Belgian Chocolate and Waffles.

This morning we got up at 5:40 am. It was very early but we were excited to go so we got up quickly! I packed a biscuit with jam for breakfast and a wrap for lunch and then we left at 6:30. It is a quick walk to the train station and we arrived by 6:55. When we went through security I asked if I should take my watch off and the guy said no. Lo and behold, I ended up setting off the metal detector and thus got a pat down and swiped by the wand. Yay. Once they determined it was my watch (duh!!) I got through security. I got a stamp on my passport. The train ride was very smooth and not too bad. Some people had issues pressurizing their ears but I did not notice it. We arrived in Brussels and changed trains to take a train to Bruges. Once we arrived, we took a beautiful walk to our hotel and threw our stuff down. Normally, the program stays in hostels but they were booked so we get to stay in a hotel! Super exciting! We went out in search of food and sat down at a restaurant. One of the people I was with did not want a drink and they person serving us said you had to get a drink. Furthermore, he told us that we could not order off of part of the menu (waffles that they wanted since we were in Belgium). We got frustrated because of this and left. One of the girls I was with was really upset about it (I think it was the hunger speaking) and was annoyed that we were discriminated against but I am not sure if they do that to everyone or not. Regardless, we went and found a waffle stand and they got waffles with chocolate. I had packed a lunch so I did not need to buy lunch. Having saved money at lunch, I splurged and bought 100g of chocolate. It was only 3.5 Euro and I split it with Kimmie. I was going to take a picture of it, but we ate it too fast! It was really yummy and we had a nice assortment of truffles and chocolates. I guess I will have to get another assortment of chocolates- aww shucks! We then met up in the "markt" for our orientation to the city. Sitting there, it became quite clear that we were not in London anymore. The signs are not in English, people are talking in many languages, and tourists are swarming about in large conglomeration. There are also tons of horses pulling carts through the streets and boats in the canals taking people on tours. We began our orientation with a history of the city.
Pictures of Bruges: Not in line with the text because that is too much work. Sorry.

Town Hall- City of Plymouth, take note

Bell Tower

Markt

One of the many horse drawn carriages

Church

Priest with Christ's Blood- we got to walk by it close up

Where Christ's Blood is held

Dinner time!

Church

Cool Sign

Weird...

Picturesque Bruges

Medicci building

Bruges is flat land so it was great for sheep. This led to lots of wool which led to a wool trade, and its location led itself to become a large trading hub. The picture above of the bell tower shows the bells which were used as a warning system. The white building was the water hall. It was built over land so they could unload boats in a covered area. The next building is the town hall. The statues outside of it are replicas as the French revolutionists destroyed the originals. Then we went into the Basilica of the Holy Blood where Christ's blood is held. We got to see the relic (in front of the priest) and where it was housed (silver statue). We then went to a nunnery where we saw some old Medicci coat of arms. Finally, we saw the statue of Jan van Eyck. It was cool to see since so much of our studying has revolved around his works. Afterwards, we went and found dinner. Our professors recommended a place that turned out to be delicious. I got a chef's pie which came with a salad and bread. In the evening we hung out in the hotel. We learned the next morning that two people took a nap at 5pm and woke up this morning for breakfast, whoops? We did not stay up super late but we certainly did not go to bed at 5! 

In the morning we got free breakfast at the hotel. It was one of the strangest breakfast arrays that I have seen. There was a large platter of deli meats and cheeses, baguettes, etc. Apparently this is a German thing? Next to that there were some weird applesauce like things and white sauces. Then there were lots of yogurts that had weird flavors. I wanted peach and I found one that had a picture of a peach and passion fruit. The label was not in English, but it was delicious. I also tried the "exotica" one that had mango, kiwi and banana. I am not sure why this qualifies as exotic, but oh well. It was green so that was weird but it tasted like a delicious citrus fruit smoothie! A lot of the yogurts were apple flavored and I did not see any strawberry one. There were some jams and sauces but I could not read what they said so I did not try any of them (Note: Sunday morning I tried the passion fruit marmalade and did not like it). There was also a drink maker so I got a cappuccino which was a great way to wake me up. Finally, I ate a baguette with ham and delicious cheese! We were eating a lot so we did not have to eat much for lunch. 

