Venezia! Prego!

9/27/2009

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Aaaaah Venice!  What an astoundingly beautiful gem of a city!  My experience in Venice was like a breath of fresh air, so utterly refreshing.

On our first morning, we ventured into the small town near Treviso where our hotel was located.  Upon entering a small produce shop in search of fresh fruit, we received a warm greeting from the woman behind the counter.  She excitedly greeted us with, "Bonjourno!"  She called us beautiful girls, and proceeded to tell us that the apples we selected were gifts, insisting that we take them free of charge.  Her motherly and sweet temperament was heartwarming - she embodied a personality I haven't really encountered in Brussels.

In a small coffee shop down the road, we ordered our first Italian cappuccinos.  The barista dusted the foamy treats with cinnamon in the shape of a heart.  It truly tasted as if it had been meticulously concocted by the coffee gods.

We took the short train into Venice early in the afternoon.  As we stepped out of the train station in Venice, we were greeted by the breathtaking view of a beautiful bridge that crossed over the water and into the city.  The pearly white stone of the bridge was majestic and fairytale-esque.  From that point, there were only small boats and gondolas gliding through the maze of canals that run through the city streets.  The residential buildings towered over us with beautiful flowers and gardens peaking out of the windows and balconies.  As cliche as it sounds, it looked like a charming painting that one might find in a painting on the walls of a small restaurant in Little Italy to "set the mood."  I will forever look at such paintings in a new light having been to Venice.  I will never forget biting into the most savory panini I have ever tasted with the most juicy tomatoes, and being in my very own Italian painting in the middle of the Venetian streets.

We spent the first day wandering about in awe of the beautiful houses, popping into different stores to admire the craftsmanship of the classic glass jewelry and the handmade masks.  It was wonderful to just explore with no agenda, just immersing ourselves in the new environment.  Of course, we indulged in gelato...twice.  Of course its taste defied verbal description.

On our second day, we toured the beautiful Doge's Palace in the middle of the grand St. Mark's square just off of the main canal.  The rooms were adorned with gold and oil paintings that were perfected with incredible detail.  I still cannot fathom how each column in the palace courtyard was so intricately designed with masterful sculptures and distinctive detail.
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Later in the afternoon, we simply had to take a gondola ride.  Fortunately, the gondola driver, Franco, was especially fond of one of my travel buddies, so we were able to get an extra special tour.  He allowed each of us to steer the gondola through the canals...a very tricky task!  I think it's safe to say that each of us managed to steer it into the walls of the buildings.  He was extremely lighthearted and fun.  He had some memorable lines, such as, "People are like food.  You have lots of good food, you are happy and energetic.  But you have bad food, and it is like poison.  It doesn't make you feel good."  He also explained that, "Driving a gondola is like making love...you must put your body into it!"  We passed Marco Polo's birthplace, and Casanova's house along the way, as well.  It was quite a memorable adventure, gliding along the Venetian canal with Franco.

We ended the day with a delicious dinner by one of the canals.  The waiter was extremely playful and sweet, clearly loving life and happy to share this happy spirit.  Again, the positive Italian energy was comforting, and it even made me a bit homesick as I longed for the warmth of my family and friends at home.

While we only spent two days in Venice, we were able to see and do so much.  It was fascinating to see a European city so different from Brussels.  I without a doubt hope to return to Italy again.

Back to the grindstone!  A work-filled week ahead in both class and the internship, and then off to Normandy for the weekend!
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In Bruges and Flanders Fields

9/14/2009

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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...
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