I'm back from my fantastic trip to Belgium and the Netherlands, and rather than rehash everything I did (there's absolutely no way), I'll try to give some highlights instead. I will say that on my trip I:
-Ate more frites, waffles, and chocolate than I thought humanly possible
-Learned that I am not and never will be Flemish (thanks to a long conversation - we're talking 3 hours - with a Flemish man at a pub in Brugge)
-Climbed 2 church towers and a giant atom for a total of 3 panoramic city views
-Discovered that there can be a language barrier abroad
-Almost got run over by approximately 300 bicycles
-Found a vast array of ethnic diversity in places that I wouldn't have expected
-Was on more trains than I can count (and got to where I was going without any problem!)
-Saw original Picasso, Monet, Manet, Michelangelo, Van Gogh, Rembrant, Dali, and modern art pieces, just to name a few
-Found that Amsterdam consists of much more than its Red Light District
-Developed a deeper understanding of Dutch and Belgian culture.... and, subsequently, formulated many new reflections on Czech culture, as well.
...... and that's the trip in a nutshell!
BRUGGE
Brugge is my new favorite city. In the world. It is also, by far, the most beautiful city I've ever been to in my life. Brugge is considered to be the best-preserved medieval town in the world, which really is also reflected in its character. The people are lovely and speak English very well, in addition to their native Flemish. We really felt at home in Brugge and also had a bit of time to wander, relax, and take in the beautiful surroundings. Our first day, that's about all we did, and it still seemed like we saw so much! Other things we did in Brugge:
-Climbed to the top of the bell tower
-Ate our first Frites (with Andalouse sauce, a mix of ketchup, mayo, and spices), waffles, chocolate, and mussels
-Took a boat along the many canals of Bruges (the tour was in at least 3-4 languages, led by one person!)
-Saw the Basilica of the Holy Blood, which contains a relic, purportedly of Jesus's actual blood
-Went to the Chocolate Museum - yum!
-Met some locals at a few pubs (all were so nice and welcomed us warmly to their city)
-Saw Michelangelo's "Madonna and Child" in the Church of Our Lady, my new favorite church
-Checked out a few other churches and castles
-Shopped at an awesome market we found along a canal
BRUSSELS
Brussels' reputation preceded it as a city whose beauty...... leaves much to be desired, shall we say. The people speak French, which was a bit difficult, as none of the 4 of us spoke a word, and many of the people in restaurants, etc. didn't speak much English. That being said, Brussels definitely grew on me, and we saw a lot of cool stuff there. Although their parks aren't very well-kept and it seems as though the whole city may be under construction, there was still a lot that we were able to do and see there, including:
-A trip to the GIANT Atomium, Brussels' most famous landmark and the site of the 1956 World's Fair. We also went inside to check it out and see a view of the city from atop!
-The Manneken Pis, Brussels' teeny, but famous statue of a little boy relieving himself
-Seeing many palaces and government buildings of Belgium and the European Union
-Brussels' impressive triumphal arch
-The most bizarre flea market I have ever been to. Ever.
-Brussels' Auto museum, a huge collection of cars dating back to the 1800s and up to the present day
-A late night trip to the restroom..... on the side of a church? Brussels has many urinals located on the sides of impressive cathedrals. God only knows why.
ROTTERDAM
Rotterdam's beauty comes from a different place than Brugge's does, as the city was completely destroyed in WWII. Therefore, Rotterdam (in The Netherlands) is a haven for modern architecture, featuring many impressive skyscrapers and a sleek, white bridge. Rotterdam's maritime importance also plays a big part in its culture, as it is the world's 2nd largest port. I was able to meet my friend Melissa (from LHS!!!) in Rotterdam, as she is studying abroad there this semester. It's awesome how two people from the same town (virtually) can meet up completely across the world in Europe! Melissa was an awesome host and told us a lot about the city..... AND introduced us to kapsalon, one of my new favorite foods, derived from The Netherlands' large Turkish population. It is a recipe for a heart attack, and is made up of french fried, meat, melted cheese, salad, garlic sauce, and hot sauce!!! But trust me, it's delicious! Other adventures in Rotterdam:
-Running around in the POURING rain ALL DAY! This really put a damper on things, but didn't stop us from walking all around the very large and UN-walkable city
-Visiting the Blaak Markt, where we got some fried fish and stroopwafels (another Dutch favorite)
-A self-guided walking tour of the city's modern buildings and shipyards
-A rainy, miserable, horrible (get the picture?) walk across the Erasmus Bridge (above)
-The Nederlands Photo Museum in Rotterdam, which featured a brilliant exhibit of Martien Coppens' work
-The Bojmans museum of modern art.... not my thing, but still very interesting
-Some Dutch croquettes to finish off that leg of our trip!
AMSTERDAM
As a college student, I have heard quite a bit about Amsterdam...... much of which is true. However, Amsterdam is also a beautiful city with an interesting history and a cultural richness, as well. Yes, prostitution is legal and marijuana is not punishable - owing to a pretty interesting nightlife scene - but the city itself exudes a really great energy that has a lot to do with things other than sex and drugs. I found that, of all the places I've visited so far (including Prague and perhaps excluding Dublin), I think I could see myself living in Amsterdam the most. As another city built on a system of canals, Amsterdam was an interesting fusion between classic beauty - a la Brugge - and a consumerist, commercial attitude, which almost reminded me of New York. We spent 2 full days in Amsterdam, going all around the city and doing a lot of really interesting things, including:
-A 3 hour walking tour, which was a great introduction to Dutch and Amsterdam history, architecture, culture, and attitudes
-A visit to the Anne Frank house, where she stayed for 2 years and wrote her diary
-The Van Gogh museum, which (I believe) houses the largest collection of the artist's work
-A taste of Indonesian food, which that region is known for
-A walk through Vondelpark, Amsterdam's most famous (and beautiful) park
-The Sex Museum, one of the best in the world, apparently
-Some of the best goat cheese I've ever eaten in my life, served on bread with honey and roasted red pepper
-A trip through the Red Light District...... quite an interesting experience, as I'm sure you might expect!
-Definitely took advantage of Amsterdam's vibrant nightlife..... but didn't go overboard (don't worry, Mom and Dad!!!)
DELFT
My mother visited Delft a looooooooooooong time ago, when she was backpacking through Europe and urged me to do the same, as it's a beautiful place that evokes a lot of what you might expect from a small Dutch town. A few of us decided to go for a few hours on our last day. And while it was rainy the whole time, we still enjoyed seeing a lot of Delft's beautiful old churches and meandering streets along its canals. We were able to go inside the New Church, where William of Orange is buried, and climb up its bell tower to get an impressive view of the town and its surrounding countryside. We finished up our trip with a quick walk around town, popping into the Old (Oude) Church and getting one final frites and mayonnaise. A fantastic ending to a wonderful, memorable trip.
And tomorrow, my parents arrive here in Prague! Looking forward to seeing them and traveling to Vienna with them, too. And by the next time I write, we'll know who our next president will be, as well. It should be quite an exciting week! As always, you can look at my Picasa for all my pictures (and there are a lot of them this time!). They should hopefully be up by Monday or Tuesday.
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