In the morning we met at a church and then walked over a scenic bridge. Our first stop of the day was the Groening Museum. We studied a few pieces of art including: Virgin and Canon Jiris van Paele, The Last Judgment, the Judgment of Cambyses, and Saint Luke Drawing the Madonna. I did not take any picture of them because you can find much better pictures online. Imagine me sitting on a bench looking at them. Cool. Moving on, then we had a break for lunch. We went to this chocolate house that a lot of people had been to the previous day. They raved about the hot chocolate and waffles. They bring the hot chocolate out to you by bringing a steaming bowl (yes, it is that big) of milk with a whisk in it. Then you get a chocolate dish full of chocolate chips and you drop it into the milk and stir it in. They serve it with 3 chocolates and biscuits (think sugar cookies). I also got a waffle with butter and sugar. It was way better than the street food waffles that some people got (and the same price!). It was super fluffy and light and delicious! Once we were fed, we went and bought chocolates and went back to the hotel to drop them off and use the free restrooms. No way I am paying 40 cents to use a bathroom! Mollie and I then went shopping on our way to class. I bought a football jersey (for a Barcelona team- not related to Belgium but it looked the coolest) which I am excited to wear. Expect pictures soon! In the afternoon we had another tour. Our first stop was a church. It was absolutely beautiful and had a massive altarpiece. In front of the altarpiece, there were two graves above and several below ground that were uncovered only 20-30 years ago. These spots were very prestigious spots to be buried and thus that is why Mary of Burgundy and her father Charles, were buried here. After visiting the church, we went to an art gallery in an old hospital. We studied a few pieces of art, pictures below. 

My Nana Judy says to start with dessert. I have decided to now only eat dessert.

After class, we wandered through a chocolate shop and a beer shop. They both had an incredible variety of choices, but we were not really sure what the choices were. We came home for a quick break and got some french fries with mayo. The mayo was much more like an aoli and the fries were fresh and delicious. For dinner, I had a dinner roll I had taken from breakfast, a banana and an apple. After a quick rest, we went out in search of a bar that people had gone to the night before. The person who was leading us there did not know where she was going so it took a long time to get there. Thankfully, we eventually found it and had a fun night. They had lots of weird beers, one had a pink elephant on it, one came in a glass that had a round bottom so it came with a holder, and one had a joker on it. Since we cannot read Dutch, we just guessed with what we picked (along with recommendations and having looked at the previously mentioned beer place's top 10). I got a peach beer and a passion fruit beer. The peach one was really yummy and sweet. The passion fruit one was kinda tart but still good. I also tried other peoples and some were stranger than other. The two that stand out in my mind are the one had a bubblegum aftertaste and one tasted like banana (yuck!) 

This morning we got up and took the train to Ghent. Unlike Bruges, Ghent is much newer and larger. I prefer it over Bruges although we were still in a tourist town. It had some absolutely breathtaking castles on every corner and a beautiful river that ran through the town. Like Bruges, there were tour boats on the river, horse-drawn carriages, and chocolate shops at every corner. After an orientation in the morning, we had a break to get lunch. I had packed a sandwich at breakfast and ate that. Some others had gotten fries and I ate the remains when they could not eat any more. In the afternoon we met again and went to look at the Ghent altarpiece by Jan van Eyck. It is a breathtaking altarpiece that was finished in 1432. Unfortunately, multiple of the panels are not on display currently as they are being restored. Regardless, it was breathtaking to see in person. Afterwards, we took a quick tram to the train station, a train to Brussells, went through border patrol, took a train to London and then went home. 
Ghent Pictures:

Art Class!

Overall, it was a wonderful weekend in Belgium. I ate all of the classic foods: fries, waffles, chocolate, hot chocolate and beer; saw the famous art and had a wonderful time with Grinnellians. I am now absolutely exhausted and almost everyone is asleep on the train. All of this traveling, art viewing, walking and being in a foreign city wears on you. I had not even thought about language before we left, but it was quickly apparent in Bruges. Street signs look like absolute gibberish with letter combinations not allowed in English. Hearing it on the train, it sounds like English scrambled a bit. In the stores and museums, people spoke English, Dutch, French, and German, and could easily switch among them. It is cool to listen to all of the languages spoken as you wander through the town but it is easy to get really overwhelmed, especially in chocolate shops when you cannot figure out what each thing is (priorities). Interestingly, they do not have any peanut chocolate products and very few caramel chocolates. The majority seem to have either a chocolate or fruity filling. Kinda weird. 

This week should be a fun but busy week. We have mid-semester exams and papers, two plays, and a plethora of museums to go to.