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?
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?
RSS Feed