are hard to come by, and the ones that you do find have strange flaps that are not very effective at holding papers in). I spoke with Nora today about similar anxieties. While we are thrilled to be here, we are worried about the fact that we are already counting down the weeks until we return. This study abroad trip is unique because, rather than traveling and touring and taking a few classes, we have to adjust to work and school and life in a specific city, and become more than just tourists. This is both stressful and amazing.
I'm just hoping that this stressed out feeling will subside once we begin traveling. Next weekend, we are heading off to Bruges with the Furman group to check out WWI sites and explore the beautiful town that is hailed as "the Venice of the North."
 Yesterday, my roommate Ashley and I decided that we wanted to be tourists in Brussels. Both of us begin our internships this week (unlike many of the other students on the trip), so we thought it would be best to stay close to "home" and skip the group trip to Antwerp.
After searching for a Bank of America compatible ATM along Avenue Marnix with no success, we ventured over to the Royal Palace to scope out the site. Admission is free (always a plus), and it will only be open for tours through August. The grounds are beautiful with maze-like gardens and intricate sculptures. It is a magnificent piece of property unlike anything I've seen in America. Upon entering, we were told to leave our bags with some ladies at the entrance in a purse check. Being the paranoid protector of my beloved Christmas gift purse that I am, I got antsy. Luckily, Ashley had similar sentiments. We wandered through the rooms along a carpeted pathway of ogling tourists, and stood in awe of the luxurious surroundings. We saw countless paintings of monarchs and Belgian scenery. The light fixtures along cost significantly more than my college career, I'm sure. I commented to Ashley that, while it was a beautiful museum, I could not imagine settling in with my Cheerios at a fancy marble table in a plush satin chair under a chandelier of diamonds and bopping around to Shakira. It got me thinking about how maybe stuffy people aren't really so stuffy, they're just conforming to their environment. There is no way I could be chill in that place. Now mind you the king resides in a different palace with his family, but I am sure that it is no less extravagant.
Anyway, I was soon reunited with my purse and belongings (much to my relief), and we continued on to the downtown area via the metro. Of course we got sucked in to buying a few school supplies to help us stay organized, and this led to a few clothing items to keep us warm and fashionable in the coming months. I even purchased a beautiful scarf of bright turquoise and pink and silver from a woman on the street for only 5 euro! Scarves are all the rage here right now. Girls wear them everywhere. We made it home after a short walk from the Merode metro and a grocery stop. After reading and tidying up a bit, we declared it a movie night. We watched Mr. and Mrs. Smith because it was on TV in English with Dutch subtitles. Nora decided to go out on the town after her day in Antwerp, but Ashley and I opted to stay in and watch a very bizarre movie that happened to be in English and involved a magic 8 ball and a highway and the girl who played the Pink Power Ranger. We ended up watching the whole thing because it was just too strange and terrible to turn away from.
Today has officially been declared a Lazy Sunday. I finally finished reading Winston Groom's "A Storm in Flanders" for our trip to Bruges in a few weeks, so now I just have to write the outline for the assignment. I found the book fascinating considering history and I don't usually get along too well. I'm anxious to see the trenches and the sites that I read about.
The rest of the day is full of homework and leisure. I am making a special tofu dish for dinner, so I'll post the final verdict on the outcome.
My internship starts tomorrow and I am ridiculously nervous. I haven't the slightest idea what to expect. But that's what adventure is all about. Right?
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