A Weekend with Steve and Peg

As April turned to May, I found my days in Brussels dwindling, the thought of which scared the crap out of me. Fortunately, i didn't spend too much time dwelling on it as my parents were coming to visit.

I was extremely excited to welcome my parents to my newfound home for a plethora of reasons. For one, I have come to love this city and with the amount of pride and care I held for Brussels, I really wanted to show it off to people I care about. I had yet to have anyone visit me, so this would be the first opportunity to show people around my home and let them see what I loved about this place.

More importantly, my parents have a history with this city. Back in 1980, well before I was born, my father was transferred to his company's office in Brussels, so my parents and two oldest sisters moved to Brussels, where they lived for 2 years before returning back to the States. My father had only returned to the city briefly for a day over a decade ago, and my mother had not returned since they left. So their visit would be an exciting opportunity, not only for me to show them my favorite parts about the city, but also for them to revisit their former life, see what had changed and showed me their old stomping grounds. It had been over 30 years, so I was intrigued as to how they trip would be for them.

My parents arrived on Thursday morning. i wasn't able to meet them right away as I had to give a presentation on a semester long project for my marketing class, but was able to meet up with them afterwards. Following our initial regrouping and embrace, my father had to take a conference call, so my mother used the opportunity to try out some of that Belgian beer I haven't been able to shut up about. 

And so, the trip had come full circle

There's No Place Like Home

Alright, now that I've gotten all my trips out of the way, it's time to talk about the most important part of this semester abroad: Brussels. In just a few short months, Brussels has become my new home, a place that I enjoy very much, and miss when I'm away. I could explain it in more detail, but I'll just say for now that it is a city where I feel comfortable and that allows me to act like myself which all anyone can really ask out of their place of residence, no. So after traveling for the majority of April, I was relieved to return to this city and live out the final few weeks of my program.

So, without hesitation, let me explain some of the things I love about this place. Yes, I've already mentioned the beer and the bars.

They are wonderful and a great way to enjoy a night in the city. There's a great deal of variety in where I can go, and I'm able to mix it up quite a bit.

The big name is of course Delirium.

Best alleyway in Brussels

An entire alleyway owned by the same group that contains a cafe, a draft house, a beer cellar, a quiet zone, a floris (absinthe) bar, a rum bar and a tequila bar. I'm probably missing a few, but I think you get the point. Yes, the place is touristy but its the most popular place in Brussels for a reason. Prices aren't terrible, theres plenty of room to mill about, even if getting a table can be difficult, and options for everyone. I've spent a good amount of time there, as its a central meeting place and always helps in adding more beers to my list. Again the goal was 128 different beers for the 128 days I'll spend in Europe. And if you're looking to just try the beer and avoid the swarms of people, you can check out Little Delirium, which is just a few blocks away and never extremely crowded.

If I desire a more typical Belgian experience, I'll go to the downtown location of Chez Moeder. It's original location in St. Gilles is a hard place for me to get to, but its second location downtown is bigger and still offers just as much a variety, with over 30 beers on tap and an expansive bottle list that you have to ask for. It's on the pricier side, however, the menu features a more rare variety of beers that are difficult to find elsewhere. This is a great place to try a lambic beer like a gueze or framboise.

I mostly go out with people from the program. If we go to the city centre, we will most likely end up at O'Reilly's Nua for karaoke or The Big Game for 1 euro Stella's before making our way to St. Gery, which a cool little square where bars and cafes line the sidewalks surrounding Les Halles de St. Gery, an old train station that has become a cafe/bar/nightclub. People prefer this area for the cocktail bars like Mappa Mundo and Coaster.

The nightlife is not just restricted to the city center. Cimitiere D'Ixelles is a small area located between the campus of the two major universities in Brussels, the ULB and VUB. The are has a good number of cafes and bars which are largely populated by students. El Cafe is a pretty popular place with most of my friends, and seems to be where everyone will meet up, which is the only real reason I'll ever go there anymore. It's a cocktail bar with a dance floor but a crappy beer selection, so not my cup of tea. I prefer Tavernier down the street, where you can enjoy a nice Zinnebir.

There are a whole bunch of places I haven't even gotten to explore yet. Not being into the club scene limits me a bit. I've heard good things about Madame Moustache, You and the Bois, which is a club in the middle of the forest, which sounds sketchy when you type it out, but people really seem to like it.

Of course, Brussels is not just about the drinking, even though its an essential part of the social scene. You'll probably be aware that Brussels is considered the capital of the EU, as it is home to many European institutions and the NATO headquarters.

NATO

This helps transform Brussels into such a diverse international city. There are tons of different communities throughout the city. And it would not be surprising to hear more than 8 languages spoken in a given day. Many of the EU institutions are located in the place Luxembourg area east of the city centre, which fittingly has a very bureaucratic vibe to it. It is a good place to spend a Thursday night, as most of the politicians return to their districts for the weekends. Nearby is Place Jordaan, home to Chez Antoine, supposedly home to the best frites in Brussels.

 I've tried them, they were amazing, but the title of best is a hard one to claim.

In addition the city centre is full of cultural activities, many of which I have yet to get to. The center is dominated by one of Brussels more recognizable features, which is of course the Grand Place. Without a doubt, the most beautiful square in all of Europe, the Grand place is the center of all activity in the city and I frequently pass through it on my way just to gaze at its lovely splendor.

At night, it lights up and appears even more stunning. The lighting will often be themed regarding the time of year, as it was green for St. Patrick's day and rainbow for Pride week.

Everything else in the centre is only a short walk from the Grand Place. Two streets to the south is the Mannekin Pis, the fountain statue of a little boy peeing that has become the symbol of Brussels.

There are several origin stories that exist about Mannekin Pis, my personal favorite being that he was pissing and put out a fire to save the city.

One of the biggest hubs of the city is the area surrounding the Bourse, the old stock exchange building on Boulevard Anspach, the main street in the centre. I'd have to recommend picking up a cone of frites from Friteland, one of the best friteries which is right nearby, and go take a seat on the Bourse steps and enjoy the buzz of activity going on:

Just a few blocks east is Gare Centrale and the Royal Palace.

Here you can find many government buildings surrounding Parc, it's large park. In this area, you'll also find many of the city's museums nearby, most of which I have visited so far or will definitely do before my time is up.

Just south of there is the Grand Sablon, a nice area surrounding an old church that can be considered the chocolate street, as there are tons of chocolate shops lining this street.

Some of the biggest tourist attractions are located a bit north of the center in the Heysel area. It should only take a 20 minute tram ride or 15 minute metro. This is where you find the Roi Badouin stadium, the national stadium where I attended the football match in March. The King's palace

The King lives here

and the Royal Greenhouses are also located close by. Most of the area is a reflection of the 1958 World's fair which built up a majority of the area. The Atomium is the giant monument at its center, that is probably the second biggest symbol of Brussels, behind Mannekin Pis.

It looks immensely better on a nice day

The Fair grounds has become a hub of activity thanks to the monument as well as the large adjacent complex which includes a massive cineplex, a water park and the Mini Europe theme park. There is also an expansive green park area that is home to several country pavilions left over from the World's fair.

A little east of place Luxembourg, is the beautiful Cinquantenaire, a beautiful archway towering over the surroundings.

It is surrounded by a beautiful park and is only about a 20-25 minute walk from my apartment.

These are just some of the most notable things to do and see in Brussels. I have lived here for almost 4 full months, and have still yet to visit many of them. So, if you hear that Brussels is a small and unexciting city, know that is wrong. There's plenty to do here, and if you're like me and don't take yourself too seriously and can appreciate a fine beer, you will love it here. Cheers.

Luxembourg

So in the process of writing, and moving along with the semester, I happened to forget/ purposely not include for sake of time/just flat out didn’t want to post about some things I have done. One of these was the CIEE day trip to Luxembourg back in early March. With all the traveling I’ve done since, this trip may not seem as big in comparison but it was still Luxembourg and was a great and interesting day. We went on a Thursday, so we got to miss class which was nice, but we also had to leave at 7, which meant getting up at 6, not nice.

We started the day with a visit to the European Investment bank. Not it’s new nice and shiny building that’s just a few years old, but rather its older contemporary, which sees less action as a result. We gathered in the buildings large meeting room, where we were given a presentation on the European Investment bank, what it does, and how it works. To be honest, a lot of what was said went way over my head, but I believe the general premise was that companies gives the bank money, which the bank then invests in order to make more money. I am smart.

Leaving Luxembourg’s modern financial district, otherwise known as home for the money of rich people, we then traveled to the city center. I’ll admit, I did not know much about the actual city of Luxembourg before the trip. From what I knew, it was just that tiny country south of Belgium where celebrities and companies hide their money from taxes. What I did not realize was how much of a creative cityscape Luxembourg is. The center of the city sits atop of what is essentially a plateau of sorts, really a flat hill, and is surrounded by a series of walls. The original city wall stands on the hill, protecting the city from the surrounding valleys. To put this in perspective, here is how the walls of the city centre stand out:

Alsace You Whether You Like It or Not

After a week back in the real world again, going to class, papers and projects, and cooking for myself, I took part in the CIEE organized trip to the Alsace region of France the following weekend.

Here’s a little background info on Alsace, as I knew nothing about the area before the trip. Alsace is a region in the east of France that borders Germany and Switzerland. Much like Belgium, the region has been under numerous jurisdictions in its existence and the as a result the modern population have ties with both Germany and France. It is one of the few areas you’ll see with town signs in both French and German.

For our trip we would be staying in Strasbourg, the largest city in the region and also one/third of the center of the EU (the other 2/3 being Brussels and Luxembourg). The trip also included visits to other Alsacian sites, Freiburg, the German capital of the Black forest region, and the town of Trier, the oldest European city north of the Alps.

Leaving Friday morning on our infamous CIEE double decker bus, we arrived in Strasbourg that afternoon. After a quick bus tour, we were also given a walking tour of the city. We started at the city’s dam before navigating its small cobble stone streets.

I've Been Here

This right here is a donut. A german donut. I purchased 5 of these beauties at the Munich haupbanhof before boarding my train for Koln. Without a doubt, one of the best decisions of my life. These things were amazing, some of the greatest things I have had the pleasure of tasting. I miss them everyday, and wake up in the middle of the night crying about them.

Munchen

As i lie in bed nursing the second bout of serious illness I have experienced during the semester I find myself in a dilemma. Having just come off one of the busiest academic weeks I can remember, in which I had 3 presentations, a group project, 2 papers and a week of finals still left to go, I am exhausted. I don't want to get out of bed, my body aches, I have the chills, and I still have a 10 page paper on Belgium history due Friday night. I should probably get on that, but then again I still haven''t finished writing about my spring break travels, so I'll do that to procrastinate. 

The train ride from Berlin to Munich was the longest of my German adventure, sending me from the northeast part of the country south into Bavaria, home of leiderhosen and pretzels. I emerged from Munich Haupthbanhof sometime in the afternoon. After some initial struggles finding wifi, I was able to direct myself to my Airbnb, drop off my things and make my way back to the city center.

Wait, I don't remember all these bikes